Each Guitar lesson is individually tailored to extend the students current level and ability. Both acoustic and electric guitar styles are taught.
Guitar styles include – blues, jazz, rock, fusion, finger style and metal. Additionally classical elements are taught as a base. Subjects covered include – harmony, chord structure, scales, modes, reading, writing, rhythm, technique, picking, sweep picking, string skipping and much more. Additionally, students learn to improvise over chord changes, and to recognize which mode [key] they are in.
Player styles covered include those of Jimi Hendrix, George Benson, Joe Satriani, Stevie Ray Vaughan, Paul Gilbert, Frank Gambale, Shawn Lane, Steve Vai, Gary Moore and many more.
For more info or to enroll contact us today.
Nick is a full-time student at the Sydney Conservatorium of Music (2017 – present), completing a bachelor of Jazz Performance. Nick grew up on the Central Coast and in Newcastle. He has been playing guitar since an early age and teaching for 11yrs. In 2016, Nick achieved a band 6 in HSC music, was nominated for Encore, and was a Youth in Performing Arts (YIPA) scholarship recipient. Since being at the Conservatorium, Nick has studied alongside distinguished guitars such as Mark Johns, Steve Brien and Carl Dewhurst. He has carved a place for himself in the Sydney Jazz scene, regularly performing for both corporate functions and in original ventures. Nick is passionate about sharing his love of music through teaching and is particularly interested in Jazz, improvised music and emerging techniques of sound creation. Nick is proficient in a vast range of genres, as well as being skilled in teaching music theory, and notation. Nick’s key musical influences include Ry Cooder, Bill Frisell, Howlin’ Wolf, Ted Greene and Wes Montgomery.
David began studying music with piano lessons from age 8 which he continued through to 8th Grade AMEB. However at age 12 the call to play guitar was heeded and began lessons at North Sydney Boy’s High School where he formed his first band The Antics who played at school charity dances, scout halls and Police Boy’s Clubs, and was playing in Sydney hotels from age 15. In year 12 he co-wrote and performed in a Rock Opera based on Shakespeare’s Macbeth for the end of year school production.
From there he studied Arts majoring in Music at Sydney University where he gained a high distinction for his thesis on Pink Floyd: “Pushing The Limits of Rock” and wrote a piano concerto and a ballet suite that was performed in London. Whilst studying David continued with his original band renamed New Distance, now a progressive rock band where he was the main songwriter and they won a state-wide university band competition. During this time David also performed regularly in The Real Matilda bush band and toured with a revived Silver Studs – famous for writing the Happy Days theme song.
Upon graduating in 1998 David joined the Moscow Circus Orchestra doing 33 shows at The Sydney Entertainment Centre and began doing session work and played on albums by Shane Howard and Tall Tales and True and toured with both bands nationwide including live performances on Hey Hey it’s Saturday and Andrew Denton’s Live and Sweaty show. He has done over 180 recording sessions for some of Sydney’s leading advertising companies including recording a track for the Australian Exhibition at the Barcelona Olympics. David also studied with Tommy Emmanuel in country and bluegrass techniques.
David has performed in many acts over the years totaling over 3500 live performances. These include cover bands such as Fun In Acapulco and Millennium Bug, to corporate party bands playing both jazz and rock sets and played with various tribute bands covering the songs of Bon Jovi, INXS, Cold Chisel, Divinyls and Elton John along with being in various original bands including The Chosen Few who wrote ‘Rise’ which became a hit by Darryl Braithwaite. David spent a year in Nagoya, Japan as in-house guitarist working with an international band and is regularly playing for Captain Cook cruises on Sydney Harbour.
David started his teaching from home at 15 and upon graduating joined Dickson’s Music where he taught for 20 years and managed the guitar department and spent 10 years teaching at Music Maker’s Gordon and coached rock bands for school holiday courses. He has taught over 28 000 lessons to date to people of all ages from young kids starting out to adults having a second childhood.
David’s experience covers many styles of music and has a solid grounding in music theory. He has guided students through HSC, AMEB and CPM exams with many now working in the music industry along with helping adults fulfil their musical goals.
