The Guitar Teacher- Tad Taylor

Jun 24

Questions with Bryson’s guitar teacher.

1. When did you start playing guitar?

It is difficult for me to remember a time not playing guitar at this point. Around age three or four my parents gave me a toy-like guitar and a drum set. I eventually destroyed the drum set pretending I was putting on a KISS concert, and my parents said, “I guess you’ll have to learn how to play that guitar now.” They gave me a little Sears Catalog acoustic guitar and a Mel Bay Songbook when I was five. My dad said he would sign me up for guitar lessons when I taught myself a song out of the songbook. It took me three years, but I finally did, so he signed me up for guitar lessons with Dale Burgess at Smith Music when I was eight. I have been playing ever since.

2. Do you play any other instruments?

If it has frets and strings, I can get some sounds out of it if I mess with it for a bit. I sing in the groups I perform with. I used to play decent piano, but my chops have gotten very rusty. I can play the drums a little. One of my most fun performance memories is from when I sat in with some area musicians at a jam night a few years ago and played drums on a cover of Neil Young’s “Rockin’ In The Free World.”

3. Are you currently playing in any bands?

I currently perform with two acts: Bill & Tad’s Excellent Duo and The Secret Band. While the duo performs much more frequently than the band these days, the band was formed first. I co-formed the duo with The Secret Band drummer Bill Fletcher as it became more difficult to book frequent full-band gigs and area venues began offering smaller acoustic acts more opportunities. When the pandemic hit, we had to get creative in order to continue performing, so the duo began playing outdoor shows at North Carolina wineries. That has become the bulk of the shows we perform these days. We have been lucky. The Secret Band shows are less frequent, but very fun. The other guys in the band are very talented, and we enjoy stretching out and improvising. In addition to Bill on drums, The Secret Band features Sean O’Shields on pedal steel and Jonathan Inman on bass and vocals.

4. When did you play your first gig?

I was 15 years old when I played my first gig with E-Z Axcess at the 1987 Spartanburg Spring Fling. It was a power trio (guitar, bass, and drums), and the bass player sang. My dad had a role coordinating and operating Spring Fling in those years, so he offered us the gig with no pay so we could get the experience. To paint the picture, I had a mullet with a perm in the back, wore a RATT t-shirt with cut-off sleeves, and wore handcuffs as a belt. We performed covers by Van Halen, Motley Crue, and Poison. What can I say? It was the Eighties…

5. Which do you prefer; solo, duo or full band and why?

This comes up a lot in conversations Bill and I have traveling to and from gigs, since we do both the duo and full band. I really don’t enjoy playing solo very much. I simply get tired of listening to myself after a while, and I really enjoy the chemistry and artistic exchange of playing with other musicians. I enjoy the duo and the band for different reasons. I play 12-string acoustic with the duo, and I find that instrument to be an art form in and of itself. I enjoy its challenges, and I relish its sounds. Plus, the duo puts an emphasis on vocals and harmony. In the band I play electric, however, so I get to stretch out a little bit, crank it up some, and do some lead work. I find both scenarios very satisfying in their own ways.

6. How long have you been teaching guitar lessons?

I have been teaching professionally since 1988, so 36 years.

7. How did you get into teaching guitar?

At the suggestion of my guitar teacher at that time. I was taking from a great jazz guitarist, the late Tim Hayden, who opened my mind to the world of music theory. He said there was an opening for a guitar instructor at Smith Music, and he suggested I apply for the job. I met with the store manager thinking Tim had contacted him to give me a referral, but I found out years later they had not talked. I got the job nonetheless, and I have by and large been teaching in some capacity ever since.

8. What inspired you to start teaching your skills to others?

I was only 16 when I started, so at first, I just wanted a job where I didn’t have to cut my hair and I could play my guitar. It was scary for me at first, because the store would refer students to me of all ages and various skill levels. I never knew what question I might be asked, so it very much encouraged me to organize my knowledge and continue to explore new things to play and study. What has inspired me since is bringing people of all walks of life and ages the joy of guitar. After all these years I love playing guitar as much as ever, and I like to think I enjoy it on an increasingly deeper level. I love sharing that joy with students and shepherding them through the demands and difficulties of pursuing mastery of the instrument. I hope that I instill a gratefulness for music in one’s life. I am also inspired by seeing students grow, learn, and hone their crafts. I feel like a proud poppa when I see them form bands, write, and record. That’s the joy they give me in return.

9. Is teaching and playing gigs your main job?

It took me many years to do it, but I have been completely able to make my living preforming and teaching music for some time now. I still remember what a monumental milestone it felt like to be able to put, “Musician,” on my tax form for the first time. I feel lucky.

10. What advice would you give a beginning guitarist?

Embrace the process. Listen to lots of your favorite music and keep loving it. Keep your guitar in your hands as much as possible; enjoy holding it and get comfortable with it. Guitar can be very demanding, and you're not going to sound the way you want at first. If you can enjoy the fascination of the pursuit, that will keep you engaged and encouraged as you develop.

11. What qualities do you think make a guitarist good?

This has changed for me over the years. As a teenager I was impressed with speed and distortion. I see that now as dexterity and power, and it can be quiet intensity and mastery of the spaces in between the notes and the chords. Most of all a player has to speak to me emotionally to get under my skin. I love musical surprises, and I like to be taken where I haven't been before. That can come from any style, and it can come from the present or the past.

12. How long has Bryson been taking lessons from you?

Bryson began taking in August 2011, so he’s coming up on 13 years now. I’ve literally watched him grow up and become a fine musician, and I’ve enjoyed it so much!

13. What is Bryson’s greatest skill as a guitarist?

Number one is his discipline, plus his love for music and his ear. He has tackled every challenge I have given him over the years with tenacity and determination, and he holds himself to the highest standard. I appreciate that very much as a teacher. I know how much good that does for him. Bryson is one of those special kinds that has the family musical gene. It’s different in musicians like that. It’s like time-honored oral traditions passed down from generation to generation, and I can often tell someone who’s been raised in a musical family. They have that old-soul musical sensibility. His grandmother had it, and she was determined that he would carry it on as well. I always admired her; she was an ardent believer in the power and importance of music.

14. How are the lessons that Bryson takes now different from when he started?

I offer him much more real-world playing advice these days. I try to throw curve balls at him and see how he responds. I put an emphasis on awareness of tonal center, key, underlying chord progression, and phrasing. Our conversations may be theoretical, philosophical, mechanical, or stylistic. I find it very enjoyable to share advanced lessons with him. It opens my mind as well!