Testimonials

If you haven’t learned with John, you need to!

Learning with John was more fun than any other teacher I’ve played with. I got to have fun with my guitar faster, which was the key for me to keep picking it up! I’ve learned electric, acoustic and flamenco with John. His skill and talent is adaptive and gave me a fun range to be able to develop a style of my own.
Jaymie Friesen
Kelowna, BC

“I appreciate the fact that your the type of person who pays attention to detail, you cut no corners on the video, it’s comprehensive, step by step, easy to understand regardless of one’s playing level, if one studies it the way you have presented it they will be very please with their progress. I was up till 12:00 PM playing your video, it’s Fantastic.” Alton Ledbetter, San Diego, CA

I would recommend his program to anyone looking to pick up a guitar!

John Gilliat’s program took me from picking up a guitar to performing live at festivals and theatres across Canada. His teaching style makes it easy to learn guitar one step at a time and within a few weeks I was able to start playing my favourite songs.

Guitar has become my favourite hobby, a source of revenue, and an amazing creative outlet and I owe that entirely to John.
Glen Jackson
Fort Langley, BC

My 5-year-old son has now taken 3 on-line lessons with John Gilliat’s program and is really enjoying learning the guitar. At first, we were concerned our son would have a difficult time focusing, but we were wrong. John’s ability to break down the material into fun segments that our son can relate to has really peaked his interest. 

Best of all the online program offers interactive drumbeats that you can play along to depending on your skill level. We have found this program very fun and interactive, and as a result my son and I are spending more time together jamming in the evenings. As of the 3rd lesson my son is now able to play two child songs and is having fun which is the most important thing! 

I would highly recommend this program for children looking to play guitar and build a life of music. Stavros Darvoudis

John is an incredible teacher!

When I was a kid I always wanted to be a “fast” guitar player, and when I saw John performing I was so inspired. As I got older and more musically mature I learned just how much knowledge and theory was underneath his “fast” playing.

John helped me get better at jazz guitar in high school, and later helped me prepare for my Berklee audition.

His kindness and down to earth personality make for a very effective and ego-free learning environment where there is no shame in not knowing something, or making a mistake.
Brock M. Phillips
Langley, BC

This may seem a little awkward, but I will try my best, I am now 58 years old and have had a guitar since I was twenty years old. The most that I can say is, I can read and play music in the first position, that’s it. I have had some guitar instructors (classical guitar) and they all have hit me with a lot of sheet work to practice for the next session, but I never developed, never understood why you do what you do, only get the usual, “As you play more music, you will understand music. Well I didn’t. Yet when I would hear guitar music, I would be drawn back to the guitar.

That has been what my guitar life has been like.Now to get to the point. In your teaching, you showed scales and chords and how a run is actually derived from the root chord. Also, how to achieve scale and chord accomplishment up and down the fretboard. Even the composition of songs. It is as if a light bulb went off. I always asked the questions, but you have finally given me the answer.

Speaking for me and anyone else that has been where I have been, thank you so much. You are way up there in Canada but you just can’t imagine the frustration and stress that is now gone. You show in detail how to play songs in a simple way that a beginner or novice can feel a sort of accomplishment. That is good for us working older folk.

We want to learn how to play songs that we like to hear, not what someone thinks we should hear. You have recently given renewed inspiration to learning guitar music. For that I want to thank you. For me to write you and tell you this is not like me, but you are making a difference. Mike Lopez, Satsuma, Alabama

Opens the door to all who wish to walk along his musical and artistic path

From our earliest days the West Fine Art Show has presented John Gilliat on guitar.
Art show guests are always enthralled and artists adore him.

John’s Flamenco Jazz and Latin Rumba blend passionately and soothingly into the broad canvas of our showscape and as a result he has truly become one of our most popular featured artists.

As many great artists do, John has reached that point where it is his time to give back to others and his new “Welcome to my Personal Guitar School” opens the door to all who wish to walk along his musical and artistic path.

If you think you would like to be a musical artist and play the guitar,…then John Gilliat is the artist to teach you.
Brian Croft
Organizer, West Fine Art Show

“I just wanted you to know how much I am enjoying your videos on playing fiery rumba guitar. I liked it so much I have just ordered 2 more to give as presents to a couple close friends. Thank you for bringing the passion I once had for playing my guitar years ago back. I even splurged last week and bought a new guitar after 30 years.” Brenda Shaw, North Vancouver, BC

John, I received your instructional video series yesterday and spent the entire evening reviewing its contents. I loved the music and the instruction – especially the Flamenco solo section. Thanks for putting this program together for aspiring Nuevo Flamenco guitarist to learn from. You are one of only a few Flamenco guitarist who bother to ‘give back’ to the community by sharing your knowledge with aspiring guitarist in instructional video format. Besides yourself and Juan Martin (who is incredible too), all of the other Flamenco guitar instructional programs on the market that I’ve seen share very little about Nuevo Flamenco solos. Congratulations on your program! It was fantastic. Stefan Vale

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