What is it like being a guitar teacher in London?
Well, it’s pretty cool! I mainly teach adults from my London studio. A lot of my pupils are professionals who work in the City of London and West End of London. Many pupils who come to me for guitar lessons in London have very demanding jobs and little time for guitar practice. It is my job to teach them how to get the most out of their limited time with the guitar. I do this by making it clear what, and how, they should be practicing each week.
Do you enjoy giving guitar lessons in London?
I enjoy the challenges that my guitar pupils bring to the lessons. Some may have good technique but a poor sense of rhythm, or good technique but no confidence etc. It is my job as a guitar teacher to help pupils to ‘fill in the gaps’ in their knowledge and skills, whilst at the same time building on their current strengths. I have helped pupils with no natural sense of rhythm to play in time. Rhythm isn’t magic – it’s maths!
Some pupils will bring along a song to their London guitar lesson that I have never heard before and ask me to teach it to them – I love this! I like the challenge of learning and teaching a song on the fly, I think that I get as much out of it as the pupil does!
Sometimes I get the opportunity to teach songwriters who may need to brush up on their guitar technique, or just need an objective ear to hear their latest composition. I enjoy hearing brand new music in this way. Sometimes the songs are so good that I won’t touch them, other songs need a lot of work. The most common problem with new compositions is that they are too long. A song needs to have a lot to say to be worthy of more than 3-4 minutes.
Are there any drawbacks to being a London guitar teacher?
Living and teaching in Kennington, London, I am just a short tube ride from the West End of London and the City of London. While this is very convenient for my guitar pupils who visit me after work, it can also be dangerous for my wallet! I can get from my Kennington studio to Denmark Street (London’s premier guitar shopping street) in about twenty minutes. This means that I can decide to buy a new guitar, head into central London, buy it, and be home with my new axe within the hour…
How long have you been giving guitar lessons in London?
I started in about 1993. I used to busk on the London Underground and people would stop and ask me for lessons. Eventually I started giving regular guitar lessons from my London studio, and I haven’t looked back since! The great thing about being a guitar teacher in London is the mix of people that I meet. I teach people from all over the world, and learn a lot from them! As well as giving guitar lessons in London, I also teach pupils online via Skype. To date, I have taught pupils in the USA, Sweden and Australia as well as people from all over the UK.
I am available for Guitar lessons in London, or guitar lessons on Skype. Please contact me for further details.