Robin May

At a glance...

• From my home in Arnside
• From 7yrs to 70yrs, all welcome
• Complete beginners to advanced players
• Electric or acoustic; all contemporary genres / styles
• Professional musician and qualified teacher
• Multitrack recording facilities available
• £17 per 30min, £24 per 45 minute, session or £30 per hour
• Online personal tuition available - Click here
• Bass guitar lessons available
• Drum (full kit) lessons available
• Vouchers available 

About my approach..

I've been informally educating for as long as I can remember; I've welcomed showing people how to play guitar since I could strum one myself!

I began 'officially' giving guitar lessons about 30yrs ago and have since run my own recording studio for 5yrs, spent over a decade as a training consultant, been a full-time 'jobbing' musician and gained qualifications in training, life-coaching and teaching along the way. I have an enhanced CRB disclosure, available for viewing upon request.

My approach is to adapt to what works best for the learner, and I come with a clean slate; no expectations and no judgements. The learners job is to have some idea what they want, and to learn how to get there. My job is to create a safe learning environment and, using my comprehensive skill-set, be their professional guide. As a life coach and a father, I am used to facilitating folks whatever their age and am used to teaching between the ages of 6yrs and 70yrs.

Some students want to learn popular (or not so popular!) songs, others prefer to write their own, focusing upon composing. Some wish to focus upon strumming, or picking, or slide guitar. Some learners simply want to become a lead guitarist without even playing a chord. It's likely whatever we focus upon will change and develop over time. The point is that I won't be telling you what we're going to do ~ we will discover what you most enjoy and find rewarding, and focus upon that.

I'm fishing for your motivation, and when we find it I'll be doing my utmost to feed and fuel it! That will inform the route we take in our journey together....My focus is upon what you want - not what I want to give you. I tend to be slightly more directive with young children, but even then I am always looking for opportunities to empower them into recognising that they are responsible for their learning.

I don't have much time for the concept of 'talent'. I've never met anyone who can play well because they're talented...on the other hand, I have met talented people who can't play very well! The reason I'm a very competent guitarist is because I've spent over 30,000 hours playing guitar...not because of how 'talented' I may or may not be.

Don't waste time trying to decide whether you're talented and please, please - do not think that you can't learn to play guitar because you're not 'talented' enough!

If you practice, frequently and regularly, in an informed and focused way;
~ you will become a guitar player. Simples.

I hope you choose me as someone to help guide you.

Online guitar tuition is also available, anywhere world-wide - including within the UK - See here for full details.


Am I good enough?

In my experience, even the most confident of us enter a new classroom or lesson with some amount of nervous trepidation. It seems there is something inherently scary about learning. I believe that it's because of negative experiences in the past; being told we're not good enough, or being exposed in some way by poor teaching practices.

I remember asking a student in the States what he liked about my approach. He considered for a moment and then said, "You've got a great 'bedside manner'. You're always friendly and enthusiastic. I don't ever think you're judging me. I trust you."