The William Jenks Guitar Method

What should you expect from lessons with William Jenks?

The best way for most people to learn to play guitar is through private lessons with a qualified, patient, and inspiring instructor. There is so much information out there on how to play guitar that it can be overwhelming to even know where to start. Even if you have access to the best information, you must have feedback making sure you’re understanding things correctly and practicing effectively. That is why real time private lessons are so important. With over 25 years of experience and proven success in working with hundreds of students of different ages and levels, William Jenks is confident that he will help you achieve excellence in learning the instrument and keep you inspired along your musical journey.

The technique of the classical guitar has been around the longest (for hundreds of years) and has had the most time to develop. That is why starting with the classical guitar is the best because you will establish a strong foundation in guitar technique, music theory, practice habits, and eventually performance skills. Many have heard the term “practice makes perfect” which is partially true but really “perfect practice makes perfect” is a better way of thinking. You will play how you practice so getting it right from the beginning is key. If you are a complete beginner, in some ways that is great because you haven’t learned any bad habits yet and you can start practicing effectively from the very beginning. If you need to break some bad habits, that can be done as well. We establish habits through repetition.

Not only does William Jenks have a formal education earning a bachelor of arts degree where he graduated magna cum laude and has over 25 years teaching experience, he has also worked with the top classical guitarists in the world where he has presented over 200 concerts and 100 master classes. He has also been on the jury for many major international guitar competitions. During this time, he has discovered recurring patterns on how students learn effectively and he has fine tuned his teaching method.

Before you start your online lessons, you need to know the following things to get the most out of your lessons:

It is recommended that we have an introductory online meeting where we can meet face to face. There we can get to know each other a bit and we can make sure you have a sufficient instrument, and you have the right audio/visual equipment, musical accessories, and study materials for your lessons. This meeting is free and there is no obligation to continue with lessons. You can book this free lesson consultation appointment here. In most cases, it is recommended that children must be at least 7 years of age to begin guitar lessons and it is recommended that parents sit in with their child at least initially to get started and periodically as recommended.
For lessons with William Jenks, you will need a traditional nylon string classical guitar. There are many aspects to what is considered a good classical guitar but at least make sure that the instrument is set up properly and that the action isn’t too high (the action is the distance between the strings and the frets). If it is too high, it will be difficult to play and will cause frustration and discomfort. If the action is too low, it will cause buzzing and unwanted noises in your playing. The instrument should be able to be properly tuned. All guitars will need to be regularly tuned every time you play it but it must be free from intonation problems which can be caused by a variety of issues that can only be addressed by an instrument repair technician.If you are unsure on the condition of your guitar, you can take it to your local repair shop which is found in most music stores to have this checked out. For children between the ages of 9 to 11, it is recommended that they use a ¾ size guitar or a ½ size for students under 9.
For online lessons, it is best if you use a computer rather than a cell phone or tablet and have a digital interface and external microphone outside of your computer. This will give the best representation of the actual sound you are producing which is very important. This investment is far worth it for anyone playing music because you will not only get more out of your lessons but you can also record yourself with high quality sound and listen back to it which is one of the most important practice tools. We recommend Focusrite digital interfaces. The Scarlet model with two pre-amps is sufficient and the Clarett model with two pre-amps has even a higher quality sound for more serious recording.There are other good brands on the market but we have had the most experience with Focusrite products. Honestly, almost anything is better than using the built-in microphones on your computer. For microphones, there are many good brands on the market but we recommend Blue microphones which is what William uses in his lessons. The Blue Microphone Bluebird SL XLRCardioid will be sufficient but the Blue Baby Bottle will be even better and in fact; that is the exact microphone William uses with a Focusrite Clarett 2pre digital interface. The other important thing is you should use studio monitor speakers or at least something better than the speaker built into your computer. Headphones can work but they can be a bit of a hassle to use in a guitar lesson. We recommend using studio monitors plugged into your Focusrite digital interface for the best sound quality and William uses M-Audio BX-5 speakers. For video, we recommend using some type of webcam or external camera on an adjustable stand which gives you more options for getting the right angle for your lessons. Much like audio recording, a decent quality webcam or video camera can be an excellent tool in making sure that you get the most out of your lessons and can be another very useful practice tool. You can watch your own video footage to analyze your basic playing posture, hand positions, and check your overall musical performance from a visual perspective. We will discuss the importance of all of this more in our lessons.
You will need a reliable internet connection with speeds between 10 and 25 Mbps for download speed and at least 3 Mbps for upload speed. This range ensures smooth video quality and minimal disruptions during our lessons.
You will need a guitar tuner but there are many apps that you can download for free. We recommend Pro GuitarTuner which is a free app you can download to your computer or smart phone.
You will need a guitar support or an adjustable foot stool, William used a traditional footstool for years but now uses a guitar support known as the ErgoPlay (Troster model) which he found is better overall for posture and back comfort. It is recommended that you get the Kling-On Guitar Stabilizer II which helps keep the guitar in a stable position while playing.
For all complete beginners and most students that are trying out classical guitar after playing another style, you will need the book called Solo Guitar Playing Book -1, 4th. Edition by Frederick M. Noad. This book has everything you need to begin reading music, playing important exercises, and has a graded repertoire from beginner to advanced. Also, eventually you will also need Pumping Nylon by Scott Tennant, and the Segovia Major and Minor Scales. If you are a more advanced player and you can already read music, your curriculum will be discussed and recommended specifically in your lessons.
You will need an adjustable music stand.
You will need to allocate some regular practice time in your schedule. While the quantity of time you practice can be important, it is the quality of what you do in this time that matters most. We will discuss maximizing your practice time and creating an effective practice plan in our lessons.
You should think through why you want to learn to play the guitar and write down some long-term and short-term goals. We will talk about the importance of goal setting in our lessons.
One goal of every player should be to work toward a performance. This might be just for a small group of friends, yourself, or even a pet at first but we will discuss in your lessons how to build confidence and eventually learn to enjoy the process of sharing music with others. We hold regular student recitals and can suggest other performance opportunities.