What does the student need ?

Once a week you will need to concentrate on speaking or singing in English with Kevin for half an hour. Six out of the seven days in a week you should be willing to make the time to practice for at least 10 minutes. Giving your guitar playing and English learning this much time will give you positive results.

A guitar naturally is a must. I have several hanging in the music room and offer my services in choosing a type and size for the student. Check out my "Product Tips" page and "Price List" for further options.

The student should have the possibility to hear recorded music while playing or practicing without creating stress for neighbours or other living quarters persons (Moms, Dads, brothers, sisters, friends, etc.). In close quarters this may be solved with an mp3 player and earbuds.

I also recommend a simple metronome. Surprisingly many think of timing as only a drummer's issue but how often do we play with a drummer? We may  have the luxury of playing with a drummer or bassist at band practice, but if we are working on something complicated on our own, timing is also important. A metronome is our rhythm coach.

To read music the pages should be in front of you at a comfortable angle and height. This becomes much more important as we train our own personal instrument, our voice.

To be able to play along with favorite songs in the proper key a capo is a useful accessory. Early beginners will not need one but as each player's song list grows they can make playing more enjoyable.

The students guitar should also have a strap. I hope to build my students confidence in English and music. 40 years ago a lead singer and/or band remained almost motionless. When playing concert guitar or perhaps in an orchestral setting a guitar player may be seated but holding an audiences attention requires at least some movement in many situations.

Last but perhaps the most important is a tuning device, whether it be electronic or not. We should be training our ears to recognize tones and qualities of the sounds we are hearing. It is vital to this training that our instrument's tuning remains constant. Tuning their instrument is the first thing my students learn.

It's really not so much !

I am available to help with acquiring the things students will need. I order frequently from Thomann and have started to acquire several demo products students can try out. Check out my "Product Tips" page. (Still growing daily)

Two good music shops in this area are "Wondra" in Nürtingen and Musikhaus Beck in Metzingen.

Namaste,

Kevin Tough