Gig ready, guitar tuition, online or in person.

    A different approach to guitar lessons

    I want to introduce a slightly different approach to guitar tuition. One that gives clear reasoning for why increasing your lesson time to 45 or 60 minutes each week can make a real difference to your progress and your guitar journey.

    When learning an instrument, it helps to have an aim or an outcome in mind. Without one, practice can feel unfocused and progress can plateau. With a clear goal, every lesson has purpose and direction.

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    From learning for fun to learning to perform

    Many guitarists start out learning for fun, and that’s exactly how it should be. But at some point, most players want to do more than play in their home. They want to perform, whether that’s at a school event, an open mic, a function, a gig, or an audition.

    Performing is all about perception and mind set and with the music introducing the musician and audience to somewhere in the middle whether that’s dancing, feeling relaxed or sad, but at the end of the night endorphins have been released and you both have had a great time.

    Going from learning the instrument to being prepared for a performance is an important mindset shift. Playing a song well at home is one thing. Playing confidently, consistently, and under pressure is something else entirely. Once you’ve mastered being relaxed whilst under pressure that’s where the preparation talks for itself.

    You might already be a confident guitarist. You can play songs, keep time, and sound good. But can you comfortably play two 45 minute sets? Can you stay focused, relaxed, and accurate across a full performance? Are you prepared for auditions, rehearsals, or last minute opportunities?

    Longer lessons allow us to work on stamina, consistency, preparation methods, and performance mindset, not just the notes and chords.

    Depping as a guitarist

    Depping, or standing in for another guitarist, can be one of the most challenging things a musician does. You may be asked to play a style that isn’t your natural comfort zone, often with limited rehearsal time.

    If you already enjoy that style and know the songs, life is much easier. But most real world situations don’t work that neatly. To be reliable as a dep, you need to be adaptable, organised, and confident under pressure.

    This is where being “bullet proof” as a guitarist matters. That level of preparation doesn’t come from squeezing everything into 30 minutes. It comes from having enough lesson time to break down material properly, work on weak spots, and develop systems that help you learn songs faster and more accurately.

    Auditioning for a band

    Auditioning brings a different type of pressure. You may not be gigging straight away, but you are being assessed. Bands are listening for your playing, but they’re also looking at your professionalism, organisation, and attitude.

    Typically, you’ll be asked to prepare four to six songs for an audition. That’s manageable, but those songs need to be solid. You need to know the structures, the parts, the transitions, and be able to recover quickly if something goes wrong.

    In contrast, a gig might require 30 to 35 songs across a full set list. Both situations involve performance, just at different scales and pressure levels. Longer lessons allow us to train for both, rather than only focusing on isolated pieces.

    Introducing gig ready tuition

    Becoming gig ready requires a specific mindset and a structured approach. It’s about more than learning songs one at a time. It’s about understanding how songs are built, how set lists flow, and how to prepare efficiently.

    With 60 minute tuition each week, we can work on methods such as understanding song structure, analysing arrangements, and building a personal repertoire. Over time, this can include creating charts and materials using notation software like MuseScore, resulting in clear PDF set lists you can rely on in rehearsals and performances.

    This approach helps you spend less time worrying about preparation and more time enjoying performing. The goal isn’t just to play guitar, but to be ready when opportunities arise.

    If that’s something you’re aiming for, longer lessons aren’t just more time, they’re a smarter way to progress

    What you’ll achieve

    • A complete PDF of your set list in notation and ‘gig ready’ PDF format
    • Learn how to navigate whilst on stage
    • Perform with confidence
    • Achieve confidence in a shorter time frame