Frequently Asked Questions
General FAQs
Most guitar schools focus on what to teach… We focus on how you actually improve in each area of guitar playing and musicality.
That means:
- You don’t just learn songs randomly
- You don’t get stuck repeating mistakes
- You don’t feel lost between lessons
Instead, we break your playing down into clear, trainable skills — so you always know:
- what to practice > in the right order, and right areas
- how to practice > so you improve all the areas necessary to reach your goals
- why it works > so you understand the process
- how to continually make rapid progress while having FUN improving on guitar!
And, you will be trained in each area that you need to reach your musical goals. That’s why our students don’t just “learn songs”…
They actually become confident, independent guitar players musicians.
Great question! Anyone Some people can learn from YouTube.
The real question is… why do most people quit when they try?
Because YouTube gives you:
- Random lessons
- No structure
- No feedback
- No correction when you make mistakes (IF you even KNOW you are making mistakes!)
So you end up:
- jumping between videos
- practicing the wrong things (in the wrong way, in the wrong order)
- getting stuck without knowing why
- developing BAD habits (that need to be unlearned later on)
What we do is remove all that noise.
You get a clear path, personalised guidance, and real feedback —
so you actually improve instead of guessing.
This is more common than you think.
Most people didn’t fail because they “can’t learn guitar”…
They failed because they were:
- Practicing the wrong things
- Following no structure
- Given poor guidance, instruction or teaching
- Simply weren’t taught how to practice the stuff that matters most
- Or left to figure things out alone
At GuitarKL, we fix that. We will gain an in-depth knowledge about your guitar playing needs and:
- Identify exactly where you’re stuck
- Turn your weaknesses into exercises
- Guide you step-by-step
- Get you real results
So, instead of trying to do the same things and expecting a different result, we focus on what will actually make you a better guitar player.
This is a Fair question.
Most people quit because:
- Progress feels slow
- Things feel confusing
- Or they don’t see improvement
So motivation drops.
We solve that by making progress:
- clear
- measurable
- achievable
Would you quit again if you knew exactly what to do, saw consistent and measurable progress, finally able to do the things you always wanted to, and had FUN while achieving all of it?
Guitar Lessons at GuitarKL is for you if you:
- Want to actually understand what you’re doing (not just copy songs)
- Want a clear path instead of guessing
- Want to develop your skills in all guitar and musical areas that will help you reach your goals
- Want to be taught, coached, mentored and trained by a teacher who has training and certification in Teaching guitar specifically
- Don’t want a ‘cookie-cutter’ approach that basically everyone else uses to teach
- Don’t want to be taught the same way that music teachers have been teaching for centuries (and want to step into the modern era of teaching)
- Are willing to practice (even a little consistently)
- Love having fun on guitar
You’ll LOVE it here!
If you:
❌ Want cookie-cutter lessons
❌ Want to put in zero effort
❌ Don’t want to improve your guitar playing
Then honestly — this won’t be for you.
Once you submit the form:
- We’ll reach out to you
- Understand your goals, your current level, your challenges and anything else specific to you
- Help you book your intro session
Just a simple conversation to see:
- where you are
- where you want to go
- and how we can help
Great question!
Simple truth – the better I get to know about you, your challenges and goals, the better I can help you and tailor your experience.
(If your teacher doesn’t ask you those things – how would they know? You don’t want those boring-old cookie-cutter lessons right? )
Don’t be intimidated – the form is dynamic.
The less experience you have, the less there is to answer.
I look forward to coaching people who are invested in themselves, and invest the time to answer a few simple questions. 😎
This isn’t just a “trial lesson”.
It’s more like a diagnostic + first breakthrough session.
Every session is a little different, but here’s what typically happens:
- Assess your current level (even if you’re a total beginner)
- Identify what’s holding you back
- Show you how to fix it
Most students leave with:
✅ more clarity
✅ immediate improvement
✅ a better idea of what to focus on
✅ and in some cases… mind blown 🤯 (in a good way, of course!)
Once you join:
- You’ll get a structured learning path
- Personalised guidance every lesson
- Clear practice direction between lessons
- You’ll begin building the ‘Pillars’ of your guitar playing and musicianship
We’ll be with you every step of the way, overcoming obstacles together, and achieving your goals by improving consistently.
Look for 3 things:
- Clarity – Can they explain things in multiple ways at multiple levels?
- Structure – Do they have a system, or just random teaching?
- Results – Are their students actually improving?
A good teacher doesn’t just “know guitar”…
They know how to teach it in a way you understand.
Check out some of our student reviews: guitarkl.com/testimonials
Check out our guide on How To Choose A Guitar Teacher Part 1:
https://guitarkl.com/2018/07/11/choosing-a-guitar-teacher-part-1/
Check out our guide on How To Choose A Guitar Teacher Part 2:
https://guitarkl.com/2018/07/11/choosing-a-guitar-teacher-part-2/
This is a common question, and a necessary one too! However, a more important question is “How much time, frustration and money will it cost you if you do NOT learn the guitar from an experienced guitar teacher with proven strategies?” In essence, YOU PAY FOR WHAT YOU GET. If you only want to pay RM20 per lesson (cheap), you’ll get that kind of education (and learn “some things” but never able to “do and use all those things well”).
I do not display my prices on my website – once I have an in-depth conversation with you I will know what program will be suitable for you. Also, simply by knowing the prices of anyone’s guitar lessons, you will not be able to make an informed decision of what is best for you. NOT ALL GUITAR LESSONS ARE EQUAL: If you are just looking for the cheapest lessons in town, my lessons are NOT for you. I like to help people who are motivated to do what it takes to play guitar the way they’ve always wanted to.
Everyone is different, and has different needs, challenges, backgrounds and goals and affordability – I offer different programs and options to suit your individual needs (I’m not talking about skill level or which grade you are at – like most music schools). Whatever your situation is, I’m confident that I can find a solution that meets your needs without burning a hole in your pocket.
To get started, I would like you to tell me more about yourself on this page: https://guitarkl.com/your-skill-level/
Beginner FAQs
Short answer: No.
Long answer:
Most adults think they’re “too old” because:
- They believe in myths like ‘you have to start young’ or you ‘miss the boat’
- They believe in myths like ‘kids learn faster than adults’ (if you really believe this – ask your kid to do your taxes! 😂)
- Progress feels slower than expected
- They compare themselves to other players
- They ‘busy’ themselves with doom-scrolling… 😅
But here’s the truth:
Adults actually have advantages:
- better focus
- more patience
- clearer goals
- deeper understanding (what is referred to as Higher Order Thinking Skills)
The only thing that matters isn’t age — it’s having the right approach, and a winning mindset.
With proper guidance, adults progress just as well (often better) than kids. Just ask one of my students – he started learning guitar at 70 years old – with ZERO background!
It depends more on focus and interest than age.
Some kids start as early as 5–6 and do great.
Others need a bit more time to develop attention and coordination.
We usually look for:
- Ability to follow simple instructions
- Basic hand coordination
- Willingness to try
- Focus
If those are there, they can start.
If not, we’ll tell you honestly — no rushing needed.
This is one of the biggest myths in guitar.
I mean… come on la bro… kids learn guitar! There are loads of different sizes and options. Face it – you’ve seen that video with all the asian kids playing over-sized guitars in unison. You know the one right?? 🤪
There are great players with:
- Small hands
- Short fingers
- Even physical limitations (such as being blind, missing fingers, and even no hands!)
What actually matters is:
- mindset
- correctly sized guitar
- positioning & posture
Most “hand size problems” are really technique, positioning and posture problems in disguise.
Fix the technique → the problem usually disappears.
At the very beginning — maybe a little (maybe only).
You might feel for a couple weeks:
- Some soreness in fingertips
- Slight discomfort pressing strings
That’s completely normal – it means you are human.
But:
- it shouldn’t be painful
- it shouldn’t feel unbearable
I mean, my daughter starting picking it up at 5 years old and never complained of pain.
If it does hurt, something is off:
- Guitar setup
- String type
- Technique
We help you adjust all of that so you can play comfortably and safely.
Almost everyone who says this… isn’t actually tone deaf.
What they really mean is:
- “I can’t recognise notes well yet” or
- “I have under-developed hearing skills” or
- “I can’t sing and adjust my pitch well”
That’s a skill, not a talent.
Just like any skill, it can be trained. We train your ears step-by-step, so you start to:
- Hear differences
- Recognise patterns
- Play more accurately
So yes — you can absolutely learn.
Depends on what you mean by “learn”, and really what your goals and challenges are.
Everyone is different and progresses differently. NO ONE can guarantee that you will be able to do ‘X’ in a specific time frame. There are too many variables:
- your goals (and how far along you are in each area that relates to your goals)
- your challenges
- the level of songs you want to play
- the level of guitar playing you want to reach
- how often you practice
- how much you implement what you learn
- and many more things
The key isn’t speed… it’s about enjoying the process as you achieve. You should ENJOY each level of guitar playing you are at.
“Good” means different things to different people. And “Good” is a constantly moving target.
What is ‘good’ in your opinion may be just ‘okay’ for someone else. This is where your Guitar Playing Goals come into the picture. ‘Good’ then means achieving your goals on guitar, and being able to do them consistently.
Nope, not at all.
Most modern guitar players learn through:
- Chord charts
- Guitar Tab
- Patterns
- By Ear
Reading notation is optional… and can be quite a drag for guitar players.
If you want it later, we can teach it — if your intention is to be a Pro Session Guitar Player…
…but it’s not required to enjoy or progress on guitar (even to a very high level).
Of course you can learn without taking exams. Most of my students don’t opt to take any exams as they want to learn to play their own favourite songs, solve problems in their guitar playing, improvise, get more creative, write their own music, play in bands, become confident guitar players, become advanced guitar players, etc.
Exams are totally optional.
There’s no “one best” guitar — only what’s BEST for you.
General guide:
- Acoustic → simple, portable
- Electric → easier on fingers, more versatile
- Classical → softer strings, wider neck
The best choice is… the one you’re MOST excited to pick up and play! 🎸
We’ll help you choose based on your goals.
On your fretting hand (the one pressing strings): shorter nails work best
On your picking hand: longer nails can actually help (for fingerstyle)
So it’s not “no nails” — just the right nails on the right hand. (Opposite for lefties!)
Yes — and you shouldn’t guess this on your own.
We’ll help you:
- Avoid overpriced or poor-quality guitars
- Choose something comfortable for your hands
- Match the guitar to your goals
So you don’t waste money or get stuck with the wrong instrument.
Just ask for the ‘How To Buy Your 1st Guitar Guide‘ to help you get started.
As a beginner, start with 5 minutes a day, and work your way up.
The more time you have, the better, but even if you have 5 minutes of focused practice daily, this is better than only practicing on one day for hours, as it builds consistency. 😎
You can start without one, but we recommend to get one as soon as you can so you can actually improve properly.
Intermediate & Advanced FAQs
We absolutely LOVE working with guitar players just like you! 🤘🏼
Most advancing players hit a plateau because:
- They don’t exactly know what to do, or how to do it to level up
- They’ve learned a lot… but it’s disconnected
- They can play songs… but don’t understand what they’re doing
- They practice a lot… but don’t improve consistently
- They skip many areas of guitar playing and musicality… which causes ‘gaps’ in their playing
That’s where we come in.
First, we’ll assess where you stand, what your strengths are, and where the ‘gaps’ may be.
Then we break your playing into all the different skill sets that will directly and indirectly help you to reach your ultimate guitar playing and musical goals.
Then we optimise your current practice time so that you make consistent growth in your guitar playing.
No — unless your basics are the problem.
Here’s the truth most players don’t realise:
A lot of “intermediate struggles” come from weak foundations.
But we don’t just “redo basics” randomly. That is just a lazy approach. What we do at GuitarKL is to:
- Understand your guitar playing goals
- Diagnose exactly what’s limiting you
- Fix what matters
- Integrate it into real playing
It really depends on your specific situation – sometimes guitarists who have been playing for 20 years need to correct a bad habit that limits them from doing what they want to do, so we need to take a few steps back.
For some players, we can just move forward.
Absolutely we do – that is our jam! 🔥🔥🔥
In fact, it is probably the most important part of playing an instrument.
First – what are Real Life Musical Skills?
These are skills that you would ACTUALLY need in the Real World. It is very different than learning a few songs and regurgitating some exercises for an examiner.
There is so much more to actually being a guitar player whose skills can hold up in real life musical situations. Not just sitting for an exam.
What are some of these ‘Real Life Musical Situations’?
– being ready to play a few songs on demand (without taking out your phone to remind you of the chords or tabs or parts etc)
– being able to learn something on the fly very quickly
– being confident enough to jam and apply your knowledge and skills in multiple contexts
– playing in time,
See, everyone has one or more of these goals when they learn guitar:
- Play their favourite songs (or parts of)
- Improvise on the guitar
- Write music
- Jam
- Perform
Being always ready and prepared to play what you want confidently and consistently – that is what Real Life Musical Skills are all about.
Because playing songs IS NOT THE SAME AS understanding music.
A lot of players rely on:
- Tabs
- Muscle memory
- Copying
Which works… until it doesn’t. Then it gets really old, really fast.
To feel like a real musician, you need:
– awareness of what you’re playing
– control over your sound
– ability to adapt and create
That’s the shift we train – when you know what you are doing and understand it, that’s when you feel like a real musician.
Yes — but not by throwing random scales at you.
Most players struggle with improvisation because:
- They memorise shapes without context
- They don’t hear what they’re playing
- They don’t connect ideas across the fretboard
What we do at GuitarKL is to train you in these (and many other areas):
- phrasing
- note targeting
- fretboard mapping
- ear-to-hand connection
So you’re not guessing or just playing a bunch of memorised patterns or shapes…you’re actually expressing yourself through music.
Yes — with the right system.
This comes from:
- Understanding music
- Being able to visualise patterns across the neck
- Making connections instead of memorising positions
- Application of your skills and knowledge in a wide variety of contexts
Most players try to brute-force this… but also in the wrong order (putting the cart before the horse).
At GutiarKL, you will learn it ALL in a way that:
– simplifies the fretboard
– makes understanding music easy
– develops your musical abilities and freedom to play in any context
At GuitarKL we do LOVE our shredders *cue shred-dy guitar part from Bill & Ted’s Adventures* – if you’re old enough to know that that is! 😂
In short, Yes, we help you SHRED — but speed is a result, not the starting point.
Most players hit a ceiling because of:
- Poor mechanics
- Excess tension
- 2 Hand Synchronisation
- and… funnily enough – not ACTUALLY knowing what ‘playing fast’ means on guitar!
We build speed the right way:
– install the correct technique in your muscle memory
– make it clean & controlled
– increase speed through a variety of proven strategies for speed building
That’s how you get speed that actually sounds good – not just a sloppy mess.
Not at all, it is never too late – as long as you still have all your fingers and your mind!.
What you’re feeling is very common, you’re not alone.
The good news? We’re here to help.
- You don’t need to start over
- You just need to refine and restructure
- Stay committed and true to the process
It is common for long-term players to make more progress in the first 6 months with us, even if they’ve been playing for many years.
Yes — but these topics are always applied and connected to real music that you know and like.
We don’t teach theory as:
❌ abstract concepts
❌ memorisation
❌ just something you ‘have’ to do because you play the instrument
❌ busy work
❌ being separate from your instrument
At GuitarKL we teach these concepts to help you:
- understand what you are doing
- help you to learn songs, riffs, solos, techniques FASTER
- make connections that makes learning everything faster
- appreciate and hear music at a level you’ve never even dreamed of
Imagine just listening to a song and being able to decode the secrets that lie within – what would that do for you as an advancing guitar player? 😎
