Jazz Guitar Tuition
From An Internationally Acclaimed Jazz Guitarist, Educator & AuthorThis is how Trefor Owen’s approach to teaching facility building through applied practice has been described. No matter what your age, and however inexperienced you think you are, you can be a successful jazz guitarist.
Beginners & Advanced
One To One Or Via Zoom
Distant Learning Course
My approach to jazz guitar tuition is practical in nature, that is, at a beginner’s level. I introduce a method that will enable a student who already has some facility on the instrument to play a jazz standard with melody, chords and improvisation within a few lessons and will enable them to play live in front of an audience in a very short period of time.
It is only then that the student knows whether the practice procedure that is being used is working! I choose the jazz standards for study very carefully and for ease of playing melody, chords and improvisation, and also to enable the student to gain knowledge of music theory and allow facility building to slowly gain momentum.
Having a good practice procedure in place is essential. This ensures that a good facility is established to make certain that no bad habits materialise. (Facility in this context means to have the ability to execute an improvised line, melody or chord sequence in a live situation). At a beginner’s level, if a pick is used I recommend playing all single lines, (scales, arpeggios etc), with down strokes!
Payment for one to one & distant learning lessons can be made by Bank transfer, cash or cheque.
I am printing these studies off as they are excellent. Nothing can substitute years of experience. I have been researching for years on end, but you have designed a practical, useable system. I am very happy to have had such a pleasant time with you today and look forward to more lessons.
I’ve been meaning to write to you and thank you properly for all that your teaching has done for me. I am now gigging regularly, with three resident bookings each month as part of a quartet and loads of other stuff. It was a steep learning curve, with a long way to go, but you made it possible.
Best,
Tim
What To Expect At An Advanced Level
As regards the advanced students, we discuss where they are at musically then make a decision as to the direction of the lessons. Also, when working with advanced students I have a way of discovering weak areas in players and offer suggestions for improvement. From my experience some of the weak areas are:
- The application and building of Major Tonalities.
- Creating tension when playing over II V I’s.
- The correct use of whole-tone scales and diminished scales, which are tension devices.
- The correct application of the jazz minor and diminished arpeggio.
- Fingering correct chord shapes for accompaniment.
- Accompaniment is also a weak area for most guitarists.
One To One Lessons
A one hour private lesson is £40.00. Two hours £65.00. This also applies to Zoom lessons.
Special Deal: Pay up front £160.00 for four lessons and get one free. Average lesson duration is one & a half hours. This also applies to Zoom lessons.
Distant Learning
The cost of individual distant learning studies, (plus P&P), is £10.00 to £15.00.
Payment for one to one & distant learning lessons can be made by Bank transfer, cash or cheque.