Pete Sklaroff

Bio

Pete Sklaroff first began his musical studies in his hometown of Edinburgh in Scotland. Pete’s first significant professional work was touring and recording with the legendary Scottish electric blues band ‘Blues’n’Trouble’ with whom he recorded two studio albums.

After studying with several highly respected local guitar players/teachers such as Neil Munro and Ian Aitken, he made the decision to move to West Yorkshire in England where he furthered his instrumental studies on the Jazz degree at the City of Leeds College of Music.

After graduating from CLCM, Pete began touring and recording with a number of rock and pop groups and supported artists such as: ‘Tears For Fears’, Labbi Sifre, Jack Bruce and Scottish folk-rockers ‘Runrig’ amongst many others.

Pete later taught for many years at Leeds College of Music and is the former Assistant Head of Music and Head of Jazz Studies from the same institution.

He was also the Coordinator of the Guitar/Bass teaching faculty there for several years as well as being a Principal/Senior Lecturer in Jazz Harmony, Guitar studies and Improvisation.

Pete has performed at numerous festivals and prestigious venues (Hammersmith Odeon, Manchester Apollo etc.) both in the UK and abroad and has recorded for many diverse musical artists over the years.

In more recent years, Pete has completed album sessions for UK singer/songwriter Saffron Byass and also recorded for several high-profile music industry clients in Austria, Sweden and Germany.

He also recently put his jazz guitar interests to one side and played some 80's style rock rhythm guitar on the Austrian Number One single ‘Victim of Love’ alongside Leonard Pospichal and Thomas Blug.

Pete was an invited guest tutor and performer (reuniting with old friends from Blues’n’Trouble) at the first Scottish Guitar and Music Festival in May 2013.

Pete currently operates a highly successful online teaching practice where his Skype guitar students come from countries as widespread and diverse as Japan, India, Colombia, USA, Sweden, Australia and Finland.

He also regularly contributes to a number of web based music sites and has recorded all the audio examples for a number of best selling instructional guitar books produced through the Fundamental Changes publishing group in the UK.

He has also co-authored several best-selling guitar books with the same company. Pete has also now published several instructional guitar e-books of his own all of which have received 5 star reviews on Amazon.

Pete currently lives near Shrewsbury in England, where he divides his time between online teaching, session work and gigs/workshops. He has studied with many well-known jazz teachers including the legendary Charlie Banacos and most recently Garry Dial in New York.