ABHINAV GUPTA
Guitarist + Composer
Bio
My journey began in 2007, driven by an obsession to play along with my favourite Metallica songs on the guitar. I distinctly remember the first time I came up with a snippet of a ‘riff’ which sounded novel. Something had unlocked and awakened that day. It soon led me to seek formal mentorship and a deeper understanding of the craft.
I attended Swarnabhoomi Academy of Music, Chennai on a merit scholarship, and have trained extensively under the tutelage of Chris Whiteman (former faculty at UofMiami, who has taught Grammy winners such as D'Angelo), David Loubeh (ace jazz pianist and acclaimed educator from Brazil), and award-winning film and TV composer Ryan Leach.
Today, I work full-time as an independent musician and educator based in New Delhi. My work oscillates between developing original projects, teaching and refining a specialized curriculum designed for the Indian guitar player. Both are the result of years of decoding the matrix, i.e., the guitar fretboard, and how it interacts with music theory and playing actual music. Spanning over 200 pages of notes, worksheets, and scores, it aims to bridge the gap between Western theory and local sensibilities.
In my free time, I also contribute to the musical community through educational blog posts that address niche topics I feel remain unaddressed.
Music Lessons
Having closely observed my mentors for more than a decade, I believe the most effective way to learn about music is how we learn to speak—through observation and active participation. Just as our ability to speak develops with reading, listening, and studying grammar, our musical skill improves with:
Practicing with Good Technique
makes playing easy and engaging
Ear Training
helps build our perception of pitch and rhythm
Understanding Music Theory
helps us see how music work as a language
and Playing Regularly of Course!
My aim is to provide each student with simple strategies, so they can set clear goals and organize their time efficiently.
Benjamin Ebenezer
Bangalore, India
From a firm foundation to advanced learning, his method of teaching is phenomenal. Bag of knowledge this guy, I'd say one of the best in our country! His YouTube recordings urged me to contact him for specific lessons.
David Loubeh
Sao Paulo, Brazil
Abhinav has always fought to reach the core of every musical concept and is never satisfied with conventional superficial solutions. I identify this and his other qualities as fundamental requirements for any true artist.
Shivam Jindal
New Delhi, India
Abhinav has the kind of honest vigor, charisma, and passion towards music which is hard to come by. The intricate details of music that I learned from him -- I don't think I could have learned on my own via the internet.
