Fountain Tutors - Piano/Guitar

Piano & Guitar

Finding the right teacher on the piano or on the guitar

Taking lessons with Benjamin Singer, the founder of the agency

Finding the right teacher

Piano and Guitar lessons are central subjects arranged by Fountain Tutors. Call for some advice about the sort of tutor you want to find and we’ll point you in the right direction. It will depend on whether you want to learn piano, organ or keyboard; classical, acoustic or electric guitar; bass guitar or six-string and; where you live and whether you have any experience of playing before or if you are a complete beginner. Some teachers specialise in teaching very young children whilst others can accommodate professionals who are looking for a new direction.

Buying a Piano or Buying a Keyboard

Buying a Classical, Acoustic or Electric Guitar

Lessons with Benjamin Singer

If you live in the South East London area, you may be able to arrange lessons with Benjamin Singer. As well as being the founder of Fountain Tutors, he is also a highly experienced teacher from the local area.

Ben has been teaching the piano and guitar now for around 15 years and has taught over 1000 students, both individually and in groups. He also has a background working in theatre and can really help to make your lessons fun and engaging, whilst inspiring you to practice.

If you’d like to contact Ben about learning Piano or Guitar then please call the Fountain Tutors free phone number or you can contact him directly on 07985 646 514.

As well as piano and guitar, Ben can give you help with theory, electronic keyboard lessons, bass guitar, ukulele, as well as assistance with your singing practice. You are encouraged to
contact him if you have any questions or enquiries.

Ben’s approach to teaching is focused around playing pieces that you find interesting and which will engage you to learn with enjoyment. Ben can inspire you to follow the structure that you need to achieve your goals through your practice. He will help you to view the pieces you’re playing from different perspectives and will encourage you develop a broader understanding of music and improve your technique in an accessible way.

Ben studied at Goldsmiths University of London and graduated with a BA (Hons) in 2001. He has achieved distinction on the piano and the guitar at grade 8 level and also studied the organ up to Grade 7.
He holds an ‘A’ in advanced level music and is currently working on a DipABRSM with an associate of the Royal Academy of Music.
Ben is an easygoing, friendly, professional and approachable individual with a genuine passion for music and teaching.

Guitar Lessons in Classes

From May 2010, there is an opportunity to join a guitar group held at the All Saints Community Centre in South East London.
No previous experience is necessary for joining these classes, although those with some experience will also gain some benefit from getting involved.

The classes are available to children and to adults and cost just £7.50 for a one hour session. Skills developed will include learning to read Standard Notation and TAB, playing chords and finger picking and learning to improvise solo lines in the style of Jazz,
Blues and Rock.

A basic Classical/Acoustic guitar can be recommended and supplied for these sessions for you to keep at c. £50. Please enquire now to avoid disappointment as a high take up for these classes is anticipated.

Classical, Acoustic or Electric Guitar

The sort of guitar you have is going to make a difference to the kind of music that you want to play. A Classical guitar, also referred to as a Spanish guitar or a Nylon string guitar, is appropriate for playing all forms of western classical music and the traditional guitar music of Spain, including flamenco. Many children start off with a classical guitar, as the conventional approach towards teaching the instrument will develop a good technique early on. This gives the student the skills necessary to transfer to many other styles of playing later on.

An Acoustic guitar, with metal strings, is often the preferred instrument of choice for students who are interested in playing popular styles from the beginning, such as Rock and Blues.
Whilst the sound that the metal strings make is distinctive to this genre, it can be quite a bit tougher to learn at first as the string will feel painful on the fingers to the uninitiated. This discomfort passes after sometime however and can also be a good process to go through if it doesn’t put you off playing the guitar altogether!

An Electric guitar needs to be plugged into an amplifier to make a sound and can seem to be easier to learn at first than an Acoustic guitar. A whole range of impressive effects can be applied to the basic tone of an electric guitar to create amazing sounds with seemingly little effort. It’s worth noting that while this can be a lot of fun at first, if you’re serious about learning the rudimentary essentials of musicianship, you’re going to need to switch off the effects and get right down to the bare bones of playing to do this.

You will also find a whole range of other guitars available on the market, including electro-acoustic, semi-acoustic, nylon string electric, fretless bass guitar, 12-string guitars, the list goes on,
most of which are essentially a hybrid or variation of the instruments described above. Visit your local music shop to find out more about these instruments for yourself.

Keep your guitar in good working order

Find a strap for your acoustic or electric guitar

Buying a piano or buying a keyboard

It goes without saying, that if you’re taking lessons on a musical instrument, you are going to need an instrument to practice on at home or easy access to one elsewhere on a daily basis.

If you want learn the piano, you cannot replace the touch or sound
of a real piano made of wood and iron. However good digital pianos these days are more than adequate for anyone practicing up to an advanced level of playing, are good value for money and are much easier to move about. They also have a range of additional functions and will never need to be tuned professionally.

However, a real piano bought new or a good digital piano is a considerable investment for the beginner and if you’re on a budget, looking at buying a second hand piano or a basic electronic keyboard will be a good solution. Whilst basic electronic keyboards pose limitations in terms of developing classical technique, they can be a safer investment if you have a smaller budget and will also be much easier to find a space for in your house.

Give Fountain Tutors a call for some advice about what sort of instrument will be the most appropriate one for you to buy at this time.

Find out about second hand pianos currently for sale

Buy a new keyboard with free delivery to your home

Setting up your Guitar

Keeping your guitar in good working order gives you the best chance to get the most out of the instrument and will improve your experience of learning and performing convincingly.

Guitars need to be ‘set-up’ correctly before they will realise their full potential. A number of other maintenance procedures like making sure the fret-board is even and the electronics are functioning properly will help you look after your guitar in the long-term.

Having work done on your instrument can make an immediate and noticeable difference in its responsiveness and can affect your approach and attitude to playing in a significant way.

Fountain Tutors will put you in touch with a professional technician for your instrument so you can maximise the enjoyment you get from practicing your music.