FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS

Q: How long does it take to become good on guitar?

A: This is one of the first questions that come to mind when first starting out. The answer depends on many factors, such as what is your definition of ‘good’, how well and consistently you practice, how hard you want to succeed, etc. Like every other area of study, you will get out of it in proportion to how much effort you put into it. One thing we can promise you however: if you do what we instruct you to do without fail, we will make you better than you believe you can be in as short a time as possible, and much quicker than would be possible with most inefficient ‘traditional’ methods out there.

Q: Do I need to have any previous music knowledge or experience to learn guitar?

A: No previous knowledge is needed to start learning guitar. We’ll make sure you reach your musical goals, whether you’re starting out as a total beginner or are already experienced.

Q: I would like to write my own original songs eventually, but I’ve heard that only people born with a special kind of talent can become composers / songwriters. Is this true?

A: Totally false. Song writing is something you develop like any other skill, and anyone can learn to do it. Everyone can learn how to be creative. This is another area where the innovative teaching methods you will experience at Malta Rock Academy can make a world of difference.

Q: Do I need to learn acoustic guitar before learning electric guitar?

A: Not at all. This is an old myth. It’s always better to start on the instrument which is your goal to play. If you want to play electric guitar music, then start right away on electric guitar. There are many techniques specific to the electric guitar which can only be learnt on an electric guitar. Also, the electric guitar can be much easier to handle at first, especially for beginners. It allows a student to start out with very light strings which greatly reduce the discomfort while finger calluses develop, it can be set up to be very easy to play, and its thinner body and neck are much easier to get around, especially for young students who are still growing. The electric guitar is also a very versatile instrument, due to the huge array of playing techniques it allows you to use, and the vast variety of sounds it can produce. This makes it almost infinitely adaptable to any musical style. For all these reasons, we recommend the electric guitar as the best option hands down, if you are still undecided on which type of guitar you want to learn on. And if you already play acoustic, we still recommend that you take up the electric as well, since it’s just so much fun.

Q: Will I be able to play electric guitar at home? Aren’t they too loud?

Again, it may surprise you, but the electric guitar is the better choice also for controlling sound levels. Electric guitars only produce a lot of volume when connected to a powerful amplifier turned up loud. But you can also practice ‘unplugged’ (not connected to any amplifier), in which case the volume is much less than that of an acoustic guitar. For playing amplified, a small practice amplifier can be turned down to very low volumes, and if you absolutely don’t want to bother anyone, there is also the option of headphone amplifiers.

Q: Do you teach playing guitar with a pick, or finger style?

A: At Malta Rock Academy we specialize in rock, pop, blues and metal oriented styles, which are mainly played on steel string electric guitars using a pick. Although some techniques call for playing without a pick all the time, we do not specialize on styles which are mainly based around finger picking. If you are certain you want to learn styles which are based on finger picking (such as classical or flamenco), we suggest that you find another teacher who specializes in those styles.

Q: When should I buy a guitar?

A: As soon as you can. The more readily you can practice anytime you want, the faster your progress.

Q: At what age can one start learning the guitar?

A: The guitar requires a certain minimum entry level of coordination and mental maturity, so it’s not ideally suited to very young kids. As a general guideline, most kids 10 years old and above should be ready to start studying the guitar fruitfully. Some younger kids will do fine as well. This of course can only be assessed on a case by case basis. For many, somewhere around 12 to 15 seems to be an ideal starting age. The electric guitar is a very ‘aspirational’ or ‘heroic’ instrument, one which captures the imagination. This tends to integrate very well with a young teenager’s growing sense of self. The more students can pour emotion into the study of their instrument by picturing glamourous images of themselves becoming ‘rock stars’ in the future – making it an integral part of their ideal self-image – the more passion and motivation they can channel into becoming very good, very quickly. On the other hand, if you are an adult and have never picked up a guitar or any other instrument yet, do not let this bother you for even one moment. It’s a big myth that you can only learn to play an instrument if you start very young. Anyone with the desire to learn can learn. Age is irrelevant. Whether you’re 15, 35 or 50, rest assured that we’ll make your guitar playing dreams come true.

Q: I want to play in a band eventually / have a band already. Can you help prepare me for that / improve my skills for band performance?

A: Absolutely!

Q: Do you teach any other instruments?

A: We don’t want to be a jack of all trades and master of none. Our mission is to provide the best guitar instruction available, and that is what we specialize on exclusively.

Q: Do you offer cheap guitar lessons?

A: No. We fix the damage done by cheap guitar lessons!