Richard Mills BA LGSMD Guitarist, Guitar Teacher

Professional guitar lessons in Leeds, tuition for beginners to advanced
Jazz guitar performance

tuition - what you can expect

First contact

During the first lesson and also on the phone before that, I will ask you what kind of music you would like to play, what you want to get out of the tuition, and what your ambition/direction is for your guitar playing. I will tell you whether or not I think I can help you. I find out which songs, artists and styles you are interested in and know, so that the material we work on is relevant to you.

Syllabus

In my experience each student has his or her own pace and style of learning, so I don’t simply follow a set syllabus that everyone gets. However, whatever level someone is at, and whatever style they want to learn, I cover these areas:

scales,
chords,
technique,
repertoire (learning specific songs or pieces or riffs and melodic phrases)

I tailor my teaching for each individual and prepare for each lesson in advance. I generate ideas and possibilities for the direction of your learning, and help you stick with these. At the same time, if you bring into the lesson songs on CD or tape, or ideas about what you want to work on, that’s helpful too.

See also a syllabus for jazz guitar

Materials

I have loads of books myself, but there’s no one book that is suitable for everyone. Big chord books, scale books and method books can also feel overwhelming to the student (‘My God! Have I got to learn all that?’) .Consequently I produce my own handouts (song sheets, chord windows, scale patterns) that are tailored to what you need at the time. You get these in bite-size chunks: put these into an A4 ring binder and over time your folder will gradually get thicker. I also provide backing CD's (usually bass and drums) that I have specially recorded. Using these can really help you play in time, develop your ear, and stay motivated. I don’t charge you extra for the materials.

If you are a serious student of jazz and I will recommend you get one or two books, however. See books I recommend

Theory and repertoire

Music theory - construction of scales and chords, and interplay of rhythms - can feel pretty mysterious. I remember saying to a friend when I was starting out: ‘what exactly is a key?’ Unfortuately many of the books available on theory can be rather confusing, giving too much information too soon.

In guitar lessons I help de-mystify music theory so that it becomes a useful tool rather than a confusing chore: we look at theory in a gradual way and integrate your knowledge straight away into your guitar playing.

Fun and work

Music should be fun! The trouble is, learning to play the guitar is difficult – it can look a whole lot easier than it really is. So, learning to play requires a lot of work. I try to help keep hold of the fun element as well as the need for focused work, so you get a sense of satisfaction as you go.