Guitar lessons from a professional musician with 14 years of teaching experience!

Learn more about Rupert

• When did you first develop a passion for music and your favourite instrument?

  I've played violin since I was 5 but my passion really developed when I started playing guitar at 14. Being able to recreate the sounds of my favourite bands on guitar was amazing, and it directly influenced my violin playing as well once I realised I could play more than just classical!

• Is there a particular type of music or artist that you listen to on a loop without it driving you crazy?

  Loads of artists I can repeat again and again, but a short list would be John Mayer, Norah Jones, Theo Katzman, Eric Clapton and Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers. Sometimes I'll find a new song from an artist and love it so much I might play it 10 times back to back.

• Explain to us the most difficult or riveting course you could personally give to a student of music.

  Most difficult would be using triad pairs over different chord changes which is a fairly in depth jazz concepts but can also be really helpful when improvising in pop, blues, funk etc. Most riveting really depends on the student, I like to make sure that we focus on the student's interest in music more than mine!

• What do you think is the most complicated instrument to master and why?

  I think all are equally complicated to master, but some instruments have an easier learning curve. That being said, I can't imagine read Church Organ music is ever easy - reading 2 hands and a line for your feet is some serious multitasking.

• What are your keys to success?

  Follow what you enjoy, practice consistently, and remember that learning music is a marathon not a sprint.

• Name three musicians you dream of meeting in your favourite bar in the early hours of the morning. Explain why.

  John Mayer, Isiah Sharkey and Pino Palladino. Three amazing rhythm players, I'd love to know how they all got their amazing sense of time.

• Provide a valuable anecdote related to music or your days at music school.

  When in GCSE music I tried to perform a very tough piece for the exam and made a few mistakes when playing it, while others performed pieces that were much more within their level. I was quite disappointed with my grade for that exam, and I'm afraid to say a little envious of those that got better grades for easier pieces of music. There's three things I learnt from that; one, don't compare yourself to other musicians (easier said than done), two, try to perform pieces that you are confident on, and three, one bad exam result isn't the end of the world.

• What are the little touches that make you a Superprof in music?

  I always follow the student's passion for music and build on what first drew them to the instrument. I believe that learning to play the music that you love will foster a love for the process of learning music as it gives so much joy to recreate.