Electric Guitar Lessons

The electric guitar is the sound of modern music. It can be played with a plectrum, with your fingers, or a mix of both — and I can teach you all of it.

My own stage and studio work lives mostly in the extreme-metal, jazz and world-music worlds, but in lessons I teach the lot: blues and rock ‘n’ roll, through rock, pop, indie, funk, reggae, the lot. We can write your own songs, learn your favourites, or work through pieces I’ve picked that address a specific technique. Your goals set the direction, we work as a team.

New to the guitar?

Contrary to popular belief, you don’t have to start on an acoustic. If electric guitar is your thing, get one and start rocking out — it’s actually easier on your fingers, thanks to the lower action, lighter strings and slimmer neck. We begin by warming up both hands so any style comes easily later, then move into basic chords and strumming, adding scales and soloing as we go.

As you progress you choose where to specialise — rhythm, lead, or both — usually guided by the music you love. Theory is taught hands-on and stripped back to what you can actually recall while playing, so learning to read notation is available if you want it, but never a requirement.

Already play?

Want to catch up on tricks you missed over the years, iron out old habits with more effective technique, or finally sight-read? We can do all of it. Play well but don’t quite understand what you’re playing? I’ll teach you to crack the code — where every note lives on the neck, the thing most self-taught players miss, which opens up the whole fretboard to a myriad of new possibilities.

Keen to improve your lead? We’ll cover how chords, scales and arpeggios relate to one another — when to look at the guitar horizontally and when to look at it vertically — so the notes stop being a mystery but become a tool.

Where lessons happen

In-studio in London SE16 — Rotherhithe, Canada Water and Surrey Quays — at your place anywhere within TfL Zone 3, including Bermondsey and Borough (SE1), Walworth (SE17), Deptford (SE8), New Cross and Peckham (SE14, SE15), Lewisham (SE13) and Canary Wharf (E14), or live online worldwide over a choice of video conferencing apps. Get in touch and we’ll pick what fits you best. I teach music lessons right across South East London — see the areas I cover →.