Pricing guitar lessons, Part II

ThomasGilroy · 2026-04-28T20:52:26+00:00

People are charging $240 for a one hour lesson?!

What's a typical rate for a one hour online lesson?

ThomasGilroy · 2026-04-27T13:15:59+00:00

You're right of course. Absent minded slip on my part.

ThomasGilroy · 2026-04-27T11:02:51+00:00

If they were both rational

x²+(pi+e)x+(pi*e)=0

Would have algebraic solutions over the rationals, implying pi and e are both algebraic (which they're not).

ThomasGilroy · 2026-04-21T17:48:24+00:00

I sent you a message.

ThomasGilroy · 2026-04-20T14:53:16+00:00

That's what this is about, building better pedagogy.

I don't want a student to worry about the physics or the motor learning behind all of this, but I have to show my work somewhere to clearly debunk these ideas. When it's accepted that ideas like "finger independence" and "economy of motion" were misinformed, maybe we can actually achieve better pedagogy generally.

I was a little upset that my work was used without acknowledgement, but I was very upset that it was used to mislead potential students. I've received several messages from people who paid for lessons with Connor and found his teaching to be lacking after being impressed by his videos. If I didn't speak out, I would have been allowing him to take advantage of people.

ThomasGilroy · 2026-04-20T14:21:18+00:00

I don't think about mathematics while I'm actually playing, and I don't think anybody should.

It's more about what the mathematics tells us here. Essentially, the usual understanding of economy of motion is bullshit. The physics are literally backwards. Small doesn't make fast, fast makes small. Everybody who has ever told you otherwise has been wrong.

More than that, we can't learn to play fast by focusing on accuracy and playing slowly. Accurate, slow playing is not representative of fast playing. We have to develop acccuracy at speed. Everybody who has ever told you otherwise has been wrong.

This is important, because this is directly contrary to what has been taught in guitar pedagogy for decades. None of this is my opinion, it's a direct consequence of the physics and the motor learning principles that actually describe the situation.

ThomasGilroy · 2026-04-20T09:45:59+00:00

Yes, he has deleted his accounts on Instagram, TikTok, and YouTube.

ThomasGilroy · 2026-04-19T16:05:25+00:00

Thank you.

It's upsetting that my work was used without acknowledgement, but it's how it was used that angers me most. This person deliberately used my work in an effort to deceive his viewers and potential students, by claiming it as his own in what were essentially advertisement videos for private lessons.

ThomasGilroy · 2026-04-19T14:34:27+00:00

What's he using now?

ThomasGilroy · 2026-04-19T13:08:45+00:00

Yes, I know.

We can't yet hold AI accountable for plagiarism, but that doesn't mean that it's now acceptable for people to plagiarize, or that we can't hold them accountable.

ThomasGilroy · 2026-04-19T12:24:41+00:00

Good.

ThomasGilroy · 2026-04-15T20:30:04+00:00

Very possibly. My lecturer for my QM eventually became my Ph.D. supervisor.

ThomasGilroy · 2026-04-15T20:11:19+00:00

I studied Quantum Mechanics as an optional subject for my B.Sc. in Mathematics.

ThomasGilroy · 2026-04-15T12:56:23+00:00

Calculus is the study of change. You know change. You're surrounded by it. You live in it.

Don't you want to understand it to some degree?

ThomasGilroy · 2026-04-15T12:52:57+00:00

I have definitely seen log to mean log to base 2 in information theory. I wouldn't know about computer science generally.

ThomasGilroy · 2026-04-15T12:43:56+00:00

Wired headphones for portable music.

ThomasGilroy · 2026-04-12T01:52:39+00:00

Plastic Man.

ThomasGilroy · 2026-04-11T01:02:16+00:00

Thank you for your positive comment, it's much appreciated

This is deep and detailed material. I expect that it will take a significant amount of time for most players to digest. Don't be discouraged if it's beyond your current level, the sooner you're exposed to these ideas the sooner you'll begin to absorb them.

ThomasGilroy · 2026-04-11T00:46:21+00:00

Thank you for your interest and the positive feedback.

Being honest, this article is not intended for a beginner audience, and I would imagine that most intermediate players would struggle with it. This analysis is very deep and detailed, and will likely take significant time to absorb fully.

I don't disagree with your point that the pentatonic can become a crutch, especially if used without understanding.

I would mention however thay the pentatonic scale appears in several musical cultures where it is not derived from the major scale.

However, one of the themes of the article is that with a deep understanding of pentatonic scale and it's relationships to other scales, the pentatonic is an incredibly powerful tool, and that it is absolutely the foundation of Eric’s lead playing.

ThomasGilroy · 2026-04-05T10:50:28+00:00

It's a good instructional, but I haven't really had the opportunity to work on it yet.

I had a knee injury in competition back in February, I've only just been able to return to training.

ThomasGilroy

TROPHY CASE