Two friends talking about a guitar group

Test 2. This is the IELTS listening test. You will hear a number of different recordings and you will have to answer questions on what you hear. There will be time for you to read the instructions and questions and you will have a chance to check your work. All the recordings will be played once only. The test is in four parts. At the end of the test, you will be given 10 minutes to transfer your answers to an answer sheet. Now turn to part one. Part one. You will hear two friends talking about a guitar group. First, you have some time to look at questions one to six. Thank you. Hi, Coleman. How are you? Good, thanks. I wanted to have a chat with you because our friend Josh told me that you've joined a guitar group and it sounds interesting. I'd really like to learn myself. Why don't you come along? I'm sure there's room for another person. Really? So, who runs the classes? He's called a coordinator. His name's Gary Matheson. Let me note that down Gary how do you spell his surname It M Right, thanks. He's retired, actually, but he's a really nice guy, and he used to play in a lot of bands. Thanks. So, how long have you been going? About a month now. And could you play anything before you started? I knew a few chords, but that's all. I'm sure everyone will be better than me. That's what I thought too. When I first spoke to Gary on the phone, he said it was a class for beginners, but I was still worried that everyone would be better than me. But we were all equally hopeless. Oh, that's reassuring. So, where do you meet? Well, when I joined the group, they were meeting in Gary's home. But as the group got bigger, he decided to book a room at the college in town. I prefer going there. I know that place. I used to go to tap dancing classes there when I was at secondary school. I haven't been since, though, and I can't remember what road it's in. Is it Lock Street? It's just beyond there, at the bottom of New Street, near the City Roundabout. Yes, of course. The guitar club is on the first floor in room T347. Right. And when do you meet? Is it at the weekend? We meet on Thursdays. It used to be 10.30 and that suited me well, but now we meet at 11. The class that's in there before us asked if they could have the room for another 30 minutes. Oh I see Well I love to come but I don have a guitar Well you can always buy a second one There's a website called The Perfect Instrument that sells all kinds of guitars, violins and so on. I'm sure you'll find something there. Before you hear the rest of the conversation, you have some time to look at questions 7 to 10. Now listen and answer questions 7 to 10. So, what's a typical lesson like with Gary? Well, he always starts by getting us to tune our guitars. That takes about five minutes. Uh-huh. Some people have an app they use, but others do it by ear. Gary goes round and helps them. And while he's doing that, he tells us what he's going to do during the lesson. Right. First, we usually spend about ten minutes doing some strumming. So, is that using... oh, what are they called? Plectrums? No, we just use our thumbs. Much easier. Gary reminds us where to put our fingers for each chord and then we play them together. Sometimes we all just start laughing because we're so bad at keeping time. So Gary starts clapping to help us. Do you learn to play any songs? Yes we do at least one song with words and chords I mean that harder than you think Oh I sure it is That part of the lesson takes about 15 minutes He often brings a recording of the song and plays it to us first. Then he hands out the song and if there's a new chord in it, we practice that before we play it together, but really slowly. Do you do any finger-picking? That's the last ten minutes of the lesson, when we pick out the individual notes from a tune he's made up. It's always quite simple. That must be hard, though. It is. But people like it because they can really concentrate. And, if we're all playing well, it sounds quite impressive. The only trouble is that he sometimes gets us to play one at a time, you know, alone. Oh, that's scary. It is, but I've got used to it now. At the end, he spends about five minutes telling us what to practice for the following week. Well, thanks, Coleman. I'll go and have a look at that website, I think. That is the end of part one. You now have one minute to check your answers to part one. Part two. You will hear a man called David talking on the radio about his work as a lifeboat volunteer. First, you have some time to look at questions eleven to sixteen. Thank you.