Guitar lessons in Crystal Palace

Hello my name is Franck Alba. I am a multi-instrumentalist, singer-songwriter music teacher and producer. Born in France but a resident of South London since the 1990’s, I have etched out a formidable portfolio, which includes recording with the seminal DJ/producer Andrew Weatherall and with my own groups, Low Road and Fireflies (the latter’s music was recently featured in the popular BBC One tv series, ‘Killing Eve‘). As a member of the Anglo-French ghostrock group, Piano Magic, from 2002 to 2016, I toured numerous times across the Continent and played as far and wide as Moscow and Istanbul. I am also featured on six of the band’s studio albums and a whole plethora of associated recordings, collaborating with the likes of Dead Can Dance, Low, John Grant and Vashti Bunyan. Though I began studying violin at the age of six, I fell headfirst in love with guitars in my early teens. At 16, heavily influenced by artists such as The Cure, Siouxsie & The Banshees, Cocteau Twins, Depeche Mode, Nick Drake, The Durutti Column and many more, I formed my first bands, ‘Siamese Angels’ and ‘Something Else’ . Before long, whilst studying at the jazz music school IMFP in Salon de Provence, I began playing professional concerts around his native south of France. On moving to London in the late 90’s, I joined various short-lived bands and cut my teeth playing extensively on the city’s buzzing live circuit. My most recent work includes writing and recording for Theory of ghosts EP 1 & 2 (2019-2020) and a full Album coming out January 2026, recording sessions for Andrew Weatherall’s 2014-2019, acclaimed solo album ‘Convenanza’ ,various remixes and live performances with the Woodleigh Research Facility (WRF). I am currently collaborating with innumerable artists, singer-songwriters, film makers alongside working on my solo albums. I have been teaching guitar, bass, drums, singing, music theory and improvisation for more than 20 years beside my own music career.

Danny Ricci is an eclectic guitarist, a passionate teacher and a music producer with a creative and dynamic approach across a vast range of music styles. He has been teaching for years, working with students of different ages and musical styles. His lessons are intended to develop skills as improvisation, performance, theory, reading, technique and to study in deep different styles such as blues, rock, jazz and pop, expanding the student’s own potentiality. He helps students through their grades with international exam boards (Trinity College London; RockSchool; RGT; ABRSM). “My teaching philosophy is that learning music should be an inspiring, motivating, fun, and exciting experience. My lessons are focused on each student that should find out and follow his own natural predisposition to reach his goals and my job is helping him to do that”, Dan. Dan (born Danilo Ricciardiello) started studying classical guitar when he was eleven years old and, after a few years, the study of modern music such as blues, rock, and jazz, totally captured him. During these years he gained a deep knowledge of these styles studying under the guidance of the well-known Italian teacher, composer, and arranger Giancarlo Perna with whom he also studied arranging and composing. His love and devotion for music took him even to New York City where he spent few months playing for local artists and attending lessons with some of the top international players and teachers ( Jonathan Kreisberg, Adam Rogers). As a session musician, Dan plays different music styles, mostly rock, blues, and jazz. He has enjoyed playing in different bands and for different kinds of artists in the studio and at many venues. In 2015, holding a BMus in Jazz Guitar from the Conservatory of Music San Pietro a Majella, he decided to move to London where he also works as a session musician and composer, collaborating with studios based in London and Los Angeles to write music for movie trailers. Dan teaches in his music studio in Sydenham (South East London, SE26), situated in a converted warehouse just in front of the overground station. He also teaches in music academies in different parts of London (Greenwich Music School, Blackheath Conservatoire) and he regularly makes lessons on Skype. So, in case you live too far or don’t have time to travel, all you need is a webcam and an internet connection.​In 2017, he started working as a movie trailer co-author and composer with the Los Angeles-based music producer Oscar Neidhardt and in 2018 he started his own music productions and session works in his new music studio in South East London. Dan deeply enjoys teaching students of all ages and different styles, doing guitar masterclasses regarding his favourite music genres and writing arrangements for his band classes. He is always committed to sharing his passion for the guitar. Dan is a DBS checked tutor and a member of the Incorporated Society of Musicians (ISM). Music Qualifications & Achievements: Bmus Jazz Guitar, Conservatory of Music San Pietro a Majella

Local musician based in Forest Hill, South London with a Masters Degree in Music offering guitar, bass and ukulele lessons. Over fourteen years’ teaching experience with more than 300 satisfied students taught in South London since 2008. All lessons are shaped to suit each individual student's musical interests and educational needs. The focus of lessons is on practical playing skills with the choice of learning by ear and memory, TAB or standard notation. Students are able to cover a wide range of styles (including rock, blues, funk, jazz and folk) as well as a variety of techniques and skills, such as improvisation, music technology, recording and mixing techniques, songwriting and music theory. All lessons include a video of the new material covered during the lesson.John has guided many guitarists through their Rockschool, Trinity Rock and Pop and ABRSM graded exams with a 100% success rate. Students of all ages and levels welcome.

Hi, I'm Billy, a guitarist from South East London who's been performing live since I was eighteen. I was trained at the Institute of Contemporary Music Performance and have over five years of private teaching experience. Having begun as a self-taught musician, I believe it is fundamental for students to first find their passion, as this will provide the necessary motivation to advance. Whether you've just got your first guitar, or you wish to build upon your existing skills and advance your playing - I will make sure to tailor my lessons to you. With more than seventeen years of playing, over five years experience teaching privately, and two and half years spent in primary schools, I am well versed in teaching both young and old, new and advanced students. As a versatile musician, I am accomplished in many genres and playing styles, including rock, blues, jazz, metal, funk, disco, country, pop, soul, punk and many more. Having helped students learn their first song, while also helping others improve their improvisation and soloing skills, I am confident and happy to teach students of all ages and abilities. As a songwriter and performer in my own band, I have performed across the country for many years, showcasing my own compositions. I also have experience working with singer songwriters, function bands and session work. I have six years of musical education, having studied at Access To Music in Stratford, before studying music at degree level at The Institute of Contemporary Music Performance in Kilburn, where I achieved First Class Honours.

I’m a professional musician who specialises in guitar, music theory, singing, piano and songwriting. I play in an alternative / indie rock band but have experience playing both classical and jazz guitar. I am passionate about teaching and I have experience of tutoring people of different ages with varying abilities, both in person and over zoom in preparation for formal music exams and also on a more casual basis. I always ask my pupils to make me a playlist of their favourite songs and then from that I create lesson plans based around their interests in music. For example, if the pupil wants to learn how to improvise, I would teach the pupil scales found in their chosen songs and we would examine how they are used in contexts they are familiar with. I pride myself in being a flexible and adaptive teacher in which I adapt lessons to the specific needs of the pupil and find ways to keep it fun and engaging! Music Qualifications & Achievements: I have a First Class Honours Degree in Music from Goldsmiths College, University of London. I am a touring musician and have recently been on UK tours supporting Wet Leg, The Big Moon, Dream Wife and Billy Nomates.

Jack has been teaching for the last 16 years, privately and in colleges around London. As well as private tuition, Jack went on to become the head of guitar at The London Music School and began teaching at The Brit School in 2023. Alongside teaching, Jack is actively gigging as a session musician, the primary song-writer in his own band Sad Clown and works regularly in production teams that have had tracks featured on the BBC and on ITV. Whether to improve technically, explore creativity, build a career in music or simply have fun, Jack will customise the lessons around the student’s individuality.

I have been teaching singing and music for 5 years. I am a professional musician and musical theatre performer and have been performing professionally since the age of 8. I grew up performing in a folk band where we would travel around the UK performing at festivals and clubs. I play over 7 different instruments because of this and when I finished school I was accepted into a drama college where I trained for 3 years in Musical Theatre. I have taught music and singing at drama colleges and youth performing arts schools both 1to1 and in-class settings and have performed in various band both singing and playing instruments such as piano, guitar and bass. Since graduating I have gigged around the country with various bands, performed as a soloist, been Musical Director and am currently performing at the O2 Arena in Mamma Mia! The Party UK. I have a huge passion for music and absolutely love giving people the opportunity through teaching to find that passion for themselves too. I like to make my lessons as fun as possible and will help you work towards your own goals, whether that be taking parts in exams or just playing and singing for the love of it. Music Qualifications & Achievements: Professional Diploma in Musical Theatre at Performance Preparation Academy, currently a musician and performer in Mamma Mia! The Party at London’s O2 Arena Musical director of Vernon God Little at Yvonne Arnauds Mill Theatre 2018 Singer and bassist for Sensation, the music of the Who UK Featured Singer for Hats off to Led Zeppelin UK 2017 Played Ilse in Spring Awakening 2016 Played Mary Flynn in Merrily We Roll Along 2017 Featured artist on Sky Arts Fairport Conventions Cropredy Festival 2010 Played Piano for 20+ years, Flute for 15+, Guitar for 15+, Bass for 10+

My name is Nick Morgan and I am a professional Bassist based in Brixton, and working on London’s famous Denmark Street. Having started with the viola aged 8, I have since picked up a wealth of experience and knowledge – as well as other instruments – which I am keen to share. At age 13 I added the guitar and bass to my repertoire and joined a variety of different ensembles, including Orchestras, Concert Bands, Jazz Combos of various sizes, String Quartets and Popular Groups from Metal to Indie. I attended weekly rehearsals for each group, as well as taking any school-provided Music opportunities and quickly found Music was all I wanted to do, despite never planning it as a career option. However, thanks to these groups and courses, by the age of 18 I had played dozens of concerts throughout Europe and gained an understanding of what it takes to be a professional performer in almost any scenario or venue; further honed by my time at Goldsmiths, University of London, where I earned a BMus Music degree with Second-Class Honours. Thus, since then I have thrown myself into the world of Music. While at Goldsmiths I continued playing in the University Orchestra, as well as my own projects away from the world of classical music (available to view below) with a particular love of production and engineering appearing. I spent time working in such studios as the fantastic GMS at Goldsmiths, Snap Studios and recently Metropolis Studios, and eventually recording with artists such as Brandy Row, Robert Chaney and Oli Swan’s Dangerous Creatures. Today my primary group, Big Peyote, have our own studio as well as my own home facilities, and recording has become another skill that I am keen to share. In the modern music industry, it has become a necessity to be highly adaptable and possess a wide range of skills from recording and performing to effective self-promotion and networking. As an example of this myself – currently teaching, working as a session musician, writing and recording with a number of projects, and also working selling instruments on Denmark Street – I am able to not just teach you an instrument, but how to get yourself into this crazy industry! Music Qualifications & Achievements: Grade 8 Viola with Merit (ABRSM) Grade 8 Theory with Distinction (ABRSM) Grade 5 Bass with Distinction (Rockschool) GCSE Music – A* (Overall – 4 A*s 7 As 1 B) A Level Music Tech – A; Music – B; Maths B 2:1 BMus Degree from Goldsmiths, UoL Notable Performances: Royal Albert Hall; Palace of Milan with CMA Concert Band & Orchestra O2 Forum with LITTLEWING Long Road Festival with Robert Chaney Penn Festival with Big Peyote

Hi, I’m Leo, an instrumental teacher and professional musician based in South London. I’m really excited to help you experience the infinite joy of making music! Learning with me, you will find that training yourself to play an instrument is simpler than you thought possible. Not only will I give you the technical and musical knowledge required to become a great musician, I will also show you how to build healthy and productive practice and performance habits so that you can enjoy improving and playing consistently on your instrument of choice. Lessons with me are entirely student-centric, taking into account your current skill level, goals, musical interests, and learning style. I understand that there can be many mental and physical barriers to learning music, and over my many years of experience as a teacher, I have always found a way around them for my students. I have a very deep understanding of technique and theory, having spent half my life practicing guitar. I have spent years researching how to play guitar and bass using the least possible physical effort, employing musculature and gravity efficiently. I can show you how good tone is produced and how to build coordination. I am familiar with a huge range of music and can show you songs and pieces to learn that are not only suited to your interests and skill level, but will also give you foundational skills that will make the next songs you learn easier. Above all, if there’s any music you want to learn, I will find a way to get you playing it as soon as possible. For those students interested in doing grades, I am experienced with getting students prepared for exams, and am familiar with the repertoire in most of the grade books including Trinity Classical and Rock/Pop, ABRSM Classical and Plectrum, as well as Rockschool and RGT grades.

My name is Andy. I am a guitarist with fifteen years experience of gigging and performance, and a passion for helping people find their way into music with accessible, and enjoyable beginner lessons. What artist first made you first want to pick up the guitar? Which song do you day dream about playing? Some students find the pressure, and structure of exams and grades helpful and motivating - and some don't! All students learn differently, and my lessons will reflect those unique needs. What drives my lessons is an understanding of where the students find their joy in music - what got them interested? What are their passions? Rooting their learning in their own enjoyment of art creates the best musicians, and the best artists. As a musician myself I have performed in live bands for fifteen years. I am currently on tour as lead guitarist for Gemma Rogers band. In 2023 alone we played five shows at Glastonbury, supported Paulo Nutini at the Brighton Festival Series, played Secret Garden Party, and Minifest in Barcelona, as well as sold out London Headline shows at The Courtyard, and the Lexington. Alongside this, I play bass guitar for The Steady Letters - a indie punk group, and CaptainCaptain, a London based function band playing venues around Clapham and Wandsworth, as well as acoustic guitar for The Double Covers, a function duo playing acoustic blues and soul. This professional experience takes my lessons beyond the musical instruction, and allows me to offer an insight into the life of a touring musician. Whether for school, exams, or just for the simple, cathartic joy of it; I offer a professional, fun, and educational service, with music at it’s heart.

I have a wide range of teaching experience from big groups to individual lessons. I studied musical composition and musical theatre singing at the BRIT School and then at Rose Bruford College where I did an Actor Musician BA Hons degree. I have performed in the West End with Dreamboats and Petticoats when I was the keyboard player. I then became the Musical Director for the show when it toured in the UK. I have also been the MD for various other shows such as Cats (Theatre Royal Windsor) and Oklahoma! (Hong Kong) I have arranged music for a number of professional singers and bands and recently, I spent six months teaching singing for the Centrestage Academy in Hong Kong. I am involved with a number of different bands playing a wide range of musical style. A particularly interesting job was as the musical director and conductor for the popular Christmas festival of carols at Emmanuel Church in Croydon. More recently I have been teaching the piano on Zoom, adapting my style to suit the needs of my pupils. Some want to play from memory, some want to work on improvising skills and others want to play in bands. Music Qualifications & Achievements: Dreamboats and Petticoats (West End), Buddy Holly: Musical Director (Theatre Royal Windsor) Save The Last Dance For Me: Assistant MD (UK Tour) Dreamboats and Miniskirts: Assistant MD (UK Tour) Dreamboats And Petticoats: Musical Director (UK Tour) The Wind In The Willows: Assistant MD (Germany Tour) and The Rudi Vaselino’s (Henley Festival) Grade 8 Piano, Grade 5 Theory, Grade 7 Violin Pianist on the album, “Better Get in Line” by Max Runham

An industry professional for nearly ten years, I’ve obtained the experience of working as a live musician, recording artist, composer, producer, and educator. I’ve collaborated and worked with a multitude of artistic projects playing different styles of music all the way from jazz, rock, blues, pop, contemporary singer- songwriter music, to latin and modern jazz fusion music. I’ve performed internationally at venues and festivals in France and New Delhi, the likes of which include The India Habitat Centre, The Oberoi Hotel, and The Piano Man Jazz Club among many others, whilst also actively having played venues the likes of Hyde Park Book Club, Sela Bar, and Northern Guitars in Leeds. A scholarship student at the prestigious Leeds Conservatoire, I graduated with a major in Jazz with the guitar as my principle instrument, as well as a minor in Music Production. I also studied Music Composition, Arranging and Orchestration, Advanced Improvisation, Jazz and Music History, Film Music Composition and Production, and live and studio Recording Techniques as part of my programme. I started my teaching practice a few years ago whilst I was working as a musician. I’ve taught many students as an educator working with music schools and as an instructor running my own practice. I believe music is so much more than what it seems – being able to play an instrument, or being able to hum a tune. Whilst those aspects still remain to be the essentials at its core, I’ve found that learning about this art can be such an enriching, nurturing, and rewarding experience. I believe that it brings a certain level of understanding and command over your expression, and through that, seldom an understanding of your own self. It’s the same knowledge and experience I hope to share with the students. While learning how to play an instrument a tune would remain to be the core inescapable aspects of learning music, you may be surprised how much the art may have to offer you for your life. -> Tailor-made lessons to suit your level, age, and lifestyle, gradually working towards accomplishing objectives in order to achieve your vision and any aspirations you may have revolving around music. -> Courses and subjects include: – Ear Training (recognising chords, scales and notes by listening; learning songs aurally), – Core and Advanced Harmony and Rhythm, – Improvisation and Soloing, – Technical Proficiency, – Music Theory and Fundamentals, – Sight Reading and writing musical notation – Musical Notation Softwares. – Repertoire – Learning through playing various genres including rock, pop, jazz, blues, acoustic/ singer-songwriter music, progressive rock and any other style you’d like to play. – Composition including Arranging and Orchestration, – Music Production and Technology. -> Whether you’d like to learn how to play a tune, perform in your local community, or be a full-time professional musician, a personalised course structure and our combined dedication will make you a more technically proficient musician, an evolved listener, and an even more artistically inclined individual. -> I gladly welcome discussions about music and anything associated with it. I love to share music with people and be introduced to music I may not have heard before. I’ve found that there’s so much we can learn about cultures and the world simply through listening to and sharing music since there is so much to discover as we study any form of art.