Peter Webster

I am a professional musician and tutor based in Glasgow, Scotland. I teach guitar, tin whistle and wooden flute.

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Tin Whistle and Wooden Flute

I teach traditional Scottish and Irish music to an advanced level. As well as learning tunes, my teaching focuses on learning and improving the techniques (phrasing, ornamentation etc) required to play a traditional tune in a confident, accomplished manner.

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Guitar

I teach several styles of guitar. Accompaniment of traditional music can be taught to an advanced level. Other styles such as rock and blues can be covered to an intermediate level. Please see below for information on my specialist programme of teaching for young children.

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Specialist teaching for young guitarists aged 5-9

Over the past few years there have been an increasing number of young children expressing a desire to learn guitar. However there are insufficient opportunities for young children to receive tuition appropriate to their age. Many children are taught using the same basic methods and materials designed to teach adults and older children. In response to this I have designed a programme of instruction particularly suited to young guitarists aged 5-9. Kodály principles are used to build a sound musical foundation and increase musical literacy whilst learning guitar by an age specific, child-centred approach. The programme is suitable for complete beginners and those with some musical experience, and can build upon "Colourstrings" and other early year’s music education. It covers the basic technique of several different styles including rock, folk and classical.

What are Kodály principles?

Zoltán Kodály, a Hungarian educationalist and composer, revolutionised music education in the 1950’s with a set of philosophies that later became the base for the “Kodály method”- a highly regarded method of teaching now used worldwide to great effect. Several of his philosophies are incorporated into this programme. The lessons and materials are designed using a child-developmental approach. New ideas are introduced in the order in which the child finds easiest, with difficult and unnecessary concepts left until later in the child’s musical development. New concepts are constantly reviewed through games and exercises. These help to reinforce pitch, rhythm, reading and aural skills.

Kodály believed that the first music a child should play should be the native folk music of their own country. Many of the pieces used in this programme are traditional Scottish songs and folk tunes whose sound and style will be familiar to children, even if their only exposure to Scottish music has been subconsciously through television, radio or at school.

Other Kodály principles, such as the use of rhythmic syllables to understand rhythm are also incorporated.

I also encourage all students to compose their own music from a very early stage which helps develop creative thinking as well as reinforce their understanding of basic music concepts and techniques.

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Tutor Biog

Peter Webster graduated in 2006 from Strathclyde University with a BA (Hons) degree in Applied Music. Since then he has worked extensively as a tutor and professional musician. For several years he has been a member of the Celtic Connections Education programme, performing traditional music to over 10,000 children during the festival as well as working on a number of specialist projects throughout the year. As an educationalist he has been invited to teach in Ireland, Finland and North America as well as many events here in the UK. He is currently writing a guitar teaching book based on Kodály principles for children aged 5-9. As a professional musician he has toured extensively throughout Europe, Japan and the USA, performing in a diverse range of venues and settings from the Glasgow Royal Concert Hall to a Tartan Week performance in Grand Central Station, New York. He has appeared on television and radio numerous times, including live performances on the Vic Galloway show and BBC Scotland Hogmany Live and an appearance on Newsnight Scotland.