Richard Thornton - Guitar and Sitar Tutor
Rich has been playing guitar for over 100 years, but still has most of his hair. He was brought up in Birmingham in the 1970's, aspiring to follow in the footsteps of the great guitarists of that era, such as Tony Iommi and Richie Blackmore. Rich learned his playing skills from the late, great Gypie Mayo of Dr Feelgood and The Yardbirds fame. Rich has also studied classical sitar in Benares, North India, taught by the legendary guruji Dr Rajban Singh. For the last 5 years, Rich has been travelling to Kathmandu once a year to study with Bina S Shrestha, and can give you a positive grounding in Indian music, notation and basic raga composition. Rich has played in some "legendary" bands such as 'The Acid Squirrels', 'Charity Shop', 'The Unconditional Future'. Rich currently plays in psych rock band 'Neuromatic' and garage pop band 'Bruno And The Outrageous Methods Of Presentation'. Rich's main interests are dark chocolate, red wine and origami.
SPECIAL SKILLS
Punk, Reggae, Psychedelic, Psychobilly, Vintage Guitar Sounds, Band Mentoring
FAVOURITE ARTISTS
Iggy and the Stooges, Hawkwind, The Cramps, Blondie, Grateful Dead
QUALIFICATIONS
BIMM Professional Diploma (Distinction) in Guitar and a Level 5 BTEC in Professional Musicianship.
Tuition With Rich
A lesson with Rich will take you on a journey through time and sound, exploring the styles and techniques of the great players. Together, you'll develop a working knowledge of the recreation of genre and artistry, from the amazing raw guitar of Link Wray to the fantastic fuzz of Iggy and the Stooges.
Fun Fact
Rich once had a date with a biker chick called Laverne, who was most disappointed when she found out he wasn't actually Ronnie James Dio. Rich often entertains unsuspecting guests by reciting the full scripts to Full Metal Jacket and Pulp Fiction.