“If you are a guitar player, Marty knows how to bypass scales and get to the heart of feel and timing. His musical knowledge spans multiple cultures and genres. You can have a chat about an obscure Hawkwind B-side or get help with playing your arpeggios in time. If you are a songwriter, Marty is a great sounding board – he invariably comes up with fresh perspectives for what to add, change or remove. I highly recommend his Songwriting & Guitar Guidance.”

“These are awesome sessions that I highly recommend for guitar players of all levels. Very informative, frank discussions on everything related to guitar and music in general. Definitely a must for anyone pursuing songwriting.”

“Ok, so you’re sitting in your home and Marty is across the world but is actually right here teaching you how to play guitar and write songs. He is a delight to talk to and he is your teacher, meaning he wants to see you get something out of his lessons. You know he’s paying attention and wants to steer you in the right direction. I am so grateful and humbled that he offers his time in this manner. This is an amazing opportunity for anyone who admires anything from his enormous body of work. How often do you get to learn from somebody that inspired you in the first place? Amazing.”

“My son has received several hours of guidance with Marty and it has helped him immensely! It has been a great experience for him (and me whilst lurking in the background!) to learn from a true master, who is so well versed in music history as well! Anyone of any ability would benefit by doing this! I highly recommend taking advantage of this opportunity!”

“I look forward to my weekly Skype sessions from Marty. In just 3 weeks I’ve learned chords I never knew existed, and Marty’s focus on timing and feeling has helped me immensely. As a former member of the Church, Marty has the patience of a Saint. He understands where you are musically, and works within that framework to help you grow as a guitarist. He’s also very generous with his time and talents and doesn’t balk at going over a bit on time. What fan of his work and musicianship wouldn’t want to take advantage of such an opportunity? I’m already looking forward to my next lesson!!!”

“This is an excellent deal. In most traditional teaching environments, you simply have to trust that the instructor is coming from an informed background. In Marty’s case, his résumé consists of his body of work; both in performing AND in understanding and articulating “what makes good music”. In my experience, just SOME of the ways I valued our interactions include: Exposure to music I’d never heard of / stories of the real experiences of a world-class musician and writer (I value these both as a student and a fan) / a sounding board – Marty helps me articulate and refine what I want out of my musical journey / feedback: how did that work? What do I need to do to improve it? For me, this was huge… / encouragement – Marty seems to help me have the attitude that we can do this… we just need to figure it out. With all this (and more) on offer, the puzzling thing to me is how he still has slots open in his schedule.”

“What a pleasure to have Marty help take my guitar playing and musical knowledge to another level. Initially I was expecting to have some guitar improvement sessions but this was quickly morphed into a wide ranging apprenticeship into the world of creativity and professional musicianship. Marty has a deeply developed philosophy about guitar playing and music creation and this leads us from the pleasure of discussing a new or old favourite piece of music through to very precise guidance on timing, chord shapes, melody/lead and just a fun good time! It’s the highlight of my week, Cheers Marty and THANK YOU from the bottom of my heart.”

“Have you ever wanted something, but no matter how hard you worked and no matter what approach you took, success remained elusive? For me, that thing is being a musician. I have been trying to play guitar for over 35 years, but my playing has never felt musical. I couldn’t express moods or feeling, the way my “real” musicians do. I had rare moments where I felt close to it, but it was like lightning strikes - unpredictable and very, very temporary. I’ve worked with a few instructors over the years, but the standard approach to guitar instruction didn’t work for me. I learned to play more intricate pieces, but still didn’t sound like music to me. I asked instructors to help me figure out what I was doing wrong, and the answer was always “just keep working at it and you’ll get there.”. But clearly, that wasn’t happening. So, I resigned myself to this fate and have continued playing just for the love of the sound of the guitar and the way I feel when I play. But I gave up on ever being “good” a long time ago.

As a fan of Marty’s work, I recently visited his website to see if he had any upcoming shows in my area. Sadly, no - and I’d just missed a show he did near me about a year ago. But when I saw that he is offering his services as a teacher, I immediately jumped at the chance. Within a few minutes of our first session, it was clear that Marty’s approach was different. His focus is on musicality, rather than technicality. To illustrate a point, he played a single chord over and over, improvising some words over it, and it sounded &#@!#!! brilliant!! His point was that how you play matters as much as what you play. It seems simple, but I’d been focusing on the wrong goal for all these years. Then, he challenged me to sing and play at the same time. Initially, I dismissed the idea for several reasons: I can’t sing, I don’t want to sing, I can’t mix rhythms between guitar and voice, I have a voice that no one wants to listen to, and did I mention I can’t sing? But Marty was very encouraging, and cited examples of singers who don’t have beautiful voices but still sing incredibly well.

Well, recognizing that what I’d been doing wasn’t working, and not wanting to waste Marty’s time, I gave it a shot. It was truly painful at first, but it very quickly became clear that the benefit from it was not that I would miraculously turn into a singer, but that attempting to sing would help me develop a feel for the musicality of what I’m playing. With a few weeks of practice, I’ve surprised myself with the progress I’ve made. I still feel very sorry for Marty (and Olivia, if she’s within earshot) when I’m subjecting him to my caterwauling, but I’m now on a path that I’d been searching for and couldn’t ever find. It’s incredibly exciting for me. Marty’s insight and understanding of music, as well as his easygoing personality, have challenged and inspired me, and I couldn’t be more grateful.

It’s sometimes said that those who can, do, while those who can’t, teach. Marty is the exception to that rule. This is an opportunity not to be missed.”

“I received a few sessions with Marty as a birthday gift from my brother. It’s the best gift I ever got. I’ve been listening to Marty for over 35 years and now he’s listening to me! Really...I mean it. He really listens and gives great advice. His mission is to make each student better, regardless of their level. So that makes him brutally honest and positively encouraging at the same time. He has an encyclopedic-like knowledge (even better, a google-like knowledge) of relevant music references. He inspires me as I try to become a better singer-songwriter and person. Marty is a Rock-star, Rock-guru, and a Rock-solid friend. A true gift. ”

“If I hadn’t started talking to Marty on a semi-regular basis about my songwriting, I’d be lucky to have my first EP out by 2030, as previous progress amounted to (maybe) finishing one song every 1.5 years. Sessions with Marty are consistently the best excuse to continue making noise after 10pm even though you have to get up early the next morning because he is always a rich source of musical knowledge and awesome conversation. His extensive experience in songwriting, recording, playing and touring is continually a vital source of ideas and inspiration for me, and I’m grateful to have him as a mentor and as a friend.

In short: Do you want to have a two-person rant about progressive rock for an hour but no-one you know is cool enough to keep up with you? Solution: Marty

Have you come up with 100 amazing starting points for songs but have no idea how to develop them? Solution: Marty

Do you want to strengthen and improve virtually all aspects of your musical endeavours? Solution: Marty”

“I am very happy with each hour I have spent in-session with Marty. Prior to Marty I had been playing at local open mics for about 4 years, mostly covering other’s songs. This has been lots of fun and I had written a few songs along the way with which I was only “sort of” happy. The scheduled time with Marty gave me skills and focus on the craft and artistry of songwriting and performance. Straight-away he helped me get started with suggestions to organize my thoughts, getting away from multiple notebooks strewn-about and creating electronic files to organize lyrics and voice recordings of song ideas. This was a huge help in the first 10 minutes with him! I am much more organized now and I am no longer forgetting ideas, that as many of you know, often “strike” at weird times. I have now written a handful of songs with which I am pleased and they have gotten me some nice compliments from artists far more seasoned than me. That has been very energizing and encouraging! Further, Marty listens thoughtfully and gives instructive and honest advice on how to go beyond just “playing” the songs but really bringing them to life, “performing” the songs and connecting with an audience. I honestly believe for Marty this is not just a kind of “service”, but more so he offers a kind of mission in life to help people write and perform music in support of the entire world’s body of music no matter from whom or where it comes.”

“The thing about Martys guidance is that it’s not all about guitar techniques or songwriting for me. I find inspiration in discussing various musical projects and other artists’ work as well. He is a great musician and inspiration and I find my confidence increase and my songs getting better after each session.”

“Sessions with Marty are always fun and informative. He is very approachable, focused on helping you achieve your musical goals, and generous with his time and knowledge. He’s also great to talk to about music at any level, and just life in general. Marty is funny, intelligent, creative, kind and a real artist. I’ve been a fan of his music for many years, so it was pretty amazing to me to be able to have these sessions with him. ”

“Marty’s songwriting and guidance sessions are second to none. I have had two of these sessions and in each one Marty has listened to me and given very constructive advice, criticism and motivation to improve the areas that he has identified as needing improvement. Once he identified that (and it didn’t take long for him to do that) then that is my starting point and my drive to improve. For me personally to have the opportunity to get this kind of feedback from Marty, who has been an inspiration to me over the many years since the first Church album was released, is in itself, an experience that is priceless to me. These sessions are not about endless scales and music theory, it is about development and growth and that’s exactly what you get with these sessions. Not only that but Marty is a super nice guy, he listens and he remembers, he will pick up on something, a lick, a lyric, a song and can break that down and help you to analyse the good, the bad and the ugly of it. My first session was learning one of Marty’s songs which was amazing to go through with him and get the low down on all the correct notes to play and the picking patterns too (the discipline of it). The second session we went through one of my songs which was kind of half written. After the session and after the advice, criticism and praise in equal measure and working through some pieces within the song with Marty I have it 95% complete and almost ready to record. Marty gets into the nuts and bolts of it and that is so helpful. I cant think of anyone best placed or qualified or even of someone else in Marty’s class who does something like this or offers sessions like these. In the grand scheme of things these sessions are not expensive, given the fact they are worth every single penny and what I have got back from Marty so far is by far and away the best advice, criticism and motivation I have ever received. I highly recommend these sessions.”

“Marty is why I play guitar. Technology has allowed me to meet, be taught by, and become friends with a person I admire greatly. Our sessions are way more than guitar lessons; they are LIFE lessons. We discuss and engage in music, philosophy, vulnerability and LIFE. Marty’s encyclopaedic knowledge of music is eye watering and so is his repertoire of skills. Marty is kind, patient and humble, and I relish the privilege of my sessions with him. ”

“I have been listening to, following and in awe of Marty Willson-Piper since 1988, when one of my best friends introduced me to The Church; after years of albums, live shows and various optical/audible sensory treats with bands and his incredible solo material, I have remained a huge fan and the rest is history. Technically intricate and sensual guitar work, amazing songwriting/songs and beautiful melodies abound. I was so pleased when I found out that Marty was offering the Songwriting and Guitar Guidance sessions…what an amazing experience! It is truly a very fun, helpful learning experience. He showed great care and attention to detail throughout the entire session and provided very helpful feedback and advice. Thank you Marty and I look forward to the next one!”

“At first, I found the prospect of sharing my guitar playing and songwriting with Marty to be intimidating. You might feel that way, too. I’m here to tell you: Don’t. He’s extremely personable, and truly wants to help you improve, as a guitarist, a songwriter, and a performer. I’ve been frustrated in the past by guitar instructors who just want to drill you over and over on scales and theory. Sure, that stuff is important, but Marty understands that playing is supposed to be a form of creative expression, and it’s supposed to be FUN. He’s helped me break down my playing to the most basic level, to connect to a song on a deep, rhythmic level. After a while I tend to forget I’m talking to an extremely talented and accomplished musician whom I’ve admired for more than 30 years. I’m just talking about timing and soul music with an enthusiastic coach and cheerleader who also happens to have one of the most impressive record collections in the world. If you’re looking for a teacher, a sounding board, and an advocate to help you on your path to musical expression, I can’t recommend him highly enough.”

“Maybe you’re like me. You’ve played in some bar bands, written some music, had a good time, but feel like you’ve hit a plateau and you’re not sure how to move forward.

Marty can help with that. His great ear, great taste and extensive knowledge allow him to quickly hone in on the areas where your playing can be improved. But it’s not just about playing. He can advise you on all aspects of your musical journey. His real world experience in professional music can help you with songwriting, production, tone and even musical direction.

I tried out Marty’s offer initially to improve my rock guitar soloing, but of the stuff I sent him what he seemed to like most was the weird, experimental work. So, now I’m working on a collection of weird, experimental, electronic pieces with advice from Marty. I’ve ended up on a different path from the one I originally saw, but I’m excited about what I’m doing and confident that if Marty likes it, it’s a path worth exploring.

I believe in creativity for its own sake. If you enjoy something, that’s reason enough to do it. If other people enjoy it, that’s a bonus. And if your goal is to make whatever you do better, whether for yourself or the multitudes, then Marty is a great guy to have on the other end of that conversation.”

“I’ve immensely enjoyed working on my guitar playing with Marty. I mean, the guy is one of my favorite guitarists of all time, and hearing his perspectives on things is a real privilege. As much as I enjoyed the guitar aspects of our sessions, I also enjoyed and gained immensely from our chats about creativity and the artistic process (or lack thereof, ha!). I highly recommend Marty’s sessions for anyone who wants to get more enjoyment from their guitar playing, or just become a fulfilled creative person in whatever they choose to create. ”