Bainbridge Island guitarist Peter Spencer tells his students to practice, practice, practice, and he sets a good example — he’s been practicing for 40 years.

He’s gotten pretty good by now, and he’ll show off his playing, singing and song writing skills in a concert at the Island Music Guild Hall Jan. 21 entitled “40 Years with Guitar.”

Spencer has been a regular performer in the West Sound music scene since arriving in August of 2004, and has released two CDs to date, with another in the works.

Saturday’s concert will feature music that is not usually on his song list but that has influenced his music.

“The first set will include a lot of material I don’t often do in public,” he said, “But I want to pay tribute to people like Bert Jansch, John Fahey, Mississippi John Hurt, Lonnie Johnson, Jerry Reed and Jim Kweskin. I especially want my students to hear them.”

If any of those names ring a bell, congratulations, you are officially an old folkie. That’s “folkie,” with an LK.

Spencer splits his guitar time between folk and the blues, both of which suit his mastery of acoustic fingerpicking and soulful vocal style.

An east coast native, Spencer got his start in the folk clubs of New York in the early 1970s, traveling the same road taken by Bob Dylan a decade earlier.

While in New York he co-founded the Greenwich Village Musicians’ Cooperative, in support of other musicians trying to make a living by doing what they loved.

Spencer took a break from professional musicianship to work a day job, but restarted his musical career after the move to Bainbridge, which he said has worked out well.

Today he teaches a multitude of aspiring guitar students through the Island Music Guild, and performs regularly at Winslow Way Cafe and Island Grill.

He debuted his second CD, the bluesy “Nobody’s Daddy,” last March at the Seabold Second Saturday, where he had been a frequent open mic performer.

Spencer will be backed up by bassist Liam Graham, and the pair will play material from both Spencer’s albums.

Spencer said one of the high points of his musical career came last holiday season, when the Island Music Guild artists got together to record a CD of holiday music.

“It’s very gratifying,” he said. “I’ve always played Christmas songs as guitar instrumentals just around the house and at parties. But to work with these other great IMG artists and bring together something so true to my original idea — and to have the public like it — is one of the high points of my career so far.”

Peter Spencer’s “40 Years with Guitar” takes place 8 p.m. Jan. 21 at Island Music Guild Hall, 10598 Valley Rd., Bainbridge Island.

Tickets at the door are $10 adults, $5 students. wu