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Guitar Courses in April 2018
“See you next Monday and yes I’m very much looking forward to it!!”
Guitar student
Bamba Dia’s Story
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!!
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 🙂
July 3rd Acoustic Duo Performance
Teaching guitar for Fender
Thanks to Fender for asking me to teach guitar for them.
I taught children and adults guitar skills including classical, rock, punk, and lead guitar.
Gravity Defying Plectrum
It took me a few minutes to realise that he hadn’t dropped the pick for a few practice sessions now, something quite common with strumming patterns when learning pop songs from Oasis to The Jam.
Notice anything unusual?
The best advice to pass on today from my student is that in order to reduce the amount of times the plectrum falls into the sound hole and keep a good grip in general, use reversible sticky tape. Recommended for playing strong rhythmic songs.
Thanks Keith!
What a workout! (Blog 6)
My student gets a huge kick from working the notes out himself. Read about the common things that can happen during practice, a few things I see students experience during the week.
Unusually I had a couple of hours free this Saturday afternoon and took the bass for an unexpected workout…and what a workout! In my sun lounge, which was very sunny for once and with both neighbours out for the afternoon, I worked on and rehearsed Kevin
Kendle’s “Dance of Electra”, Ozric Tentacles‘ “Lost in the sky” and the new attempt at their song, “Papyrus”. Whilst the left hand was generally accurate, the right was far too trigger-happy again but calmed with tenacity and some self-restraint. The thrill of
getting it right (the accompaniments) was difficult to contain so I sought out two additional pieces that would have some additional energy, namely Simple Minds “Themes for great cities” and then a surprise encounter….
With Amazon Music on my smartphone, I stumbled upon a very energetic old favourite and, within sixty seconds, unbelievably, worked out the D# and F theme with its D#, C, B, A coda.
For years I’d imagined it to be very complex and at some sweat-inducing pace. Not so. In the end, I’d discovered and played, with real gusto, the introduction to “Baila mi hermana (Dance, sister, dance)” from the Moonflower album by Santana. It was a serotonin and adrenalin hit simultaneously! I worked it out. I had done it…and with no one to hear me…performing with all the potency and rhyming hyper-salsa of this 70s Classic…to my thudding hearts content. AS
Bass Journal Part 5
Bass Journal Part 4
Bass Journal Part 3
Bass Journal Part 2
Bass Journal Part 1
My feet left the ground!! (Blog 6)
At 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
