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Have you ever fancied learning the guitar?

We spoke to local guitar tutor Pete Metcalfe about what inspired him to learn.

‘The first music that was brought into our house was my older brother's choice; Buddy Holly, The Everly Brothers, Eddie Cochran, Duane Eddy, so that is where I must have got an ear for the sound of the guitar which was predominantly electric.

What made me want to pick it up and play myself was the sound made by the strumming acoustic of Bob Dylan, his unique voice and the words of the songs. The more I listened to this kind of music, the more names I came across so it spiralled into the different sounds made by the blues singers who used the 'bottle-neck', the glass or steel slide that was held on a finger of the left hand and slid along the strings. Of course this was accompanying the exotic and sometimes scarry vocals of the players.

Then came folk music and playing with the fingers where I discovered that you could play a tune and a chord at the same time. Joni Mitchell opened the palette even more by de-tuning the guitar to a chord then superimposing other chords on top to make a hybrid sound I was not hearing elsewhere. I later discovered that this is a banjo technique.

My interest took me to the nylon strung classical, flamenco and it's earlier cousin the lute and back still further to it's forunner, the ud from the middle east first brought to these shores by Richard the Lionheart from the Holy Land.

Being drawn firstly to the acoustic this hunger for more texture brought me to the electric and the many possibilities of sound that can be produced with the help of the pedals we have today. Just as the synthesizer produces a myriad of sound way beyond a piano we can now do the same with the guitar.

The guitar is the best instrument because;

• It is light and relatively cheap
• It is beautiful to look at
• You can play chords on it
• You can play tunes on it
• You can play a tune and accompany that tune at the same time
• You can play folk music
• You can play the blues
• You can play classical
• You can play flamenco
• You can play pop and rock!

With a little hard work and effort the guitar can be mastered at an early age and is a life-long skill which will make you the envy of your friends forever.’

Did you know? You can learn the guitar from the comfort of your own home. Pete Metcalfe not only teaches from his studio in Kent, he can provide local home visits and also teaches via Skype. He tutors children and adults across the country and can even tutor abroad. Lessons are from as little as £15. Visit his profile page and get in touch.

 For more information on learning instruments and the benefits they have on your child read KalliKids top tips for chosing an instrument for your child.