Learn to Play all styles of Guitar
Are you a newbie trying to learn your very first song or a professional player needing help with advanced theory, or maybe just looking for lessons for your kids ?
Complete beginners to expert level welcome, ages 10 to senior.
Based in Monkstown, Dun Laoghaire, Co Dublin.
Ph: Gordon at 086 8039 153
COURSES
Our Course Offerings
Acoustic Guitar
Beginners to advanced
Chords, strumming and capos. Learn to play your favorite songs with a friendly, experienced teacher and performer.
Barre chords, finger-picking, flat picking, classical & folk. All ages & levels welcome.
Guitar for Kids & Teens
Beginners
Ages 10 and upwards. Lot of fun, develop a great technique on the guitar while learning to play songs and repetoire pieces for school and family gatherings. Learn from an experienced teacher who has taught in various primary and secondary schools in the area (details on request).
Electric Guitar
Beginners to advanced
Riffs, solos, powerchords, lead. Play ‘Guitar Hero’ songs for real on the electric guitar! Rock, pop, funk, country, indie etc. Amps & effects pedals – sounds & setups. Metallica, Nirvana, Chili Peppers etc.
Theory & Music Reading
Beginners to advanced
Learn to read proper classical music notation. Learn theory and how to apply it to your own music and playing, with or without knowing how to read music.
Modes, key signatures, scale & chord construction and formulas etc. Study with the the teacher’s teacher who studied classical theory at Trinity college Dublin.
Music for Junior & Leaving Cert
Secondary School
Appropriate music pieces for the state exams, classical and / or modern.
Scales, sight reading, ear training, theory.
Stand alone course or to complement classes taken in school.
Classes for ‘An Gaisce’ (The President’s Award) are also available.
Blues Guitar
Beginners to advanced
Advanced penatonics, double stops, unison bends, proper intonation, vibrato. Dominant 7th inversions, chord & scale substitutions, adding jazzy elements to your playing. Turn-arounds & nailing the chord changes. Acoustic, electric, slide. Robben Ford, Eric Johnson, Bonamassa, BB King, Stevie Ray Vaughan etc.
Songwriting
All levels & all styles
Start writing and recording your own songs or polish your skills and take your writing and composing to the next level. Melodies, chord progressions, song structure, harmonies etc. Popular songs are studied and analysed to see what makes them work so well. Songs can be recorded during class.
Recording & Music Technology
All levels & all styles
Learn how to turn your computer into a recording studio using free software that previously cost $500. Midi, sampling, EQ and mixing. Microphone recording and placement techniques for getting great vocal, acoustic and electric guitar sounds. Get an authentic live feel or go completely electronic, the possibilities are unlimited.
Shred – Advanced Guitar
Advanced
Mayhem & fun – learn all the techniques. Two handed tapping, sweep & alternative picking, string skipping, arpeggios, legato, 3 note per string scales, diminished & harmonic minor scales. Vinnie Moore & Steve Vai 10 hour workouts! Satriani, Vai, Rhoades, Gilbert, Gambale,Malmsteen etc.
My Story
Gordon Leary is one of Ireland’s premier session guitarists and music educators, running his popular and extremely busy teaching studio based in Monkstown, Dun Laoghaire Co Dublin, with students from all over South Dublin inlcuding Blackrock, Booterstown, Bray, Cabinteely, Carrickmines, Cherrywood, Dalkey, Foxrock, Killiney, Loughlinstown, Sandyford, Shankhill.
Gordon studied piano and classical guitar from on early age, and later went on to study Classical Music and Composition in Trinity College Dublin under Professor Hormoz Farhat, (previously Court Composer to the Shah Of Iran).
A fascination with recording and computer technology led to setting up a small home recording studio where he composes and produces music in various styles from pop and rock to instrumental guitar and electronica.
A featured Artist with a track included on the Irish Allied Dance Compilation, his “MetaRhoades” track was used on American TV program Top Slopes (on Epic Sports TV – extreme sports channel), and has also produced music for the corporate sector (including www.needahotel.com).
He recorded 2 separate Fanning Sessions for the Dave Fanning Radio Show on 2FM with Damson Curve and Redd, and has more recently done a nation wide promotional radio tour with Crashed Music Artist Aaron James, including a live appearance on ITV.
Passionate about performing live, Gordon has played everything from classical guitar at church weddings and functions, to pop/jazz/blues/ rock etc. with many different types of bands and artists including Red, Damson Curve, Aaron James, support to Aslan, Joanna & Tequila Sunrise, Kay Twins and Gossip to mention a few.
Guitar session with Johnny Sexton
As part of the Mace Right Options Promotion 2025, I got a chance to meet the legendary Irish ruby player Johnny Sexton AND give him his first ever guitar class!
Filmed end of November (29th) 2024 at the Airfield Estate in Dundrum, we had great chats, played some guitar & generally had a lot of fun!