| Never since the first rock music boom of the 1960s has there been a more appropriate time to take up playing the guitar. With inspirational bands in every conceivable genre now receiving exposure on FM and digital radio stations, MTV and the Web, legions of young people and adults are getting the urge to play this versatile and wonderful instrument. It is hard to credit that when I first started playing over 30 years ago, the guitar was still looked down upon as an inferior instrument, particularly the electric guitar. It was only just tolerated in schools, its playing confined to the dusty areas behind the school stage by spotty youths whose enthusiasm far outweighed their ability. Now there are schools and colleges dedicated solely to the teaching and playing of contemporary music, and 17 and 18-year-olds in professional bands are playing faster than it was ever thought possible even ten years ago. |  |
| Red House exists to help the guitarist or bassist, young or old, beginner or experienced, to learn and develop. I took on my first guitar pupil in 2000, and now have a growing band of students learning guitar and bass, both privately and at GCSE level at local schools. The name of my school is taken from my favourite track by Jimi Hendrix, who remains my inspiration. It is with great pleasure that I introduce learners to his work and see them begin to appreciate him as well. In fact it is with amazement that many of my students hear the vast back-catalogue of great guitar music, actually wanting to play Deep Purple, AC/DC and Guns N Roses as well as the Trivium and Dragonforce, or Green Day, Razorlight and Killers that they hear now. As you may have guessed, the style of music which we all prefer is definitely rock/metal in flavour, although softer styles are also popular. |  |
| THE TEN MOST REQUESTED TRACKS 1. Sweet Child of Mine 2. Smoke on the Water 3. Back in Black 4. I Believe in a Thing Called Love 5. Black Dog 6. All Right Now 7. Teenage Kicks 8. Fat Lip 9. Holiday 10. Wonderwall | My own qualifications for the task are over thirty years experience, playing in school bands, semi-professional and professional bands, and seven years of teaching many different abilities of student. I am pleased to say that I have guided several students through the Rockschool Grades 1 to 8. I myself have Rockschool Grade 8 (distinction) and am a member of the Registry of Guitar Tutors. If the student is a beginner, then they need a period of learning their way around the instrument, coupled with music theory and reading. Otherwise, I try and gauge the appropriate level at which to begin. I tie-in the learning with the Rockschool Grade system. Rockschool is an organisation linked with the Qualifications and Curriculum Authority and divides learning into nine Grades, at levels 1 to 4 of the National Qualifications Framework, so the student can be assured of their importance and relevance. For example, local Sixth Form colleges usually require grades 4 or 5 in order to study the guitar/bass in their courses. Once started, the student gradually moves up the ladder of difficulty. As well as the Grade book songs to work from, I ask the student to find a song or songs they particularly like, and work towards mastering them. In this way they are more likely to keep their interest and, above all, to practise! | Each student works towards a yearly "show" in the summer, where they can demonstrate their talent to family and friends. As a performer myself, I think it is essential that students learn to play in front of people, and eventually to have bands of their own. There is no better way of learning than to play with other musicians. |
| VACANCIES: I have no vacancies at the moment, but please email me or ring 01263 514735 to find out my rates and to discuss a possible time. Unfortunately I would have to put you on a waiting list. I will post any vacancies here as they arise. | You don't even need to bring a guitar or amp with you, my studio is fully equipped with guitars (electric and acoustic), bass and amps. However, I would recommend owning your own instrument. If parents are in doubt over which instrument, I would say that if
the student expresses interest in an electric guitar, get one of those. I am not a believer in the "gradual" school of thought.
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