Bristol House of Music
Bristol, Avon
(13)
Bristol, Avon
(13)
We teach Electric and Acoustic Guitar, Bass, Piano, Vocals, Ukulele, Music Theory and Songwriting. We also have a home-style studio, all at an affordable rate. And did we mention... the first lesson is FREE! Book your first lesson now! Skype Lessons also available!
13 customer reviews
Gill Robbins
great teaching and always a lot of fun
Reviewed on Facebook
Nick Graham
Incredible knowledge ,patience and boundless enthusiasm
Reviewed on Facebook
Paul Weeks
As always a delight spending time with James. I have been getting him into the 60's zone . Bring on the Freddie and the Dreamers tunes. 2nd one in and hitting every chord including solo's. Top teacher. More...
Reviewed on Facebook
Lloyd Goodband
James is a fantastic teacher. He makes what seems like the impossible sound incredibly simple. I would highly recommend James's lessons to anyone who wants to learn the guitar. And what's more, it's extremely fun! More...
Ellis Griffiths
Progressing on guitar lead playing after a handful of lessons with James. Very positive and patient teaching style and every 1 hour lessons fly’s by because you are engaged in playing new stuff!
Reviewed on Facebook
Emma Sutherland
I can whole heartedly recommend James and The Bristol House of Music. James is so laid back, patient & has a really good knack for teaching and bringing out the best in his students. I always leave my lessons with a big smile on my face! I can’t wait to progress further with the Ukulele and then begin to learn Guitar More...
Reviewed on Facebook
Soko Loko
James is an awesome teacher! I've never learnt how to play a musical instrument before but I've made progress in a short space of time already. James is patient and engaging but also sets goals so that you continue learning and developing. The lessons are always fun! More...
Reviewed on Facebook
Amber Reed
James made me feel at ease from the very first lesson, having felt a little nervous going in. He pitches his song choices at the right level; challenging enough to keep you on your toes but still at a level where you make progress and can practice at home. He also explains the musical theory behind it too, which has really helped my understanding and I have seen a lot of progress in just 3 weeks. More...
Reviewed on Facebook
Miguel Ogando Dos Santos
Incredible experience, super friendly environment. Since I got in (I had zero musical experience) in 4 months I got to learn how to play 5 musics in my ukulele and so keen to keep progressing!
Reviewed on Facebook
Sarah-Marie Bedford
James is a great teacher, as an elderly pupil I find him very encouraging and has loads of patience Thank you very much Carol Varney
Reviewed on Facebook
Lisa John
My son (7) has been having lessons with James for about four months now and I can't believe it's been such a short amount of time. George absolutely loves going to his lessons and has picked it up really quickly, thanks to James's enthusiasm, encouragement, choice of music and fun methods of teaching. It's such a pleasure to see them interact and to see George so keen to practice and show us what he can do. It's a very sociable instrument - portable, nice to listen to, and fun for a family singalong. James is always very generous in answering questions and showing George all his different guitars and other instruments. I can't recommend James highly enough. I'm hoping he'll continue to teach George for years to come, on ukulele and eventually guitar. Lisa More...
Reviewed on Facebook
Pete Daintree
My tutor, James, is an accomplished guitarist (along with other instruments, I learn) and an excellent teacher which is something entirely different. His lessons are structured and provide sufficient challenge to ensure I am striving to improve but responsive to my abilities and always fun. I always feel that I have been listened to and, significantly, subsequent lessons are prepared and responsive to my requests. I find the music theory, I have struggled to learn, starts to come alive and illuminates the underlying structures of new pieces I am learning. Those eureka moments keep coming and I feel that I am progressing with each lesson I attend. High praise but well deserved. More...
Reviewed on Facebook
Jan Hromek
James is a brilliant teacher! After only couple of lessons I can see my guitar playing improve. His lessons are fun as he always sets a new challenges and gives you much needed confidence. I'm really glad I found him and I'm looking forward to the journey of becoming a better guitarist thanks to him! More...
Reviewed on Facebook
What do you love most about your job?
Playing music for all different styles is incredible. Bristol House of Music is a great place to learn and has everything you will ever need to be a success.
What inspired you to start your own business?
At Bristol House of Music we believe that high quality one-to-one lessons are the perfect way for budding musicians to learn and develop their skills. We are a fun and modern thinking music school who believe that music education should be affordable to all. We are experienced musicians and we love teaching students to play music for the first time. Or take students who have been playing a long time to the next level.
Why should our clients choose you?
There are lots of ways to learn an instrument nowadays; on your own, YouTube, private tuition, group classes, online sign ups, apps, books Etc. Etc. Etc.
At Bristol House of Music we offer one-to-one lessons in guitar, bass, piano, vocals, ukulele, music theory and songwriting and we think we are the best place to learn! Here are some reasons why we think you should come to Bristol House of Music to learn an instrument!
1. TEACHERS WHO ARE PROFESSIONAL MUSICIANS.
The teachers at Bristol House of Music are James Ashbury (guitar, bass, ukulele, songwriting instructor) and Kit Bennett (piano, vocals, music theory and songwriting instructor). They have both played professionally for most of their working careers. Having toured with the likes of Robert Plant, George Ezra, Jake Bugg, Tom Odell and more they add a professional aspect to the lessons where you can ask advice on performing live and working your way to the top or just ask them some cool stories!
James and Kit supporting Robert Plant at Wolverhampton Civic Hall
2. EXPERIENCED TEACHERS
It is important when you go for a guitar lesson that the teacher is experienced and can get the best results. Allowing you to learn quickly and efficiently and make sure that the time in the lessons does actually improve your playing. All the lessons at Bristol House of Music have aims and objectives and each lesson you will go over what you learnt the previous week and then build on those skills.
Dont just take it from us though, check out this testimonial from one of our guitar students Alexandra-
“After a few lessons with James, I found my playing technique and understanding of guitar theory had improved quickly compared to when I was trying to teach myself the guitar. Thanks to my tutor’s patience and encouragement, I was soon playing my favourite riffs and songs. What was also great about the lessons was how they were tailored to your own skills and music interests, while also introducing you to new ones.”
3. TOP QUALITY INSTRUMENTS
If you are going to learn an instrument then you need to be surrounded by top quality instruments. At Bristol House of Music we have the best, top quality acoustics, mandolins, ukuleles, electric guitars, professional amps (Fender Hot Rod Deluxe and more), pro recording software (Logic Pro X), Yamaha upright piano, Roland keyboard and loads more. We are always adding to the collection and of course you are always welcome to play any of the instruments or amps/ effects when learning with us.
Macbook set up with monitor speakers, midi keyboard, audio interface, big screen, Logic Pro with recording capabilities good to go!
Ukulele, Acoustic and Electric Guitars, Roland Acoustic Amp, Roland cube amp, Roland FP-4 Electric Piano
Fender Hot Rod Deluxe Tweed Amp, Trace Elliott Bass Amp, Acoustic guitar and Banjo!
4. MUSIC
Music is the most important thing when learning an instrument. We have made sure that music is available on demand, we have Apple Music subscriptions which gets us millions of songs instantly, as well as quick access to YouTube if there are any live videos or music videos you need to find. As well that we have over a thousand vinyls, and hundreds of music books and sheet music that you can use. At Bristol House of Music you will be surrounded by music that you love.
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5. FREE WIFI
There is free WiFi at Bristol House of Music which you are free to connect to. This makes it easy to share any songs you are wanting to show if you have a computer or tablet. Also if you are a parent waiting you can surf the internet whilst you wait!
6. LEARN ON A REAL PIANO!
Learning on a real piano is important when learning the instrument. It helps you understand how it actually feels to play and you get used to the weighted keys and how they are meant to feel. At Bristol House of Music we have a Yamaha fully tuned, fully functioning upright piano that is amazing to play. We do also have a Roland FP-4 fully weighted keyboard if that is the sound you are going for.
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7. RELATE LEARNING TO SONGWRITING
At Bristol of Music we offer something quite unique, as all the tutors are songwriters, once you have progressed on your instrument it is possible to push your creative skills and learn about songwriting! There is nothing better than trying to write a song or a riff or a melody. Who knows you might end up writing the next hit single!
8. ALL THE TOP MUSIC BOOKS AND SHEET MUSIC
We have some awesome music books and sheet music at Bristol House of Music! Including lots of classical, flamenco, jazz, chords, harmony, transposition, slide guitar and everything else you can think of!
Guitar books!
Piano books
9. TABLATURE WE HAVE NOTATED!
Also at Bristol House of Music we notate all the tablature ourselves, so guitarists you don’t have to spend hours and hours searching ultimate guitar for a wrongly scored tab! Every song you learn with us will come with a professional score with tablature, notation, chord boxes, tempos, and the lot! This makes remebering what you did in lesson so much easier!
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10. LEARN ANY SONG YOU WANT
At Bristol House of Music the teachers are trained to the highest level, meaning it is easy for them to work out songs on the spot. If there is a song you have always wanted to learn or have always wondered what that guitarist is doing on a particular solo, then don’t worry as we will be able to figure it out in no time at all!
11. PEDALS GALORE!
Pedals make playing an instrument more fun! At Bristol House of Music we have loads of them! We have distortion, delay, compressors, tuner, looping, chorus, booster pedals as well as a MacBook connected to Logic Pro which has about a million guitar sounds and effects. So don’t hesitate to ask about connecting to a cool sound!
From left to right; LiveWire ABY Switcher, Fender ABY Switcher, TC Electronic Ditto Looper, Behringer Ultra DI, Pigtronix Class A Booster, TC Electronic Flashback Delay, Fender Hot Rod Amp Switcher, Ibanez Tube Screamer Mini, Ibanez TS10 Tube Screamer Classic, Mooer Blue Compressor, Polytune2 Mini Pedal
12. LEARN MULTIPLE INSTRUMENTS
At Bristol House of Music we teach lots of instruments, so if you are a bit of an all rounder or you just want to try a few instruments before committing then this is place to do that! We teach guitar, bass, vocals, piano, ukulele, songwriting and music theory and you can pick whichever ones you want.
13. RECORDING CAPABILITIES
At Bristol House of Music we are always hooked up to Logic Pro X and can record straight away. This can be great for lessons when you want to quickly record something if you need the instructor to send you something or some chords recorded. Also we offer a recording service at Bristol House of Music, click the picture below to find out more.
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14. SOUNDPROOFED
Bristol House of Music is a soundproofed space that we can make music in and don’t have to worry about turning down all the time. We can listen to music and play instruments the way they were intended to be played!
15. LESSONS CATERED TO THE STUDENT
At Bristol House of Music we think about each student differently. You may be wanting to learn a particular style or learn a particular technique. That is fine and we won’t just teach you things for he sake of it. Let us know what you are into and not into and we will make a plan!
16. COMFORTABLE PLACE TO LEARN
We have put effort into making sure our rooms are nice and comfortable places to learn. Rooms are clean and you will have enough space to not be cramped in or feel clostaphobic. Also all rooms are well lit so you can see what you are doing!
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17. FRIENDLY TEACHERS
The teachers at Bristol House of Music have had their fair share of teachers who have bad attitudes or are moody. We are very happy teachers who make sure that the lessons are positive and friendly every time! Lessons are meant to be friendly and stress-free!
18. LEARN ANY STYLE.
We love every style at Bristol House of Music, we may not have heard a particular song, but we will be able to pick it up very quickly. So if you are big Metalhead or if you love fingerstlye blues or you just love punk rock! Whatever it is we can go that route!
19. STUDENT DEAL!
At Bristol House of Music we offer a student deal! We understand things are a bit tighter when you’re a student so if you are free between 12pm-4pm Monday to Friday you can save 20% for your first 6 lessons (after your first free lesson). Click the photo below to find out more...
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20. REFER A FRIEND DEAL!
We also offer a Refer a Friend deal which will save you some cash! If you refer a friend to Bristol House of Music you will get 25% off your next lesson! Click the photo below to read more...
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21. AFFORDABLE PRICES
At Bristol House of Music we believe in affordable prices making it easier for you to learn an instrument. We offer the first lesson completely FREE with no obligation to book another lesson. We also don’t have any confusing systems of booking 10 lessons in a row. All lessons are £20 an hour and fit around your schedule! You can also book 30 minutes or 45 minutes for £10/£15. Spend less time worrying about paying for lessons and more time learning.
22. CONTINUALLY CHALLENGING YOU EVEN AFTER WEEKS/ MONTHS OF LESSONS!
Our aim is to keep you improving all the time. So we plan our lessons to make sure you are continually being pushed and improving all the time. We have taught beginners right on to advanced players and the journey is the best thing about it. There will be a fast enough pace at Bristol House of Music so you aren’t just learning the same song for months and months.
23. FIRST LESSON THAT GETS YOU PLAYING IMMEDIATELY!
You will be amazed how quickly you will be playing at Bristol House of Music. We have carefully planned the first lesson to make sure you go away with stuff to practice and you may even be playing your first song by the first lesson! Maybe even a riff, you will be amazed how little time it takes to get going. We'll have you playing behind your back in no time...
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24. WE TEACH ALL AGES!
We think you can learn an instrument at any age if you have the passion to learn and you put the time in. So even if you are 5 and wanting to start or 85, don’t worry we have taught all ages and it is possible to learn at any age!
25. LEARN PROPER SONGS
We remember lessons at school where you would learn a nursary rhyme or play three notes over and over again. Or learn a song a guitarist has made up just for the sake of it! We don’t do that at Bristol House of Music and we make sure you learn real songs that you can play along to. Learning an instrument will be so much easier if you can play along to the original song whilst learning. Take a listen to some of songs our students have been learning recently...
26. NO BIG HEADED TEACHERS!
It is important you feel comfortable around your teacher, just because we have been playing longer than you or we picked it up quicker doesn’t mean we have to brag about it! And we won’t! You are here to learn not to hear about why we are so talented! Don’t worry we won’t put you through that!!
27. LEARN ANYWHERE IN THE WORLD!
At Bristol House of Music we offer Skype lessons for exactly the same price. These lessons are still the great high standard and always one-to-one which means if you want lessons from your bedroom or if you don’t live near any decent instructors you don’t have to worry! Click the photo below to find out how Skype lessons work....
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28. WE WON’T CANCEL LESSONS!
If you have booked a lesson at Bristol House of Music we will be there! There is nothing worse than getting in a flow with instrument lessons then finding out the instructor isn’t there!
29. RELAXED AND FLEXIBLE LESSON BOOKINGS
If you have something come up and need to cancel a lesson or need to have a couple of weeks off, maybe you’re going on holiday... That’s totally fine! We won’t make you pay in advance and we don’t make it difficult to rearrange a lesson. We want you to want to come to the lessons and enjoy them!
30. PROPER ADVICE ON BUYING YOUR FIRST INSTRUMENT!
At Bristol House of Music we have bought so many instruments so we know how to find a good one. So if you haven’t bought one before and don’t know what you are looking for then we can help! Check out our article on buying your first guitar and where to find it in Bristol.
Guitar Lessons
At Bristol House of Music we offer the perfect environment for you to learn to play the guitar. The lessons are fun and structured in a way that suits you. Working at your pace, there is never any pressure to go faster or slower. We are supportive and encourage you to learn. Studying guitar has never been so easy! Once you've learnt the basics, you won't ever want to put that guitar down!
Bass Lessons
At Bristol House of Music we offer the perfect environment for you to learn to play the bass guitar. The lessons are fun and structured in a way that suits you. Working at your pace, there is never any pressure to go faster or slower. We are supportive and encourage you to learn. Studying the bass guitar has never been so easy! Once you've learnt the basics, you won't ever want to put that bass down!
Piano Lessons
At Bristol House of Music we offer the perfect environment for you to learn to play the piano. The lessons are fun and structured in a way that suits you. Working at your pace, there is never any pressure to go faster or slower. We are supportive and encourage you to learn. Studying piano has never been so easy! Once you've learnt the basics, you won't ever want to get off that piano!
Ukulele Lessons
At Bristol House of Music we offer the perfect environment for you to learn to play the ukulele guitar. The lessons are fun and structured in a way that suits you. Working at your pace, there is never any pressure to go faster or slower. We are supportive and encourage you to learn. Studying the ukulele has never been so easy! Once you've learnt the basics, you won't ever want to put that ukulele down!
Songwriting Lessons
At Bristol House of Music we offer the perfect environment for you to improve your songwriting skills. The lessons are fun and structured in a way that suits you. Working at your pace, there is never any pressure to go faster or slower. We are supportive and encourage you to learn. Studying songwriting has never been so easy! Once you've learnt the basics, you won't ever want to stop!
Vocal Lessons
At Bristol House of Music we offer the perfect environment for you to improve your singing voice. The lessons are fun and structured in a way that suits you. Working at your pace, there is never any pressure to go faster or slower. We are supportive and encourage you to learn. Studying vocals has never been so easy! Once you've learnt the basics, there will be no stopping you!
Music Theory Lessons
At Bristol House of Music we offer the perfect environment for you to learn or improve your music theory. The lessons are fun and structured in a way that suits you. Working at your pace, there is never any pressure to go faster or slower. We are supportive and encourage you to learn. Studying music theory has never been so easy! We will help you through each step along the way.
