Guitar lessons in Reading

Qualifications:

Fun & friendly environment for beginner to advanced students. Learn on an acoustic or electric the styles of music that inspire you. All styles taught including Rock, Pop, Blues, Fingerstyle, Jazz, Classical, Country, Metal & Fusion. James is a professional guitar teacher and music educator who teaches from his music studio in Earley, Reading. He works with students of all ages and abilities from beginner to advanced. He is a graduate of the world-renowned Musicians Institute where he received their highest honour of a platinum achievement award. He is now dedicated to his passion of teaching guitar and inspiring musicians of all levels to attain their full potential. The lessons are very much individually tailored around the students’ own musical goals and preferences. James aims to achieve a balance between inspiring students to play the music that they listen to and love, and providing a strong grounding in all the essential components that make up a complete musician. James is highly skilled at adapting the learning environment to suit the student, always maintaining a warm, friendly and empathetic approach. James is very skilled at assessing the developmental needs of every player and then formulating a bespoke approach to help them develop their style. For more advanced players there is a real emphasis on learning how to translate the musical ideas we hear in our head onto the instrument so that they can become fluent improvisors. This provides a powerful link between music theory, ear training, audiation and fretboard visualisation. All students are provided with their own course folder and notes. Lessons are usually split up into different categories of learning so that a more complete syllabus can be taught. Particular focus is given to developing repertoire, technique, theoretical knowledge, ear training and audiation, composition, transcribing and reading. James is flexible about the goals of the student; exams can be studied for if desired, however if the student wants to play only for pleasure or to learn a particular piece, this is always wholly supported. James is very experienced at inspiring young beginners to learn and embrace the guitar, in a fun, supportive and safe environment. His most recent experience comes from teaching his own 5-year-old daughter! There are so many benefits to learning music from an early age such as improved cognitive and memory skills, improved motor skills, hand/eye co-ordination and esteem. Many older children and teens get huge enjoyment and self-confidence from playing with friends and peers either informally or in bands. However, it is never too late to begin, and James also really enjoys teaching adults who are coming to the guitar for the first time, or who already have some playing experience. James is always keen to support busy adults who take the time to learn guitar, thus carving out a small space of time for themselves. He always works with the adult learner to maximise what they can achieve within the limitations they may have. Qualifications: Musicians Institute Diploma - Platinum Award

I’m a professional guitarist, producer and DJ, as well as a music teacher with over 18 years of experience teaching people of all ages and skill levels. As an artist I perform live guitar and DJ at clubs, venues and festivals all over the UK and abroad. I’m living my dreams and can help you achieve yours. Guitar: Whether you want to play for fun and just learn your favourite songs, or become a professional guitarist and learn advanced techniques, I can help you achieve your goals. I’ve been playing guitar for over 20 years, my area of expertise is advanced guitar techniques such as fast alternate picking, legato, sweeping, tapping and bending, however I tailor the lessons to my students’ needs and skill level. I teach a variety of contemporary styles on both electric and acoustic guitar. My focus is on teaching you your favourite songs, riffs and solos and through them you'll learn chords and scales, strumming and picking, soloing techniques such as bending, sweeping, tapping, and cover topics such as improvisation, songwriting and ear training. I have experience teaching Rockschool and Trinity Rock & Pop grades on both guitar up to grade 8 and drums up to grade 6. I teach guitar beyond grade 8 having helped students achieve degrees in music. Music Production: I learned to produce at university having done a BMus in music performance with a focus on music production. I went on to record and produce my band’s music, working in several music studios using Pro Tools, Logic and Cubase. In 2019 I started producing electronic music with a focus on blending acoustic and electronic instruments. I delved deep into Ableton Live and learned sound design and this is now my main focus as a producer. I can help you produce electronic, instrumental or acoustic music on any DAW, you'll learn how to record, mix and master music using plug-ins and/or analogue gear. I also DJ and perform the music I produce, I can help you learn the techniques necessary to take your music production to the stage. DJ: I first learned to DJ with vinyls and an analogue mixer but soon moved on to digital DJing using different software and MIDI controllers including Rekordbox and Pioneer DJ. Once I started performing live I moved on to club mixers and CDJs. I’ve mixed and taught a variety of styles such as house, trance, dub reggae, psy chill and psychedelic trance, the same techniques and skills apply. I can take you from bedroom DJ all the way to pro, I too started DJing just for fun at friends' parties and ended up playing international festivals

I have been playing acoustic and electric guitar for over 30 years spanning a wide range of styles and techniques, with a particular devotion to indie, rock and fingerstyle technique. Music and guitar are my passion, and have led me to meet and play with some very talented guitarists and perform live gigs in central London to hundreds of people. I am always keen to pass on my enthusiasm, experience and skills to others. I thoroughly enjoy working with all my students and take great pleasure from seeing them grow ,both in skill and confidence. Learning guitar is challenging yet extremely rewarding, builds confidence, character and ultimately great fun! I teach absolute beginners to intermediate level players, acoustic or electric, and in any style you wish to learn, and have a particular passion for indie, rock, fingerstyle and creating original compositions. Teaching over 750 lessons per year with my current students range from 6 year old to 81 years old, both locally and internationally (including Spain, Portugal, German, Türkiye and Scotland) from beginners to guitarists performing in bands. With each lesson bespoke to each individual, including personalised student learning packs and original learning content. My approach is to focus on learning a song you love from the outset. We will develop technique, chords, scales and much more within the context of learning to play songs you are passionate about and are motivated to learn.

Qualifications:

I have had over 20 years experience in teaching people music. My first instrument is guitar, but over the years I have picked up skills in other disciplines (ukulele, drums, production, and DJ Skills) and am able to teach these to a high standard. I have a specialty in teaching people from vulnerable groups. This includes, but is not limited to, people with: disabilities; learning difficulties; mental health concerns; ASD issues; PTSD; dyspraxia; deafness; blindness. Qualifications:

My name is Michael Semark (Mike). I've been playing guitar for over 10 years and teaching privately and at a small music school in Reading since 2022. I am confident in teaching a diverse range of styles, from singer/songwriter-folk music on acoustic guitar to rock and metal on electric guitar, and am passionate about helping my students achieve their musical goals. I teach all levels, from absolute beginners (age 5+, unless requested otherwise, please get in touch!) to advanced guitarists (grade 8+, or any rock/metal/pop/jazz specialists, again, please get in touch!), and am confident in helping my students find their own unique voice on the instrument. I also teach music theory if you are interested in understanding the underlying mechanics behind music, as well as improvisation and composition, and ways to memorise and make sense of the guitar fretboard. I am DBS certified and a member of the Registry of Guitar Tutors, and have taught over 2000 lessons to hundreds of students over the years. I also currently hold a 100% merit/distinction rate for students who are taking their Rockschool (RSL Awards) grade and/or performance exams. I'm currently based in Basingstoke, Hampshire, and teach private 1-on-1 lessons from my teaching space at home; my main space is upstairs, but I can teach downstairs if you have accessibility requirements. I can also teach online via Zoom if required. If you are in a band/duo or are interested in group lessons, please get in touch, as I can accommodate if required. Feel free to contact me if you need any more information (michael.semark@gmail.com).