Reviews

BEST MOVE EVER As a more mature student who picked up the guitar aged 50 plus and having spent 12 months having tuition elsewhere with slow progression i decided to move tutors to Mark. Best move ever. Having done some research i decided to give Mark a call. Been with him almost 12 months and my progress is significant. Mark has helped me to grow in confidence. His lessons are relaxed and at the same time highly informative. I can only say i haven't looked back at making the change. All my friends and family now enjoy listening to me play especially now they recognise the tune

Jan Whittle

GREAT INSTRUCTOR WHO MAKES LEARNING THE GUITAR FUN I decided when I hit 50 that I should be doing what I wanted to do at 20 and took the plunge, bought a guitar and contacted Mark. I was as much a beginner as you could be and Mark has shown lots of patience in teaching me the basics as well as progressing to some more complicated stuff. He is always very encouraging and adaptable to my needs and I look forward to my lessons which are great value for money.

Richard Johnson

Our Daughter has been having lessons for nearly 3 years with Mark and her progress has been outstanding, she has gone from being a complete novice to currently working towards her grade 5 exam, Mark also is helping her towards her music GCSE. Mark has taught her various styles of music and works at her pace. Mark is a lovely man and nothing is too much trouble.

Thanks Mark for you continued support.

Susan Middleton

I have been taking my two sons to Mark for their Guitar lessons for over a year now. One of my sons was a complete beginner and the other more advanced. Mark teaches you everything about the Guitar as an instrument and it's parts through to how to maintain and look after them. The style of tuition is brilliant and Mark has a great knack of knowing the speed to teach at dependent on ability. Mark allows you to play things you like as well as advising on particular pieces to go for to learn new skills, this is particularly helpful when going for grading. The lessons can be as fun or as serious as you like depending on what you want to play at the time, we like to mix it up a bit from playing Metallica one week to Jingle Bells the next!

Keep up the good work Mark !

Richard Smith

Very professional and very knowledgeable, puts student at ease. No pressure, very patient and eager to go at students pace with an option to advance. Clear feedback. Reliable and enjoyable. 

Really good worthwhile 1:1

Pam Holt

Excellent guitar teacher. My son has progressed so much since he started learning with Mark. He looks forward to lessons and doesn't mind practising the music set either !

Emma Bowkett 

Mark is a first class tutor, he is fantastic with my daughter with a lot of patience.

Would Highly recommend to anyone.  He is friendly and great with children.

Andrea Anglim 

"I have known Mark for several years now, and as well as being an exceptional guitar teacher, he also carries out guitar set ups to a very high standard. Mark will carry out any jobs on your guitar, from a basic string change, to a full set up, and due to the meticulous way that he works, he will not return your guitar to you until he is 100% happy with with it. I would highly recommend Mark for all your guitar needs, and I for one, would not go anywhere else."

John Faulkner

Mark teaches my daughter electric guitar.  I highly reccomend him.  He is a wonderful guitar

player himself and an excellent teacher. He is patient, well organised & tailors the lesson to suit her and her music interests. She was a complete beginner but it is amazing how much she's learnt about music & guitar in a short space of time. Top 'Marks'."

Andrea Jones

"I am hardly the typical new guitar student; well past 50, not looked at music in 40 years and never held a guitar. Couple that with me being relatively new to the area and without knowing who to approach to teach me to play guitar, it was down to "Google" to find the right person. All the reviews on AGT were very positive and within minutes of meeting Mark I knew I had made the right choice. His experience and skill with a guitar are outstanding yet it is his quiet, calm persona and relaxed style that make learning such fun. I have now had a grand total of 2 months tuition, one hour a week and I can make noise, almost "tunes" that sound as I intend, which is far more than I expected.

Seriously, Mark is an exceptional tutor and each week when I wait for my lesson, I see another smiling face, young and old, leaving after their lesson. He really does make it hugely enjoyable whilst coaxing the best from everyone. Highly recommended, this guy will motivate and bring out the best in you".

Steve Molesworth

"I have recently started lessons with Mark and would like to say what a consummate professional he is, with patience, warmth and clear explanations, whilst going well beyond what I expected. 

Being a novice I also wanted to learn about amps, guitar parts and equipment with impartial advice and Mark was more than willing to help out and guide me. His wealth of knowledge is excellent and he is now not only my teacher but also a really nice guy to know."

Scott Harding

Several years ago friends recommended Mark and I, in turn, would have no hesitation in recommending him too ! Mark takes each child's musical tastes into account and tailors his lessons accordingly meaning that he retains their interest and enthusiasm. He is always friendly and approachable, supportive of the children (and their parents!) and willing to go the extra mile to find that piece of music that they want to learn. Until my son started guitar lessons he struggled to find an interest which held his attention - he started learning with Mark 6 years ago and has passed his grade 8 this summer !

 

Alison Frewin

"Mark is a great guitar teacher, kind considerate and helpful. 

He makes learning a very enjoyable experience whilst also ensuring technical progression. "

Sandra Brickill

My teenage son has been getting lessons from Mark for the last two years. His technical ability, playing and love of music have developed greatly thanks to Mark.

David Ewing

"Mark has been tutoring my daughter in guitar for the past three months and we both have nothing but high praise for him. Mark is warm and patient when teaching and very enthusiastic about the electric guitar. My daughter leaves every lesson saying that she has learned something new. When she gets a bit discouraged with her progress, Mark is always there with a positive word.Mark 's approach is very person centered and he tailors his lessons to the students ability and personality. I would not hesitate to recommend Mark to players of all ages and abilities."

Terry Thompson

I can thoroughly recommend Mark as a guitar teacher. He has a friendly relaxed style with an excellent knowledge of guitar techniques, music theory and the correct setting up and adjustment of guitars.

Ian Perkins

I can strongly recommend Mark for anyone wanting to learn guitar from scratch or wanting to improve their skills. Firstly, he is a great guitarist and just as importantly, he is a first class teacher. I am a person of more "mature" years and he has tailored his approach to what I wanted to learn so that I could move away from strumming a few chords as a bedroom guitarist to being able to play rhythm guitar in what is turning out to be quite a reasonable band - great fun! As a person, he is approachable, patient, flexible and dedicated to guitar music. I'm sure that anyone signing up for lessons won't regret doing so.  

Malcolm Haigh

 

I have been a student for several months now and find that the tuition is of an excellent standard. Mark is both very knowledgeable and paces the learning very well. The teaching environment is both comfortable and practical and I would have no hesitation in recommending Mark to anyone seeking quality guitar tuition.

     Steve O'Sullivan

When I started having lessons a few years ago I knew very little about playing the guitar. Mark has helped me to progress at my own speed, with no pressure to play any songs I don't like. My standard of playing has now improved dramatically with help from Mark. He has a lovely calm and patient manner and my weekly lessons provide a great escape from day to day life, as it's all about the love of music. I would recommend Mark as a teacher to anyone.

Natalie Goward

My son has been having guitar lessons with Mark for a few years now. He is so friendly, patient and encouraging, my son loves going. His knowledge of all genres of music is so extensive, this has been passed on to my son. Mark's enthusiasm always shows so much so my son now wants to carry music on into further education.

Stuart Brown

 

I have been trying to learn to play the guitar for more than 2 years and have got nowhere. I had my first lesson with Mark last week and all of a sudden, everything makes sense!  The difference between Mark and everyone else was simple - Mark introduced rhythm to the chords, and all of a sudden everything became clear.  Mark has a fantastic ability to put people at ease as soon as you meet him and the atmosphere in the music room was calm, friendly and extremely conducive to learning. It's obviously very early days yet, but I finally believe that I am going to learn to play the guitar. Since my first lesson Mark has emailed lots of training materials to me, which just reinforces Marks' commitment to his students. I am looking forward to the rest of my lessons with great anticipation and am excited by the fact that finally I am going to be able to play the guitar. 

 

Graham Hatton-Downward

Mark has worked with our son for over 8 years. He explores Lewis' interests in music to ensure his lessons are both interesting and enjoyable. He has supported Lewis to consider many different ranges of
music themes which have not only supported his playing but all also his learning academically for school.

Mark is extremely patient, motivational and has inspired Lewis to become more confident as a person and as a musician. Lewis has passed his grades with distinction and Mark always ensures Lewis is equipped to complete exams with no pressure and confidence to do so.

We would certainly recommend Mark as a tutor due to his knowledge, expertise, passion and ability to engage and develop to a high standard.

We have a lot of thanks and admiration for Mark's support for Lewis and wish him continued success with his tuition with those lucky enough to learn from him.

Jude Houghton

As a man in his 50's I am not as fast a learner as I used to be. Mark is patient and kind and has helped me to progress much more quickly than I had expected. He really is a true master of the guitar and can impart his knowledge in a variety of ways so that if I don't understand something in one way, he always finds a different way to explain or show me. Mark is positive and encouraging and I always come away from my lessons feeling enthusiastic and energised. He makes learning the guitar fun. I really look forward to my guitar lessons.

David Quesnel

Since starting guitar lessons with Mark, my 8 year old's confidence has come on in leaps and bounds.  He had no prior musical knowledge, but under Mark's patient and calm guidance, he is now reading music and playing confidently.  My son really looks forward to his lessons and I am delighted with how quickly he is progressing.  Being able to sit in on the lessons ensures that I know what is expected and what needs to be practiced and focused on at home.  The music room itself has a very relaxed, homely atmosphere that puts children at ease and opens up their minds for learning.

Heather Wilde

 

Mark is a very talented guitarist and a determined teacher. He brings flair and new ideas to playing the guitar and can teach beginners, teach for formal qualifications, or  simply help you to improve and extend your capabilities.  He teaches young people and even old fogies like me!  He also recognizes people's own desires and doesn't push you in a direction you don't want to go.  Learn with Mark and you'll learn well.

 

Jon Hunt

I have been having lessons with Mark for 2 years now and thoroughly enjoy his relaxed but informative approach. I have learned far more than I thought I would, Mark uses a lot of different teaching aids to make things appear a lot clearer than at first.  As well as learning curricular material he also encourages learning of modern songs that incorporate new techniques making learning enjoyable. I look forward to my lesson and would highly recommend Avondale Guitar Tuition if you're considering having lessons. 

 

James Harrison

 

Mark is fantastic at putting you at ease and is easy to get along with. I'm 48 and have just started to learn to play, Mark has made it a pleasure.  Also has a massive repertoire to call on to keep it interesting.  Recommended five stars.

Rob Ward

Mark was initially recommended to us about 6 years ago. Our son had just been given his first guitar and wanted to learn to play so he could perform to thousands and be admired by more !!    Little did he know it was going to take time.   As eager as he was we felt this would be short lived like many other interests he'd had before.  Mark has worked with him each week teaching and inspiring him to learn many different types of music, building techniques which have seen him through to passing each grade with distinction.  

Mark's calm & relaxed attitude to teaching has helped our son become the confident musician he is today. Still eager to continue learning and yet to play to thousands our son remains enthused in developing his guitar playing and Mark has a fine skill in keeping the lessons interesting with his endless knowledge. We would all highly recommend him.