Welcome to the Blues and Rock Guitar Lesson

Hi, I'm Stuart Ryan, a guitarist and composer from the UK. I'm here to guide you through pieces in the blues and rock genres, from debut all the way up to grade eight.

My Background

• I've been playing guitar for nearly 30 years.
• I've worked as a professional guitarist for the last 15 years.
• My roles include:
  • Studio musician
  • Concert guitarist
  • Composer

Writing Contributions

For the last 15 years or so, I've been:

• Writing acoustic guitar columns for:
  • Guitar Techniques
  • Guitarist magazines
• Contributing pieces to:
  • Acoustic Magazine
  • Acoustic Guitar in Germany
  • Many others across the world

Composing and Teaching

I also work as a composer for TV, writing music for various programs and music libraries. I'm very active as a clinician for the Takamine Guitar Company, where I:

• Travel around playing their guitars
• Hold performance clinics

Additionally, I teach at the Bristol Institute of Modern Music (known as BIM). Teaching is a passion of mine, as I've been doing it for a long time.

Notable Achievements

Most importantly, I recorded many of the guitar parts on the original Rock School syllabus many years ago.

Course Overview

It's a real pleasure to revisit these pieces and break down the guitar parts to help you understand how they work.

What We'll Cover

• Stylistic elements
• How to use:
  • The picking hand
  • The fretting hand
• Improvisation techniques:
  • Approaching solos
  • Useful scales and techniques for exam preparation

So, get your guitar, tune up, and let's have some fun with these pieces!