Epsom Guitar and Ukulele Lessons

09/08/2026

One of my students playing a finger-style interpretation of Let Her Go by Passenger. Almost ready to record now. I’ve enjoyed working with him on this one.

21/07/2026

Wing Chun (or trad. Wing Tsun) Kung Fu is derived from the Shaolin Snake and Crane animals. Legend has it that a Shaolin nun witnessed the two animals fighting and created the style based on the relative strengths of both.

One of the first things a novice Wing Tsun practitioner will learn is how to form and execute a correct punch slowly with the left limb. Although anyone- with varying success- can throw a punch, the mechanics are painstakingly broken down. The end result - designed to cause the maximum damage possible- can be deadly. This can take months to execute slowly and correctly., and longer to be able- if one must- to execute under pressure successfully (if needed stop a real threat). That's a seperate regard to the right (usually predominant) limb.

On Guitar, anyone after a while can play a few chords. Guitar players in the words of the late Dimebag Darrell are "a dime a dozen" and are usually not taken as seriously as someone who says they play the violin for instance. Playing a few chords is like being able to throw a punch. My students can tell you what a stickler I am for playing chords correctly! Most guitarists don't take long to play a few chords. Sounding beautiful every time (or even once) is an another matter. Being confident to execute them under pressure- in a song to an audience- another matter again. One must work on the position pf their elbow, how far and when to bend their wrist, the way their thumb interacts with the guitar neck, finger position on the fretboard, how hard to press down and how to navigate between chords in the most effective way for that particular progression. All this manipulation must successfully occur with the left arm and hand (usually the non dominant limb), and that's before we even start talking about the right hand!

So are your chords frustrating you? Why? Because it's hard to execute them correctly? It's meant to be hard! Are you addressing all of those micro-variables? (a violin player does who is taken seriously because he or she says they play the violin and not the guitar). Why not? Because it takes too long? Yes! It's meant to take a long time!!!!! Rather than doubt your ability to do this stuff the right way, take comfort that you are quite probably exactly where you should be at this particular moment. Once you do, you will be successful under pressure, to any audience, with what song(s) you choose and slay them!

***BUT YOU MUST APPLY YOURSELF AND WORK, AGAIN AND AGAIN AND AGAIN***

To paraphrase the great Bruce Lee "I fear not the opponent who has practiced 1000 techniques, rather I fear the opponent who has practiced one technique 1000 times."

Let that sink in.

p.s. The definition of Kung Fu is "through hard work achieve results". Fitting for guitar practice too

22/01/2026

While I was tucking into some chicken, rolls and salad at the start of this week Ralph Towner- one of THE greatest acoustic- scrap that- greatest GUITAR players of all time- quietly passed away aged 85 in Rome where he'd been living for the last 30 or so years. Too many guitarists are called "great" without really being deserving of this accolade and don't get the recognition in life they should. I'll just leave this here. Pop on YouTube and check out his other stuff too. Bandleader and guitarist. RIP Maestro x

'Icarus' performed by MGT - Wolfgang Muthspiel, Slava Grigoryan & Ralph TownerMGT came together for a one-off Australian tour in 2005. This trio of guitar vi...

19/12/2025

School Holiday program running out of Flanshaw Road School at Te Atatu South in the first two full weeks of 2026. Available for any Year 3 to 8 students. Timetable attached. Click on my link within the first page for more information and how to register. Registrations must be received by 31st December

30/11/2025

Word!

15/07/2025

The new term is under way. Had a good break? Had a break from guitar playing? Maybe a little longer than the holidays?
It’s no longer the holidays! Get back to practicing!
Got your new strings to start the new term?
Enough picks?
New material to work on?
Cleaned your guitar?
Guitar been set up lately?
Music and guitar stand ok?
Planned what days you can practice and when? (They’ll all be different and the practice won’t come to you)
Nails cut and filed? (Stop biting them)
Need a teacher? Head over to my webpage under the “Lessons” heading and see my available times for this term!
Get to work!

02/04/2025

and the Lord's people said "Amen".

21/01/2025

***GOAL SETTING***

I have a student who is consistently revising their goals- backwards: this that or the other thing after a very short while becomes "too hard", so "let's try something else" and "this time it will all be different".

This is not at all uncommon among musicians. In fact, translate that to a band situation and you might find when learning a song, that an iconic song that a band is learning "note for note" because it's iconic after a few weeks becomes "let's do our own version". Noble or a cop out? (be honest). Seen that before?

Goal setting is really important. How long will it *really* take me to learn this? No delusions of grandeur "Because "this time I'll work as never before" (which is a skill that requires practice too by the way)- but *really*?

I might want to learn the "Crushing Day" by Joe Satriani guitar solo. (substitute this for Little Wing, Hotel California, Stairway, whatever). I'll give myself a week. Now let's have a look at it.

80 bars of music immediately tells me I need to learn 11-12 bars a day, as well as being able to revise what I learned the previous day. Do I wish to play that at full speed as well (starting at half speed so it's played right and not half right?). That's probably 1 hour per bar to get it to a level where the playing is reactive (without thought) let alone approaching full speed. 11-12 hours a day for each bar to be played in isolation......assuming I'm capable of playing that fast anyway. Got a job? School? Uni? Kids? Need to eat or sleep?

We start to get a picture of how ridiculous that "one week" was. Ok this is an extreme example, as we acquire more skills we won't need to spend as long, repetitive sections and themes etc etc blah blah blah.....but is it any wonder we throw in the towel? This piece would take over a year- closer to two years. And then for what? How much do I "love it" to spend that much time on it?

Notwithstanding that a student may not be working hard enough and therefore *anything* will be a challenge, careful goal setting equals far better results. Try it.

21/01/2025

RIPJohn Sykes 1959-2025.
Not only a long time Thin Lizzy guitar player, but repainsible for most of the guitar-work on Whitesnake’s 1987 album. Haven’t heard him? Listen to this and Thin Lizzy’s Thunder and Lightening….or there’s possibly a gap in your listening.

09/01/2025

Further from posts earlier this week, the question is often asked "If I could have any guitar(s). what "should" I have? Again, I am trying to avoid brand names- although in some cases that becomes almost impossible. Two lists then. List 1. Electric guitarists. List 2- you'll have to read to the end

1. The 5 (definitive) Electric Guitars

i. 335 style guitar - arguably THE most versatile guitar. Can cover almost any ground. Number One in the session player's arsenal. Think Wrecking Crew, Motown (if you don't know what/ who these are then here's a good thread to explore), Eric Johnson, John Mayer, Oasis, Foo Fighters. If you have no other guitar, have this one.

ii. Strat style guitar- not far behind the 335 and the most iconic shape of electric guitar in the world. When people think of an electric guitar this is the little picture they think of. Heard Smoke on the Water? Co***ne? Layla? All Along the Watchtower? Slow Dancing in a Burning Room? Sultans of Swing? Peggy Sue? Suck My Kiss? Walk this Way? Life in the Fast Lane? The Joker? The list goes on (and on....and on)

iii. Les Paul style guitar. In Classic rock music if it's not a Stratocaster it's a Les Paul and for any music with a harder edge- essential. Heck, even if you're a Strat- person and playing mainly outdoors, you'll sound better on one of these. Slash, Jimmy Page from Led Zeppelin (more on him soon) KISS, Peter Frampton, FREE and almost any rockband you care to name have one of these somewhere....

iv. Telecaster style guitar. Not just a "twang thang" although essential for country music Jimmy Page from Led Zeppelin probably sold more Gibson Les Pauls (which he if usually pictured with) by almost solely playing a telecaster on the first few Led Zeppelin Albums "oh it must be a Les Paul!" you exclaim. No. The Police, Bruce Springsteen, Radiohead, the Rolling Stones, The Beatles, punk bands such as The Stranglers, Blues artists like Albert Collins and Roy Buchanan and Jazzcats like Mike Stern show how versatile the Tele is.

v. Rickenbacker 12 string guitar. Although I said I'd avoid brands, Rick guard themselves so vigorously that almost any attempt to copy ends in a cease and desist, which is then pursued with vigor. However if you're collecting the set and have got this far it might be worth treating yourself. The Beatles, the Byrds, Tom Petty, The Who, Oasis, Britpop and damn near anything with tunefulness cannot possibly be wrong. As an ego piece for "look at me" (like blue suede driving loafers and a Maserati) art on the wall, not many have one of these either!

I know, "but what about.....?" List 2 will come soon. In this I'll discuss guitars recommended for styles, iconic pedals, the best amplifiers and a few acoustics....