Born in Blankenberge, Belgium, to British parents, who were on holiday in that country at the time,[1] Noad moved at an early age with his family to Eversley, England and was originally introduced to music through the violin and piano.
He received a liberal arts education at Wellington College, Berkshire, earning diplomas in a wide variety of disciplines including ancient history, Latin, Greek, and literature.
After service in the Royal Corps of Signals, he earned his master's degree in jurisprudence at Brasenose College, Oxford University in 1957.
He started a small music business in Hollywood, California called the Spanish Guitar Center where he offered music lessons and sold imported classical guitars from famous makers in Spanish cities such as Cordoba and Granada.
He also authored several instructional guitar books, many focusing on classical guitar playing, but some also encompassing a wide variety of other styles such as travis picking, folk and country, flamenco, Latin rhythms, the blues, and rock and roll.