How to start your electric guitar education in London

If you are reading this article, it is surely because you have an earnest wish to start playing and you are contemplating the idea of taking some electric guitar lessons in London.

This idea of playing the electric guitar has probably been in your mind for several months or even years, but it has sadly not come to completion yet. As adults, we are all so busy with work and various personal obligations, that it is often incredibly challenging to find the time to dedicate to what is truly in our hearts.

If your deepest dream is to play the electric guitar in the style of Jimi Hendrix, Jimmy Page, Slash, Eric Clapton or Yngwie Malmsteen, I am happy to help you make this dream of yours come true!

It all starts for a reason

We have all been created differently, and all have different personal dreams. For some, it is the mastery of photography; for others, climbing the Mt Everest is the ultimate achievement. For you, it is to play some of the greatest electric guitar solos such as “Sweet Child of Mine”, “Jump” or “Nothing Else Matters”.

Like everything else in life, where there is a will, there is a way. If you take it step by step and understand that it will take time, there is no reason why you should not be successful. All the greatest guitarists have been disasters at first. They all have had to learn the basics before mastering the instrument. Forget your false ideas. Master-born guitarists do not exist. They have all become incredibly successful at guitar playing thanks to hard work, dedication and guidance from experts.

I am not saying that natural talent does not help. I am saying that persistence could surely replace it if you decide to become successful at electric guitar playing.

Enthusiasm is essential

Without huge motivation and enthusiasm, it will be amazingly tricky to reach your goal. Eric Clapton, Slash or Joe Satriani are not more talented than you are. They have created their talent by spending countless hours studying the instrument and focusing on regular improvement.

Yes, you need a good reason to start your electric guitar education, but you also need to keep this motivation up, even at times when fallbacks occur.

Mastering electric guitar playing takes time. You should see it as a wonderful musical journey, instead of having a deadline in mind.

At The London Guitar Institute, we have often met students who compared guitar playing to running the marathon. They saw it as a task to be completed before moving onto the next one. Playing the guitar is an art that can unfortunately not be ‘ticked’ after a few weeks of study. You should see it as a long-term goal if you want to be successful at it.

Mastering electric guitar playing could be compared to building a residential tower:

1. The vision comes from the developer
2. His vision is shared with the architect who will take care of drawing this vision
3. These drawings are passed on to a building company
4. The builders start working by digging deep in the ground for a solid foundation to support the tall tower
5. The structure gets built in cement and does not look attractive at all
6. The electricians and plumbers add their part for the tower to be usable
7. The walls get painted and the floors covered by tiles or wood floor
8. Only when this initial foundation is completed, residents can move in and decorate their apartment beautifully.

I am not a property developer, but I am sure that you get the point. Playing as proficiently as your guitar hero does will take time. And as all building work, it will be delayed, going through various fallbacks and unexpected disappointments.

It is for this reason that I insist on motivation and passion. You will surely be successful but you should not try to achieve your goal too fast. You must diligently climb all the steps, one per one, without skipping any.

Guitar education and private practice

Having a wish is fantastic, but it is certainly not sufficient to make your dream of being a brilliant guitarist come true. Private practice and excellent electric guitar lessons are two other vital ingredients to your success.

Guitar education

Benefiting from excellent electric guitar lessons is crucial as it will offer you the expertise, structure, goal settings and feedback that are necessary to your success. Yes, you can find some tips online, but nothing can ever replace regular guitar lessons with a brilliant instructor.

I will discuss in further details about finding the right instructor later in this article, but I just wanted to mention that studying on your own is unfortunately not going to be an option if you are serious about learning how to play the electric guitar and become good at it.

Private practice

Daily practice is as important as attending weekly lessons if you wish to make steady and fast progress regularly. One cannot go without the other, and one cannot replace the other.

Electric guitar lessons and private practice are two different components that must go hand on hand.

You will attend your guitar lessons for various reasons:

1. Demonstrating what you have been learning during the week.
2. Getting your instructor’s feedback and further knowledge on how to improve the material that you have been practising.
3. Obtaining new information on the way to move forward.
4. Getting the guidance necessary to structure your guitar education.
5. Sharing your passion for the electric guitar with a brilliant guitarist.

Studying on your own is highly necessary to put the advice and new information received during your guitar lessons into practice. Playing the electric guitar proficiently requires a lot of repetition as well as trials and errors. Spending time with your instrument daily is key to improvement.

The combination of the two will surely ensure your success!

Purchasing your electric guitar

Choosing your electric guitar is a critical decision. All guitarists have different tastes and appreciation of the tone quality they are looking for. You should be able to get all the guidance needed when visiting a reputable guitar store, but I am happy to give you some recommendation.

The three best-known electric guitar brands are Fender, Gibson and PRS. Fender has been chosen by Eric Clapton, Jimi Hendrix and Yngwie Malmsteen for its bright and twangy sound. Slash and Jimmy Page prefer Gibson which has a rounder sound. Santana prefers PRS, which has arguably more attention to details.

Choosing the appropriate amplifier is also crucial. I would personally pair Fender with a Fender amplifier, Gibson with a Marshall and PRS with a Mesa Boogie.
If you are unsure of the tone quality you are looking for at this stage, you could undoubtedly ask an expert to demonstrate and then choose the instrument that you appreciate most.

Choosing the right electric guitar teacher

If you live in London, you should have no hesitation as The London Guitar Institute has been specifically created for electric guitar enthusiasts, such as yourself.

We entirely specialise in teaching adult amateur guitarists, and I believe that our understanding in the field of adult guitar education has so far been unprecedented. We know exactly how you can feel, as an adult beginner. We know exactly which structure you need and how we can take you from point A to point B in a way that will always be both highly educational and enjoyable. We are aware that despite your passion for electric guitar playing, you might be a busy individual who wants to play for your pleasure. We will, therefore, never judge you, but on the contrary, always encourage you and adapt to your needs and wishes.

Teaching adults how to play the electric guitar and become proficient at it is our passion. Nothing makes us happier than to see you make significant progress and enjoy your electric guitar playing more and more as the weeks go by.

There is no obligation to take electric guitar lessons with us, but if you do, you can be ensured to be in good hands.

We will be delighted to show you all the secrets of brilliant electric guitar playing that include using your left hand economically, obtaining an agile picking, improving your speed but also the art of bending to ensure a beautiful tone production.

At The London Guitar Institute, we are genuinely interested in metamorphosing you into a great guitarist. We wish all your electric guitar lessons to be highly memorable by offering tuition equal to none.

If you are passionate about electric guitar playing, why don’t you put all these ingredients together and make it happen! The road between where you are today and where you want to be can be straight if you follow the advice of an expert and apply it diligently and consistently.

I have myself started to play the electric guitar at 12 years old, and I can assure you that my playing was incredibly sloppy. It is only thanks to hard practice and following a straight line combined with a deep passion for the instrument that I am where I am today. There is nothing mysterious about it: no exceptional talent or magic trick.

I truly hope that this article has been helpful and that you now have a much better idea of the direction to take if you dream of playing your favourite solos and becoming an extraordinary guitarist!