Guitar Lessons in Haringey North London & online Worldwide via Skype
The guitar is a fantastically versatile instrument that has quite rightfully ruled as the king of popular music throughout the 20th century and into the 21st both in it’s acoustic and electric forms. The classical guitar has provided players with beautiful and intimate musical companion for centuries. I teach Guitar Lessons in Haringey North London at my home studio and also via skype.
I offer Guitar Lessons in Haringey North London at my home studio, and online via skype. You can learn electric, acoustic (steel string) and classical guitar (nylon string), and my lessons suitable for all ages and levels of experience. A wide range of styles are available so just ask whether I can teach what you want to learn and I’ll let you know.
Below you can find links to separate pages which deal with the three different types of guitar in detail:
Acoustic Guitar Lessons in Haringey North London
The Acoustic Guitar Page
The Acoustic Guitar – beloved of folkies, beatniks and rockers alike. This handy portable powerhouse of popular music is deceptive in it’s capabilities. From camp-fire sing-alongs and open mic sessions to intricate solo blues and folk fingerpicking, this baby can do it all, and you don’t even have to bring any batteries with you!
The steel string acoustic guitar (sometimes referred to as a “folk guitar” is used for most styles of popular music. It can be strummed or picked with a plectrum (pick) or fingers and has a characteristically “bright” and snappy sound compared to the nylon stringed “classical” guitar.
A wide range of styles can be played on the steel stringed acoustic, from simple strummed accompaniments to songs to intricate finger picked solo pieces, encompassing the full range of styles from pop, blues, folk, ragtime, jazz, celtic and many more…
Classical Guitar Lessons in Haringey North London
The Classical Guitar Page
The Classical Guitar – elegant, refined and intimate. The swirling counterpoint of renaissance and baroque guitar music. The emotive fire of flamenco. The passion of tango. The cool swing of Bossa-nova. The classical guitar can do so much more besides classical music…
The classical or “Spanish” guitar is mainly used for classical music, a Latin American music (such as bossa nova) and Spanish flamenco. It’s characterised by having nylon strings, a lighter action (easier to depress strings with your left hand) and slightly bigger spaces between the strings. This all contributes towards it being easier to play than it’s steel stringed counterpart, and indeed many people play folk and pop music on a classical guitar.
Electric Guitar Lessons in Haringey North London
The Electric Guitar Page
The Electric Guitar – the loudest, rawest, most powerful, most popular, and arguably “coolest” instrument of all time. As the late, great, Frank Zappa once put it “The disgusting stink of a too loud electric guitar; now that’s my idea of a good time!” If this sounds like YOUR idea of a good time too, get in touch and we’ll get down to business…
It is physically easier to play than acoustic guitar as the string action is lighter. But it’s a little more difficult to make a good sound because you have to control the noise and feedback of an electric instrument. The famous gypsy guitarist Django Rheinhardt once said of the electric guitar that it was “a wild beast…that was always running away from him”. Therefore if you have your heart set on learning the electric guitar, I would suggest you take the plunge straight away and start learning it directly. Acoustic guitar skills translate well but there are plenty of things which are specific to the electric.
Guitar Lessons for Beginners
I teach a lot of adult beginners! It is never too late to start. You just need the determination to succeed. My guitar lessons will start you off with some basic chords and strumming rhythms. Then we’ll move on to fingerstyle, riffs and more advanced techniques.
We will learn how to read music notation in it’s various forms (standard notation, TAB, diagrams etc) as it becomes relevant to the music that we are playing.
I like to give guitar lessons within the framework of well known songs and pieces, rather than using dry exercises.
Guitar Lessons for Experienced Guitarists
Play already? My guitar lessons can help you fill in some of the fundamentals that you may have missed along the way. In addition, you may need to address some bad habits or technique deficiencies.
Additionally, there are many styles of guitar that you may not have tried; slide, fingerstyle, blues, ragtime, folk, plectrum style. Try something new!
Perhaps you play well but don’t understand what you are playing? My guitar lessons will teach you how to ‘crack the code’.
Topics I cover in my Guitar Lessons
- Learning to play the songs you love!
- Correct posture for pain free practice
- Constructing a progressive practice routine
- Strumming chords
- Plectrum & fingerstyle
- Mastering scales, arpeggios, riffs and licks
- Cracking the “code” of music theory (optional)
- Learning to read TAB, chord charts and rhythmic notation
- Playing in different styles
- Writing your own songs
- Training your “ear” to learn music
- Playing in a band and performing in public
- Preparing for graded examinations (optional)
PS If you happen to be in Manchester and you’re looking for Lessons, check out my former student Dan Hall @ Dan Hall Guitar Tuition and tell him Nat sent you!