As what I believe is known as a “mature” student I came to Richard for my first ever face-to-face electric guitar lessons at the age of 43. I knew a few riffs but had never managed to play a song all the way through or play along with a backing track. I was a bit nervous and not sure what to expect.

Richard put me at ease very quickly and spent time to really understand my musical tastes and goals for the guitar. We quickly got into things & focused on one song at a time – always chosen together so I remained motivated and learned something I really wanted to play. Richard was always happy to answer any questions I had, even to the point of sending the lesson off on a tangent. We always had a laugh discussing music, gigs, bands and guitars & very quickly the relationship stopped feeling like student & teacher.

We often played along together which is not only fun but is great for anyone feeling a bit unsure as the limelight is shared. Occasionally something completely new would be thrown in like slide guitar or recording techniques to keep me on my toes.

I’ve taken so much confidence out of the lessons. Playing along with backing tracks/songs is now the norm and I regularly get together with friends to jam at rehearsal studios. I’d never have been able to do this beforehand – not from a playing perspective, timing perspective or being confident in playing/messing up in front of others!