Ben Modley Guitar Tuition

My interest in the guitar started when I was 14. Having little else to do other than climb trees in rural Somerset I picked up my grandfather's fine Brazilian Giannini Guitar and with some help from my mother, I learnt some basic finger picking and the first few chords.

Inspired by Mark Knopfler and other great rock guitarists I started to teach myself to play from books and magazines. The time came when I felt I'd benefit from having some tuition and after just two lessons from a great teacher I discovered a passion for improvising. At 16 I played my first gig with two other guitarists - this was the moment I woke up to the invaluable experience that is playing with other people!

While studying a Diploma in popular music at college I joined a cover band and started gigging in and around the local area. My learning accelerated! Busy gigging most weekends, playing for college musicals and playing with and listening to classmates was the greatest foundation an aspiring musician could hope for. Playing countless gigs with the band in pubs and clubs all over the South West provided me with a solid understanding of all aspects of performance that can only be learned through experience.

During my college years I was introduced to jazz and the music of Django Reinhardt and the Quintette du Hot Club de France by a fellow classmate. Fascinated at the seemingly effortless improvising, spontaneity and beauty of his music, I formed a duo with my classmate and we studied and performed a lot of Django's music together.