The Sean Clancy School of Modern Guitar

Hi there - I'm Sean Clancy - your future Guitar Teacher!

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I grew up in Foxton, New Zealand.  My nana signed me up for piano lessons from the age of 10 - but I was ashamed to let anybody at school know about it.  However, there was a fender telecaster just lying around where I lived and I started learning some of the notes and then began transporting my piano pieces over to the guitar.  I started listening and learning a lot of music including Dire Straits, Lionel Richie, The Eagles, ACDC, Ritchie Blackmore and Van Halen, and then I discovered Yngwie Malmsteen and my shred years began.  I'm sure I would have progressed faster under a good teacher, but as I had nobody to learn from (thanks Foxton for being a musical wasteland) I now recognize all the possible pitfalls and shortcuts for when I teach students.  When I was 16, I had sweep picking down, all my modal theory down - all thanks to Guitar Player Magazine.

 

I eventually moved to Auckland, where I really got into practicing.  I would get up at 9am and practice until 11:30 at night, stopping only to make a pot of porridge and eat it in 6 minutes - going back to into the woodshed before I lost my train of thought.  I joined my first band and then I discovered that there's more to playing in a band or session than practicing in your woodshed!  

While I was at one music festivalat the age of 19, I was invited to tour around the with a band to the colleges and schools in NZ.  After playing the concert, we would split up and give clinics to the students interested in each instrument.  

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After I had created my first recording "Clancy by Candlelight"and played with a band or two in Auckland, I moved to Tauranga (more bands), and then it was down to Wellington where I played with a couple of other bands.  I played my first well paid session for some guys who were doing an advert for the warriors who were a new rugby league team at the time.  It downed on me that there may be a way of living off music.  So I did a business course and started professionally teaching.  I was teaching privately and at schools, when I was invited to tour the world with the Rock Opera "No Longer Music".

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During the tour I started doing clinics in Poland and Asia.  When I came back to NZ, I entered a Television Talent competition on a whim and you can see these videos on the lesson home page.

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I played in countless bands since then, won a number of competitions, did 2 years at the New Zealand School of Jazz, taught some famous people, all the while absorbing everything I can so I can give it to you!

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I want to only invest in teaching students with a certain cut-off limit of numbers.  This way I can really focus on you so you become the best player you can be!

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