Auckland
Guitar Lessons | Ensemble Coaching, Song Writing Workshops, Theory Lessons, Jazz Improvisation Lessons, NCEA Music Tutoring
Bio
Auckland Guitar School is Auckland’s specialist school of modern guitar playing, with an unparalleled reputation built over more than ten years.
We teach students from all over Auckland at our two locations in Howick (East Auckland) and Takapuna (North Shore).
The School was set up and is run by Dylan Kay, who has over 25 years professional guitar teaching experience, including many years at the Guitar Institute in London. His experience includes teaching many hundreds of students, teaching guitar at a number of high profile schools and colleges and writing for Guitarist and NZ Musician magazines.
Educated at Berklee College of Music, the Guitar Institute and Oxford University, Dylan studied with some of the world’s finest guitar educators. He has performed extensively in the US and throughout the UK leading his own bands and performing with others, everywhere from small cafes and bars through to theatres, clubs, festivals and the 02 Arena in London. Since moving to Auckland over 10 years ago, he has maintained an active performing schedule.
Teaching Info
At Auckland Guitar School, we are passionate about helping you become the guitar players you want to be – whatever your age, level or musical interests.
We are Auckland’s specialist guitar school. This allows us to direct our energy and expertise into providing the very best guitar education, bar none, for all our students and the results speak for themselves. (Visit our reviews page for proof of this).
We believe that playing guitar well is within anyone’s reach. With the right support and a little application, you CAN become a good guitarist, and realise your potential in music.
“I’m a beginner”
It’s very important to learn properly from the start, to avoid bad habits and to make good progress. Having the right materials, method and support will make all the difference in building your confidence. We can help!
“I already play guitar, but I’m stuck”
Guitar playing is already a part of your life, but you’re struggling to get to the next level. You know you might have developed you bad habits or have gaps in your playing, but don’t know how to fix this. We can help!
“I have a budding rockstar in the family!”
My child would love to play guitar and I’d love them to experience the huge benefits learning guitar has for kids’ development. I know it will be a lot of fun for them, and I can’t wait to see them showcase what they can do! We can help!
Whether you’re a total beginner, or have been playing for years and reached a plateau, we are passionate about helping people become the best musicians they can to be – whatever your age, level or musical interests.
Our structured tuition takes away the frustration of learning by yourself, and you’ll find the School to be an incredibly friendly and positive learning environment.
Our teachers
Our teachers are dedicated professionals and extensively trained in-house, so you get the highest quality teaching and the results you want from your studies.
Our unique teaching philosophy means that we are not just teachers, but trainers, mentors and coaches – the distinction is vitally important!
Curriculum
We work together from a unique core curriculum, built and proven over many years, so that you build strong foundations and develop the skills to play the music you love.
The work continues behind-the-scenes when you leave the classroom, so that we can offer you unmatched support, opportunities, experiences and value, above and beyond your regular lessons.
Facilities
Our dedicated premises, facilities and unique performance opportunities give you a huge advantage.
Want to play onstage in front of hundreds of people?
We have awesome regular student showcase concerts, and many other smaller performances throughout the year.
Want to write and record your own music?
We’ll give you the skills and book time in our recording studio.
Want to play with other people?
Check out our regular band coaching sessions, jam sessions and singing/playing classes.
Want to learn more?!
We have regular masterclasses and workshops on a whole range of topics, some of which feature world class musicians.
If you’re frustrated with your guitar playing, fed up with trying to teach yourself from the internet, or making slow progress with your current teacher, we can help! Our structured, proven approach means that you get faster results, build strong foundations and develop the skills to play the music you love.
Get in touch for your free evaluation – we’d love to help!
"My son started at the School first - I’d been playing on my own for years without really getting anywhere and when I saw his progress, I wanted to be a part of it! I had other teachers previously, but I wasn’t making any progress - I never got to a point where I had anything polished enough to perform. At AGS I’ve developed self-discipline and confidence and I now have tunes I can play for friends and family. To be able to pick up a beautiful instrument and play it half-decently is hugely rewarding!"
Lauren Worsley
"I just wanted to go in, have a course set out, know that the exercises would nail what I wanted to learn, and know that each week it would build up and consolidate. It’s amazing the amount of progress I’ve made (in 2 months of lessons) - before this I was kind of afraid to pick up the guitar… but here, you build your confidence really quickly, and it’s just so enjoyable. The thing I enjoy the most is that you’re with actual human beings, not just stuck in front of a computer trying to watch YouTube. The teacher is right there for immediate feedback, for immediate advice, for tips. They’re all trained really well, and they’re friendly and encouraging. A lot of people have had teachers where it just didn’t work out for them - I would say here, it’s just very different."
Aaron Watkinson
“I’m learning so much every week and I find that inspires me to pick the guitar up any chance I get… The constant feedback and encouragement, and tips and advice – I just find it invaluable, and find myself soaking it up, just loving it… I really look forward to the band sessions every month. They’re so much fun, and it makes you feel just a little bit like a musician :-)… My playing has progressed so fast compared to what I could possibly have learnt by surfing YouTube or trying to figure out somebody’s interpretation on Tabs.”
Marty Kemp
"Joining Auckland Guitar School nine months ago is one of the best things I've done. I had tried to learn guitar previously through books/DVDs, online lessons and a few teachers. Although I had gained some basic guitar skills, I lacked confidence, felt stuck in my learning, and frustrated that I still couldn't really play anything well. My weekly lessons at AGS have transformed my guitar learning. I am learning material that feels right for me, at a manageable pace and level of challenge. I am making progress in lots of areas - soloing, improvising, rhythm and theory. Thanks to AGS, the bits and pieces of musical knowledge I learned in the past are now coming together and making sense. I feel inspired, focused, and highly motivated to practice. The lessons are well structured and thoughtfully delivered by outstanding teachers. Each lesson builds upon the last, cleverly reinforcing knowledge and techniques. In the process, I am learning lots of fantastic songs which is a lot of fun!"
Belinda Griffiths
“I’ve learnt more in less than 12 months with Dylan than 7 years of lessons when I was a teenager – it’s fabulous. The pace of learning is excellent – I feel pushed in a positive way – challenged, but not that I can’t cope with it. I didn’t realise how much I could achieve. Having lessons motivates me to practice, and now I’ve got to the point where I’m completely addicted to practising and I can’t stop practising. I’m inspired to play and see a future where I’m a really competent musician. It’s not just the weekly lessons it’s the whole offering – it’s almost like being part of a family of musicians. You’ll feel like you’re part of something… obviously, all teachers are not created equal.”
Carren Richardson
"The good thing about having “real” lessons is that you can have your technique assessed and adjusted and learn to do things correctly, whereas with online lessons you’re just hoping you’ve got it right. Taking lessons at the School… my playing is just completely different from before. I’ve learnt to play properly, you learn the right way to do stuff so you don’t waste time by making mistakes and getting it wrong, and finally finding out what you should have been doing! I like the fact there’s a good structure to the lessons, and lots of variation. It makes it really interesting - it’s never boring learning to play the guitar here!"
Laura Witty
"The good thing about having “real” lessons is that you can have your technique assessed and adjusted and learn to do things correctly, whereas with online lessons you’re just hoping you’ve got it right. Taking lessons at the School… my playing is just completely different from before. I’ve learnt to play properly, you learn the right way to do stuff so you don’t waste time by making mistakes and getting it wrong, and finally finding out what you should have been doing! I like the fact there’s a good structure to the lessons, and lots of variation. It makes it really interesting - it’s never boring learning to play the guitar here!"
