Lessons & Courses
Over nearly 40 years as a guitar teacher I have taught in schools, colleges, universities, privately and via Skype, FaceTime & email. You are welcome to enquire about private lessons in the Tewkesbury & Gloucestershire area, or online lessons using any of the above methods. A Free Introduction Lesson is always offered, so we don’t waste any time when we get started.
Please enquire using the CONTACT button below or the CONTACT page
Below is a list of material you can buy “off the shelf” with full email support
Music Theory for Guitarists.
This book is an essential guide if you want to Compose, Improvise or Arrange music, whether for guitar or other instruments. Open up your understanding of what you play on the guitar, by knowing how we construct scales, chords & keys, then translate them onto the guitar fingerboard.
Presented in concise and easy to understand language, this course will equip you with a profound and complete knowledge of why we play what we play on the guitar.
All styles of music use the same source theory. So knowing that theory is essential, as we are using it whenever we play, whether we know it or not. This book goes one step further than explaining why we do what we do, by showing how we use theory on the guitar itself, showing clear explanations of how intervals are placed on the fingerboard, in keys, chords, scales and arpeggios.
Blues Guitar Styles ~ 1. Beginnings
Aimed at ambitious beginners or players who want to switch to understanding about blues guitar playing. This is No.1 in a series that covers various aspects of different styles of blues guitar playing.
In this book you will learn basics of lead & rhythm, following detailed notes that are illustrated with MP3’s, notation & tablature. You’ll learn the blues scale and some intro & ending riffs and will apply those to some pre-written examples for both lead and rhythm. In addition you’ll start to look at how to improvise.
Once you’ve finished you’ll be able to play solo or with a duo or band, contributing backing or leads roles.
Blues Guitar Styles ~ 2. Moving Forward
Designed for players beyond beginners, #2 in our series tackles more advanced commonly used blues guitar techniques. We are sticking to our method of aiming the whole course at playing more than theory. This book tackles some more advanced techniques & ideas, stating what musical theory we used to construct them. This will equip you to know the source material, so you can construct your own riffs & patterns.
Blues Guitar Styles ~ 3. Slide Guitar
An in depth look at how to start playing slide guitar. This short course includes Tablature & Music Notation, along with MP3’s and descriptive text, to demonstrate how to understand the fundamental techniques required for slide guitar.
This style is often seen as a mystery but this course shows in simple descriptions, that slide guitar playing can be done by anyone. Examples are played using unmodified electric guitar and acoustic resonator guitar. Examples include: Basic scales & techniques, intros & endings, full 12 bar blues sequences, common slide riffs.
Improvisation Using The Modes Of The Harmonic Minor Scale
This short course of ideas for learning to improvise using the Harmonic Minor Scale follows on from the course on Improvising on the Modes of the Major Scale, although it can be tackled completely sepa- rately as well. The course has transcribed ideas for riffs that fit to the different Modes of the Harmonic Minor Scale. The music is in Notation and Tablature with short descriptions showing which chords fit which riffs. Audio files that illustrate the music with one for lead and one for backing, are available from the author. The audio files use a full band of rhythm, bass & drums.
Improvisation Using The II V I Chord Sequence - For Guitarists
The II V I Chord sequence is the most commonly used sequence in both jazz and many other styles of music. Mostly used from the Major Key it is the 2nd 5th & 1st chords in sequence. It is used so much simply because we like the sound it makes and it occurs at the beginning of sections of music, at the end and in the middle. So we need to know as many ways to use it as possible and this course will help you start.
Music Reading - For Guitarists
The ability to read music is often seen as a mystery and it does not have to be that way.
With knowledge of a few simple tools you can read music onto the guitar, or any instrument and get better & quicker just by doing it. This short book gives you the tools to do this and empowers you to have a solid foundation in basic music reading skills. We can get better at reading music for as long as we use it but a few basics is a solid and practical foundation.
Technical Exercises - For Guitarists
A short cut to building & maintaining the techniques needed to tackle new music and keep up the fitness to play what you already know, is a great way of maximizing time
Being prepared for new techniques by having exercises that develop new finger movements quickly, is what this set of technical exercises is for. Here we have a set of exercises that help you to evolve what you need to play the music you want to learn.
Scale and Chord Theory - For Guitarists
The relationship between Scales & Chords is the basis for almost all music we create and enjoy listening to as well as what we play. Often it seems like a dark art trying to understand how music is constructed.
However there is a simplicity to music that perhaps leaves many looking for something complex that is not there. This short book aims to de- bunk any mysteries and turn music into easily and clearly under- stood facts.
Improvisation Using the Modes of The Major Scale - For Guitarists
Improvisation as we know it in modern music is largely piecing together some of our favorite ideas to make something up on the spot. This course shows some riffs, along with backing tracks to play to and full versions of the tracks, so you can hear how the riffs sound. The backing tracks use rhythm guitar, bass & drums, with lead guitar added for the full tracks. Each Mode is tackled in a different style so we don’t get tied down to one way of playing. The audio files are available from the author direct by emailing after purchase.
Solo Guitar Arrangements
€10 each arrangement
Wave • Jobim
Solo guitar arrangement of Jobim's beautiful song. For years I put off doing this arrangement as I assumed it would be too hard to play solo. But under convenient pressure from an ambitious student here it is. And it was much easier to do than I had anticipated. This is a skeleton arrangement to show the chords, melody and some ways of using them together.
[wp_cart_button name="Wave Solo Guitar" price="10.00"] TAB/Notation/Guitar Pro/Mp3
I say a little prayer • Bacharach
The Burt Bacharach classic made famous by Aretha Franklin[wp_cart_button name="I say a little prayer" price="10.00"] Video/TAB/Notation/Chords/Notes/Mp3
Isn’t she lovely • Stevie Wonder
Hard to find good solo transcription of the sort of thing pro players do with this Stevie Wonder classic modern standard. Files include GarageBand & Guitar Pro
[wp_cart_button name="Isn't she lovely" price="10.00"] Video/TAB/Notation/Chords/Notes/Mp3/GarageBand/Guitar Pro
‘round Midnite • Thelonius Monk
Thelonius Monk piano piece for solo guitar
[wp_cart_button name="Thelonius Monk" price="10.00"] Video/TAB/Notation/Chords/Notes/Mp3
Don’t get around much anymore
Great party piece arrangement for learning bass lines, chords etc. A solo arrangement in the style of players like Martin Taylor
[wp_cart_button name="Don't get around much anymore" price="10.00"] Video/TAB/Notation/Chords/Notes/Mp3
Time after time • Lauper
Cyndi Lauper classic, covered by Miles Davis with John Scofield & Bireli Lagrene with Sylvain Luc. Now as a solo jazz arrangement
[wp_cart_button name="Time after time" price="10.00"] Video/TAB/Notation/Chords/Notes/Mp3
Here comes the sun
Beatles tune with some great ideas that can be used in other contexts and very popular in the style of Tommy Emmanuel
[wp_cart_button name="Here comes the sun" price="10.00"] Video/TAB/Notation/Chords/Notes/Mp3s
Secret Love
Written by Sammy Fain for the 1953 musical Calamity Jane. Great solo piece played by players like Lenny Breau and hard to find as a solo transcription
[wp_cart_button name="Secret Love" price="10.00"] Video/TAB/Notation/Chords/Notes/Mp3
I think it’s gonna work out fine
Arranged for solo guitar & also with multi-guitar backing & lead tracks. A really good solo guitar workout, covering many techniques used by Ry Cooder et al.
Soul Classic made famous for guitarists by Ry Cooder on adrop. With David Lindley on guitar as well. Also covered by James Taylor & Linda Ronstadt
[wp_cart_button name="I think it's gonna work out fine" price="10.00"] Video/TAB/Notation/Chords/Notes/Mp3s
The Girl From Ipanema • Jobim
My own arrangement of this classic Jobim bossa nova & jazz standard. There aren’t many solo arrangements of this piece around, so this is one not to miss.
The video demonstrates what can be done to extend the rhythms & chords transcribed in the Music/TAB arrangement. Also available in Guitar Pro format
[wp_cart_button name="The girl from Ipanema" price="10.00"] Video/TAB/Notation/Chords/Notes/Mp3
Boom Boom • John Lee Hooker
In the Style of John Lee Hooker. Solo guitar 12 bar blues using the classic riff made famous again in the Blues Brothers Movie
[wp_cart_button name="Boom boom" price="10.00"] Video/TAB/Notation/Chords/Notes/Mp3/Guitar Pro
No Particular Place To Go • Chuck Berry
A la Mr. Chuck Berry. This is a party piece arrangement for solo guitar. Impress friends & influence people by showing them something that amazes them
[wp_cart_button name="No particular place to go" price="10.00"] Video/TAB/Notation/Chords/Notes/Mp3/Guitar Pro
I Wish • Stevie Wonder
Stevie Wonder for Solo Guitar. Break up of sections in videos, showing how each is played. Basic use of 2 hand tapping for solo jazz guitar players[wp_cart_button name="I wish" price="10.00"] Video/TAB/Notation/Chords/Notes/Mp3/Guitar Pro
Higher Ground • Stevie Wonder
More Stevie Wonder for Solo Guitar and what a great sequence and driving rhythm to play. The bluesy chords closely relate to Boom, boom and Green Onions, so are really useful in many contexts
[wp_cart_button name="Higher Ground" price="10.00"]Guitar Pro, PDF, Video, MP3
Don't Explain
Billie Holiday's haunting elegy to love arranged for solo guitar. The sequence and melody intertwine to pull against our emotions in this music. For me it's essential to have the lyrics going through my mind while playing, so the lyrics are included in this arrangement, as a seperate sheet
[wp_cart_button name="Don't explain" price="10.00"]Guitar Pro, PDF, Video, MP3
[show_wp_shopping_cart]
Chord/Lead Arrangements for 2 Guitars
€10 each arrangement
Is This Love? • Bob Marley
Bob Marley’s classic. What is a ‘jazz standard’ if it’s not what you grew up listening to?
[wp_cart_button name="Is this love-duo" price="10.00"] Video/TAB/Notation/Chords/Notes/Mp3s
New Blues • Andy Brotherton
Good vehicle for learning to improvise. In the style of Robben Ford
[wp_cart_button name="New blues-duo" price="10.00"] Video/TAB/Notation/Chords/Notes/Mp3s
Blues Minus 1 • Andy Brotherton
Blues in the style of Muddy Waters for 2 guitars or solo. Many riffs & ideas for soloing
[wp_cart_button name="Blues minus 1-duo" price="10.00"] Video/TAB/Notation/Chords/Notes/Mp3s/Guitar Pro Variations
Fire bon! • Andy Brotherton
Original modern jazz composition, available on the release ‘A Few Short Thoughts’ A good insight into the composing mind of a working pro jazz guitarist
[wp_cart_button name="Fire bon-duo" price="10.00"] Video/TAB/Notation/Chords/Notes/Mp3s
Isn’t She Lovely • Stevie Wonder
Comes with transcription of 16 bar solo & soloing ideas including scales. Great fun ‘modern jazz standard’ arranged for 2 guitars. Fantastic chord sequence for jamming
[wp_cart_button name="Isn't she lovely-duo" price="10.00"] Video/TAB/Notation/Chords/Notes/Mp3s
Blue Monk • Thelonius Monk
Thelonius Monk’s blues tune for 2 guitars. A simple and very well known and loved piece of music
[wp_cart_button name="Blue monk-duo" price="10.00"] Video/TAB/Notation/Chords/Notes/Mp3s
Lovely Day • Bill Withers
Bill Wither’s great tune & chord sequence, with interesting & open chords. Such a nice rhythmic and happy piece to enjoy playing
[wp_cart_button name="Lovely day-duo" price="10.00"] Video/TAB/Notation/Chords/Notes/Mp3s
Samba Pa Ti • Santana
Santana’s greatest instrumental melody transcribed and the chord sequence slightly altered, to add some lead riffs and new harmonic ideas
[wp_cart_button name="Samaba pa ti-duo" price="10.00"] Video/TAB/Notation/Chords/Notes/Mp3s
Wave • Antonio Carlos Jobim
A hard to find track with a good arrangement of chords & lead part. Full transcription of the melody & chords
[wp_cart_button name="Wave-duo" price="10.00"] Video/TAB/Notation/Chords/Notes/Mp3s
The Girl From Ipanema • Antonio Carlos Jobim
The most popular and one of the most beautiful Jobim compositions. This arrangement has the full melody and chord shapes, with a backing track for soloing & performing
[wp_cart_button name="The girl from ipanema-duo" price="10.00"] Video/TAB/Notation/Chords/Notes/Mp3s
You Are The Sunshine Of My Life • Stevie Wonder
The evergreen Stevie Wonder classic with a beautiful chord sequence for soloing & a very nice tune. Great piece for jamming and honing your skills & understanding of of scales & modes for improvisation
[wp_cart_button name="You are the sunshine of my life-duo" price="10.00"]Video/TAB/Notation/Chords/Notes/Mp3s
And I Love Her • The Beatles
Lots of opportunity to use minor modes of the major scale for improvising & a lovely tune to suggest ideas, along with an interesting chord sequence. Recently covered by Pat Metheny, this is a great tune for jazz players. A modern standard
[wp_cart_button name="And I love her-duo" price="10.00"]Video/TAB/Notation/Chords/Notes/Mp3s
Blue Bossa • Kenny Dorham
Lovely improvisation study and beautiful tune & chord sequence. This piece gives a relaxed study for learning to use the keys of Eb, Db & CMi
[wp_cart_button name="Blue bossa-duo" price="10.00"]Video/TAB/Notation/Chords/Notes/Mp3s/Guitar Pro
Satin Doll • Duke Ellington
Classic jazz standard arranged for Rhythm & Lead Guitars. This is a beautiful melody and very easy to play. The chords are a good introduction to Freddy Green style rhythm playing
[wp_cart_button name="Satin doll-duo" price="10.00"]Video/TAB/Notation/Chords/Notes/Mp3s
What's Going On? • Marvin Gaye
Arranged with backing and lead tracks, with lush harmonies. This transcription shows insights into moving bass lines, integrating harmonies across 2 guitars and how to improvise on a beautiful chord sequence
[wp_cart_button name="Whats going on-duo" price="10.00"]Video/TAB/Notation/Chords/Notes/Mp3s
(You make me feel like a) Natural Woman • Carole King
Thanks to my Austrian Skype student for reminding me of this great Carole King track. He saw it played by Danny Kortchmar in a duo setting as an instrumental. It reunited me with the playing of Danny Kortchmar, who was such an inspiration when he was James Taylor's main guitarist and he wrote some great songs
There are some unique elements here - a jazz intro section version in Guitar Pro and Mp3, accompanying notes, full tracks, backing tracks and you can have it in Logic Pro X format as well, if you would like!
[wp_cart_button name="You make me feel-duo" price="10.00"]Video/TAB/Notation/Chords/Notes/Mp3s
Moondance • Van Morrison
Van Morrison's classic that has become a jazz standard and such a great chord sequence to solo over. Ther are several parts to learn here and some soloing ideas and scales, as well as the chords and melody
[wp_cart_button name="Moondance-duo" price="10.00"]Video/TAB/Notation/Chords/Notes/Mp3s
L'Été indien ~ Indian Summer
Emotive melody & chord sequence by French Singer Joe Dassin, which was a hit for him in 1975. If you are looking for an interesting and somewhat different from the norm, chord sequence, you will have found it in this piece. And the melody is also individual and lovely to play and improvise around
[wp_cart_button name="Lete indien-duo" price="10.00"]Garageband/Guitar Pro 6/TAB/Notation/Chords/Notes/Mp3s
[show_wp_shopping_cart]
Improvisation, Techniques & Theory
€10 each except The Incomplete Guitarist which is €30
Modes of the Major Scale
Backing tracks & full band tracks with riffs & scales for each Mode of the Major Scale, giving improvising ideas. This course leaves you with so many ideas, you will be able to construct your own improvised solos
[wp_cart_button name="Modes of the major scale" price="10.00"] TAB/Notation/Chords/Notes/Mp3s for each Mode
Modes of the Harmonic Minor Scale
Backing tracks & full band tracks with riffs & scales for the Harmonic Minor Scale, giving improvising ideas. This course leaves you with so many ideas, you will be able to construct your own improvised solos
[wp_cart_button name="Modes of the harmonic minor scale" price="10.00"] TAB/Notation/Chords/Notes/Mp3s
Improvising over II V I Chord Sequences
Illustrating some Arpeggio, Scale & Riff based ideas that you can use over II V I Chord Sequences. Some interesting riffs to use in jazz & other styles
[wp_cart_button name="Improvising over II V I chord sequences" price="10.00"] TAB/Notation/Chords/Notes/Mp3s
Scale & Chord Theory for the Creative Guitarist
The basics of the construction of Scales & Chords, including Major, Minor - Natural, Harmonic & Melodic, Pentatonic and several other commonly used scales. Also the modes & related chords, extended chord construction. Also sections on Key Signatures, Harmonies and more. All you need to know to understand the construction of popular styles of music, for composition, arranging & improvising
[wp_cart_button name="Scale and chord theory for the creative guitarist" price="10.00"] PDF Booklet
Technical Exercises for the Developing Guitarist
Exercises designed to build & maintain techniques.
All in Guitar pro & PDF so you can alter speed & develop speed & accuracy, controlling your own development
[wp_cart_button name="Technical exercises for the developing guitarist" price="10.00"] Guitar Pro/PDF
The Incomplete Guitarist
OK this is a fun title! I originally thought of “The Complete Guitarist” but, if we were all complete guitarists we wouldn’t need to study would we? The idea is to have a complete reference guide and covering all areas of music for playing the guitar
Technical Exercises - Music Reading - Sight Reading - Improvising - Music Theory - Aural Awareness.
Comes with dozens of Mp3 examples and reference material to help you keep all areas of music up to speed.
Covers areas like “Improvising on the Modes of the Major Scale” with Mp3s, TAB & Notation for every mode
[wp_cart_button name="The incomplete guitarist" price="30.00"] TAB/Notation/Chords/Notes/Mp3
Saucy Bends, Licks, Runs & Chords - 1
A collection of neat little ideas, often culled from Pedal Steel & Slide guitar players, to help you develop different sounding riffs that fit into blues, country, rock & jazz etc. This will allow smooth movement from riff to riff & over chord changes. The mixture of ideas here fits well into blues but also many other styles.
[wp_cart_button name="Saucy bends, licks, runs and chords - 1" price="10.00"] TAB/Notation/Chords/Notes/Mp3
Guitar Playing
This book is for any ambitious beginner, intermediate player or anyone who wants to know what they are really doing when they play, as it tackles why we use scales and chords as we do, as well as which ones fit commonly together.
Included is access to Mp3's and music demenstrating ideas for soloing in action, as well as the book itself. Not many books promise this information, which is the absolute nuts and bolts of all music. Also available on Amazon Kindle if you prefer
[wp_cart_button name="Guitar playing" price="10.00"] TAB/Notation/Guitar Pro/Mp3
[show_wp_shopping_cart]
Band & Multi Guitar Arrangements
€10 each arrangement
Ain't No Sunshine
Bill Wither's great track for Lead & Rhythm guitar, arranged with bass & drums to give Full & Backing tracks to play along with
[wp_cart_button name="Aint no sunshine-band and multi guitar" price="10.00"] TAB/Notation/Chords/Notes/Mp3/Guitar Pro/Video
Isn't She Lovely?
For 4 guitars & bass - Stevie Wonder's often covered song. Learn multiple parts for many ideas that can be used in various settings including Solo, Duo & Bands
[wp_cart_button name="Isnt she lovely-band and multi guitar" price="10.00"] TAB/Notation/MIDI File
[show_wp_shopping_cart]