Inside Coleman's Guitar Experience
ANNOUNCER: Part 1. You will hear two friends talking about a guitar group. First, you have some time to look at questions 1 to 6. Now listen carefully and answer questions 1 to 6.
WOMAN: Hi, Coleman. How are you?
COLEMAN: Good, thanks.
WOMAN: I wanted to have a chat with you because our friend Josh told me that you've joined a guitar group. It sounds really interesting. I'd like to learn myself.
COLEMAN: Why don't you come along? I'm sure there's room for another person.
WOMAN: Really? So who runs the classes?
COLEMAN: He's called the coordinator. His name is Gary Mathieson.
WOMAN: Let me note that down. Gary… how do you spell his surname?
COLEMAN: It's M-A-T-H-I-E-S-O-N.
WOMAN: Right, thanks.
COLEMAN: He's actually retired, but he's a really nice guy. He used to play in a lot of bands.
WOMAN: So how long have you been going?
COLEMAN: About a month now.
WOMAN: And could you play anything before you started?
COLEMAN: I knew a few chords, but that was all.
WOMAN: I'm sure everyone will be better than me.
COLEMAN: That's what I thought too. But we were all equally beginners.
WOMAN: That's reassuring. Where do you meet?
COLEMAN: At first we met in Gary's house, but as the group grew bigger he booked a room at the college in town.
WOMAN: I know that place. What road is it on? Is it Lock Street?
COLEMAN: It's just beyond there, at the bottom of New Street, near the city roundabout.
WOMAN: Yes, of course.
COLEMAN: The guitar club meets on the first floor, in room T347.
WOMAN: And when do you meet? At the weekend?
COLEMAN: No, we meet on Thursdays. It used to be at 10:30, but now it starts at 11:00.
WOMAN: Oh I see.
COLEMAN: The class before us asked to keep the room for another 30 minutes.
WOMAN: I'd love to come, but I don't have a guitar.
COLEMAN: You could buy a second-hand guitar. There's a website called The Perfect Instrument where you can buy guitars, violins and other instruments.
ANNOUNCER: Before you hear the rest of the conversation, you have some time to look at questions 7 to 10. Now listen and answer questions 7 to 10.
WOMAN: So what's a typical lesson like with Gary?
COLEMAN: First, we spend about five minutes tuning our guitars.
WOMAN: Right.
COLEMAN: Some people use an app, but others tune their guitars by ear.
COLEMAN: While helping people, Gary explains what we'll do during the lesson.
COLEMAN: Then we spend about 10 minutes doing strumming.
WOMAN: With plectrums?
COLEMAN: No, we just use our thumbs.
COLEMAN: Gary reminds us where to place our fingers for each chord.
COLEMAN: Sometimes we all start laughing because we can't keep the rhythm.
COLEMAN: Gary then starts clapping to help us keep time.
WOMAN: Do you learn songs too?
COLEMAN: Yes. We spend about 15 minutes playing a song with words and chords.
COLEMAN: Gary sometimes plays a recording of the song first.
COLEMAN: Then he gives us the lyrics and chords and we practice any new chord.
COLEMAN: The final 10 minutes of the lesson are for finger-picking.
COLEMAN: We play individual notes from a simple tune Gary created.
COLEMAN: Sometimes he asks us to play alone, which is a bit scary.
COLEMAN: Finally, he spends about five minutes explaining what we should practice during the week.
ANNOUNCER: That is the end of Part 1. You now have one minute to check your answers.
