Do I need my own guitar?
Is my child too young to start guitar lessons?
Am I too old?
Both of my children want to learn guitar. Can they take lessons together?
What skill levels do you teach?
I’d like to learn bass. Do you offer lessons?
What is the point of lessons, since I can buy ‘self-teaching’ books or online guitar courses?
What about tabs vs. music notation?
What kind of pick do I need?
My strings buzz when I play the guitar/bass. What can I do about this?
I am a beginner. What guitar should I buy?
There is no ‘right’ answer to this question. Choosing a guitar will be based on the style of music you are interested in learning. Generally speaking, folk, traditional, singer/songwriters, acoustic blues, etc. are usually played on a steel-string acoustic guitar. Rock, metal, blues, alternative, etc. are usually played on an electric guitar. And classical, Spanish/flamenco and sometimes folk and traditional are usually played on a nylon-string ‘classical’ or ‘Spanish’ guitar. Partial size nylon-string guitars are often the easiest for younger players. Waltons music shops offer special discounts on instruments to students at the school, and have a range of recommended guitars and basses.
Do I need my own guitar?
Yes. You will need your own guitar, both for the lessons/course and for practice at home. However, it is possible to use a school instrument for the first lesson/class so that you can get advice from the teacher on choosing the best instrument for you.
Is my child too young to start guitar lessons?
Six years old is usually the youngest age that we start students on guitar. Guitar is very physically challenging for students younger than this. When to start lessons depends on things like coordination and attention span and sometimes hand size. It is best for children to start off with a ½- or ¾-size nylon-string guitar. Nylon-string guitars make it much easier for children to ‘fret’ notes without the strings hurting their fingers.
Am I too old?
No! We have successfully taught guitar to hundreds of mature students, of all ages. No one is too old to make music. Adults can start either with 30-minute private (one-to-one) lessons or our group course, Introducing Guitar for Adults.
Both of my children want to learn guitar. Can they take lessons together?
Yes. They can take ‘partner’ guitar lessons, as long as they start at the same level. Partner lessons are an enjoyable and satisfying way to explore music together. Ideally, the children will benefit from mutual observation and motivate each other to improve – and the enjoyment will go well beyond the lessons as they practise and progress together.
What skill levels do you teach?
We teach students from complete beginners to advanced, up to and including diploma level. All of our teachers take beginning and intermediate level students, and each of them has specific strengths for advanced guitar lessons and courses, including classical, jazz, rock/metal, blues, traditional and flamenco.
I’d like to learn bass. Do you offer lessons?
We do offer bass lessons to students at all levels, from complete beginner to advanced, in a variety of styles and using a wide range of techniques (slapping, tapping, fingerstyle, pick, etc.).
What is the point of lessons, since I can buy ‘self-teaching’ books or online guitar courses?
A teacher can observe your technique and progress in real-time and give you immediate feedback. You will be reassured by getting reinforcement for things you do well and constructive advice for areas needing improvement. Questions and difficulties can be dealt with as they arise, so you do not develop bad habits that will later be hard to correct. While there are many materials and aids available to help you ‘teach yourself’, determining where to begin and what path to follow is not so simple. An instructor can evaluate your skill level and provide guidance to keep you on-track and focused on topics most appropriate for your development and personal objectives.
What about tabs vs. music notation?
Beginners learning guitar, having discovered tabs, frequently ask whether there is any point in learning musical notation as well. The answer really depends on what you want to do in terms of playing guitar.
Tabs (or tablature, to use the full term) are easy to learn and can be a great help in learning to play your favourite song or piece of music. However it is also important to realise that they are very limiting – all they do is show you which frets to finger and in which order. They cannot show you time or key signatures or note length, which means that unless you already know the piece of music you intend to play, you will have no idea what it should sound like. You can’t learn an unfamiliar piece of music from tabs alone.
If you learn to read music, on the other hand, the time will come when there will be nothing you can’t play and no one you can’t play with. All you will need is the music, widely available in music shops and online.
What kind of pick do I need?
Picks (or plectrums) come in many sizes, although they tend to be a fairly uniform shape. The key question is their thickness, which varies from almost paper thin to rigidly thick, and the material they are made from. Both qualities change the sound the guitar produces when played with a pick. The best advice for a beginner guitar player is to buy a packet of assorted sizes and find out how each one affects your playing and the sounds your guitar makes. You will quickly find that you have one or two favourites that you nearly always use.
My strings buzz when I play the guitar/bass. What can I do about this?
This could be due to one of two things. The first and most likely situation is that you are not pushing down on the strings with the correct amount of force or are pressing them in the wrong place. Make sure you place your finger as close to the fret as possible (nearer the bridge) and also with enough pressure. If your strings still buzz then it could be due to incorrect setting of the guitar (truss rod, bridge, nut height, etc.) You may need to take it in to Waltons or another music shop to have a specialist look at it.
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