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Teaching

Teaching Service

Who I teach
I cater for all ages from 5 years upwards (children under 14 must be accompanied) and at all levels from complete beginner to advanced (depending on style). I generally recommend one-to-one tuition. However, I will take two people at a time subject to prior discussion and agreement.

What I teach
I teach most styles (covering nylon-, steel-strung acoustic and electric guitars), including acoustic fingerstyle, blues, classical, jazz, popular and rock.

I work from a general teaching programme, which is tailored to each individual's needs and requirements. For those wishing to take exams, I offer tuition structured around the RGT/London College of Music Acoustic, Electric and Classical Guitar Grades syllabuses. For those who seek to play purely for pleasure, I concentrate initially on teaching the rudiments as a foundation for building a relevant repertoire. Music theory is covered depending on the student's aspirations and level of ability. There is, of course, nothing to prevent exploration of different styles as part of a learning programme.

Where I teach
I teach from my home in Booker on the south-west side of High Wycombe, about 5 minutes drive from Junction 4 of the M40. Please note that I do not travel out to students.

When I teach
Currently my normal teaching hours are Tuesday to Friday between 10am and 7pm (6pm Friday) and Saturday between 10am and 5pm. However, I will try to accommodate you at whatever time is convenient.

How I teach
I use a full range of multimedia teaching aids to complement my teaching where appropriate. These include videos, CDs, DVDs and PC software. Students have full access to the Members area of this website, which contains lesson materials for download and additional information of interest to guitar players. I may or may not decide to use books for lessons depending on whether they are appropriate for the student and what they are trying to achieve. If I feel a particular book(s) or other teaching aids would benefit a student, I will recommend these for purchase. In some instances I may be able to obtain these at reduced cost.

Lessons and booking
Lessons are normally 1 hour, though I will provide 30 minute lessons for children under 11. Note that there is no requirement to have lessons weekly or at any other fixed interval. All I ask is that you commit to (i.e. pay for) at least one non-refundable lesson in advance, at a mutually convenient time of your choosing and give me at least 24 hours notice if you wish to change or cancel (please see conditions for full details of lesson booking conditions and procedures).

Barring exceptional circumstances, you must take a lesson within four weeks of the date originally booked, or the booking will lapse and the payment will be forfeit (note that separate conditions apply for vouchers). Providing cancellation conditions have been adhered to, you can of course reschedule within the 4-week period.

Although I do not require regular bookings, there are two caveats to note:

(1) Regular slots will not be available to students booking less frequently than every fortnight (lessons will have to be booked on an ad hoc basis);

(2) First preference for slots will be given to students who book weekly and second to those who book fortnightly over those that book less frequently.

For most people, particularly beginners, I would generally recommend lessons at least fortnightly to help maintain progress and continuity.

I appreciate that you may wish to know more before committing yourself, so I am happy to meet potential new students or parents without obligation to discuss requirements prior to booking the first lesson. Please contact me to arrange a suitable time.

What I provide for lessons
I will generally provide everything needed for lessons apart from the guitar itself. Hence students must possess (or at least have access to) a suitable guitar for both lessons and practice. The exception to this is study materials (books and music scores) that students may be required to buy from time to time.

What I charge
I charge are £26 for a 1 hour lesson (£44 for 2 students) and £15.50 for 30 minutes (£26.50 for 2 students) for payments by cash or cheque. I am currently offering a discount of £1 per hour lesson and 50p per 30-minute lesson for payments made via Internet Bank Transfer only (not for transfers made at a bank); please contact me for details. Please note that I cannot accept credit cards.

Refunds and Changes

I will not give refunds for individual lessons or the first remaining lesson of a block booking once paid for, so if you are not sure you want a lesson, don't book it!

You should make requests for changes or cancellations by email (if not urgent) and/or landline telephone if urgent (see contact details). I do not recommend leaving SMS (text) or mobile voicemail messages as my mobile is not monitored on a regular basis. Please see conditions for full details of change and cancellation procedures.

Vouchers

Lesson gift vouchers may be available for purchase depending on the availability of lesson slots. Please contact me for details.

 

Learning

How long does it take to play the guitar?
This is a 'how long is a piece of string?' type of question; it really depends what you mean by 'play'.

To play simple strummed song accompaniments using a limited selection of basic chords can be achieved in a few weeks with dedicated practice. On the other hand, being able to play a Bach lute suite to a high standard, improvise solos over complex chord sequences or master the full range of modern rock playing techniques can take many years.

Expectations and Objectives
It is important to have realistic expectations when you start learning to play the guitar. The ubiquity and popular image of the instrument can create a false impression about the amount of effort required to become proficient. In my experience many people starting guitar significantly underestimate the discipline and effort required. This is particularly true for students who have no previous experience of playing a musical instrument. Unrealistic expectations and impatience will lead to frustration and disappointment, especially in the early stages when no obvious results are forthcoming. However, a patient, steady approach combined with perseverence over time will yield positive results, so stick with it!

Having clear objectives about what you want to achieve also helps. When I ask enquirers about their objectives, I often get the answer 'I just want to learn to play guitar'. Once you get beyond the basics, this answer is not very useful. What style(s) of guitar do you wish to play? Do you wish to accompany yourself singing? Do you want to play in a band, or just for personal pleasure? Do you just want to play other peoples' songs, and/or write your own? Do you want to be able to improvise? Do you want to gain a qualification? The answers to these and other questions will influence to learning programme you need to follow to achieve your objective(s), so it is worth giving them some thought at an early stage.

Practice
Regular practice is a crucial part of learning to play any instrument and the guitar is no exception. Lessons are not a substitute for practice; you will still need to put aside time at least 3-4 times a week in order to progress. The time required will vary according to age and experience, but starts at around 10-15 minutes a day for a child beginner and increases to 1-2 hours a day for an advanced student (even more for those with professional aspirations or actively studying for an advanced qualification).

 

Terms and Conditions

These are my terms of business. Please read them carefully and ensure that you accept them before booking as I will expect you to abide by them. Click the appropriate link for further information about booking and charges.

  1. Payment in advance at the time of booking.
    • All lessons must be paid for at least 2 full working days in advance. The payment deadline for all methods of payment is 9am two days prior to the day of the lesson, i.e. by 9am Saturday for lessons (any time) the following Tuesday, 9am Monday for lessons on Wednesday, 9am Tuesday for lessons on Thursday, 9am Wednesday for lessons on Friday and 9am Thursday for lessons on Saturday.
    • Payment may be made by cash, cheque or Internet Bank transfer (IBT). Please note that I cannot accept credit cards.
    • All bookings are provisional until they have been paid for.
    • Provisional bookings will lapse if not paid for by the deadline and may be taken by another student or simply cancelled without further notice. It is the responsibility of clients to reconfirm or rearrange lapsed bookings.
    • For the first lesson, payment may be made by post, in person or by IBT (please contact me for details).
    • Payment for subsequent lessons should normally be made at the end of the previous lesson (except for payments by IBT). It is the responsibility of clients paying by IBT to ensure that payments reach me by the deadlines stated above. To allow for delays in the bank clearing system a full week should be allowed to ensure payment deadlines are met.
    • Lesson payments are valid for 4 weeks from the original lesson date booked (separate conditions apply to vouchers). Barring exceptional cirumstances, if lessons are not taken within this period, the booking will lapse and the payment will be forfeit. Lessons may be rescheduled within this 4-week period providing change and cancellation conditions (see below) are adhered to.
    • Refunds will not be given (for any reason) for individual lessons or the first remaining lesson of a block booking once paid for. If you are not sure you want a lesson do not book it and if you do, use it or lose it!

  2. 24 hours notice to change or cancel a lesson for any reason.
    • Failure to do this will normally mean you forfeit the lesson fee.
    • The only method of cancelling a lesson by the deadline without contacting me direct or receiving an acknowledgement from me is to leave a message on my landline telephone answering service before the deadline expires. Mobile voicemail messages will not be accepted (no matter when left) unless acknowledged by me prior to the deadline.
    • Cancellations by email or SMS (text message) are only valid once received and acknowledged by me, no matter when they are sent. So please do not rely solely on these methods for cancellations close to the deadline or for late cancellations.
    • 'No Shows'. Failure to turn up for a lesson without any prior notice being given and without very good reason will result in termination of the teaching service as well as forfeiture of the lesson fee.

  3. Children under 14 must be accompanied by a parent or guardian.
    • This means present on my premises throughout the lesson, not just when dropping and collecting.

  4. Provision of a suitable guitar for lessons.
    • I can advise on this if required, but I will not provide a guitar for lessons. I will provide other necessary equipment such as an amplifier, guitar stand and music stand.

  5. Provision of full contact details.

    6. These must include:

    • email address (routine contact will be made using this method)
    • daytime or mobile and evening phone numbers
    • home address (a business address is not acceptable).

 

Criminal Records Bureau (CRB) Enhanced Disclosure

Given current concerns about child protection, please note that I have a clean CRB Enhanced Disclosure certificate available for inspection on request by any clients or potential clients who have concerns over this issue.

 

Note for Parents

I welcome and encourage the active involvement of parents in lessons. As a parent, you may just find that as well as the encouragement it gives to your child, what might otherwise be just another taxi-cum-child-minding chore becomes an enjoyable and rewarding experience in its own right. Providing this is done in a supportive and constructive way, it can contribute greatly to the learning environment.

For parents of older children who do not wish to be present, Asda, John Lewis and local shops are all within approximately 5 minutes drive or 10-15 minutes walk. The latter alternative can be particularly useful for quick weekend visits around Christmas and the New Year when parking can be something of a nightmare. At other times of the year, you may prefer a short stroll around Booker Common or nearby woods.

 

Further Information

Please get in touch with me using my on-line Contact Form.

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