Lessons

Advice on learning to play.

Bamba Dia’s Story

Gavin Crump

Gavin is truly an excellent teacher!!! He teaches all levels no matter your ability or age. If you want to expand your knowledge of music you’ve found the right person.

Gavin will soon inspire your deeper appreciation and understanding of how the guitar works.  A unique teaching style of guitar playing. Making it fun and enjoyable eager to learn more. He has taught me everything I know about guitar. I’ve recently passed my grade 3 with distinction and grade 4 Merit and in December I’ll do my grade 5 exam with London College of Music. Having lessons with Gavin is the best thing I’ve ever done. If you’re going to learn make sure you learn from the best!

He’s charming and friendly he’ll make you feel like you’re at home with genuine enthusiasm and support, he’ll soon have your guitar playing and appreciation for all music on a whole new level!   Ever since I’ve started lessons with him I can’t stop playing the guitar.

Thank you Gavin for the help and support!!!

 

 

 

Click here for Bamba’s Youtube Channel

Today was no different…happily!!

Gavin Crump

My student is learning bass and qualified last year,  but recently took up the 6 string guitar.

 

Every lesson is different: sometimes I struggle with the formations of chords, and particularly the speed, rhythm and instant reconstruction across six strings with three not-exactly- slender fingertips yet…when that one chord sounds perfect, the swell within this poorly-tuned rib cage rises, momentarily, to meet the kaleidoscopic emotions released within that one down-thrust of emotive expression via this right hand.

 


I began, tentatively, playing the four strings of the bass, under Gavin’s auspices, many moons ago and have continued to enjoy very much the process and the successes but also the challenge of these journeys…and they are multiple…within the same arena, different styles, different moods, the same charged diversity.
Today was no different…happily!!

Andy 🙂

My feet left the ground!! (Blog 6)

Gavin Crump

 

BassAt the start of my learning, my apprenticeship, today, my coordination was inexplicably erratic. I couldn’t work at the required pace without some obvious incompetence. Yet, never the judge, Gav reminds me that this is MY learning time and
that through challenge will arise achievement (I paraphrased what he really meant to
say!). I remind myself too that time is space; right now, time isn’t holding the reins. I am!

However, as self confidence re-emerged and competence returned, experience, learning
and enthusiasm slowly began to increase. Acquired sound sequences and patterns rose
to the surface again, like a wave-breaking Nautilus; timing and rhythms we’re
beginning to conjoin, all elements coalescing, with both purpose and tension, towards the tonal stairway to the final climactic C sharp! My feet left the ground!!

Meta-euphorically(C), they have yet to land…!

AS

Bass Journal Part 4

Bass Journal Part 3

Bass Journal Part 2

Bass Journal Part 1

 

AS Bass Recording (Journal part 4)

Gavin Crump

Bass

This bass recording shows steady co-ordination, timing, and clarity of notes played over drums, and a synthesiser.      A huge accomplishment in the short amount of time he has learnt to play.

He has a recognised qualification in bass playing which has also been achieved prior to this.

Courtesy of AS for the sample, listen to what can be achieved with practice.

For more on his background and progress check out:

Bass Journal Part 5 (watch this space)

Bass Journal Part 3

Bass Journal Part 2

Bass Journal Part 1

Journey of a bass under my tuition (blog 5)

Gavin Crump

Bass

We revisited Ozric Tentacles’ “Lost in the sky” as well as seven
Mediterranean modal islands including Ionian, Lydian, Phrygian, in order to
accompany the rising chromatic patterns within Kevin Kendle’s “Dance of Electra“,
for an entire tantalising ninety minutes….but there’s no rest when you’re already
in the hang glider, soaring with the composers-performers towards the Pleiades. AS
spent relentless minutes (on the six-string acoustic too for a while) self
correcting and NOT experimenting in order to achieve the precision the piece
requires …to recreate exactly the uplifting middle crescendo and descent.
Only then, with ten minutes to spare, my request, prior to our session, was to
acquire the basics which form the signature bass melodies from the 1973 album “Tales
from Topographic Oceans” by the band, Yes, which took a matter of minutes! The
realisation of 41 years of captivation was upon me, as I played the simplest notes
in compete accord with the dear late maestro, Chris Squire, to my own amazement and
delight.

AS

Bass Journal Part 4

Bass Journal Part 3

Bass Journal Part 2

Bass Journal Part 1