Learning Different Guitar Style

I WANT TO LEARN TO PLAY…

Acoustic Guitar

The acoustic guitar is a great versatile instrument.

Whether its being used to accompany a singer, as part of a country band, a rock band, in a folk band with other stringed instruments, as a classical instrument – solo or in an orchestra, etc, the acoustic guitar in its various guises can be a great deal of fun to play.

Finger style, pick playing, percussive playing, open tunings etc. are just some of the techniques employed to really get the most out of this lovely instrument.

A properly set-up Nylon strung or Steel strung acoustic guitar can be truly expressive and powerful.

Blues Guitar

One of the technically simplest styles of music for the guitarist, but also one of the most expressive.

Many old standard blues tunes use just 3 chords and a handful of notes so can be easy to learn and play along to, BUT, its how these notes are played that sets it apart from other styles.

The old and new blues guitar masters like John Lee Hooker, Elmore James, BB King, Eric Clapton, Peter Green, Stevie Ray Vaughan, Joe Bonamassa etc etc etc, can all make very simple chord progressions, solos and melodies sound very unique and interesting.

Improvisation, using scales and other techniques, is a very important skill for a blues guitarist looking to be creative and expressive in their own unique way.

Learn to play great blues solos and get to grips with slide guitar tecniques too.

Rock Guitar

This can cover a lot of music, past and present including Classic Rock, Metal, Indie, Grunge, Punk etc.

The techniques learnt as a Blues guitarist can benefit you greatly here, as many rock tunes have similar progressions to play along to.

Whether you want to play like the rock guitar gods ( or goddesses ) of recent times like Orianthi, Joe Satriani, Steve Vai, Kirk Hammett or Slash or perhaps you would like to nail older tracks – that Hendrix solo, or break down and learn some of Mark Knopfler’s songs or perhaps thrash out someJoan Jett, I can help.

Given enough time and patience, you CAN do it!

Pop Guitar

Pop covers a lot of fun stuff.

Although much of ‘popular’ music is heavily keyboard / synth based and relies a lot on electronic samples and processing, the guitar still plays a key part.

From Abba to Lady Gaga, Eurythmics to Katy Perry, Duran Duran to Adele, the guitar is an essential element in shaping the sound and dynamics of great pop songs.

Many pop songs can be given an alternative sound by ‘unplugging’ them and approaching them with an acoustic guitar.

Country Guitar

Maybe you want to finger-pick a Dolly Parton track, or maybe strum along to the more recent Country/Rock crossover artists like Train, or John Mayer?

The Country heading again covers a lot of ground and the guitar is a very prominent tool.

Slide playing ( using a metal / glass tube ) can sound very sweet and mellow on lap guitars but can be played just as effectively on a conventional guitar, either electric or acoustic.

The Twangy nature of a Telecaster guitar can sound very ‘country’ with the right amplification and is a good choice for those with smaller hands due to a smaller neck profile. It is obviously popular with a lot of female players for that reason.