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.
Most classes have 4-14 folks, for 8-week sessions.
The folk tradition is playing, singing and coming together to learn and meet new people in the process.
From pure beginners to shredders looking for new skills, there’s a place for every guitarist.
Most classes end the session with a showcase on stage for friends and family to attend.
Classes run every day most times of the day to fit into your busy schedule.
No guitar, no problem! Our music store has a great guitar for you to rent and practice with all session.
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 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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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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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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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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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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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
Choose from a variety of class options continuing in the model of the core program, before branching off to specialty or ensemble 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.
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.
Any Day of the Week with Carlos Chacon, Mary Peterson, Linda Smith, Steve Doyle, Lisa Joy DeRosia, Charles Kim, Dan Fulkerson, Randy Morris, Elaine Moore, Shelley Miller, John Mead, Albert Martinez, Cathy Norden, Rebecca Toon, John Abbey, Louis Bardales, Chris Corsale or Deanna Devore
80 minutes · Once a week for 8 weeks · $202 ($182 members)
For the complete beginner.
Any Day of the Week with Mary Peterson, Linda Smith, Joel Frankel, Steve Doyle, Lisa Joy DeRosia, Charles Kim, Dan Fulkerson, Randy Morris, Elaine Moore, Shelley Miller, Albert Martinez, Cathy Norden, John Abbey, Paula McKernan, Louis Bardales or Deanna Devore
80 minutes · Once a week for 8 weeks · $202 ($182 members)
Improve your skills by learning lots of great songs, different strums and a few licks, while singing and playing at the same time!
Any Day of the Week with Mary Peterson, Linda Smith, Joel Frankel, Mike Blackburn, Alvin McGovern, Chris Winters, Lisa Joy DeRosia, Charles Kim, Chris Walz, Dan Fulkerson, Shelley Miller, Rebecca Toon, Paula McKernan, Steve Levitt, Steve Dawson, Chris Corsale or Deanna Devore
80 minutes · Once a week for 8 weeks · $202 ($182 members)
Your playing will take on a new dimension.
Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday, Saturday or Sunday with Linda Smith, Mike Blackburn, Barbara Silverman, Alvin McGovern, Chris Winters, Bill Brickey, Charles Kim, Chris Walz, Dan Fulkerson, Shelley Miller, John Mead, Rebecca Toon, Jim DeWan, Steve Levitt, Steve Dawson, Chris Corsale or Deanna Devore
80 minutes · Once a week for 8 weeks · $202 ($182 members)
This class is great entry point for the self taught. You will build repertoire and develop skills.
Any Day of the Week with Mary Peterson, Linda Smith, Barbara Silverman, Bill Brickey, Dan Fulkerson, Randy Morris, Elaine Moore, Shelley Miller, John Mead, Tom Ryan, Jim DeWan, Jane Hanna, Steve Dawson, Louis Bardales, Matt Gallagher or Deanna Devore
80 minutes · Once a week for 8 weeks · $202 ($182 members)
Build dexterity with basic fingerpicking and flatpicking.
Monday, Tuesday, Thursday, Friday or Saturday with Mary Peterson, Chris Winters, Elaine Moore or Louis Bardales
80 minutes · Once a week for 8 weeks · $202 ($182 members)
Make a long term commitment to improving your guitar playing skills
Any Day of the Week with Carlos Chacon, Mary Peterson, Charles Kim, Dan Fulkerson, Elaine Moore, Shelley Miller, John Mead, Cathy Norden, John Abbey, Tom Ryan or Louis Bardales
80 minutes · Once a week for 8 weeks · $202 ($182 members)
Armed with the knowledge of bar chords one can expand their repertoire to include many idioms.
Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday or Sunday with Mary Peterson, Linda Smith, Lisa Joy DeRosia, Dan Fulkerson, Rebecca Toon or Matt Gallagher
80 minutes · Once a week for 8 weeks · $202 ($182 members)
A special level for students who want to continue on the path of musical growth offered during our morning classes or within the confines of our Armitage location.
Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday, Saturday or Sunday with Charles Kim, Dan Fulkerson, Shelley Miller, Cathy Norden, John Abbey, Steve Levitt, Tommi Zender, Louis Bardales or Chris Corsale
80 minutes · Once a week for 8 weeks · $202 ($182 members)
Students of Guitar 4 are well on their way to being able to perform and to express themselves musically.
Monday, Wednesday, Friday or Sunday with Chris Winters, Dan Fulkerson, Randy Morris or Steve Levitt
80 minutes · Once a week for 8 weeks · $202 ($182 members)
This class is highly recommended for all guitar students. Make it a point to enroll at some point in your musical journey.
Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday, Friday, Saturday or Sunday with Linda Smith, Chris Winters, Mark Dvorak, Jacob Sweet, Tom Ryan, Andrea Bunch, Steve Dawson, Tommi Zender or Chris Corsale
80 minutes · Once a week for 8 weeks · $202 ($182 members)
Students have been known to repeat this class endlessly! And of course, learning the guitar is a lifelong journey.
Tuesday or Wednesday with Mary Peterson or Elaine Moore
80 minutes · Once a week for 8 weeks · $202 ($182 members)
Grab that guitar and sing and play with others.
Monday or Tuesday with John Mead
80 minutes · Once a week for 8 weeks · $202 ($182 members)
Learn approaches to the fingerboard designed to improve your playing
Monday or Wednesday with Steve Levitt
60 minutes · Once a week for 8 weeks · $0 ($0 members)
A free Q & A with one of the school's renown guitar gurus. COME BY AND WE'LL HELP PLACE YOU IN THE PROGRAM
