Guitar Lessons Bangor

Joel Murphy - Professional Guitar Teacher

Guitar Lessons Bangor Teacher - Joel Murphy

My Mission

Learn To Play The Guitar

My name is Joel and I have worked as a guitarist and guitar teacher since I graduated from Birmingham Conservatoire in 2003. I have taught and spread the guitar bug to hundreds of students since then, imparting my knowledge to individuals and groups.

I tailor lessons to the individuals musical taste, assisting them with technically difficulties whilst teaching a basis and understanding of the theory of rhythm and harmony with a focus on improving their guitar playing abilities.

Female Guitarist Playing Acoustic Guitar

My Lessons

Enjoy Learning To Play

I have taught from as young as 6 years up to 60+. It really doesn't matter what age you are to enjoy playing guitar. For the younger students I start off with learning well known melodies (twinkle twinkle, frere jacque, the star wars theme and many others) on the top string and gradually introduce chords using all strings.

For the older beginners and improvers I highlight the common chord progressions used in songs from folk songs through the many genres found in popular music and the rhythmic qualities and devices that define the different genres of music. I can assist in the acquisition of musical grades from ABRSM up to grade five and rock school grades up to grade 8. I can also assist in ABRSM music theory up to grade 5.

Beginners & Advanced Students Welcome

I welcome both beginners and advanced guitar players to take my lessons. I will guide you and help you reach your full potential.

Lesson Focus

Beginners Welcome

I welcome beginner students.

My Experience as a Teacher

I have taught music in one form or another to all sorts of people for the last 25 years. I have worked with people with learning disabilities and music since 2003, and worked in higher education as a music lecturer at Sandwell College, West Brom, South Birmingham College, West Mids. and SERC, Co. Down.

Since my time of graduation I have spent time travelling and playing further afield, meeting up with other musicians whilst traveling, and forging musical ideas and creating longterm musical partnerships.

This human currency of musical exchange has enriched my outlook on how music can create strong human bonds through musical interaction. It is this outlook that continues to inspire me to create music and pass on the knowledge I have acquired to others.

Lessons Focus

Advanced Players Welcome

I can also help more advanced players.

More About My Lessons

For the intermediate and advanced guitarist I teach theory of harmony associated with jazz but not restricted to the jazz idiom/genre. An in-depth look at common popular chord progressions and how they might feature in different genres of music through rhythmic analysis and analysis of extended harmonies.

We can look at how to "harmonically enhance" a given progression and at the scales from where these harmonies are derived. An in depth study of scales, modes, and altered harmonies derived from the melodic minor, the harmonic minor and symmetric (modes of limited transposition) will give the student an advanced harmonic palette to work from.

On a technical level for the picking/strumming hand we can work on pick technique, finger styles technique, and hybrid styles combining pick and finger work. For the fretting hand we work on hand position and techniques associated with single note playing and chord playing.