TEACHING _

“I would recommend. Inspiring applied knowledge, it opened a million doors to my playing!”

Tim Philips

Teaching by Steve Banks _

Improvisation, composition and applied theory.

Based in Bristol, UK. In person and online lessons.

A smiling man with glasses holding an electric guitar, wearing a black shirt, against a plain background.

I am passionate about education and have spent a long time developing and refining clear communication, encouraging real expression and awareness with effective and engaging practice methods.

Alongside private tuition, I have designed and taught degree courses and workshops for individuals, groups and ensembles across the UK since 2007 and been invited as a guest artist by conservatoires and universities.

“I have been studying with Steve for almost two years now and it’s one of the best things I have ever done musically. I can honestly say I have made more progress in this time as a musician, not just a guitarist, than over the previous twenty years.

Steve gives you the tools to approach jazz on a deep, holistic level - very different to typical methods. He focusses on fundamentals like time feel, connecting your inner voice with your guitar through singing, improving your ears and learning harmony in a way that empowers you to be very clear and free in your playing.

Everything with Steve links back to being musical and connecting with your instrument to improvise in your own voice and with real melodic development. ”
— Jake Burrell
Jazz band performing on stage with audience watching.
A man with glasses and a young boy are playing musical instruments in a room with large windows, black and white photo.
A man wearing glasses, smiling, holding a red electric guitar against a red background.
An orchestra performing on stage with musicians playing various instruments including keyboards, gears, saxophones, and trumpets, guided by a conductor.

Understanding and applying harmony

Developing a strong groove

Melodic phrasing

Chord voicing

Aural awareness

Repertoire

Playing in an ensemble

Effective and engaging practice methods

Composition

Steve is a Director of New Sounds Jazz, an independent, non-profit organisation delivering free jazz education to young people aged 11–18 through immersive workshops, live performance opportunities, and mentorship led by some of the UK’s top jazz musicians.

Graphic design of a trumpet outline with the text 'New Sounds Jazz' beside it, set against a dark background.
Woman singing into a microphone on stage with a jazz band in the background.
Group of children and teenagers standing and listening to a man speaking in a dark room with posters on the wall, some of the children are wearing lanyards, and there are musical instruments in the foreground.
Four teenagers playing musical instruments in a room, with two sitting on chairs and two on the floor, smiling and enjoying the music.

Testimonials

  • “Having studied with some of the best musicians and educators in the country, I can safely say Steve is the best teacher I’ve had, rapidly improving my playing and musicianship in our three years of lessons together.

    Steve makes sure every lesson addresses my playing directly, with all teaching material covered in great detail and explained in a clear and easy to understand way, as well as always ensuring everything is applied to real life musical situations.

    Steve’s enthusiastic and relaxed approach made all my lessons enjoyable and inspiring, helping me gain a scholarship to the Guildhall School of Music.”

    MATT HURLEY - GUITARIST & COMPOSER, GUILDHALL SCHOOL OF MUSIC GRADUATE

  • “Steve’s love for music comes across during his lessons in the most natural and encouraging manner. Being taught music as a language, from the foundation up, really opened my eyes to many previously undiscovered areas for myself as an instrumentalist and composer.

    His teaching style is always calm, allowing students to be illuminated by deep and often profound musical concepts. However, Steve is equally as adept at framing these crucial ideas into ‘real-world’ professional situations.

    Every improvisation class Steve taught was a joy. He managed to turn a subject that students find nerve-racking into my favourite class at BIMM! Not only did I feel supported and massively inspired to work on my craft as a musician but I also gained a lot of confidence in expressing my ‘voice’ and personality through music.

    Steve’s teachings will last a lifetime, helping me to continue my learning journey beyond the confines of university. Better get practicing!”

    JOE HILL – BASSIST & COMPOSER, BIMM GRADUATE

  • In just over a year of lessons, Steve has brought me from knowing relatively little about jazz and improvisation to gaining a scholarship at the Guildhall School of Music and Drama.

    I have found his focused and methodical approach to improvisation extremely effective. We have covered many different areas, such as harmonic analysis, rhythm, aural skills, phrasing and composition, all while exploring a wide range of repertoire, from American Songbook standards and Brazilian tunes to modern composers.

    I have really enjoyed all of my lessons with Steve and would highly recommend him as a teacher!"

    DANIEL HAMMOND - TRUMPET, GUILDHALL SCHOOL OF MUSIC AND DRAMA

  • “My lessons with Steve have really improved my guitar playing and confidence as he explains musical foundations in a practical, creative, and easily understandable way.

    As well as being a great guitar teacher, Steve gives great advice and wisdom that comes from years of experience performing and teaching that have been invaluable to my development as a musician.”

    REUBEN FACHON – GUITARIST, TRINITY LABEN CONSERVATOIRE OF MUSIC

  • “My lessons with Steve are always so productive and have significantly helped my study.

    Steve’s guidance always inspires me to improve in many areas of musicianship and has extended my awareness of what is possible on the guitar.”

    JONNY OAKLEY - GUITARIST, ROYAL WELSH COLLEGE OF MUSIC AND DRAMA

  • “Working with Steve this year has been one of the most influential projects in which I have been involved. I particularly enjoyed the collaborative nature of our sessions.

    Steve balanced a clear, analytical approach with intuition in a way which taught me technical aspects whilst developing my instinctive compositional awareness. Importantly, he has given me the tools to develop independently and supported me to establish a strong foundation in my approach to composition. The opportunity to hear my work realised live by such amazing musicians at a major venue was very impactful for me.

    I feel very lucky to have been involved in this project with Steve and am very much looking forward to the next phase of arranging my composition to perform with jazz orchestra.“

    THOMAS SLADDEN - PIANIST & COMPOSER, GUILDHALL SCHOOL OF MUSIC

  • “Steve demonstrated how to take my practice to the next level by clearly explaining musical elements, revealing how to practise effectively and encouraging me to pursue my own direction.

    He also gave me valuable music industry knowledge. All this really helped me get a place at Leeds Conservatoire for which I am truly thankful.”

    LOUIS CRYER - GUITARIST, LEEDS CONSERVATOIRE GRADUATE“

  • “Steve has taught me to be much more thoughtful and constructive in my work, providing a strong awareness of how the music I love is designed. I have found myself writing simpler and more effectively.

    Essentially, the most valuable aspect of Steve’s teaching was a clear explanations of his compositional process and how I can apply this to my own writing.”

    NATHANIEL EVANS - SAXOPHONIST &COMPOSER, ROYAL BIRMINGHAM CONSERVATOIRE

  • The mentoring programme with Steve was an exciting and valuable experience. The process of our composition classes with the final concert presenting our original work at St George’s was perfect.

    Steve had prepared a lot of material and concepts that were extremely useful and inspiring and the classes always included a focussed, creative and collaborative atmosphere.”

    KOLYA DAVYDENKO - GUITARIST & COMPOSER, ROYAL WELSH COLLEGE OF MUSIC AND DRAMA