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Bio

It has been 20 years now of studying and practicing both the acoustic and electric guitar. I must admit that I am still as excited as I ever have been about this challenging and wonderful instrument, as well as the fortunate opportunities it has brought me. I have studied the work of many different guitarists over the years however the ones that keep recurring as the biggest influences on my playing and my musicality are:

John Mayer, John Frusciante, Derek Trucks, Tommy Emmanuel, Guthrie Govan and Marcus King.

As well as teaching for the last 5 years, initially for The Guitar Gym before leaving to teach privately, I have played in numerous bands and recording projects. I still think one of the best things I have ever done as a musician was to start playing covers – now I understand how the Beatles became so damn good at music! When your sole job is to make hundreds of people dance and sing with everything they have got, you learn a lot about how to play your instrument!

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Teaching Info

Starting From Scratch

I know that in the beginning the process of learning guitar can be very daunting. I actually started to learn left-handed a few years ago just to remind myself what my students were going through and it was humbling! Fortunately you do not have to be stuck in these early stages for a long time. By breaking down the tasks required in the beginning (changing chord shapes quickly and strumming) into simple actions, you can be proficient within several weeks. I have worked with many beginners to get quickly through this phase on the guitar and the rewards are worth it.

Understanding Theory

Many guitarists feel that music theory is an elusive and difficult subject but it really doesn’t need to be. In fact, understanding theory is empowering and can open up a whole new world on the guitar for you. This method is particularly good at breaking down the process into simple steps and targeted exercises that really show you how theory works and how to apply it. This is particularly useful for those who have been learning guitar for a while but feel that they would like to properly understand how it all works.

Learning To Jam and Improvise

Once you understand a bit of theory, the first thing you want to do with it is to be creative! There is no better feeling than jamming with other musicians- all of you using the understandings you have gained to create music at the same time together. And yes, ANYONE can learn it. I have taught many students how to improvise creatively and be responsive in a musical situation.

Learning Specific Songs and Techniques

Let’s face it, it’s almost always a certain song that inspires us to learn the guitar. For me it was Under The Bridge by the Red Hot Chili Peppers! This process of dividing skills into a sequence of simple actions really makes its mark when applied to learning songs. If we get the order right and practice the components until they happen automatically, we can build up the complex skills required. For example, the song Neon by John Mayer seems like an impossible technique on face value but in fact, it can be learned quite quickly by learning 5 simple steps in the right order.