Marc Galea is a qualified guitar tutor from the RGT, with twelve years teaching experience. He achieved an LLCM TD in guitar teaching and FLCM diploma in performance. He just published his first guitar method book titled A Step by Step approach for a Modern Guitar Player.
The RGT holds among its patrons Sir Paul McCartney, David Gilmour, Ron Wood, John Etheridge and Hank Marvin. In 2008 and 2009 Marc was chosen among other four finalist for the internationally-acclaimed RGT Guitar Tutor of the Year Award . The award was presented to Marc by Neville Marten, editor of Guitar Techniques magazine.
Being chosen from hundreds of RGT guitarists wordlwide reflects his consistently high standard of teaching as demonstrated repeatedly by the results of his students in their RGT exams.
Tech Music School (TMS) in London is proud to be a partner of Marc Galea. As a partner, Marc will help prepare students to further their education and networking at Tech Music School. Marc is trained to hold assessments in Malta on behalf of TMS.
With 30 years’ experience in popular music education, Tech Music School prides itself on its high quality teaching which supports the development of technically accomplished and versatile graduates who are equipped for a sustainable career in an ever changing industry.
Marc’s way of teaching is based on logic thinking and the art of improvisation utilizing the right side of the brain which is largely ignored in the western culture. Every lesson is planned in a way that the student is working towards achieving a certain target within the syllabus and hand-outs are given. Every lesson is one hour long in a class of 8 students and each term consists of 12 lessons. Although students will be in a class Marc gives individual attention and twice a year students are given the opportunity to perform in a realistic venue. Past concerts have been held at Rolling Stone, Strings, Signals, BJs and MFCC. Although sitting for exams is optional, once a year an examiner from RGT comes to Malta to assess those students who wish to get qualified.


Frequently Asked Questions:
- When is it the right age to start ?
Whenever you’re inclined to. It’s never too late to start. Besides being entertaining, learning an instrument is highly therapeutic, letting you express your creativity and emotions. One of the most important things to help you learn the guitar faster is to be able to understand the concept of movable chords and scales and to achieve the right position. - Do I need to be able to read music ?
No notes are written in tabs and diagrams and hand-outs will be given. - Will I’ll be able to play the guitar after 12 lessons ?
This only depends on your input and aim towards the instrument. Within a couple of lessons you would be able to play the chords to your favourite song. If you want to take guitar playing professionally achieving a Grade 8 level in 4 yrs is possible. - Do I need to get my amp ?
No I will provide an amplifier during the lesson. I also have a spare guitar for students who can’t get theirs. - Do I have to sit for examinations ?
No you don’t have to sit for exams but if you would like to get qualifications it is possible. Once a year an RGT examiner comes to Malta to examine the students.
- Do I have to learn classical guitar before switching to electric guitar?
No because classical guitar requires different techniques and different positioning.
Below you can find the guitar syllabus from beginners to advanced level and the approximate duration of each course. Students have to keep in mind that the key to the success is practice. Marc can also guide you and give you a practicing schedule.
Specialized course are also available in blues, jazz and modern theory. Marc also teaches bass guitar. The bass syllabus will be available soon.
Level: Beginner 1
Duration: One to Two terms – 15 min practice daily
- Right hand picking exercises with string skipping.
- Fingerboard Knowledge on all 6 strings up till 3rd fret
- Open position major and minor chords.
- Open position dominant chords
- 4/4 rhythm playing
- Basic open position chord progressions
- Open position scales
- Left hand chromatic exercises
- Introduction to soloing in open position
- Aural training
Level: Beginner 2
Duration: Two to Three terms – 20 min practice daily
- Knowledge of the fingerboard horizontal on E and A string
- Left hand chromatic exercise 2nd set
- Major and minor 7ths open position
- Power chords root E & A
- Major and minor bar chords root on E and A
- Dominant bar chords
- Progressions with bar chords
- Progressions using two chords in a bar 4/4
- songs and riffs
- Pentatonic scale minor and major root on E and A
- major + natural minor 2 octaves
- Technique – slides , hammer and pull offs
- Bues scale Root E and A
- 12 bar blues
- Open position power chords
- Reading tabs
- Muting
- Alternate picking exercises
- Sequences on pentatonic scales
- Soloing in Am and 12 bar blues
- Left hand chromatic exercises 1st set
- Rhythm playing ¾
- Aural training
- Diatonic intervals
Level: Intermediate 1
Duration: Two to Three terms – 30 min practice daily
- Major + natural minor scales 2 different position on the fingerboard – two octaves
- Knowledge of the fingerboard up till 12 fret on all strings
- Triads arpeggios
- Sequences on all pentatonic
- Sequences on major and natural minor scales
- Intervals on major and natural minor scales
- Technique – bending , vibrato
- Blues licks
- Head to blues
- Stretching exercises
- Extended major and minor bar chords
- Progressions using extended bar chords
- Soloing in C major , G major , D major , + relatives
- Chromatic exercises set 1 and 2
- Chart reading
- Rhythm playing 6/8
- Arpeggios root E major , minor , dominant
- Tuning guitar
- Aural training
- Minor intervals
Level: Intermediate 1
Duration: 10 Weeks
- Key signatures Major Keys + Minor with Keys Cycle of 5ths
- Note Values, Rhythm, Chord tones, Time sig
- Extended Chords Spelling, Chord Harmony ( Major )
- Chord Harmony Minor, Diminished & Augmented, Intervals
- 12 Bar Blues , Minor Blues, Turnarounds, Minor Intervals
- Modes ,Transposition
- Finding a Key Center
- II-V-I Progressions and Substitutions
- Chord Inversions & Tensions using Altered Chords
- Assessment
Level: Intermediate 2
Duration: Three Terms 45 min practice daily
- Natural minor and major scales all 5 positions
- Minor + major pentatonic scales 5 different positions.
- Blues scale 5 different position
- CAGED system
- Chromatic scales
- Chord harmony
- Extended dominant chords 9th
- Major 9th and minor 9th chords
- Sequences 1-3 , 2-4 etc on all 5 positions
- Arpeggios root A and sweep picking
- Slash chords and inversions
- Harmonic minor scale
- Dominant 7th arpeggios 3 positions
- Finger picking
- Left hand chromatic exercises set 3 and 4 + horizontal
- Spider exercises
- Hammer and pull offs exercises using 4 fingers
- Advanced blues licks
- Sight reading notes on the stave open position
- Blues soloing using major and minor pentatonic
- Rhythm playing 12/8
- Tuning guitar with harmonics
- Cadences
- Soloing in A major , E major , F major , Bb major
- Aural training
Level: Intermediate 3
Duration: Two Terms 1 hr practice daily
- Arpeggios major, minor , dominant on all positions.
- Diminished arpeggios
- Arpeggios using chord harmony
- Diminished and Augmented theory + chords
- Sus chords
- Add 9th chords
- Octaves
- Scales in 3rds and 5ths
- Harmonics
- Tremolo picking
- String skipping arpeggios with tapping
- Pentatonic 3 notes per string
- Legato playing using scales 3 note per string
- Modes , Dorian , Lydian , mixolydian 2 positions
- Advanced rock licks
- Sight reading notes above the stave + sharps and flats
- Diatonic substitution
- Soloing in Eb major , Ab major , B major
- Two hand tapping
- Dominant 11, 13 chords
- Tapping
- Compound intervals
Level: Advanced 1
Duration: Two to Three terms 1 hr 30 min practice daily
- Alternate Tunings
- Slash chords
- Whole tone scale
- 3 octaves scales
- Cycle of 4ths and 5ths patterns
- Dominant chords voicing
- Altered chords
- Octave scales ( Wes Montgomery )
- Dominant 11, 13 chords
- Rhythm playing 5/4
- Modes : phrigian , locrain
- Major modes on all positions
- Enharmonic substitution
- Soloing in all 12 keys
- Understanding Jazz standards Forms
- Pentatonic inversions
- Modes with pentatonic scales
- Extended arpeggios major , minor , dominant
- Sight reading rhythms with chords
- String skipping arpeggios with tapping
Level: Advanced 2
Duration: Three Terms 2 hrs Practice daily
- Melodic minor scale
- Melodic minor modes and harmony
- Harmonies in 4th and 5ths
- Symmetrical scales (diminished scales )
- Sight reading part 3
- Sight reading rhythms
- Bebop scales
- Finger style playing
- Jazz standards
- Altered arpeggios
- 1st and 2nd stage chord voicing
- Soloing using more than one scale
- II-V-I progression
- I-VI-II-V progression
- 12 bar in f and Bb
- 12 bar jazz changes
- Tritione substitution
- Playing out side
Level: Jazz Level 1
Duration: 12 weeks
- II-V-I progressions ( major and minor)
- Bossa nova rhythm
- Jazz Chords
- 12 bar Jazz
- Turnaround’s
- Analyzing Jazz Standards
- Altered scale and Lydian dominant scale aplication
- Solo guitar finger style (Darn that dream)
- Rhythm changes
- Natural tensions with arpeggios
- Tri tone substitution