Guitar and bass lessons in Stourbridge, delivered by a leading black country musician and trained music teacher. Modern guitar and bass styles & techniques along with relevant musical theory.

Guitar and bass lessons £16.50 per 30-minutes.

I have been a working musician and teacher for over thirty years. I am trained to postgraduate level in music education. I’ve worked in various music education roles, including Head of Music in two Black Country secondary schools.

Sharing my Passion

I am a strong believer that everyone should be able to enjoy making music. This is regardless of whether you’re just beginning your journey in music, or further down the road. Or whether you’re a younger person or an adult, let’s explore music together! 

My Lessons

I offer private guitar and bass guitar lessons. These can take place either at my base in Oldswinford, Stourbridge, or in your own home (an additional fee applies). I’m happy to teach those who want to play purely for enjoyment or those who want to study more seriously. 

Tuition includes all of the relevant musical theory and notation skills. These will help you to make progress in your general understanding of music as well as in your playing.

I’m happy to prepare students for Trinity College London Rock and Pop examinations. These are the most comprehensive and recognised qualifications in popular instrumental music.

Simon Hastings BA (Hons).


Picture of musician playing a bass guitar to illustrate my guitar and bass lessons

Guitar and bass lessons from Oldswinford Music

LESSON CONTENT

Lessons typically include instrumental skill and technique development, repertoire study, reading, and practice skills. In the early stages, these will be more general. However, advanced students will inevitably want to concentrate on specific songs/pieces, styles of playing, or preparation for grade examinations.

My lessons are focused on guitar and bass guitar playing. However, lessons include input on relevant musical theory, appropriate notation, and aural training, in order to develop students’ general musicianship. As a result, my students better understand the music they’re playing and are able to work more successfully with other musicians. A sound understanding of general musical principles is also crucial to preparing for grade examinations. It also helps students to apply their instrumental skills and knowledge to other, more general music courses e.g. GCSE Music, A-Level Music, and Music BTEC.  

PRACTICALITIES

I deliver the majority of my guitar and bass guitar lessons from my home in Oldswinford, Stourbridge, DY8. Off-street parking is available for my students during lessons. However, I can visit your home instead, for a small additional fee. This is to cover my transport costs and time.   

My guitar and bass guitar lessons normally last 30 minutes. However, I can give longer lessons to students who are close to an exam. 

I deliver the majority of my lessons after the end of the school/college day and at weekends. This is because most of my students are of school or college age. However, I can arrange daytime lessons on weekdays if required. Similarly, I tend to deliver weekly lessons in blocks arranged around school and college term times. Again, I can make other arrangements for additional lessons outside of these times.

ONLINE SUPPORT

Remembering all of the information from a lesson can be challenging. Especially when you’re new to playing an instrument. Because of this, to support students learning, I make a number of resources available online. Used in conjunction with face-to-face learning, these resources help to reinforce skills, knowledge, and understanding.


Exams

TRINITY COLLEGE LONDON ROCK AND POP EXAMINATIONS

If you want to take formal exams, you may be interested in Trinity College London Digital Rock and Pop examinations. These offer an internationally recognised pathway for both guitar and bass. Trinity College London has been providing instrumental exams for over 150 years. As a result, Trinity enjoys an enviable reputation for rigor and standards. Trinity’s innovative Rock and Pop syllabus has now been active for over twenty years. 

I am happy to tutor students for exams to grade 8 on either guitar or bass guitar and to supervise digital submissions for the examinations.

Trinity Rock and Pop exams attract UKAS points for higher grades and are part of the UK National Qualifications Framework.


Guitar and bass lessons – pricing

  • Lessons delivered at my base in Oldswinford, Stourbridge, are charged at £16.50/30 minutes.  
  • Lessons delivered at your home are charged an extra £3.00. This fee appies to addresses within a 2 mile radius of my base in Oldswinford, Stourbridge. Fees for more distant home visits are negotiable.