Ben Bolt Guitar Tab Books, Instruction DVDs, Solos, Arrangements, Transcriptions, Video Lessons

 Ben Bolt Plays "Sonata In D"

    Classical guitar performer Ben Bolt was playing lead guitar in rock-and-roll bands at twelve and started performing professionally at age 16 in Miami, Florida. After high school, Ben left his group to study traditional classical guitar compositions in Spain. At 19 he studied classic guitar with Andres Segovia in Madrid. Andres Segovia, the grand master of the concert classic guitar, stated "Ben Bolt is an excellent guitar player with fine tone."

    Segovia personally acquired a scholarship so that Bolt could continue with his classical guitar studies at the Musica en Compostela, which Segovia established. Later on in Paris, Ben Bolt sought and studied with Abel Carlevaro who proceeded to tutor Bolt in Brazil at the International Guitar Conservatory. There under a full scholarship, Bolt was introduced to more Segovia educational techniques which were also similar to the Carlevaro school of guitar technique.

    For the duration of the following years Ben Bolt proceeded to go on to Montevideo, Uruguay, Carlevaro's home town to complete his musical studies under the direction of Maestro Carlevaro and Guido Santorsola, the well-known Italian composer and conductor. Carlevaro invited him to attend the 1974 International Guitar Seminary in Brazil under a full scholarship. In that same year Ben won the highly sought after Merit Prize as Outstanding Student at the First International Masters Class in Montevideo. Bolt is credited with being an innovator in presenting thousands of new people to the classical style of guitar playing by means of his DVDs and books that utilize an innovative structure of learning.

    In the early days, guitar students were made to learn to read classical guitar music at the same time they were finding out the best ways to play the classical guitar which was hard. After the publication of Bolt's classical guitar book/CD packages, newbies have the ability to play right away. His guitar tablature system, which makes use of lines and numbers to reveal where the notes are on the fingerboard, along with the CD recordings allow all students to play. Due to his vision of making conventional classical guitar available to all sorts of musicians, the classical guitar is now being experienced by the masses.

    A number of Ben Bolt traditional classic guitar publications have turned out to be best sellers and his "Anyone Can Play the Classical Guitar" DVD has actually become a reference source for college guitar students as the authority on basic fundamentals about classical guitar techniques. Ben currently lives in Knoxville, TN where he teaches all styles of guitar. He is likewise Professor of Guitar at Carson-Newman College.

    Bolt thinks that anyone can play the guitar so long as they have these three essential components: a good instrument, an intelligent instructor, and music that maintains the student's interest. Thankfully for aspiring classic guitar performers, Ben continues to release a growing number of instructional guitar tab books/CDs each and every year showcasing the songs of different composers like Bach, Mozart, Paganini, Tarrega, Sor, and Carcassi.