Enjoyable and Challenging.
Richard really manages to focus your mind on getting the foundations of guitar playing in place. Having played on and off for quite a few years, I now find myself re-evaluating my whole way of approaching playing, for example, I have always clu...
Excellent Lessons done 1 to 4
Excellent lessons. Look forward to lesson five. Having studied classical guitar in the sixties these lessons have sparked up interest getting back on track again. Your first guitar is like my one its ok in a small room but lacks volume as y...
Early days but...
Very early days (Currently at lesson 4), but I'm enjoying starting from the bottom and having a direction. Having done my own thing for 50 years it's good to get back to a proper discipline and feel I'm cleaning up my act. I never thought I would ...
Richard really manages to focus your mind on getting the foundations of guitar playing in place. Having played on and off for quite a few years, I now find myself re-evaluating my whole way of approaching playing, for example, I have always clu...
Excellent lessons. Look forward to lesson five. Having studied classical guitar in the sixties these lessons have sparked up interest getting back on track again. Your first guitar is like my one its ok in a small room but lacks volume as y...
Very early days (Currently at lesson 4), but I'm enjoying starting from the bottom and having a direction. Having done my own thing for 50 years it's good to get back to a proper discipline and feel I'm cleaning up my act. I never thought I would ...
Richard Durrant
DipRCM ARCM FLCM
About the Instructor
British stand-up, barefoot, un-classical guitarist and composer Richard Durrant's guitar playing is richly romantic, truly virtuosic and crosses all musical boundaries.
He performs on concert guitar, tenor guitar, ukulele and a variety of other instruments.
Richard was born in Brighton, England. By the time he entered the Royal College of Music, aged 18, he had already begun to explore classical, folk and contemporary music and had a growing reputation as a concert guitarist.
Following his official debut recital at the Purcell Room, Southbank Centre, London in July 1986, Richard turned sharply left and pursued his diverse interests in electro/acoustic music, improvisation, composition and multi-media. He has remained, by choice, outside of the classical music establishment ever since, in fact he recommends a total abandonment of what he calls “the C word”.
Richard holds a Performers Diploma and teaching qualification from the Royal College of Music (RCM) in London, is an Associate of the RCM, is a Fellow of the London College of Music and is an Ambassador for the Brighton Youth Orchestra.
Getting the Basics Right
This first group of lessons is ideal for you if if you can play already but want to go back to basics to build a better technique and learn more about music.
or….
If you’re new to the guitar, you can’t wait to get started but you want to do things thoroughly!
To get the most out of this course I recommend that you use a nylon strung guitar- but rest assured you’ll develop the skills to go on and explore any style of music on many different types of guitar. The ethos of the academy is that nobody becomes trapped on one type of guitar or in one style of music; you will devlop the knowledge and skill to make your own musical choices.
Each lesson is around 10 minutes, slow paced and fairly gentle, but - you will need to practise at least double this amount of time each day to get the most from the course.
You will be able to move onto the next lesson between 5 and 7 days after completing the last one. This will ensure you will have plenty of time to practice between lessons.
Throughout I’ll concentrate on building a greater awareness of posture and relaxation which will help you safely build strength and agility. I recommend a standing position, if you are able, so you will need a good strap and locking strap buttons.
I will help you work on your basic technique so that it remains simple and relaxed - but be prepared - this does takes discipline especially if you’ve played before and need to fix any bad habits.
This module will show you a good, simple and flexible technique. You’ll be introduced to written notation and will be familiar with chord symbols.
At the end of the course I hope that you’ll have the confidence and the technical knowledge to enjoy your playing more and feel ready to immerse yourself in our other courses - like Guitar Circuit Training or the really useful Sight Reading course if you want to read more fluently or break away from TAB.
If you are an Academy passport holder then you can join in with my live, group sessions which will include Q&A. You also have access to courses on acoustic, tenor & bass guitar and, of course, ukulele. All part of becoming a broader and more complete musician!
I’ll see you in the first lesson …
Unlimited Access with an Academy Passport
Instead of paying for this course in one lump sum; for less than the monthly price of some gym memberships, the Academy Passport helps you flex your musical muscles while staying in control of your budget. Plus, if you have a Hobgoblin or other coupon, this is where you'll need to use it.
With the Richard Durrant Academy Passport you will have full, unlimited access to every one of our public courses, for any type of guitar or ukulele and to every other resource designed to assist you in your musical journey.
This means you will be free to learn at your own pace, repeating lessons as many times as you like, reaching new levels of ability as you tackle more challenging techniques.
There's no long term tie-in or commitment and you can stop your subscription at any time, just paying for one month at a time. Click on Subscribe Now below and let your journey begin.
To keep prices clear and equal for our members wherever they are in the world, transactions are processed in UK Pounds Sterling £. If you are outside the UK, your card provider (e.g. Visa, MasterCard and AMEX) will convert the transaction into your country's currency and that is what you will see on your card statement.