Rich Hamer is a professional musician, performing and teaching in the UK. He studied at Dartington College of Arts and holds a BA(Hons) degree in Music. As a respected guitar teacher with over 20 years experience he has taught hundreds of people to play in various contexts. He founded his Guitar School in 1998 and has run it successfully ever since. Rich has also worked as a guitar tutor in education, at primary, secondary, college and university level, and for various guitar workshops and masterclasses. He now teaches guitar at Ivybridge Community College, and for the Music BA course at University of Plymouth.

Rich also runs his own popular series of guitar workshops called Pluckwork™. More information about attending the next Pluckwork session can be found at pluckwork.com.

As a highly experienced guitarist, Rich has performed, composed and recorded across a wide range of genres. He started out young, working as a solo classical/spanish guitarist and as an electric guitarist with rock and metal bands. He also worked in acoustic duos and blues/funk bands. Now he performs primarily as a jazz guitarist. He has released a number of recordings with bands, and a widely available album called Double or Nothing with jazz guitar duo, Hamer & Co:

“It’s great to hear two players who have genuine chemistry” (The Musician)

Rich has performed for celebrity audiences including Dawn French, Ade Edmondson, Jennifer Saunders and Rick Stein; at top clubs and venues all over the UK including Le Quecumbar (London), Black Cotton Club (London), Jamboree (London), Verdi at Royal Albert Hall (London), The Victoria & Albert Museum (London), St Moritz Club (London), Round Midnight (London), Edinburgh Fringe (Scotland), Newnham Park Volksfest, Barbican International Jazz and Blues Festival (Plymouth), Budleigh Salterton Literary Festival, Salcombe Festival, Maker Festival, Looe Festival, Saltash Festival, Totnes Festival, Start Bay Festival, Golowan Festival (Penzance) and many others; on BBC and various other radio stations and across the media; and he has played at countless weddings, parties, corporate functions and events…

Lately, Rich can be found playing swinging gypsy jazz with 5-piece band ShibblyBibbly, and carefree speakeasy music (and acoustic pop) with popular singer Kate Ferguson in Hot Ginger.  He sometimes appears in other bands too. If you want to come and see Rich live, just check his performance dates and come to the next show!