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Thankyou for an epic school year learning and playing the guitar!
Before you consign the guitar to the cupboard, try keeping it to hand as practise time has a lot of competition even in the holidays!
Thanks to all pupils to parents and schools for your help
We have a week off from Wednesday - Friday in schools due to the heatwave.
If you need resources or videos please email.
Now getting ready for the Rock Grade videos we have been practising for.
One of the main challenges is staying focused for the 3 songs and scales without making more errors.
This is a repetitive thing to practise but a real world skill for playing gigs and recording sessions!
Login to your account for personalised extended practise play-alongs.
For those of us who don't always have a guitar tuner ready, use our online Guitar 'Tunic' at home before you get to the lesson!
Thanks for an inspiring start to the new term with great energy and creativity!
This is a good sign for performing opportunities and grades this year.
I have renewed availability after school for older pupils.
Happy New Year.
Thanks from Colin Ayres.
I hope that pupils are able to play Christmas songs at home to their families. We have worked on performing independently this year as well as learning in the supportive environment of the guitar lessons.
If you need any copies of songs uploaded or emailed please let me know.
A detailed invoices page is now added if you click at the bottom of your register for weekly and monthly payments as well as the summary being emailed each month.
Helpful hints for learners and Learning Outcomes are for all pupils on the online login.
Parents of school pupils will receive the organisational and planning notes via email so this can be managed without disrupting school lessons.
Thanks for the effort getting started with the new term, with some new groups and lesson times including in-school and after school.
We cover techniques, theory, notes and rhythms in the lessons. Keep practising over the rhythms at home as this helps the hands smoothly do the transitions when performing.
Music Afternoon
All pupils are invited to come and play free in our Music Afternoon on Sunday 27th July, Vegan Church, Comeytrowe Hall, Taunton, TA1 4TY, 4pm - 5.30pm.
It will be an informal family afternoon playing instrumental songs.
There is a car park, and there will be free drinks and plant-based food. Parents are welcome to come and watch or play for a good day for everybody.
Screen and reading time
Pupils, as well as enjoying the booklets and play-along files that you can login to, we will now also be using the folders previously used with recycled paper worksheets for each pupil or group's tailor made learning plan.
As I teach privately in school, please let me know any information about your child's learning style, or your own needs and goals if you are an adult learner.
I will also share my professional insights about your particular needs based on the lessons and from 25 years of teaching.
Good luck and best wishes to pupils doing SATs this month.
To help with well-being, year 6 pupils will have 1 or 2 weeks off guitar lessons.
Thank you to the beginners last month.
I have been recovering from a broken wrist. I am now up to a good level demonstrating on a left handed guitar and teaching all levels again.
Next month I will be back to right handed at full speed.
The challenge is for my advanced pupils to keep ahead in this time with repetitive practising. Anyone can do it!
We are continuing with the online files and emails to play along to as they help the more advanced with backing tracks, and save paper for the environment.
The webhosting cost plants a tree each month.
Still there are those who prefer less screen time or do not have a tablet at home. Please let me know and I will provide printed copies.
I have other materials for dyslexic pupils. Parents please inform me of all the learning needs you are aware of as the schools rightly keep pupils' details confidential.
There is now a discount system for those with free school meals.
At this time we will be covering Christmas songs, so in this spirit any parent who is on benefits such as free school meals will receive guitar lessons for their child free of charge.
Parents please let me know via email.
Thank you all for your understanding.
Thank you for a nice start to the term!
We have the online playback files for you to log in and play along to for each month, which should help us be well prepared for the styles of video grades now popular.
We continue to cover all styles of music and theory.
Thanks parents for paying up to date for last year and for helping the children to practise at home.
Do you know what to practise?
If you are not sure - scales.
Look in your folder for scales, major, minor or pentatonic, and play them 3 times.
Use a different left hand finger for each fret.
Practise up and down strokes with a plectrum or alternate thumb and different right hand fingers.
Remember the details of each lesson are emailed each month to all pupils and you can login to see the records.
We will be re-instating the practise log booklets this term.
Every pupil should have a display book folder to keep their music in and read from at home.
Practising at home aids the reading and the finger techniques that otherwise take more time in weekly lessons.
Good luck everybody!
As we settle in to the timetable this term, keep practising the scales and techniques that will make it easier later in the year.
Thanks for the wonderful effort with the techniques everyone. They are so in the future pupils can still progress themselves.
Keep looking at the tabs and scores on the website as we will start practising the Christmas songs soon!
Guitar lessons are all underway again now. Hello to the new pupils this week!
The annual Vivary Park Concert is Saturday 23rd September, 2pm-4pm. Please join in for a nice experience to play and watch.
Sunshine performances!
Thank you to the brave pupils who have played in the West Monkton Coronation show and the North Curry May Fair!
We have learnt useful skills about playing in front of others that we will use in the Vivary Park Concert on September 23rd!
We now have more free-choice pieces with backing tracks to use in Pop, Rock and Classical grades.
See you at the start of term.
New pupils waiting will start either next term or in September, while end of term activities affected the available time for guitar lessons.
Music is spiritual as well as physically pressing the guitar with four fingers.
There will be a theme of composition and improvising this month - no pressure as the prize is a work of art that is the pupil's own.
Parents let your child experiment while I will be diligently keeping their techniques in check for you in the school lessons!
As you may know, we use worksheets and folders to practise from.
All paper provided for the lessons is recycled paper and 45 trees have been planted from this website's webhosting.
Happy New Year, the guitar lessons are due to start the first week back. Please let me know if you have any questions.
Auld Lang Syne Guitar Music:
We have covered modern and traditional Christmas songs in the lessons.
I hope that you enjoy playing these at home in the Christmas holidays and share the music with your families.
Thank you for the continued effort of pupils getting back into their routine and progressing, and welcome to new pupils this term.
Guitar Concert at Vivary Park
Thank you to the parents and pupils for such a memorable day.
Well done everybody.
Thanks from Colin Ayres
Guitar tutor
07837 254308
Please phone and leave a message if you have any questions.
Here are some reviews of Colin Ayres' tuition:
Google Reviews
Music Tutors Online Reviews
Colin Ayres has provided guitar lessons in Somerset schools since 2007.
Records of the lessons are online when you login, and you can view your guitar lesson files, and can also upload your own compositions and videos.
Lessons are from young beginners to adults. Grades can be followed up to grade 8. This includes both classical and rock-pop grades, including Trinity, Rockschool and ABRSM Music Medals, Grades and Theory.