Bath, Avon
BATH GUITAR STUDIO
Bath's Premier Guitar School
Professional Guitar, Lute, Ukulele & Banjo Tuition
Try a FREE 30 minute ‘taster’ lesson.
Bath's longest established Guitar School.
Offering 1-2-1 Tuition from a BA Hons Qualified Tutor with over 30 years of Teaching and Performing experience, including teaching at:
Show more
27 customer reviews
Naomi Thornton
John is a great teacher - after a short time under his tuition my 10 year old son greatly improved his technique after a long period of learning with a different teacher with no progression. He really enjoys the lessons and playing both classical pieces on his acoustic guitar as well as more contemporary music on his electric guitar. Thanks John! More...
Mark Grigg
John is a fantastic and patient teacher and teaches a wide variety of guitar music along with some good background stories of the origins of them. I can highly recommend John to anyone looking for lessons. More...
Reviewed on Google Maps
Susan Wise
John is a skilled, flexible and patient teacher. I am a busy, middle aged person who is still working full time and finally got round to starting lessons for the classical guitar. He has quickly understood my goals and how I can best make progress. I look forward to my lessons and after just a few months I cannot believe that I am playing some beautiful pieces. More...
Reviewed on Google Maps
Liam Stowell
I highly recommend John, a great guitar teacher. He's very friendly, teaches a wide range of genres/styles (rock, blues, jazz, classical, Spanish), and is good value for money (with a discount if you book 5 lessons). He's introduced me to loads of great music and has helped develop my technique. More...
Reviewed on Google Maps
Ed van Rooyen
I can highly recommend John for anyone who wants to play the guitar, irrespective if you're a beginner or more advanced player. Be aware though, you won't just rapidly improve but you'll also be exposed to different genres (if you want) and have a lot of fun along the way, as John's manner and knowledge around all string instruments and styles are second to none! More...
Reviewed on Google Maps
Jess Sowton
John is a brilliant teacher! I really recommend his lessons; he is very patient and encouraging, and provides lots of helpful materials for learning! I feel safe in the knowledge that I am learning to play under supervision of an experienced teacher, and I really look forward to my lessons. I have a whole new appreciation for music, and have grown to love playing guitar even more than I did before! More...
Reviewed on Google Maps
Beth Boulton
Definitely recommend John as a teacher. He really seems to tailor the lessons to you as an individual and chooses songs that teach you the important skills while also being well suited to your own own musical tastes. Also I appreciate that he varies the skills that you learn so it stays quite fresh and interesting. More...
Reviewed on Google Maps
Paul Goodman
I have been learning to play the lute with John for about a year and a half. It was great to find a lute teacher close to where I live. John is a very patient and encouraging teacher and his knowledge of the lute, its history and repertoire is fantastic. He is flexible in terms of the frequency of lessons. I look forward to my lessons with him very much. More...
Reviewed on Google Maps
David Barton
John has been great, helping me to take my first few steps with playing the guitar. I am a complete beginner to playing any sort of musical instrument, but with John's tuition and patience I am beginning to gain confidence. I always look forward to my weekly lesson. More...
Reviewed on Google Maps
Anna Carling
Decided to learn the ukulele having never played a instrument before. John is an excellent teacher with lots of patience. He explains things clearly and encourages you to learn the correct way. So enjoying my lessons - thanks
Reviewed on Google Maps
Henry Somers-Hall
Having taken a break of two decades since messing about on the guitar as a teenager, taking guitar lessons with John has been a fantastic experience. John has been an invaluable teacher. He's calm, encouraging, and the lessons feel individually tailored to the goals I want to achieve. Under his guidance, I'm making fast progress, and I'm really enjoying the lessons. I can't recommend him highly enough. More...
Reviewed on Google Maps
A User
John is a great teacher. He is very patient and lets pupils progress at their own pace whilst keeping them interested. My seven year old daughter seems to be getting more and more enthusiastic about playing the Ukulele
Reviewed on Google Maps
Colin Lonsdale
I have been having lessons for the past year with John, after my wife purchased lessons as a birthday present.
Each lesson introduces music of increasing difficulty, new techniques and challenges.
I enjoy each lesson with John and he has shown me what I am capable of with a guitar.
More...
Reviewed on Google Maps
David Wright
I've been going to John for nearly three years, firstly for Ukulele lessons and then recently he persuaded me to move up to a Classic Guitar.
I've never touched a string instrument before in my life. It has taken a while, but in the time I have been having lessons I have learned to play the Ukulele and am well on the way to making music on the Classic Guitar.
John has been extremely supportive of my efforts to become proficient with both instruments. He has a fantastic style of teaching. He is patient, always ready to explain in simple terms as well as demonstrating what it should really sound like.
More...
Reviewed on Google Maps
Amal Sabir
John is a fabulous teacher and has taught me for a few years now. I was anxious to begin with but John was so patient that I felt at ease and gradually gained confidence. John teaches each person individually with an understanding of why they want to play and of their needs. I would warmly recommend him as teacher. More...
Reviewed on Google Maps
Les Gower
As someone who had never played an instrument (apart a painful experience with a trumpet at school) up to the age of 53 I thought there was little hope.
But after receiving a ukulele last Christmas I decided I had better had some lessons if I was to get anywhere.
In a relatively short time John has patiently shown me what is possible with the ukulele and also showed it can be a serious instrument. I always leave his lessons feeling enthused and am surprising myself with my musical progress.
If you are thinking a taking up an instrument just do it (I suggest the ukulele because it is so versatile) and get some lessons with John.
More...
Reviewed on Google Maps
Ken Sexton
I am coming late-ish to learning a musical instrument, being in my 50's. And for the last couple of years I have picked up a guitar in January only to put it down again in Feburary.
This year was no different expect that in March I decided to really give it a go, and having checked out guitar tutors in Bath booked a free 30 minute session with John - what could I lose?
Well I lost nothing and have gained a lot. John is clearly not only well qualified to teach guitar (amongst other stringed instruments) but he seems to have a genuine passion for teaching and, important I think, tailors lessons to the sort of music I like, which has kept me motivated and keen to go back for more. So even if I arrive at a lesson a bit disappointed that I still haven't made it to Jimmy Page level that week, I leave wanting to try out whatever we have been working on as soon as possible. And that means I practise more, and I need to (don't we all?).
Thanks John
More...
Reviewed on Google Maps
Michael Proulx
The best way I can review John's Bath Guitar Studio is by this set of circumstances: We have to walk far, often in the rain, on a school night, and on an evening where the kids have other opportunities available to them.
When we asked them if they wanted to stop going there for tuition so as to avoid these issues they both shouted "NO! We want to keep going to lessons with John!"
Compared to lessons at school they say he is more knowledgeable, more helpful, and provides more interesting musical options. He provides the opportunity to try instruments like the lute and ukulele that are not as widely taught. There is also the kind offer of sweets and stickers for the kids, and coffee for the adults. The fact that we go well out of our way sums it up best.
More...
Reviewed on Google Maps
Matty Byrne
Great teacher with a laid back style, he breaks down every step and makes every lesson enjoyable! My son has picked up many skills!
Reviewed on Google Maps
thérese grüneberger
With excellent knowledge and patience in abundance John has guided me through a vast range of music. He was quickly able to asses my skill level, found music that I would enjoy playing and kept me motivated at times when my progress seemed slow. I can highly recommend John as teacher! More...
Reviewed on Google Maps
Chris Sowton
John is the best ukulele teacher in the whole wide world because he always helps me with putting my fingers in the right place. He is also very patient and kind. I look forward to my all my future lessons with John. (Livvy Sowton, aged 7) More...
Reviewed on Google Maps
Chris L
After a break of more than 40 years, I decided that I should stop thinking about playing the guitar again and just do it. John was the first guitar teacher I contacted and I have been taking lessons with him now for almost a year
.
John took the time to find the style of guitar-playing that fitted my ambition and and continues to encourage and support me at my regular lessons with hints on technique and suggestions on what to play. My questions on music theory are always answered patiently and with examples and notes to reinforce the learning points. My chosen style (fingerstyle jazz) is quite challenging, but I feel I'm making progress.
John has a phenomenal breadth and depth of experience both as a player and as a teacher. He teaches students of all ages with the same patience and good humour.
Highly recommended.
More...
Reviewed on Google Maps
Emma Parkinson
When I first considered getting lessons for the ukulele I had no idea how helpful they were going to be. John is a fantastic tutor - extremely patient and good at explaining things, as well as being very lovely in general. Along with the uke I've learned to play the guitalele, and even a little bit of guitar. Incredibly good value for money! More...
Reviewed on Google Maps
Kenneth Bryer
Having tried on and off for years to learn using teach-yourself books, with only moderate success, I finally took the plunge last May and started taking regular lessons with John. What a difference he has made. Within less than a year his calm, confident teaching and boundless enthusiasm have inspired me, and his ability to convey musical ideas and demonstrate them with skill and knowledge have helped me to achieve a standard which I never thought I would ever reach. More...
Reviewed on Google Maps
Jane Linfield
I have been taking guitar lessons for over six months, as I always wanted to learn classical guitar, but did not have much time in the past. I can honestly say that I thought it would be a difficult thing to do, as I could not even read music, but John's patient approach, encouragement and knowledge made it possible. I can already play Bach's little Prelude in C Minor pretty well; it gives me a great sense of achievement and makes me really happy. Thank you John for all your help! More...
Reviewed on Google Maps
Ruth Cocker
I have known John as a fellow teacher for over thirty years and have been impressesd by the energy and enthusiasm he puts into providing lessons for his students, which are tailor made to meet their requirements. His easy going manner helps bring out the best in his students and he offers very good value for money. More...
Reviewed on Google Maps
Ted Lloyd
I could just about twang a rubber band when I started with John and was sceptical that anyone could teach my sausage fingers to pluck a recognizable tune from my cheap classical guitar.
That all changed on day one. John's patience and good humour immediately put me at my ease; his clear teaching quickly demystified some guitar basics for me and gave me confidence. At the end of the lesson, which flew by all too quickly, he played a couple of pieces on my guitar because I wondered whether I should invest in a better one. Those few minutes convinced me that I didn't; they probably saved me the price of the next ten lessons!
At 55 I've probably left it a little late to be the next Julian Bream but with John's help I'm sure I won't be the last to say, "You're never too old to learn!"
More...
Reviewed on Google Maps