The GTB Blog
The best affordable guitar for young beginners in 2021
Choosing the best affordable guitar for your child is a bit like buying a pair of shoes. Whilst some guitars are objectively better than others in terms of build quality or price, to a large degree it will be a personal preference for look, feel and sound. Because of...
What size of guitar is best for my child?
Of course, everyone is different and height varies greatly from student to student. As such, please take the following as a rough guide and not a definitive answer. It’s always best to consult your guitar teacher or try out a few guitars in a music shop to see what is...
How much do guitar lessons cost and what one question you should ask to find out if the tutor is worth it?
Learning guitar or any other musical instrument for that matter can be an expensive ordeal. Not only does the student need an instrument, they’ll need to buy books, will likely take exams and oh yes, have weekly lessons! As with most things, the price of music tuition...
Is my child old enough to start guitar lessons?
The short answer… if they are six or older, they’re probably ready to rock! The long answer… Having taught hundreds of guitar students over the past twelve years, one thing has been abundantly clear. All students are individuals and learn at different speeds and in...
How much guitar practice should my child be doing each day or week?
Unlike most other school subjects, music is rarely a mandatory one. Nor do most parents assign instrumental practise the same level of importance to their child’s daily routine. Rarely has a parent uttered, “practise your guitar, you can do more maths homework next...
Should beginners start with classical or pop guitar lessons in 2020?
Over the years, this is a question that many students and their parents have asked me and it is certainly a topic that divides opinion. One may be surprised, that, although having only taken up classical guitar myself 12 years into my 20-year playing career, I feel...
How to get the most out of your Zoom guitar lessons
We've been using Zoom for a couple of weeks now and have learned quite a few lessons along the way. Although there are certainly pros and cons of online music lessons, there are a number of things students can do to help get the most out of their online lessons. ...
The pros and cons of online guitar lessons
In recent years, technology and the internet have seemingly infiltrated all avenues of life and business. Indeed, guitar lessons are no different. Whether a student chooses to take online music lessons using Skype or a dedicated platform such as Meteor Tutors or if...
The best electric guitar for children and beginners in 2020
There are a lot of different guitar brands out there, and I mean A LOT! On a Wikipedia list of guitar manufacturers, there are at least 150 of them and I’m sure there are many more. As well as the iconic American brands such as Fender and Gibson, there has been an...
Making the most of music: The current state of music education and practical tips for parents
As seen in Optima Magazine, March 2019 ‘Music is a moral law,’ Ancient Greek philosopher Plato is reported to have said. ‘It gives soul to the universe, wings to the mind, flight to the imagination… It is the essence of order.’ Music is a truly human phenomenon –...
6 reasons group guitar lessons may be a better option than one-to-one
So. You’ve decided you’d like to start guitar lessons. Now it’s time to find the right teacher. Part of the decision process is to first decide one the most appropriate platform; whether to learn your instrument in a one-to-one or group setting. For most prospective...
How to choose the right music teacher for you or your child
For a student to get the most out of their music lessons, it is vital to find a tutor who is the best fit. Of course, we all have different personalities, different levels of experience and different goals. As such, it would be remiss to claim that a “best teacher”...