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Please click on the topics above and click on the questions to find the answers.
Practising Tips - Please click on the questions to find the answers.
About buying an instrument1. Which kind of guitar should I buy?
About buying an instrumentBack to Top2. Which brand do you recommend?The brand doesn't really matter, it all comes down to taste and how much you are prepared to spend to buy the guitar. Reasonable acoustic guitars for beginners range from about $200 to about $1000. You can pay more of course, but it would be smart to not spend too much until you know that you are going to use it or if you are only dreaming to be a guitarist but don't want to practice. If you are buying a guitar only to put in the corner of your room to collect dust, maybe you should buy a cheaper guitar. Same like anything, you will get what you pay for. So, the more expensive guitars the nicer sound they have and the nicer to play. Back to TopBasically there are 4 different types of guitars:
For most people (beginners especially) I recommend the Acoustic Electric guitars as we can play it with or without an amp and we can even plug it into a mixer when we play on a stage. But if you know that you are going to be serious about learning guitar and thinking about playing in a band in the future, you should consider getting an electric guitar. Back to Top4. I am going to start learning bass,, which brand should I buy?
About buying an instrumentBack to Top5. What do I need to start lessons?
If you are learning bass, you need the bass, a strap, a bass amplifier and an electric tuner. It would be a very good idea to get a music stand and a foot rest as well, to make it easier and more comfortable when you practice at home. All of this equipment is necessary for you to practice at home, but when you come to lessons you will only need to bring your guitar and a pick or your bass. About buying an instrumentBack to Top6. I'd like to buy a tuner, which kind would you recommend?There are so many different kinds of tuners available. If you play an acoustic guitar, you can buy a cheap tuner, but if you play an electric guitar, I would recommend you buy a floor tuner that you always plug your guitar into. That way, you can use it in the room when you are practising, but you can also use it when you perform as well. About buying an instrumentBack to Top7. The guitar salesman in the shop I went to advised me to buy a classical guitar with nylon strings to start with. What do you think about that?I don't agree at all. Classical guitars have much bigger necks compared to acoustic guitars or electric guitars and they are too hard for the beginners to practice with. I would suggest you get an acoustic guitar or acoustic electric guitar and put light strings on it. You will find it much easier to practice with. About buying an instrumentBack to Top8. What should I look for when buying guitars or bass?I would look at every part of the guitar body including the woodwork -- make sure there is no scratch, dent, bad paint work or anything like that. Check the neck and make sure that it has a trust rod to adjust if the neck bends. Check the accent (the distance from the strings to the fret-board), make sure they are not too far apart because it would be very hard to play. Check the quality of the wood and other hardware. Tune the guitar with an electric tuner and check the open strings and the 12th fret, make sure that they are in tune. If you don't know how to play guitar yet, ask the guy in the shop to play it and compare it with other guitars. Make sure that the guitar is not too big or too heavy for you, because it will make it uncomfortable to play. When I am buying guitars, I start with well-known brands. For beginners there are so many brands you can choose from but, if you want to buy a standard guitar or bass, I would recommend Fender, Gibson, Ibanez, Jackson, Charvell, PRS, Ernieball and all of those brands that are commonly used by professional musicians. They are a little bit pricy, but they are good. About buying an instrumentBack to Top9. Which strings should I use?If you are a beginner and play an acoustic guitar, I would recommend you use gauge 10 - 50, because they are not too hard to press to the fret-board. If you are learning an electric guitar, I would recommend gauge 9 - 42. They are easier to play than thicker strings. If you are intermediate or advanced I would recommend gauge 9 - 42, 9 - 46, 10 - 46 or 10 - 52 whatever feels right for you. The thicker the strings, the harder they are to play and to bend. For your acoustic guitar, you could use gauge 10 or 11. Some people choose thicker strings to get thicker sound, but actually the sound of your guitar also depends on how you set your equalizer on your amplifier and how you play. I use gauge 9 - 46. At the end of the day, you should choose strings that feel right for you. About buying an instrumentBack to Top10. Which pick should I use?I would recommend Dunlop 0.88mm up to 1.00mm. Any thinner pick than 0.88 will create a very bad sound and make the playing very sloppy. Of course it will depend on how good your picking technique is. Check this out: Picking Technique About buying an instrumentBack to TopInfo about the lessons1. How much do you charge per lesson?Info about the lessonsBack to Top2. What if I can't make it?We understand that things happen. If you can't make a lesson please let us know at least 2 days in advance and we can reschedule for another day or time. If you do not give us prior notice or do not call at all, we will charge you for the lesson you miss as we have committed our time to you when we could have used this time to teach someone else. Info about the lessonsBack to Top3. Where do you teach?We teach at Harry's home studio in Marrickville, Sydney, NSW. we will give you the details when you are ready to start lessons. Info about the lessonsBack to Top4. What times and days are you available?Our availability varies as all our students come on regular basis once a week, sometimes some move to different days or some don't have the discipline and give up. The best way would be to book lessons online and we will arrange the time that suits you.
Book LessonsInfo about the lessonsBack to Top5. What levels do you teach?Justin, Yu-Jen and Luke teach guitars for absolute beginners to intermediate level students. Harry teaches guitar for intermediate to advanced students and bass from beginners to advanced students. All the teachers will ensure students have a good understanding of technique and knowledge before they progress to more advanced learning with Harry. Info about the lessonsBack to Top6. What do you teach?Lead guitar, rhythm guitar, acoustic guitar, bass guitar, ear training, sequencing, song writing and arranging. For more info, please click HERE. Info about the lessonsBack to Top7. What styles do you teach?Info about the lessonsBack to Top8. There are some famous guitarist who are self taught, so why do I need lessons?Info about the lessonsBack to Top9. What's the best age to learn guitar or bass?Some people start learning instruments when they’re five years old and some people start when they’re in their 50s. So, the best time to learn is now. Remember that you will need to be dedicated and make time to practice. It's the same for anything you really want to learn. Our youngest student at the moment is 12 and the oldest is 65. Please note that we don't take students younger than 12. Info about the lessonsBack to Top10. What do I need to bring to lessons?You just need to bring your own guitar or bass, a pick and a folder to put the material and homework in. Info about the lessonsBack to Top11. I know someone who can play guitar and sing songs even though they don't know what chords they are playing. What do you think about that?That's fine if they are playing for themselves but if they want to play music for an audience and team up with other musicians, they'd need to learn the language of music to communicate with other musicians. This will save time when it comes to putting down ideas or rehearsing. Info about the lessonsBack to Top12. Most music teachers recommend having a lesson a week, wouldn't it be better if we come fortnightly so we have more time to practice?Most music teachers recommend you attend a lesson once a week. The reason is if you come more than once a week you wouldn't have enough time to practice the material, but at the same time if you leave it longer, you could start to make mistakes or start developing some ineffective ways of playing that will slow down your progress. Info about the lessonsBack to Top13. I am not sure whether to learn guitar or bass, what do you suggest?
That is a matter of taste but if you learn bass it is less complicated than guitar. Also, it would be easier for you to join a band as more people are interested in learning guitar than bass. Info about the lessons14. How long does it take to learn how to play guitar? Some people want to learn music just as a hobby and some want to be professional musicians. Some people learn faster than others. Some people are talented and practice hard, some are talented but don't practice enough, some are not as talented but practice hard. So, it all depends how you practice and how much you practice. What we do is teach you the most realistic and practical method to master a guitar or a bass, improve your musical ability, learn songs in minutes, create your own melody and write your own music. Even after your first lesson with me you will notice an improvement in your playing. My teaching method combined with your regular practice will make you a better musician. Info about the lessons15. How long does it take to learn how to play bass? It is less complicated than guitar where you need to play chords, melody, fillers, riffs and solos. When you play bass, you still need to understand how all the notes you play relate to the chords and use all the notes on the scales in musical context although you play bass lines which are one note after the other rather than chords. Also, you can get away with just a bass and an amp without having to add sound effects like guitarists do. Info about the lessonsNobody has time if they don't make it. The same goes for money, you won't have any if you don't work for it. So, if you want to achieve something you have to make time and work for it. Info about the lessonsInfo about the lessons19. Do you go to people's houses to teach? No. We have students booked in for lessons one after the other, so we don't have time to go to people's houses to teach. Info about the lessons20. Do you teach Flamenco or Spanish guitar? Flamenco is a style of music, but the way to play guitar is the same. So, when you know how to play guitar well, you will know how to learn different styles of music. Info about the lessons21. Do you teach classical guitar? No. We teach students how to read tablature or standard musical notation so they can go home and practice the material that we give them, but that's not our main goal. Our goal is to teach students the skills they need to learn their favorite songs quickly, to improvise, write their own music and to be able to play by ear, heart and soul. So, we teach contemporary music including Pop, Blues, Country, Folk, Funk, Rock, Heavy Metal and/or whatever music they want to play. But not classical. Info about the lessonsOnly from 12 years old up. NOTE: All students under the age of 16 must be accompanied by a parent or adult for the entire lesson.
Info about the lessonsInfo about the lessons
Info about the lessonsFor more info about our guitar rentals click here.Info about the lessonsPractising tips1. What's the most effective way to practice?When you learn a science such as mathematics, chemistry, computers, economics etc you work with your brain (thinking) more than anything else. When you learn music, you use your hands, your brain, your ears, your heart (feeling), your feet to feel the beat and your whole body to express what you're playing. Some people might say that they have been playing guitar for 20 years or more but that means nothing. How they practice and how they play means a lot more to everyone who listens. Some people might have been playing guitar for many years but only practice once in a blue moon, while other people could have been playing an instrument for three years but five hours a day, six days a week. I would choose the later. Practising smart is better than practising hard. If you could combine them together, it would be even better. When I look for musicians to play with me, the first question I ask is: "How did you learn to play music?", then see how well they play. Of course, the more experience you have the better you will become. You need to constantly checking yourself and remember what TO DO and what NOT TO DO. You only have me watching you 1 hour per week, so you have to make sure that you catch yourself when you make a mistake and then fix it. If you make a mistake and you don't feel it, then it would be your practice would be absolutely useless. If you make a mistake, fix it straight away before you get used to it and it becomes a habit. If you have a bad habit, you will find it very hard to fix. On the other hand if you have a good habit, you'll become a better and better player and you will surprise yourself and you will have a bigger and bigger smile on your face. Back to Top2. What kind of pick should I use?We would recommend Dunlop from 0.88mm to 1.00mm as they are used by most famous guitarists and they seem to produce the best sound. We also sell strings and picks for students and the prices are the same as in music shops. Back to Top3. How much should I practice?As I mentioned before, you don't have to practice hard if you practice "smart". It's a great feeling when you are learning and progressing and it's a great joy for me as a teacher to see my students grow. I would suggest you practice a minimum of one hour every day. I used to practice up to 6 hours a day but I was a music student and working full-time as a musician. If you work outside of music you will not have time to practice that much. Instead, Don't wait until you have time to practice, because it will never happen as we all have a hectic lifestyle these days. You just have to make time to practice or don't bother learning.Back to Top4. Some people say that good guitarists are the ones who know when not to play. Others say that you shouldn't play fast because you'd lose the feel and are showing off. What do you think about that?I would not say that because it takes a lot of practice and discipline to be able to play fast and there are many guitarists who play fast but still melodic and are great to listen to. For me, a good guitarist is one who knows how to play as required. You should be able to play slow and simple when required but you should be able to play fast too when it's needed. Back to TopThe most common mistakes that our students make is that they don't give themselves enough time to think about what they are doing and practice too fast. Remember....! If you practice too fast, you won't have enough time to think about what you are doing, that's why it is easier to make mistakes and you will progress very slow, you could get frustrated and waste time. But, if you practice slow, you will have more time to think about it and you will be able to avoid making too many mistakes and you will progress faster and have more fun. If you want to be able to play faster, you must be able to do it slow and right first and then increase the speed gradually. Don't forget that if you play fast, you would need to concentrate more and think faster. |
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Copyright © 2007 Harry Gusman. All rights reserved. |
