Rock Out With Guitar Lessons In Durban

The Durban guitar community has always been a tight-knit one. Being a smallish town, everyone knows everyone else, which makes for a great sense of belonging. Traditionally, Durban has produced some excellent musicians, some of whom have gone on to bigger and better things on an international stage, and others who have chosen to stick around, popping up out of the woodwork every now and again to please the crowds.

But what do you do when the guitar bug has well and truly sunk its teeth into you? How do you go about finding someone to help you learn to play?

Photo: Andy Carter - http://www.flickr.com/photos/salsaboy/

How Do I Locate A Good Guitar Tutor?

There are a fair number of good guitar tutors in the Durban area and the music stores normally keep a list of them. Your best bet is to call in at your favourite music shop and ask whether they know of a guitar teacher who will meet with your criteria. Two good guitar shops in Durban are Glenwood Village Music and Coastal Music, they will more than likely be able to help you with all of your guitar needs.

Four guitar schools worth mentioning here are:

Glenwood Village Music - This is a music store with a good reputation and the tutors who take the night classes are all accomplished guitar players who can play in styles ranging from folk, to blues, to rock and metal. They normally focus on bigger groups of learner guitarists.

Duncan Ebedes School of Contemporary Music - Based in Hillcrest, this is a very slick outfit and provides lessons by guitarists who know what they are doing. One of the perks of this school is that they offer recording options for their students too.

Barry Ford Guitar School – Here is a guitar teacher who has been on the scene for some time and who knows his way around. He is based in Umhlanga and teaches guitarists of all levels.

Barry Thompson – Is a top performer and cover guitarist in Durban. He will be able to take you from beginner to advanced with no trouble at all.

What To Look For In A Guitar Tutor

You may know someone who can play lightning fast licks like Yngwie Malmsteen, with all of the hypnotic feel of Clapton, but that doesn't make him a teacher. What you want is someone who can get you to understand how the guitar works. Pyrotechnics alone simply don't cut it when what you really need is a good teacher who can convey his knowledge in a way which you are able to grasp.

Does your guitar teacher take your playing level into account? Does he help you to set goals? Is the way he teaches clear and easy to understand?

If you want to learn how to play folk music, don't go to a guitar teacher who is a metal head. If you want to play metal, don't go to a jazz guitarist. Make sure your teacher can teach in the style that you are keen to learn.

How Long Will It Take To Learn The Guitar?

People are born with different levels of musical ability and, therefore, it is not always possible to gauge just how long it will take you to get to where you want to be with your playing. It can take anywhere from a couple of months to a few years of guitar classes.

Of one thing you can be certain though, those who know what their end goal is tend to get there sooner than those who are just drifting.

For this reason it is a great idea to be really specific with your guitar tutor. Is your goal to learn how to rip out searing solos like Slash? Would you like to learn 20 Beatles covers by Christmas? Or maybe you would love to learn how to finger pick like your favourite folk hero? Don't be shy to speak up, your guitar teacher is only human and he would really appreciate your input.

Whether you're looking to start playing guitar and singing a few tunes in the privacy of your own home, or to take your guitar playing to the next level, or if you're simply looking to meet up with other like-minded musos and jam a little, why not get slotted in to the guitar community in Durban and join in the fun?

Sean Laughton is a writer and surfer from Durban, South Africa.