Absolute Beginner? Play Your First Song in 7 Days, or Learn to Play Fingerstyle Instead. (No boring exercises!)

Find out more about Rafif

• When did you develop an interest in music and/or your favourite instrument?

  My interest in music began when I was introduced to a guitar back in 2019, just before COVID-19. As I learned how to play, my interests evolved. The single most important thing i learnt through all these years is that a person's interest in music is never constant and will always change as they grow.

• Is there a particular type of music or an artist that you could happily listen to on a loop?

  Currently, I could listen to Radiohead on loop, the album OK Computer specifically. Genre-wise, rock music could never bore me as long as I live.

• Explain to us the most difficult or 'riveting' lesson you could personally give to one of your students.

  For me, no lesson is too difficult, and no student is too difficult to teach. If I were to say, I would find it very difficult to teach a student a specific "thing" instead of teaching what builds that topic that I am teaching; for example, I would not want to teach a student a riff without explaining what makes the riff special and the scale that riff is in.

• What do you think is the most complicated instrument to master and why?

  In my opinion, no instrument can truly be mastered, as there is no limit to how much somebody could know for any specific instrument. For me, the piano, as I have shorter fingers!

• What are your keys to success (aside from do re mi fa sol ...)?

  Hard work, discipline and the pentatonic scale for any key.

• Name three musicians you dream of meeting, and explain why.

  John Mayer - Really enjoy his guitar playing style and would love to understand how he views music
  Chris Martin - Very humble and I find his views on life to be very beautiful. I would love to talk about that.
  Brian May - My favourite guitarist. Love his work and would love to know how he felt writing his past solos

• Could you share an anecdote related to your musical journey or your student days?

  During COVID-19, I used to spend 7 Hours a day practising guitar, skipping online classes. Due to this, I failed a couple of my subjects, but I quickly got good at playing!

• What are the little touches that make you a Superprof in music?

  I try my best to make sure my students are comfortable and happy with what they've learnt. I also try my best to spark a newfound passion for guitar, or music in general. Even if my lessons did not teach the information, passion can take someone further than what any teacher can try to teach.