Below are the instruments I play and teach. In addition to the instruments pictured I teach Archlute, Banjolele, Mandolin Harp and also exotic instruments which are:- Setar, Tar, Saz, Charango, Bouzouki, Sitar, Cumbus, Tanbur, Santoor & Kamancheh.
You can learn to play at your own pace from standard notation
and/or tablature, playing the music that you want to play.
I give music theory lessons up to diploma level.
You can also learn the art of improvising.
√ = Examinations are available with any of the following examination boards;
Associated Board of The Royal Schools of Music,
International Contemporary Music Awards,
London College of Music,
Rockschool,
Trinity College London,
Victoria College of Music.
GUITARS
Tunings
√ Acoustic, Classical, Flamenco, Electric.
6 strings usually tuned to ►E A D G B E with variants.
Acoustic 12 strings in courses usually tuned to ►eE aA dD gG bb ee with variants.
Baroque Guitar 10 strings in courses usually tuned to ►aA dD GG BB EE with variants depending on the composer.
Classical 10 string Baroque tuning of ►A B C D E A D G B E
Romantic (Yepes) re- entrant tuning of ►F# G# A# C E A D G B E with variants.
√ Electric bass 4 string usually tuned to ►E A D G.
Lap steel 6 strings usually tuned in open E tuning to ►E B E G# B E with varaints.
Genres taught;
Blues, Classical, Country, Flamenco, Folk, Funk, Jazz, Metal, Pop, Ragtime, Reggae & Rock.
Techniques taught;
Manner of holding the instrument, correct posture & hand positions.
Scales and their application in lead playing, including modes without the mystery.
The Hammer. The Pull-off. Bends, unison bends, pre bends etc. Slides. Chord voicings. Harmonics; natural, artificial, tapped & pinched. Arpeggios. Bottleneck. Tremolo. Riffs. Shredding. Muting. Raking. The Barré. Sweep picking. Pick scrapes. Damping. Effects. Whammy bar tricks. Rasgueados. Golpe. Chord substitution. Licks. Fingerpicking styles. Crosshammer. Vibrato. Improvising. Rubato. Phrasing. Pizzicato. Rhythm playing. Vamping. Tamboura. Sight reading.
Aural tests. Ornamentation; trills, mordents, acciaccaturas etc. Songwriting. The Capo. Dyads. Triads. Practical music theory. Dictation. Slapping. Popping. Double stops Rest Stroke (Apoyando). Free Stroke (Tirando). Alfabeto tablature. Palos. Ear tests. Tuning methods.
Correct picking directions for rhythm and single line.......and more.
DOBRO, LAPSTEEL AND SLIDE GUITAR
Tunings
Dobro usually tuned to ► G B D G B D (Open G)
Lapsteel usually tuned to ► E B E G# B E (Open E)
Slide Guitar usually tuned to ► E B E G# B E (Open E)
The above 3 instruments are open to many variants.
Genres Taught;
Bluegrass, Blues, Country & Hawaiian.
Techiniques Taught;
Manner of holding the instrument. Correct posture & hand positions. Hammer ons. Pull offs. Slides. Vibrato. Tremolo. Harmonics. Finger picking. Bends. Rolls and Licks. Glissando.
MANDOLIN
Tunings
√ 8 strings in courses usually tuned to ►GG DD AA EE with variants.
Genres taught;
Blues, Classical & Folk.
Techniques taught;
Manner of holding the instrument, correct posture & hand positions. Scales. Chords. Arpeggios. Harp arpeggios. Sweep arpeggios. Rhythm playing. Tremolo. Bends. Duo style (solo mandolin).
Rest stroke. Harmonics. Pizzicato. The barré. Chops. Dictation. Sight reading. Improvisation.
Correct picking directions for rhythm & single line. Tuning methods. Ear tests.
Slanted pick technique....... and more.
BANJO
Tunings
Tenor 4 string: usually tuned to ►G D A E with variants.
Bluegrass 5 string: re-entrant tuning of ►g D G B D with variants.
Genres taught;
Bluegrass, Blues, Bottleneck, Folk, Irish Jigs & Reels.
Techniques Taught;
Manner of holding the instrument, correct posture & hand positions. Tuning methods. Clawhammer/Frailing. The Hammer. The Pull-off. Slides. Roll patterns. The Barré. Scales. Chords. The capo. Melodic style. The Pinch. Licks. Harmonics. The Choke. Rhythm playing. Arpeggios.
Correct picking directions for rhythm for rhythm and single line. Sight reading. Dictation.
Ear tests. Tuning methods.......and more.
UKULELE
Tunings
√ Concert/Soprano re-entrant tuning of ►g C E A with variants.
Tenor usually tuned to ►G C E A with variants.
Bass usually tuned to ► E A D G
Genres taught;
Blues, Calypso, Classical, Funk, Hawaiian, Jawaiian Jazz, Pop & Rock.
Techniques taught;
Manner of holding the instrument, correct posture & hand positions.
Chords. Tremolo. Scales. Correct pick directions in rhythms and single line. Solos.
The Hammer. The Pull-off. Improvisation. Rhythm playing. Fingerpicking patterns.
Ear tests. Sight reading. Rasgueados. Fretboard tapping. Dictation.......and more.
LUTES
Tunings
Renaissance 7 course Lute tuned in courses usually to ►Dd (Ff) Gg Cc FF AA DD GG.
Renaissance 9 course Lute tuned in courses usually to ►Dd Ebeb Ff Gg Cc FF AA DD GG.
*Baroque 13 course Lute tuned in courses usually to ►Aa Bbbb Cc Dd Ee Ff Gg Aa DD FF AA D F.
*Scordatura for the bass courses.
Techniques taught;
Manner of holding the instrument, correct posture & hand positions.
Thumb under and thumb over techniques. Scales. The Hammer. The Pull-off.
Ornamentation, its application, & the understanding the many varied signs & symbols. Improvisation. Vibrato. Style brisé/Style luthé. Damping. Tiré. Arpeggiation. The Barré.
Rest stroke (apoyando). Free stroke (tirando).......more.
The Renaissance & Baroque Lutes are played using
French, Italian, Neopolitan, (Spanish) & German Tablature.
OUD
Tunings
6 strings in courses:
Arabic tuning is usually tuned to ► C FF AA DD gg cc.
Turkish tuning is usually tuned to ► D GG BB EE aa dd.
(Note; there are several types of Ouds such as the Iraqi, Iranian, Syrian and Persian. They all have many different tunings although the arabic and turkish are considered to be the main ones)
Genres Taught;
Traditional
Techniques taught;
Manner of holding the instrument, the Risha (Mizrab) (the Oud pick), Microtones, Hammer ons, Pull offs, Tremolo, Vibrato, Glissando, Ornaments, Makamat (Scales), Taqasim, (Improvisations),
BANDURRIA
Tuning
14 String Philippine Bandurria tuned in courses to ►F# BB EE AAA DDD GGG.
Genres taught;
Traditional. Rondalla music.
Techniques taught;
Manner of holding the instrument, correct posture and hand positions.
Chords. Scales. Rhythms. Improvisation. Tremolo.......and more.
BALALAIKA
Tuning
Prima Balalaika tuned to ►E E A.
Genres taught;
Traditional.
Techniques taught;
Manner of holding the instrument, correct posture and hand positions.
Chords. Scales. Double picking. The Hammer. The Pull-off. Tremolo. Vibrato. Harmonics.
When to use pick and fingers. Tricks.......and more.
PIANO ACCORDION / KEYBOARD / PIANO
√ Traditional teaching methods used.
Genres taught;
Blues, Boogie Woogie, Classical, Funk, Pop & Rock.
Techniques taught;
Correct hand positions and posture.Chords. Scales. Arpeggios. Rhythm. Sight reading. Ear tests. Dictation.......and more.