Let the trials begin! - Shylo, Friday 1000-1100
Fair old walk to get here, half an hour or so and I only know the way for the first twenty minutes. Oh wait, I've overestimated the southbound part of the walk (which I do know) and it feels like I've underestimated the westbound part (which I don't). Although I'm walking past the Archers Road halls complex, soon after there is a real feeling of leaving the student quarter.

The eventual location is a flat in a four-storey building consisting of three houses (four? 6, 8, 10 and there was a sign for 10a being around the back). Shylo welcomed me in after a nervous wait for the door to open, and thus the lesson began. The room is almost a kitchen/lounge, there is a fridge-freezer and a sink (the latter being non-trivially useful, natch) but most of the space is just lots of storage space, much of it for music and stationary; a modern electronic keyboard is integrated into the space perfectly, on the wall with the window.

There was a bit of talking before we got singing, mostly about what I was looking for and where I was coming from, also involving Shylo explaining some of her teaching preferences (primary emphasis is on breathing; backing tracks are used in moderation; dictaphones or equivalent are desired for memorising exercises). Apparently, during this time Shylo was judging purely from my speaking voice that my singing voice was not as low as Gemma would make out.

The inevitable letter-finding followed. At the end of it, Shylo immediately said one thing: 'you're not a bass'. I howled with laughter. If Shylo is right, then Gemma was wrong.

And before you ask: G2-E4. That be a one-step transposition upward from last time I checked with Gemma, and I think the missing lower note was down to lack of relaxation in the jaw.

At this point, Shylo explained that her lessons are normally split into three parts; exercises forming a warm-up, covering already-taught songs with an emphasis on solving specific problems, then learning new songs. This seems a rational approach, not that dissimilar to Gemma's but far more clear and consistent. We did try out one song; after slight fussing over which one, the seemingly way-out-of-nowhere choice was Cannonball. Yes, that one by Damien Rice. Pushed down a bit to suit me, and it seemed as though things clicked second time around, a good sign of Shylo's ability to spot mistakes and home in on them.

The most overwhelming bit of good news on display here was that I can get on very well with Shylo as a person. Much amusement was had, much of it from the common starting point of songwriting, and it appears Shylo's views on teaching are rather close to mine and rather far away from the classical tradition.

What hope has Chris got now? Find out Wednesday night, the lesson is 1830-1930.