Core Level Guitar Classes

The backbone of the Old Town School experience since its inception in 1957, our Core Guitar classes provide solid musical background using traditional and popular styles in a friendly casual group environment.

Group Classes

Most classes have 4-14 folks, for 8-week sessions.

A Social Experience

The folk tradition is playing, singing and coming together to learn and meet new people in the process.

All Skill Levels Welcome

From pure beginners to shredders looking for new skills, there’s a place for every guitarist.

Perform In A Showcase

Most classes end the session with a showcase on stage for friends and family to attend.

Flexible Schedules

Classes run every day most times of the day to fit into your busy schedule.

Rentals Available

No guitar, no problem! Our music store has a great guitar for you to rent and practice with all session.

For the complete beginner.

Guitar 1

Your musical journey starts here. Learn chords, simple strums, and tuning in a fun, relaxed group setting. You’ll be introduced to the basic elements of rhythm and harmony that will have you making music in no time! Guitar 1 is for the absolute beginner.

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Improve skills. Add songs.

Guitar 1 Repertoire

Improve your skills by learning lots of great songs, different strums and a few "licks," while singing and playing at the same time! We suggest that students repeat the repertoire classes as needed. There are hundreds of tunes to learn at every skill level.

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New chords. New connections.

Guitar 2

Learn new chords and ways of playing and connecting them with bass runs, arpeggios, and using a capo. Discover different rhythms and pick out some melodies. Before taking Guitar 2, you should play basic open chords in the keys of A, D, E, and G, smoothly without losing the beat.

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Self-starters start here.

Guitar 2 Repertoire

If you are self taught or have completed Guitar 2, this is the level to repeat as often as you want to build up your songbag.

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Build dexterity with basic fingerpicking and flatpicking.

Guitar 3

Move on to the next plateau with barre chords and movable shapes. Build dexterity with basic fingerpicking and flatpicking. Develop techniques and memorization and adding dynamics to song arrangements. Begin to develop your own musical voice and expand comfort with your instrument.

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Barre chords open doors.

Guitar 3 Repertoire

Enhance your knowledge of the guitar neck while examining tunes from a variety of styles - popular and traditional. As always, students are welcome to repeat a repertoire class as often as they chose. Songs change from session to session.

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Choose Your Class

Need help figuring out where to get started?

Complete Beginner? Start With Guitar 1

Self-Taught? Learned From Videos? Start At Guitar 2

Barre Chords? Haven’t Played In A While? Take Our Placement Quiz

Extend the Core Guitar Experience

Choose from a variety of class options continuing in the model of the core program, before branching off to specialty or ensemble classes!

Technique & Specialty Classes

Expand your abilities with the guidance of our expert teaching artists in of our wide range of skill and specialty topic classes - exploring genres like Blues, Bluegrass, Rock, Jazz, Country, and more.

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Ensemble Classes

If your skill set includes those in the Guitar 3 description, or beyond, you'll want to stretch your playing in an Ensemble Class - performing together in a multi-instrument band setting.

Classes, Schedules, and Registration