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 that classical guitar offers the best foundation for most students. This is manifested in the development of a secure technique, development of the ear (through playing harmonies and counterpart) and learning to read standard notation. Moreover, one may concede that as musical styles have evolved from one to another, the understanding of classical music gives a musician a greater sense of historical context and thus a deeper understanding of the music itself. In the same way that Shakespeare is still relevant to literature and theatre, the works of composers such as Bach and Mozart continue to inform modern ears.
Nonetheless, despite the advantages of studying classical guitar, I feel it is always import to remain pragmatic. If a student finds guitar through a love of classical works, or has no strong predilection towards another style such as rock, then classical guitar is of course a sound choice. However, if the urge to begin lessons was brought about by a strong desire to play other music, I feel it is important not to fight this inspiration but instead to nurture it. After all, for the most part, the same fundamental elements of music will apply regardless of the genre. Classical music and pop largely share the same harmonic framework and students of either discipline can learn a great deal from a foray into the other. Pop, for the most part, has a more complex rhythmic language than most traditional repertoire. Getting to grips with this can be a fun challenge for uninitiated!
Whilst mirroring one’s own journey through the chronological development of music may seem like a logical one, in my opinion it is not necessary. Some stories need not start from the beginning! Indeed, for most students, learning a variety of styles will produce the most rapid improvement as well as making the lessons more varied and enjoyable. In essence, classical guitar probably is the “best” way to start learning but the most important thing is for the student to stay engaged and motivated. For the vast majority of students, this will be learning contemporary music. The sort that s/he would choose to listen to in every day life. This is the music that most younger learners will gravitate towards and connect with most strongly. As such, this will more likely lead to a love of music and a desire to practise. If this means playing the latest song by Taylor Swift, then that’s fine by me!
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Please feel free to get in touch if you’d like to learn more about our contemporary group guitar lessons in Bushey, Hertfordshire. If you would prefer to learn classical guitar, one-to-one lessons may be a better choice.