Guitarist/Composer offering tuition in both guitar and music theory online/London

Find out more about Sam

• 1) When did you first develop a passion for music and your favourite instrument?

  Around the age of 7 I became obsessed with the guitar and was lucky enough to get a half-sized electric for Christmas shortly after. At that time I was only really interested in punk and pop-punk bands. However, over the coming years my passion grew towards a much more diverse range of genres including jazz, funk and classical music. Within just a few months of having the guitar I was already writing songs and forming bands. This very much anticipated a love for composing music and working with other musicians.

• 2) Is there a particular type of music or artist that you listen to on a loop without it driving you crazy?

  To listen to an artist or band on repeat I need variety and surprise from their music. For me, bands such as The Beatles and Radiohead have extremely interesting and well composed songs that never grow stale. Currently I'm going through every Beatles album and working out the chords to all the songs by ear. Not only for the practice of chord and chord progression recognition but also to absorb how such great songs are written.

• 3) Explain to us the most difficult or riveting course you could personally give to a student of music.

  I believe the course my students have found to be most riveting is the learning of soloing both on the electric and acoustic guitar. At this point there is so much room for creativity and expression with the instrument. There are simple patterns of scales we can learn that can suddenly unlock so much understanding of the guitar's fretboard. This expansion of knowledge of the instrument always feels like an exciting milestone for the student to have reached.

• 4) What do you think is the most complicated instrument to master and why?

  So many instruments, including the guitar, are reasonably simple to grasp when it comes to the basics and shouldn't take too long for someone who puts in the regular practice. But to master any instrument fully is always going to be a challenging task. Whether it's the guitar, piano, violin or any other instrument, there will have to be an extremely dedicated journey of learning not only that instrument but music theory and ear training as well.

• 5) What are your keys to success?

  I believe the key to successfully learning an instrument is maintaining the interest and curiosity that initially started you on the journey. The best way to do this is to keep listening to lots of music involving that instrument. Experiment with listening to different genres and find new people that inspire you to play the instrument.

• 6) Name three musicians you dream of meeting in your favourite bar in the early hours of the morning. Explain why.

  The musician I most admire and would love to meet is Jonny Greenwood from Radiohead. Not only does he have a very unique approach to the guitar, but also has composed amazing film music over the last two decades. Another great writer of music, potentially the best of the 20th century, is Paul McCartney. Together with John Lennon, I don't think anyone has written anywhere near as many amazing songs as they did. To meet him would be overwhelming but could be the most inspiring conversation I could ever have. In the classical genre I am loving the music of Thomas Adés and his very original approach to modern orchestral music. Studying his orchestral scores has been a real challenge and if I were to meet him I would love to get some help with them.

• 7) Provide a valuable anecdote related to music or your days at music school.

  It used to be the case that I found public performance to be incredibly intimidating and had a lot of anxiety around it. Over the years I got used to it and now some of my fondest memories are from being on stage. I would recommend anyone to get comfortable playing their instrument in front of people as soon as possible.

• 8) What are the little touches that make you a Superprof in music?

  I treat every student as a unique individual. Although there are similarities in how we all master the basics of the guitar, so much of the lessons will be tailored to your specific relationship with learning the instrument and your interest in music.