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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.

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!

Beyond Guitar 3

Extended Play

Guitar 4

Guitar 4ever

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.

Classes, Schedules, and Registration

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

List of All Core Guitar Classes (16 found)

Fingerstyle Workshop Series with Michael J. Miles

Intermediate

Monday with Michael Miles

75 minutes  ·  Once a week for 1 week

Location: Online

Guitar 1

Beginner

Any Day of the Week with Alvin McGovern, Dan Fulkerson, Randy Morris, Shelley Miller, Albert Martinez, Scott Besaw, Sophie Creutz, Henry Altenberg, Matt Gallagher, Ruben Portillo, Camille McClellan or Dante Swan

80 minutes  ·  Once a week for 8 weeks

For the complete beginner.

Location: Lincoln Square - Lincoln Ave Campus or Lincoln Park - Armitage Ave

Guitar 1 Repertoire

Beginner

Any Day of the Week with Dan Fulkerson, Shelley Miller, John Abbey, Scott Besaw, Nikki O'Neill, Max Berg, Ruben Portillo or Camille McClellan

80 minutes  ·  Once a week for 8 weeks

Improve your skills by learning lots of great songs, different strums and a few licks, while singing and playing at the same time!

Location: Lincoln Square - Lincoln Ave Campus or Lincoln Park - Armitage Ave

Guitar 2

Beginner

Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday or Sunday with Joel Frankel, Alvin McGovern, Shelley Miller, Scott Besaw, Sophie Creutz, Alicia Lees, Jim Wynton or Max Berg

80 minutes  ·  Once a week for 8 weeks

Your playing will take on a new dimension.

Location: Lincoln Square - Lincoln Ave Campus or Lincoln Park - Armitage Ave

Guitar Fingerboard Theory

Intermediate

Monday or Saturday with Dan Fulkerson or Randy Morris

80 minutes  ·  Once a week for 8 weeks

This class is highly recommended for all guitar students. Make it a point to enroll at some point in your musical journey.

Location: Lincoln Square - Lincoln Ave Campus

Guitar 2 Repertoire

Beginner

Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday or Saturday with Joel Frankel, Barbara Silverman, Chris Winters, Chris Walz, Dan Fulkerson, Shelley Miller, Steve Levitt, Henry Altenberg or Jim Wynton

80 minutes  ·  Once a week for 8 weeks

This class is great entry point for the self taught. You will build repertoire and develop skills.

Location: Lincoln Square - Lincoln Ave Campus or Lincoln Park - Armitage Ave

Guitar 3

Intermediate

Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday or Saturday with Chris Walz, Dan Fulkerson, Shelley Miller, Jim DeWan, Tommi Zender, Alicia Lees, Jim Wynton or Max Berg

80 minutes  ·  Once a week for 8 weeks

Build dexterity with basic fingerpicking and flatpicking.

Location: Lincoln Park - Armitage Ave or Lincoln Square - Lincoln Ave Campus

Guitar 3 Repertoire

Intermediate

Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday, Friday or Sunday with Carlos Chacon, Dan Fulkerson, Shelley Miller, Jim DeWan, Steve Levitt, Steve Dawson, Henry Altenberg, Jim Wynton or Max Berg

80 minutes  ·  Once a week for 8 weeks

Armed with the knowledge of bar chords one can expand their repertoire to include many idioms.

Location: Lincoln Park - Armitage Ave or Lincoln Square - Lincoln Ave Campus

Guitar 4

Intermediate

Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday, Friday or Saturday with Mary Peterson, Joel Frankel, Chris Winters, Bill Brickey, Charles Kim, Dan Fulkerson, John Abbey, Jim DeWan or Alicia Lees

80 minutes  ·  Once a week for 8 weeks

Students of Guitar 4 are well on their way to being able to perform and to express themselves musically.

Location: Lincoln Square - Lincoln Ave Campus, Online or Lincoln Park - Armitage Ave

Guitar 4Ever

Intermediate

Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday or Sunday with Jacob Sweet, Jim DeWan, Steve Dawson or Tommi Zender

80 minutes  ·  Once a week for 8 weeks

Students have been known to repeat this class endlessly! And of course, learning the guitar is a lifelong journey.

Location: Lincoln Square - Lincoln Ave Campus, Lincoln Park - Armitage Ave or Online

Guitar 4Ever with Holstein

Advanced

Saturday with Ed Holstein

80 minutes  ·  Once a week for 8 weeks

The one and only legendary folk icon, Ed Holstein holds court for acoustic guitarists.

Location: Lincoln Square - Lincoln Ave Campus

Guitar and Vocal Studio

Intermediate

Tuesday with Julia Storke

80 minutes  ·  Once a week for 8 weeks

Grab that guitar and sing and play with others.

Location: Lincoln Park - Armitage Ave

Beyond Guitar 3

Intermediate

Sunday with Mary Peterson

80 minutes  ·  Once a week for 8 weeks

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.

Location: Online

Crash Bass for Guitarists

Beginner

Saturday with Harlan Terson

90 minutes  ·  Once a week for 1 week

Location: Online

Great Songs for Beginners: Dylan & Petty

BeginnerNew!

Monday with John Mead

80 minutes  ·  Once a week for 8 weeks

Location: Lincoln Square - Lincoln Ave Campus

Extended Play: Guitar

Intermediate

Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday or Friday with Mary Peterson, Chris Winters or Elaine Moore

80 minutes  ·  Once a week for 8 weeks

Make a long term commitment to improving your guitar playing skills

Location: Lincoln Square - Lincoln Ave Campus or Online