Guitar, Electric Guitar & Bass Guitar

Guitar lessons are possible from the age of 8 years old.
To learn how to play the guitar demands an important physical effort – like the spreading of the fingers – that quickly can become discouraging for smaller hands, therefore we generally advice not to start with the guitar at a too young age.

For info and prices, request a free trial lesson (by email).
This first contact allows us to define, with you, the project that is best fit for you.

Teacher Martin Michiels - contact: 0479 33 56 37 – martin.michiels@gmail.com
Lessons can be followed in English, Dutch or French.

The guitar course is diverse and depends on which type of guitar one chooses. There are quite a lot of different guitar types on the market and each type comes with its specific styles and techniques; the one is played with the fingers, the other is played with a ‘pick’. It is of course also possible to choose for a combination of styles and of guitars.

Classical Guitar (or “Spanish” Guitar)
This is a guitar with nylon strings (bass strings surrounded by metal), with a large neck, that is played with the right hand fingers. Certainly ideal for Classical music, but also for beginners who have not yet decided which style of music they intend to play. This type of guitar is the easiest for (young) starters to learn the basic techniques of the instrument. Later on, one can always opt for different styles of music, and a different kind of guitar (or, of course, perfect oneself in the Classical music!).

Electric Guitar
With exceptions, most electric guitars have a hard body, a small neck, and produce almost no sound at all without the use of an amplifier. They are all equipped with electromagnetic pick-ups that transform the vibration of the strings into an electric signal. This type of guitar is usually played with a pick. It is mostly used for Blues and Rock, but also quite often in Jazz (there are also semi-acoustic guitars with one or more pick-ups and a hollow body of variable thickness).

Folk Guitar (or “Western” Guitar).
This guitar with steel strings has a smaller neck and a bigger body in comparison to the classical guitar. The steel strings produce a harder and clearer sound. This type of guitar is typical for Folk music (to learn how to play with chords for example) and for “Picking Blues”. The use of a pick, or not, entirely depends on the style of music. Compared to the classical guitar, the first steps on this type of guitar will be more difficult, especially for the left hand, because steel strings feel a lot harder and sharper than nylon strings (not recommended for children hands).

Jazz Guitar (or “Gypsy” Guitar)
This acoustic guitar with steel strings is mostly used for Gypsy Jazz (made famous by the Gypsy Jazz guitarist Django Reinhardt). Its internal construction produces a much harder and aggressive sound. It needs stronger hands to produce a good sound and is therefore not recommended for beginners. But for advanced students who likes to play the Jazz, this guitar can be a fantastic challenge.

Bass Guitar
This guitar is different from all the others in the much lower sound it produces. It usually has only 4 strings (sometimes 5 or 6). A much heard mistake is that the bass guitar is merely an easy “comping” (accompaniment) instrument. Not at all! In every musical style, the bass guitar can play the most interesting (and difficult) parts in the band, harmonically, rhythmically and melodically.

Which guitar should I buy?
This depends of course on your personal taste and style preference. But, be very much aware that the market is flooded with guitars of disputable quality. Contact us for a free try-out lesson before rushing to the music store. Our teachers will advice you also for the purchase of the guitar that should fit you the best.

The sheet music and audio files, necessary for the best work at home, are entirely free. To learn how to read music is not a strict necessity but is always recommended.