Tuition

Lesson Content
People learn guitar for different reasons. Some simply want to accompany themselves singing, while others want to play in a rock band, and others want to improvise like the jazz greats. Whatever your motivation, our aim is to get you further along the road to your goal.

A program is prepared for each student, taking into account your current progress, and the direction you would like to take your guitar playing in. This maximises the effectiveness of your lesson times.

Everyone has particular songs & styles of music that they like. As well as learning your chosen styles of music, you can expect to be exposed to other styles of playing. There is an emphasis on contemporary music from 1960 through to today, covering a multitude of styles.

While AMEB exams are not offered, students will progress through structured stages with definable outcomes. Students not only learn repertoire, but are encouraged to learn music theory, and do ear-training, appropriate to their stage of learning.

Where possible, backing tracks are used to help motivate students in their practice. At the end of each term, students will have the opportunity to record their repertoire onto CD as a record of their progress.

Focus Areas
• Repertoire - Chosen styles and exposure to other styles
• Harmony - Chordal Knowledge & Playing Rhythms
• Melody - Sight Reading, Scales, Soloing
• Music Theory - Composition
• Aural - Hearing & Transcribing Music

Please call or email to arrange lesson times.

About The Teacher
Rohan Mansley has an Associate Diploma of Creative Arts (Music) from Wesley Institute, and is currently completing a Bachelor of Music at the University of Western Sydney. Rohan's work combines guitar tuition, with recording projects and performing. He has also worked in marketing and as a graphic designer. He has more than ten years experience performing and teaching.

Rates
• $25 per half hour lesson
• Each term must be paid for in advance. Please see Private Tuition Terms

FAQ
How young is too young to start?
There are no rules, but in my experience kids from age 10 and up seem to respond well. They are able to focus for long enough, and their fine motor skills are developed sufficiently to cope with what the guitar requires. However, if your child is not quite 10 and desperately wants to learn, then there is no harm in starting.

What kind of guitar should I buy?
If you are buying a guitar for a child who doesn't have a particular preference for style, then the classical or nylon string acoustic guitar is a good choice for beginning. The nylon strings don't require a lot of downward pressure, and the wider string spacing makes fretting notes a little easier.

Often though, the style of guitar is a key motivating factor behind learning guitar in the first place. The steel string acoustic and the electric guitar are no doubt the most popular choices. For kids who are just beginning, these guitars can be strung with lighter gauge strings to make the initial learning period easier.

How much should I practise?
It is most beneficial to "practise a little a lot". By this I mean spread out your practice sessions throught the day, and practise everyday. Doing a focused 15 minutes in the morning, 15 minutes in the afternoon, and 15 minutes at night will benefit you more than sitting down to do it all at once.

Each time you practise, try to do something you haven't done before, as well as practising to perfect what you already know. Variety will keep your practice interesting.

You should practise a minimum of 30 minutes a day to make your lessons worthwhile. If you choose to practise more than this, you will obviously progress more quickly. Don't do too much either. Too much strain on your hands can lead to serious problems. You should never have to "push through the pain barrier". Allow your hands to develop gradually.

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• Private Tuition Terms (28Kb)