Practical Guitar and Music theory in Edinburgh. 2 degrees in Jazz guitar and Vocal Performance

Find out more about Rodrigo

• When did you first develop a passion for music and your favourite instrument?

  My first approach to music was when I was about 11 years old, what really happened was that I just learn how to play the melody of "Stand by me" on guitar, when I was about 13 years old I started to learn guitar properly, I was self-taught and I just wanted to smash it in the guitar so I got to rehearse by my own for about 5-7 hours per day until my parents drove crazy.

• Is there a particular type music or artist that you listen to on a loop without it driving you crazy?

  I think as a musician you learn to appreciate music no matter how much time you listen to it but this comes with time and practice.
  I think y taste in music has evolved like my abilities and my perspective has changed as well, so I used to just like Pop music when I was around 10 years old, then Rock, Alternative, Metal, Progressive, Indie, and Jazz All of them were great to me and each of them had a very specific timeline when I was passionate and just hear that one genre. if I just answer my favorite band or genre I would say that right now is anything that sounds beautiful and real.

• Explain to us the most difficult or riveting course you could personally give to a student of music.

  I did study Jazz, Improvisation, harmony, songwriting, and arrangements, it seems to be another world apart from interpretation but it is not, once you understand what you are playing and the congruence with the advanced theory, A whole world of revolutionary and non-existing scales and techniques open. If an advanced Player it is willing to refresh and stop playing the old same things and it's stocked I would encourage him to approach to me and change his perspective of guitar, to get to know weird scales and substitution of chords, modes and the varieties of each of them and how you can alternate them. Its exciting.

• What do you think is the most complicated instrument to master and why? .

  Maybe its because I am very used to the guitar, and bass form but I would say that it has been challenging for me to learn violin, but I have heard a great drummer friend mine with a lot of experience that actually on just one snare you can achieve more sounds than I can in my whole instrument.

• What are your keys to success?

  To learn and teach I think they can be the same.
  Patience: Don't play fast, don't take more information than the one that you can process, give it a try where you sound great rehearse it, and expand it in time.
  Perseveration: Keep going every day for at least 15 minutes if you are starting, keep practicing you will get good I promise you won't regret.
  Perspective: Sometimes the way our friends learn or teach are working for specific situations or people, if you are not getting it, change the point of view and make it simple for you.

• Name three musicians you dream of meeting in your favourite bar in the early hours of the morning. Explain why.

  Kurt Cobain: No just his music but I watch his videos and performance and I would like just to know about himself, maybe just to have a chat and to know his perspective of art, music, life...
  Pat Martino: He lost his memory and relearned how to play the guitar, so he made it twice and he is an amazing jazz player, I would like to know how he sees the guitar.
  Eddie Vedder: I love his attitude on stage and his ideals, I think I would enjoy having a beer or whatever with him and it will feed my hope on the revolutionary artists looking to change and make this a more peaceful and happy place.

• Provide a valuable anecdote related to music or your days at music school.

  I used to have a horrible teacher, I was struggling with chart reading and he used to be rude and pretentious, He gave me an Ultimatum to relearn everything (I wasn´t that bad, to be honest, some fellas used to loof for me for some advice and get away with each class) I had to read and practice about 300 pages of charts and Lecture Exercises in about 3 days. I f you are learning that's a lot of work to do I swear, I managed, I slept about 4 hours per day and forgot about any other activities I had to do, But guess what, I made it, He congratulated me, I was not searching for his approval but to prove myself, It made me feel so released when I finished and I had it ALL.

• What are the little touches that make you a Superprof in music?

  I want to know my students, I know we need to be understood to have better advice. My students are great I love them and I am very proud of their work and how they have developed their skills, some of them were not able to play at all and in 5 months now I am teaching them the solos they want to learn and semi-advanced progressions and scales, I just really enjoy teaching and I have out a lot of effort to have my own "team" my students.