Develop your understanding of music through playing and singing with the Guitar or the Ukulele
Guitar and ukulele are some of the most popular instruments to learn, and for good reasons: it is relatively easy to get to a level where we actually enjoy playing, they are easy to carry around, we can play any style, accompany singing, and decent instruments can be found at a very affordable price.
But unfortunately, teaching of these instruments is often very "mechanical", focusing on tutorials of how to play this or that song, without developing any real connection to the music, or any ability to interact with it.
I offer this class precisely to address this issue: start with musicality, and then learn the techniques we need to express what we want to express.
My goal is for my students to be self-sufficient as fast as possible. We explore songs not as an end in themselves, but also as doors that allow us to understand aspects of musicality, how songs are made, how some techniques work... So that we are then free to reapply these techniques and our understanding to many other songs, and to make our own interpretation of them.
Regarding the guitar and the ukulele:
- the guitar is an instrument that offers wider possibilities: more volume and a richer sound, the ability to play bass lines and beautiful melodies.
- the ukulele offers the advantages of its simplicity: it is much easier to learn at first, allowing to focus on relaxed and healthy technique, musicality, and a pleasurable learning curve. It is small and easy to carry around, a decent instrument can be found for as little as 50-100 euros... And most importantly, all the skills learnt on the ukulele are very transferable to the guitar, should you ever want to make the step to the bigger instrument!|
Both are fantastic instruments to get started with music. I recommend to start with the ukulele for anyone who doesn't feel sure about putting in many hours of focused practice, as this will allow for a much smoother and enjoyable progression. One can always pick up the guitar after they start to be comfortable with the ukulele, and in many case, the learning process will actually be much faster this way.
I am primarily a guitarist myself, but I can assure you it is always handy to have a small and cheap ukulele for camping trips, beach jam sessions...
If however you feel very drawn to the guitar and are ready to face a steeper learning curve, asking for more consistency from the very start, then it is absolutely fine to start with the guitar!
To summarise, my teaching of guitar and ukulele:
Is very rooted in the idea of starting from musicality and expressiveness, and then learn the techniques we need along the way.
Always uses songs to explore musicality and techniques, to then be able to apply our new tools to any other song.
Focuses on finding ease, relaxed coordination, and freedom of movement. Music should be a playful meditation, not a struggle.
Formats of the classes:
I offer private classes as well as group classes (2 to 8 students).
Private classes (50 euros an hour): ideal if you want to move exactly at your own pace, and need flexibility regarding the schedule of the classes. Note that if you want to have these classes at your residence in France, you can use "CESU" as a way of payment, allowing you to get back 50% as a tax credit (even if you do not pay taxes).
Group classes (from 12 to 25 euros an hour depending on the number of participants): a group offers the great advantage of creating connection with other participants, learning and having fun together. This is an aspect that cannot be overlooked in the practice of music, which is a language and is therefore social in its very essence.