Frequently Asked Questions
How often do lessons take place?
Once per week. There are no lessons on bank holidays, Christmas or Easter. These classes are added on to the end of term
How long is each lesson?
30 minutes
What happens after I sign up for a my free trial?
Once we have agreed upon a time I will send you a link to download Zoom (recommended) or Skype which you can download for free on your PC, laptop, tablet or phone. I will also send you a video link of me explaining how you tune your instrument so that we do not waste any unnecessary time during our lesson
Do I have to sign up for a term after my free trial?
Absolutely not. When learning an instrument it is crucial that you choose the right teacher for you, in order to ensure success. Your free trial lets you judge whether I am the right teacher for you with no financial risk
How long is a term?
You can sign up for either 4 or 12 weeks after your free trial lesson. (One 30 minute private class per week)
How much is a term?
A four week term is 100 Euro and a 12 week term is 275 euro including full access to all learning materials and resources
Can I pay in installments?
Absolutely, some of my students prefer to pay weekly some monthly and some in a lump sum, in short we cater for whatever is easiest for you.
Do you teach grades?
Yes, for both electric and acoustic guitar, and ukulele, but only if the student wishes to go that route
Do you teach adults?
Yes
Do you teach children?
Absolutely
Is my child too young to learn guitar?
This is a tricky one because it is not actually about the age of the child but their physical abilities and dexterity. Guitar is a physical endeavor and if a child has not fully developed all their motor skills, they will find it extremely difficult starting out. I generally do not recommend any child under the age of seven to start because they can easily become frustrated and start to dislike playing. It is also very important that your child has shown a real interest in learning the guitar.
If you are still not sure consider the ukulele as it is a great first step in their musical journey and nowhere near as physically demanding. Music is all the same language so when you learn one instrument it becomes easier to learn a second instrument. If your child is learning guitar remember that there are 1/2 and 3/4 size guitars which you can find out more about here.
Am I too old to learn an instrument?
Never
Do you teach leaving cert and junior cert Music?
Yes, however I only focus on the students practical pieces
I know absolutely nothing about how to play an instrument can I still sign up?
Absolutely. Just go to start your free trial to see if you like my teaching and sign up after if you do
No, you don’t understand I am completely tone deaf and haven’t a note in my head, can I learn an Instrument?
Absolutely. The biggest myth out there is that people are just born with a natural ability for music. Practice, determination, a love for music and persistence will always outweigh any natural ability . It is estimated that 1 in every 10,000 people have perfect pitch which is an ability to identify notes easily. These numbers go down even further as people may have perfect pitch but never realise it because they have never picked up an instrument
What is far more important is relative pitch which is a skill that is increased naturally the longer you play music. So that story you heard about your friend’s uncle's son’s cousin who just picked up an instrument for the first time and started playing Beethoven’s Symphony No 9 is more than likely complete nonsense I am afraid. A love for music is a far more important trait to have than any natural ability
Do I need an instrument to take lessons?
Yes, seems like an obvious one but you would not believe how many times I have been asked this. If you don’t have an instrument you can’t practice and if you can’t practice you can’t become a musician. The good news is you can still follow that dream of becoming an air guitar master. Check out my tips and tricks page for advice on buying an instrument
What platforms do you use for teaching?
I use zoom, skype and whats app. All of these platforms are free and it is very easy to share music sheets and notes during class.
Can I record lessons?
Absolutely, I actually encourage it as it is one of the many advantages of learning online
What if I miss a lesson?
If enough notice is given your lesson can be rearranged for another time that week
Do I need to learn how to read music?
No, not unless you really want to. You will learn how to read guitar/ukulele/banjo tab, chord sheets and about different types of rhythms. My goal has always been to get students playing as quickly as possible. To learn to properly sight read is the equivalent of learning a new language and takes a long time to master
Will I learn any theory?
Yes, but don't worry, none of the boring stuff. You will learn what chords and notes sound well together and how they are related to each other. In short, the theory I teach is information you can use in practical terms on your instrument which in return will make you a better player faster
Something I missed?
