Practical Guitar Lessons
with Dylan Welsh
Q) Do you have to have natural talent or ability to learn an instrument? Do you have to start young?
A) There are many different people that have given many different answers to this question. Here’s my personal belief:
I do believe in natural aptitude to a certain degree. Some folks just seem to be natural musicians in the way other folks are natural athletes, philosophers, or mechanics. I believe that possessing this “natural musicality” will increase the speed at which you’ll develop musical skills.
However, I believe the time and work you put in to your music is the ultimate determining factor in how good you get. I’ve known many players that weren’t considered to be “natural musicians,” that practiced enough to eclipse their peers that were considered to be so. On the contrary, I’ve met many “natural musicians” that ride on their natural talent and never really take the time to practice and reach their full potential.
Q) Do you teach beginners? What about advanced students?
A) Yes, and yes! I am happy to take students at any level, any style.
Q) Do I need my own guitar/amp?
A) Yes you do; the ability to practice at home is essential for anybody that wants to learn an instrument. However, if you'd like to wait until after your first lesson to make the purchase, I'm happy to let you use my gear for the first lesson.
You don't need to bring your amp to my studio for our lessons, though you should only use my guitars if you happen to forget yours. It's important to study on your own instrument so you can get to know it!
Q) What else do I need/should I bring to my lessons?
A) I have a full list of equipment that you should purchase and bring on my Student Resources page.
Q) Why do you have a cancellation policy?
A) As a professional guitarist and instructor, I work as a freelancer full time. When I lose a booked client (whether that be a student, a gig, or anything else), it is essential for me to find something else to fill the time slot that is now empty. It is extremely difficult for me to do that when I have a last minute cancellation - thus, my cancellation policy exists to protect me and allow me to continue offering lessons!
Q) What happens when you have a gig or are on tour?
A) The benefits of studying with an actual professional musician are huge - but this is one of the only drawbacks. The reason I only teach weekly lessons Mon-Wed is because those are the days that I am least likely to get booked for a gig. However, things may still come up from time to time on those days, especially during the Summer months or when I am on tour.
There are times where I may have to reschedule our lesson because of a gig. I will always honor my cancelation policy - which you can find on my Policies/Rates page
I am rarely on tour for more than a couple of weeks at a time. However, in the event of a longer stint on the road (which happens occasionally), there are a few options I offer:
1) We continue our lessons over Skype. Each lesson will be scheduled on a week-to-week basis, based on my days off.
2) We postpone our lessons, and resume upon my arrival.
3) I would be happy to reffer to you another local instructor that I know and trust, so that you can still recieve quality, in person lessons while I am away.
Q) Where can I find more information about your music/performance schedule?
A) Thanks for asking! If you're interested, please feel free to take a look at my other webpage: www.dwelshmusic.com
Q) Do you teach students that play other instruments?
A) It depends! If you play a different instrument, but wish to study improvisation or theory with me, I can usually accomodate that (though I likely won't be able to help you with technical issues).
Q) I want to study with you, but I can't afford it. What should I do?
A) I have a few options with you if your current financial situation doesn't allow you to take one-on-one lessons. One option is to get a few friends or family members together that want to learn, and sign the whole crew up for a Group Lesson. Additionally, I upload free video lessons to my YouTube channel on a regular basis. If you'd like to see a specific topic covered, feel free to send me a comment/message over there, or shoot me an email!