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Hi! I'm Billy Padmore and I've been playing guitar for over 14 years and teaching for the last two years. While I have a strong background in rock and metal, I have a vast knowledge of all styles of playing, as well as supporting it with a strong understanding of theory and technique.
My name is Billy Padmore, and I have been teaching guitar for the last two years. I began teaching myself guitar when I was a teenager, but decided to pursue music properly at college and university, where I received my first lessons. While I enjoyed teaching myself, having a tutor helped push me in the right direction and I learned skills I never thought I would need or use, all of which helped shape me into a better musician.
While studying for my BMus degree at The Institute of Contemporary Music Performance, I vastly improved my knowledge of theory, developed my technique to enable me to play more easily, learned songwriting skills as well as learning to write for film, played in a wide range of genres (country, blues, jazz, metal, disco, you name it!) and got to work with so many other great musicians. Being able to spend time with other musicians is vital to one's growth with their instrument, which is yet another bonus to receiving lessons.
Music is my life, and I have been performing in bands since I was 16 years old. While my background is rooted in metal, I am more than competent in all modern contemporary styles of playing. Having a wide knowledge of genres will really help a musician's playing style - it may not seem it, but having some country licks in your arsenal can really accentuate your metal guitar solos!
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Get in touch today & start learning with a professional!
I cater to all ages, having taught children as young as 5 all the way through to retired adults. I also teach the whole spectrum of ability. Whether you're a competent guitarist looking to refine their skills, or a complete beginner who has just bought their first guitar, I'm happy to help you on your musical journey. The main objective of my lessons is that we cover exactly what you the student wishes to cover. If you want to learn how to play chords, cover songs by your favourite artists, learn how to improvise, understand music theory, or even begin writing your own songs, I'm here to help you achieve your goals. The driving force behind sticking with the guitar is a passion for playing, and that passion will be lost if a student is forced to learn things they aren't interested in. While there are some elements that may seem a bit boring or irrelevant that have to be covered (chords, scales, etc), I endeavour to balance it with material that will be more appealing to the student in question.
As such, I begin each first lesson with a quick chat about our musical backgrounds, so that we can get to know each other. This also gives me an opportunity to find out what direction you want the lessons to go in - if you tell me you're into 60s rock, we can cover Beatles songs, or if you say you want to improve your improvising, we can look at playing some 12 bar blues. Once we have established a direction for the lessons, and maybe even some goals you'd like to achieve, I tailor all my lessons to benefit you specifically. I regularly communicate with students between lessons if there is any new areas or material they would like to cover, and also check that we're going in the direction they wish. With my younger students, I feel the most important thing is to provide a fun experience with music. Young children are often not interested in the technical or theory side of playing, so most of my lessons involve teaching them their favourite Disney songs and playing music based games. Even if playing guitar is something they don't carry through consistently into adulthood, my hope is that they look back on their guitar lessons with fond memories, and may be inspired to pick up the instrument once again!
I do not set homework with my lessons, as I feel this can often take the fun out of guitar playing and turn the experience into a chore. However, I do stress that practice makes perfect. I appreciate that we all have busy schedules and can't practice 8 hours a day like Jimi Hendrix, but just 5 minutes every day will yield improvements week by week, much more than just one hour slot once a week. I try to cover new material for each lesson, as this keeps the lessons engaging, but if a subject requires more than one session to complete, then I'm happy to spend as much time as possible on a subject until you're completely happy with it.
Lessons are pay-as-you-go, weekly, fortnightly or as suits you.
I welcome both beginner and advanced students to take my lessons. I will make a lesson plan that suits your needs as a learner.
My taste in music spans quite a wide spectrum, ranging from Lady Gaga to Slipknot and everything in between. As such, I feel I have a strong command of most playing styles of contemporary music, and can therefore help students learn whatever style they may prefer. Whether it's the 16th note strumming patterns of disco, the reggae ska, jazzy chord voicings, country chicken picking or simply punk power chords, I'm able to help you learn your favourite styles of playing.
During the two years I have spent teaching, I have managed to establish a good balance between providing a fun experience for my students, but also pushing and challenging them to try something out of their comfort zone, and thus become a more accomplished musician.
Equally, I am quick to understand when a student may find a subject either too challenging or too simple, and am happy to adjust our lessons accordingly. While I do like to present areas that may be testing to my students, I appreciate that finding something too difficult can result in a lack of interest. My main goal is to provide lessons you enjoy, and hopefully to turn you into an even better musician than you already are.
With a strong history in metal, I know the importance of good technique, and how to obtain it. Something as simple as the way you hold your pick can vastly improve your speed with playing, and you will notice the difference in no time. Further to this, the more advanced areas of playing, such as sweep picking, tapping, shredding, or pinch harmonics are all things that we can cover within out lessons.
For those who are less interested in the technical side of playing but more the theory, I am able to provide lessons on even the more advanced areas of music theory. Whether it be what scales would be appropriate over a certain song or chord progression, learning how to write a series of chords that work well together, or understanding jazz theory to improve your selection of chords, we can cover whatever it is you wish in our lessons.
I have really enjoyed seeing all the different backgrounds and goals people have when it comes to music, as it brings a great variety to the job. In fact, the variety and fun that comes with teaching such a mix of students means I barely see it as a job!I can spend one lesson teaching chords to a beginner, and get to see them play their first song, and the next lesson can be spent explaining theory to a more advanced student and seeing the pieces click into place for them. Ultimately, what I enjoy most is seeing the enjoyment my students experience. It lets me know that I've helped them in some way, and has hopefully improved their love of the instrument.
[email protected]My lessons are charged at £20 per half hour and £30 per hour for students of all ages.
I will travel to you for your lessons. I feel this is best for everyone.
I teach students of all ages and ability levels.
I believe that weekly or fornightly lessons are the best way the improve.
If a cancellation occurs within 24 hours of the lesson, I will still be expecting payment in full. If there are extreme circumstances preventing the lesson from taking place, then I will forego the cancellation fee.
Get in touch today and start imrpoving your guitar playing today.
Guitar Teacher
Billy Padmore