About The Tutors of the Leeds Guitar Studio

Graham Young is the man behind Leeds Guitar Studio. He has been playing guitar for over 20 years and has been teaching for 17 of those. Although intially classically trained on the violin and piano upon picking up a guitar it was obvious that this was his true vocation. From the start he was a prodigous talent quickly aquiring a superior technique and a readily identifable style. After some touring and lots of private teaching Graham undertook a classical music degree at the University of Leeds. However, rather than take the easy option and opt for the guitar as his main instrument he decided that there was more to be gained by doing it on piano. Somewhat foolhardy considering he had'nt played the piano properly in over 10 years and his technique was in pieces. In 1996 Graham graduated with a B.A.(Hons) in music and a pass at the highest piano grade. Since then Graham has concentrated on the guitar and has helped countless guitarists improve their playing. His pupils have ranged from those who play purely for fun to those who are professionally minded. It is Graham's intimate knowledge of the instrument that allows him to teach succesfully at every level. He is also an accomplished performer gigging regularly with a variety of bands in a variety of styles. He has continued to evolve as a player and in the last couple of years has made significant progress and has become recognised as Leeds' pre-eminent guitarist.

It is Graham's intimate knowledge of such a wide range of musical styles that makes him such as good teacher. Through years of teaching he has developed a methodology which enables beginners to aquire the fundamentals of guitar technique and musical understanding rapidly, allowing them to move on to their chosen musical style. One student progressed from complete beginner to Grade 8 in two years and he was in no way exceptionally talented. He just used the information provided and worked diligently.Whatever the pupil wishes to achieve Graham can get them there quickly.

“Peg, Pog, Pig” is spectacular; a track which puts in the spotlight a devastating solo by Graham Young, the band’s guitarist. Although playing fusion, Young shows that he also has a lot of affinity with rock instrumental guitarists, sealing his performance with spectacular scales . From the little I’ve heard, you can deduce that the Urban Jazz Guerrillas could well become, in a short space of time, one of the cardinal groups in the rebirth of modern jazz."

Roberto Guarnieri ( Thunder, HM, Metal Shock, AudioReview..etc)

"I try never to fall into the nonsense of saying that any individual musician or band is the "best" but "Widdley" Graham Young is certainly one of the best guitarists I have ever heard, anywhere. Originally scheduled to do a one-off opening set with singer/guitarist Kenny Jenkins, Graham was left high and dry when Kenny suffered a hand injury the day before the show. So - we open the show with twenty minutes of solo jazz guitar - and hey - it worked! The sheer virtuosity of Graham's playing captivated and impressed the entire audience."

"The band was sounding really tight with the twin keyboards of Andy Tillison and Sam Baine working really well. Next up was the track Afterlifecycle, a magical 15-minute opus about a near-death experience. This really showed the band's song-writing skills and musicianship, with Graham Young’s guitar-work being extraordinary. He has a showman’s speed and virtuosity and yet manages to blend this with taste and texture."

"Guitarist Graham Young isn't called on to do too much, but he makes the most of what moments he does get to blow: he's a fluid, graceful player." - customer review of Po90's Afterlifecycle - here