Guitar Lessons for Kids in Leeds with Chris Morton

Most kids see guitar practice as “more homework”. Learning guitar can be an uphill struggle, especially in the beginning.

I don’t think it needs to be difficult. It can be easy, in fact, if you approach it in the right way. With my programme, children are playing music from day one – but more importantly, kids love coming to lessons! So what makes my lessons different?

The problem with traditional guitar lessons

Traditionally, guitar lessons are taught like this: The student learns the basic techniques or parts of a song, and is expected to practise over the week (hopefully a good teacher will go into more detail instead of giving a vague instruction). If for whatever reason the student didn’t understand a concept, or didn’t have a full grasp of the song during the lesson, it’s likely that they won’t feel confident picking the guitar up at home.

The practice problem

As the next lesson approaches, children can feel stressed at the thought of embarrassment, try to cram in a few hours of playing before the lesson, only to have forgotten most of what was learned. The next guitar lesson turns into an observed practice session, going over the same old song again.

Now, I’m not saying this approach is always wrong, or teachers who use this approach aren’t good teachers. As a matter of fact, this is pretty much the way I was taught, and I used this ‘traditional’ approach for my own teaching, too! But it can contribute to a problem – the practice problem. Practice feels like homework, and lessons feel like a test. We all know kids don’t want more of those.

So how do you get around the practice problem and get kids into guitar?

Studies have shown that reward-based motivation leads to lower creativity. Punishment or threats can be very damaging, too. So forget about sticker charts, or “no PS4 until you’ve practised guitar”. After years of trying, I’ve found a better way:

1. When a child can finish learning their music during their weekly lesson, they go home feeling confident and energised, instead of lost and overwhelmed.
2. Instead of spoon feeding or correcting every small mistake, a good teacher should show the student how to practice independently, and jump in to offer help when necessary.
3. I use modern songs, and interactive technology in lessons. Children fully engage with practice and have loads of fun!
4. When children get to choose their favourites to play, they get real enjoyment from the guitar!

My unique Accelerator Guitar programme for kids ticks off all four, and I’d love for you to try it.

Would you like more information about my guitar lessons? Or a free introductory lesson? Click the button below.

I’m Chris Morton, and I’ve been teaching kids guitar lessons in Leeds for 5 years. I help beginners play the music they love, while building their skills. With school teaching experience and a unique teaching approach, I’m well-equipped to teach children aged 6 and up.

When I’m not teaching, I play guitar with Team Picture, a Leeds-based band. We’ve toured the UK, and our music has been played on BBC Radio 6music, Radio 1, BT Sport, and a Netflix series. I’ve also done TV work on acoustic guitar for an ITV series, which aired in 2019.

My students get results

Here are a few recent messages from parents whose children passed exams. I don’t see exams as compulsory or essential. My approach is to have students learn the songs from the syllabus first, then introduce the idea of taking the grade when they are confident in their playing.

Now taking on students for Spring 2020

Free introductory lesson available