Hi, I’m Dylan Kay

I’m an improvising guitarist, songwriter and educator specialising in standard-tuned slide guitar.

“Dylan Kay is a badass slide player and anyone who’s interested in slide guitar would greatly benefit by taking lessons from him.”
— Scott Henderson, legendary US jazz/blues/fusion guitarist

With over 35 years of experience - including studying at Berklee College of Music with David Tronzo, teaching at London's Guitar Institute, and founding Auckland Guitar School - my focus is entirely on creative practice.

I don't teach note-for-note transcriptions, and I don't teach you how to be a clone. I work with self-motivated guitarists who want to use a slide as a seamless tool for composition and improvisation. I provide the fretboard frameworks, the mechanical strategies and creative architecture - you write the music.

If you are ready to stop copying other people's licks and start finding your own voice, I’d love to hear from you - just send me a message HERE.

A Change Is Gonna Come

Here’s an excerpt from an arrangement I did of this great Sam Cooke song. I’m playing my 1964 Silvertone 1457 guitar, with a custom Diamond bottlenecks slide, in standard tuning.

Big B

Here’s part of a trio performance (with bassist Richard Pratley and drummer Glen Child) of this original tune. This is in standard tuning, on my ‘63 Strat, through my Fender Princeton amp (overdrive from Hudson Broadcast).