Beginner to Advanced Guitar Lessons with
Lawrence Cutler, Professional Guitar Teacher
Learning to play the guitar is a rewarding challenge, and finding the right tutor is essential for your success, whether you are a beginner or someone who is aiming to improve your developing technique to a higher or advanced level. Regardless of your ability or level of progress, I have the qualifications and teaching credentials to help you succeed in playing the guitar. I teach in person in Cornwall or online. Read on to find out more.
Discover the Joy of Music Making, or Improve Your Existing Technique
Young students
My qualifications and teaching experience have given me the edge when it comes to enabling young students to progress and work towards a goal. Patience, encouragement and a wealth of knowledge regarding musical styles and genres are the skills that help me to inspire learners to get the best out of playing the guitar. Read more about me here.
If you are a parent wanting to encourage your child to apply themselves to a musical instrument, the guitar is a good choice, and even children as young as five can learn using a child-sized guitar. Students in their teens also benefit from the many advantages that learning an instrument brings.
Older students
Many mature students also want to enjoy the pleasure derived from creating music, and the guitar is often a perfect choice, as it can accompany singing as well as being a way to bring you closer to the popular music of your choice.
Advanced learners
If you have been learning the guitar for some time and want to improve your technique and explore other styles, I can help you to progress in your chosen area of interest or introduce you to more advanced practices, including reading musical notation.
Find out more about my teaching philosophy and how learning an instrument can be beneficial for you in many ways.
Learn to play the guitar with me, Lawrence Cutler. Contact me to talk about lessons. I teach in person in Cornwall or online.
Lawrence Cutler, About Me
My credentials
I graduated in music in 2014 with a BA (Hons) 2.1 in Contemporary Music (Jazz), including composition and grade 5 Music Theory (Merit). I also achieved Grade 8 electric guitar (Distinction).
How I inspire students
Educated in Cornwall, I have lived and worked in the Essex and the Greater London area for over 11 years. During that time I have been teaching students to play the guitar, privately as well as in schools and music centres. Students range from the age of five to 75 years – and some have been learning with me for five years. I have now relocated to Cornwall and will continue to teach online and also offer in-person lessons in the area. I provide a tailored learning environment suitable for the age and ability of the student.
A learning goal
I encourage young guitar students to take the Rockschool or Trinity exams, and they have achieved 100 per-cent success in pass rates with the majority of students acquiring a merit or a distinction. Working towards a music exam gives young learners a goal and achievement. They learn how regular practice brings the best results. I am proud to have taken many students from learners to taking exams ranging from debut to advanced grades.
Continuing professional development
I continue to improve my teaching ability and skills through continuing professional development and my involvement with music academies and the music departments of schools.
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ABRSM Assessing Progress in Classroom Music
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Safeguarding Children Level 2
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Understanding GDPR
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First Aid Basics
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Prevent
Lawrence Cutler, qualified guitar tutor: fully DBS checked; insured; member of the Musicians Union. Contact me to talk about lessons. I teach in person in Cornwall or online.
The Learning Environment
My friendly approach
I create a fun and easy-going atmosphere in my guitar classes to help the students to learn, but I also expect them to work hard and to practise daily. Regular practice is the key to moving forward quickly, and students benefit from playing tunes from the start. From the wide variety of material available for all levels of players, I can select the pieces that are most suitable for each student to interest and encourage them and to ensure progress. There are simpler tunes appropriate for very young students and, as they progress, they can discover so much more. As students continue learning, there are various music genres to explore, including rock and pop, blues and jazz.
Practice ensures success
Adult students benefit from being able to approach music that appeals to them fairly early on in their learning journey, making playing the guitar something that can be rewarding relatively quickly where there is a willingness to practise regularly.
As well as learning guitar notation, which allows learners to play chords easily, I also teach pupils to read music, thereby widening their ability to discover different styles.
Understanding and encouragement
There are many different ways in which pupils might approach learning, and I have found that my patience and empathetic approach helps them to get the most out of mastering the guitar, whether young or old. For younger students I have found that working towards a music exam gives them the opportunity to strive for achievement, and ultimately to be proud of what they have done. Over 90 per cent of my students receive a merit or above in their exams.
Start your learning journey with me, Lawrence Cutler, and discover the rewards that playing the guitar can bring.
Contact me to talk about lessons. I teach in person in Cornwall and online.
It’s More
Than Just
Playing an Instrument
Learn to play the guitar with me and discover the overall advantages of learning an instrument. There are a number of scientific studies on the subject.
The wide-ranging benefits of learning an instrument
An article by Michael Matthews lists 18 benefits of playing an instrument, supported by studies. Among them he explains how playing an instrument stimulates the brain and improves memory, but it also benefits organisational and functional parts of the brain so that hearing and storing information is improved. Because you need to organise your time wisely to practise regularly, learning to play an instrument requires self-discipline – invaluable in other aspects of life. It also teaches you to overcome difficult technical passages, requiring patience and perseverance. Learning to play guitar also requires eye–hand coordination.
(You can find out more from the article used as a source above: https://stamfordschools.org.uk/wp-content/uploads/2021/08/18-benefits-of-playing-a-musical-instrument.pdf)
Benefits that last for life
The results of a study in Psychological Science ‘suggest that playing a musical instrument is associated with long-term cognitive advantage’. The study looked at a sample of the general population, rather than professional musicians, and compared them with people who had no musical experience. ‘Most of the participants with musical experience reported having played just one instrument, having had only two to five years of formal lessons, up to five years of practice and two to three hours of practice per week during those years, and to have reached only a beginner level.’ Nevertheless, ‘more than 50 years later, the team found evidence of a persistent cognitive benefit.’
(https://www.bps.org.uk/research-digest/learning-musical-instrument-may-confer-lifelong-cognitive-benefits)
Music and brain health
Creyos Health, an organisation committed to scientific research, has found that:
'listening to music and playing a musical instrument can have profound positive benefits on brain health, extending from childhood through late adulthood.'
‘For example, exposure to music lessons and training in how to read music in childhood has been shown to contribute to better verbal memory, reading ability, and executive function, and may even predict improved academic performance. Meanwhile, a 2020 report found that learning to play music later in life is correlated with better attention, processing speed, and overall mental health.’
(https://creyos.com/blog/how-playing-an-instrument-benefits-your-brain)'
I can help you to discover the many benefits that learning the guitar can bring to your life, now and in the future. Contact me to talk about lessons. I teach in person in Cornwall or online.
Student Voices
Sue S.
'Lawrence has been teaching our son for over 4 years now, and in that time very quickly transitioned from someone to help out over the summer holidays to his main tutor.
He creates an excellent working relationship in which positivity is at the forefront. His setting of clear and reasonable time lines for progression, presenting criticism in such a way that there is an obvious pathway for development and improvement and his ceaseless encouragement making him a model tutor.
Our son looks forward to his lessons with Lawrence and we have come to like him very much as both a tutor and an individual over the last four years. We have seen him develop our son's guitar skill in a very pleasing manner, with a love of music firmly at the centre of his approach and the expectation that success will follow naturally from that love of music, something which has certainly been our experience.
If you or your child can commit to the lessons and a reasonable amount of practice, then I guarantee you will receive the same commitment from Lawrence. With his recent move, our son has lately transitioned to online lessons and it is very pleasing that these are working well too, with Lawrence showing he is a very competent communicator even over a Teams call.
If you do engage him, and you do find him a little quiet at the start, then you may wish to know that he probably would like a cup of tea; strong, no sugar and a dash of milk!
Thank you Lawrence for all you continue to do to help our son with something that is so important to him personally.'
James P.
'Lawrence has taught my son electric guitar one-on-one for years, and he’s come on leaps and bounds, working his way up through the rock guitar grades rapidly to grade 6. Most of all, my son has developed a deep love of the guitar and always looks forward to lessons - or any chance to play, for that matter. Practicing is never a chore, and I put a lot of that down to Lawrence’s patient, easygoing, yet technically rigorous teaching style. Thanks Lawrence!'
Nisha D.
'Lawrence has been teaching our son for the past four years, and we couldn’t be happier with the experience.
He is extremely polite, patient and supportive, and always willing to go the extra mile to help wherever needed.
His excellent timekeeping and professionalism make every lesson run smoothly. He creates a really positive and encouraging learning environment, and his dedication to helping our son improve is clear.
A fantastic teacher and a pleasure to have teaching our son!'
James K.
'Lawrence is a fantastic tutor and a great guy. Incredibly knowledgeable and patient, professional and friendly, with the ability to break down complex pieces of music into easily digestible sections and effectively teach them and importantly, how to practice them. I am an intermediate player who fell off the wagon with my practice and was jumping from online course to online course; YouTube video to YouTube video in an attempt to get re-inspired and start making progress again, unsuccessfully. I reached out to Lawrence with what I was looking for from lessons, and since we started working together my playing speed and confidence has increased, and I'm enjoying practicing again. Lawrence provides notes of the topics covered in his lessons and exactly what to practice for the next week, with clear and achievable targets for you to work towards and drills that link directly to music that you are working on together. Whatever your skill level and whatever your music taste, Lawrence will be able to help you achieve your playing goals. Highly recommended.'
Claire H.
'Lawrence has taught our son Noah from beginner to Grade 4. Would highly recommend. He is a very patient and talented tutor and this is evident in all of Noah’s exam results. Very lucky to have his time and expertise. Thank you 🙏🏻'
Start Your Musical Journey Today
Whether you're looking to master your first chords or refine advanced techniques, I provide personalised instruction tailored to your unique goals and musical taste. I teach in person in Cornwall or online.