In this edition of the RGT Guitar Tutor Interview, we are heading down under to talk to Australian RGT tutor Greg Stone. A teacher of the RGT Syllabus in Melbourne, Greg is also working his way through the RGT Guitar Teaching Diplomas as he continues to expand his own performance and teaching abilities with the RGT exam Syllabi.
Though the RGT is mostly known around the UK as the exam syllabi of choice for guitar tutors, RGT has also expanded greatly in recent years in Australia, among other countries, with exams now being held annually in Melbourne and in multiple venues across Sydney.
We recently caught up with Greg to get his thoughts on preparing students for RGT Guitar Exams, his own study of the RGT material, as well as how the RGT has grown in Australia over the past 7 years of his association with the RGT itself.
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RGT: As someone who lives and works in Australia, how did you become aware of the RGT, and why do you chose to encourage your students to take RGT guitar exams?
Greg Stone: I first became aware of the RGT through Total Guitar magazine. The magazine had published a few articles about the RGT Guitar Exams, and I thought the syllabi looked very interesting.
I contacted the representative for Australia and New Zealand, and he told me that the exams hadn’t been conducted in Australia as of that time.
From there, I was able to assist the RGT entering Australia by hosting the exams at the school that I work at, and the rest is history!
I believe that the RGT Guitar Exams are a great way of building a sound musical foundation on the guitar in steady increments.
Students have the option to sit guitar exams from an early age, and develop their skills towards an attainable goal.
The RGT Guitar Exam Books themselves are a wealth of knowledge that I wish I had when I was growing up. The syllabi cover scales, chords, rhythm playing and solo improvisation.
It’s quite simple really, if you work through these books, you will become a better guitarist, guaranteed.
RGT: What do you find is the biggest challenge when preparing a student for an upcoming RGT exam?
Greg Stone: I find that challenges vary depend on the students age, and what grade they are completing.
Some first time students just have to hear the word “exam” and they are already imagining a bad experience. I find it’s best to explain to them that it is just a book with some great material in it.
If they wish to improve their playing, then regular practice will find them playing the material with confidence in no time.
Once they realise that they are capable of playing the material, they actually begin to look forward to the exam.
With the higher grades, getting a firm grasp on the new chord shapes can be quite daunting for the students.
I find it is best to break it up over a couple of lessons. It’s much easier to learn two shapes in one lesson than it is to learn eight shapes.
You don’t want three weeks of lessons to consist of repeated scales and chord shapes. That can get boring, fast, and the student can lose interest.
I find this method to work much quicker than trying to give them more material in fewer lessons.
RGT: Most students, if not all, deal with nervousness on some level either before or during their exams. How do you address this issue with your students in their lessons?
Greg Stone: I find this to be the most important topic to address with every student. Some of the most nervous students I have had have been the ones that have put in the most work!
It’s important to assess how they are feeling towards the exam at regular intervals. You can eliminate a lot of insecurities just by having the student ask you few questions about the exam process.
The students mainly feel nervous due to the fear of failure. I always tell my students that “It is perfectly normal to feel nervous, but make sure you are feeling nervous for the right reasons.”
If you have prepared well, you shouldn’t be worried, you should be excited.
In the lead up to the exam, I will conduct mock exams, and give them a feel for how the exam will be run.
This can be invaluable, as the student will understand how the exam is run, and there won’t be any curve balls come exam time.
RGT: As someone that holds several RGT performance and teaching Diplomas, do you see yourself continuing your own study and exam taking, or are you focusing more on the teaching side of things these days?
Greg Stone: I am currently preparing for the LLCM and ALCM RGT/lcm Guitar Teaching Diplomas, and have found the process to be both challenging and very rewarding.
I instill the importance of setting goals to my students, and understand the benefit of me doing the same.
RGT: How have you found the reception has been so far to the RGT exams with your students and schools in Melbourne?
Greg Stone: The reception from my students has been great! This will be the 7th year we have run the exams here in Melbourne, and the amount of students participating continues to grow each year.
The students look forward to it every year, and see it as an opportunity to further develop their musical skills in a fun way.
It’s great to get the younger students involved from an early age, as their playing can really start to take off.
As far as Melbourne goes, at this stage there is another tutor putting students in for the exams. He has done so for the past 2 years, and his numbers are increasing also.
I feel it is only as matter of time before the RGT becomes widespread throughout Melbourne, and Australia, as there are also RGT Guitar Exams running in Sydney.
RGT: If you had one piece of advice for other guitar teachers that are preparing students for RGT exams, what would it be?
Greg Stone: I would encourage the teacher to put the student in for an exam they are capable of. You want to challenge the student, but you also want the exam to be a positive experience.
It’s best to get the student preparing nice and early for the exam also. You would much rather the student feel confident in the lead up to the exam than to have the sense that they are running out of time.
The rhythm playing books by Chaz Hart are also fantastic, particularly for the higher grades.
The books give the students more rhythm playing examples to run through, and you can also use them as charts for the student to solo over.
About Greg Stone
Greg Stone is a Guitarist, Drummer, Teacher and songwriter from Melbourne, Australia. He has toured interstate, and has played in just about every live music venue in Melbourne during his career.
Greg has completed session work for various recordings and jingles on both guitar and drums, and he currently sings and plays guitar in Melbourne rock outfit “Firefight,” as well as plays drums in Melbourne Prog-Rock group “Vitruvian Man.”
For more information about Greg, his teaching and his bands, please visit the Vitruvian Man Facebook Page, the Vitruvian Man Site, as well as the Firelight Soundcloud Page.