Guitar lessons in Stockbridge

I’ve played the guitar since I was fourteen years old, inspired by my uncle and cousin who both played in popular bands. I have always been a lover of many genres of music and play anything from pop, rock, folk, blues and jazz. I toured and played for various bands over the years from my early London days in clubs e.g. The Marquee, Ronnie Scotts, Rock Garden, Dingwalls etc., abroad in Spain and now in local Hampshire venues with my four-piece band The China Wolf Band. I have also done session recording work and production for various artists. I taught children in Spain and enjoyed seeing the results fairly quickly from no knowledge at all to being able to play and gain musicality very quickly. Recently, I have taught guitar locally on a one-to-one basis to students of ages ranging from 19 to 55 and I can teach any age. For me, passing on my years of guitar knowledge and skills is very satisfying. In the first lesson, I make it as friendly and comfortable as possible, initially finding out what the pupil’s level is, i.e. whether a complete beginner or has some knowledge and experience. We begin with some basic chord shapes eventually deciding to work on a song they might like to learn. With me being a left-handed player, it sometimes makes it easier for some students as it creates a mirror image situation. In summary, I would say my overall teaching method is relaxed, friendly, patient and ultimately professional. One student recently remarked that he had learnt more in one hour from me than several years on the Internet. As mentioned, student ages recently so far have been 19-55. Any age is acceptable. In Spain, I taught children of seven years upwards. My approach is not very different for any age but for minors, it might be more appropriate to teach at their home than invite to my studio. Music Qualifications & Achievements: Toured a lot in the 80s with a pop/rock band and played professionally as a solo artist in Mallorca Spain for 20 years during the late 90s.

Two of my passions in life are the guitar and teaching and I feel so blessed to be able to combine them into a profession. If you’re a complete beginner, don’t worry because that was me once too so I know what it’s like! For your first few guitar lessons, I’ll provide a guitar if you need one so you don’t have to burden yourself with that expense until you’re confident you want to carry on. We’ll work at a pace that suits you and I’ll have you up and running in no time with a few simple chords and songs. Learning something new can be daunting so please invite a friend along if that would make you more comfortable. If they want to participate by learning themselves as well, we can work out a reduction in price for the two of you. If like me, you’ve been playing for years, you’ll have a different motivation for seeking a tutor. Maybe you want to extend the skills you already have, perhaps there are gaps in your knowledge that are hindering your progress, it’s possible you’re an expert in certain elements but a novice in others and you want to develop yourself as an all-round musician. If any of these are you, I’m here to help. Why choose me over another teacher? Well, what I offer that many other tutors don’t is that I will come to you. This means that not only do you get to avoid any hassle with travelling but you can learn from the comfort and security of your own home. Alternatively, if this is your preference, I provide lessons through Facetime or Skype. We all have a number of commitments in our hectic lives. If you can only manage fortnightly lessons instead of weekly, if you do a night shift and are only available for lessons during the day, if you have holidays planned and can’t commit to regular lessons, if you spend a few months each year out of the country and are worried that will be an issue, don’t concern yourself. Whatever your situation, I can work around your schedule. Gradings and exams might be the route you want to take and if that is the case, I can guide you in the development of your skills, whether that be: playing set pieces, scales, sight-reading, improvisation, aural or music theory. However, if you have no interest in attaining a qualification, that’s not a problem. Instead, we can concentrate on learning to play recognisable songs, incredible guitar solos or beautiful classical pieces. You may be interested in the electric guitar and using a plectrum with an amp or effects pedal. It might be the acoustic/classical guitar and the fingerstyle technique that inspires you. Either way, you’ll learn all you need to know from me. Whilst I teach, I write out notes and draw diagrams for you because I know what a pain it can be trying to remember what we went through together in the lesson. I also have printable resources for all aspects of learning that I provide as and when you’re ready for them. If you live in Winchester or the local surrounding areas, get in touch and we can discuss setting up an introductory lesson. For those who live further afield, I’m more than happy to make the journey to you but I would ask for a reasonable fee to cover my travel expenses. Please note that my lessons are for adult students and I do ask for money for travel and for any parking expenses I incur whilst in your home teaching you. Music Qualifications & Achievements: I first started playing the guitar 15 years ago when my brother bought an acoustic for himself and I couldn’t wait to have a go. Since then, I’ve worked my way up to grade 7 with Trinity College London, which means I’m very familiar with the ins and out of preparing for and taking exams. As well as that, I’ve spent numerous hours reading books, visiting websites, watching YouTube videos and experimenting to harness my abilities. I’ve also built up a large bank of songs, some just the chords that I strum out and sing along to and others the amazing guitar riffs, licks and solos of tunes we all know and love. As well as having a natural ability to explain things in a way people can understand with ease, I’m very organised, almost to OCD proportions, which means I give lessons to a high standard. Over many years, I’ve created tonnes of teaching resources, all of which I use to guide and support my students.

James is a popular and enthusiastic tutor who has worked in the Salisbury area since 2013. With a wealth of experience teaching the guitar and ukulele to all ages and abilities, he can take your playing to the next level while working on your favourite songs. Get in touch to book your lessons today. Qualifications: MSc. Social and Cultural Theory (Music Specialism), BA (Hons) Popular Music Performance (Guitar Specialism), BTEC National Diploma in Music Practice

PROFILE • Original career in civil/structural engineering. Gained Hnd in structural engineering/design 1983. • Left industry to pursue career in music. • Received intensive instrumental training from a guitar institute tutor (U.S.A.). Established A.D.W.Musictech in 1990. (Private music school) • More than 25 years teaching experience in schools, colleges, and the independent sector. • Offering instrumental tuition for guitars: Acoustic, electric, classical, bass & ukulele to all key stages in both Classical and contemporary traditions. • Preparing pupils for performances, Graded exams, auditions, and festivals. • Rehearsing bands and ensembles in preparation for performances. • Delivering whole class, curriculum music lessons. • Southampton City Education Quality Services. Popular Music Coordinator: Developing delivery and assessment (GCSE and Btech First in popular music) • Project managing wider opportunities, music and performance delivery initiatives. • Working extensively as a professional freelance musician. Qualifications: Guildhall school of music & drama (Assessor) ct. GSMD(A), RSL Level 6 Music Diploma in Teaching (LRSL), RSL/lvl 3 grade 8 guitar

If you decide to learn guitar with Aidan, not only will you get a great teacher and a tailored learning path, but you also gain access to a library of video resources that you can use in between lessons. As an added bonus, Aidan offers 2-for-1 discounts for parent/child lessons. Following your FREE first lesson, Aidan will create a custom learning path that covers the first 10 topics of your journey. These topics may take more than one lesson each to get through, but if you practice you will be surprised at how fast you improve! Learning the guitar is all about learning songs, they are the driving factor behind any real progress. The first thing Aidan will do is talk about your goals and what you hope to achieve by learning guitar. It could be as simple as learning your favourite song to play at a wedding or just for fun, all the way through to attaining your guitar grades, to being the biggest rock star in the world. The most important thing is that you enjoy the experience we provide, so playing guitar doesn’t feel intimidating. After 25 years of playing guitar and teaching in other sectors, Aidan decided to open my own guitar teaching school in Southampton. I’m your cliche tech-to-musician story. Having spent years working in entertainment logistics, audio visual services, and IT, Aidan ditched it all for music and built a professional studio here in Southampton.

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