Guitar for Beginners - COURSE CANCELLED (HE09L89A)

An online course for the beginner guitarist. Full of the essential skills, tips and techniques to get you playing.

Course overview

During this course, you will be taken through the basic elements of the acoustic guitar: guitar anatomy, how to tune your guitar, fret chords and other essential skills needed in order to play a complete song.

During the course Ollie, the tutor will encourage your progress by setting weekly tasks which if you record yourself playing and post onto an online course page, you will receive personalised feedback and advice on from Ollie.
Where This is an online course.
When Thursday, 7:00pm - 8:30pm from 15th October 2020 until 10th December 2020 for 8 weeks.

29th October (Half Term)
Cost The full fee is £79.00. The concessionary fee is £40.00.


Additional Costs
To avoid unnecessary cost please do not purchase any materials or text books until you are certain that your course will run. Course decisions are normally made a week prior to the course start date.

What you already need to know

This course is aimed at those who have no or very little experience playing a guitar but who have a passion to learn.

What you will learn

This course will go through the basic elements of the acoustic guitar: guitar anatomy, how to hold the guitar and pick, how to tune your guitar and the basic skills needed in order to play a complete song.

You will learn:

- Basic guitar knowledge
- Names of notes and chords
- Simple Guitar TAB
- Common/open chords and fretting chords
- Different left and right-hand techniques to build muscle memory
- Simple songs from a variety of genres 1960s to present day

How you will learn it

This is an online course taught in real-time by experienced guitar player Ollie Allworthy. You will learn directly from Ollie, with learning being supported by a variety of online resources.

You will get the most out of the course if you are able to practise between the sessions. Ollie will encourage your progress by setting weekly tasks during each session which if you are able to record yourself playing and post onto an online PADLET course page, you will receive personalised feedback and advice on from Ollie.

Bring to the first session

ACRES' online courses will be taught in real time using the video platform Google Meet, supported by other online resources. To ensure you get the most out of the course and can fully participate in the sessions you will interact with your tutor and other students through speaking, listening and the chat function, as well as being able to see each other via the video links, though you can turn off your camera and microphone at any time.

You will therefore need to have access to either a laptop, computer or portable device (eg tablet or phone) (this ideally needs to be less than 5 years old), with a camera / webcam and microphone, as well as a good broadband / Wi-Fi connection.

Though it is not essential, you may choose to create a separate email account for your online learning (preferably Gmail which is most compatible with Google Meet). This will give you the added security to allow you to share your email address with your tutor and other students on the course to enhance your learning experience, without disclosing your personal information.

At the start of the course and before each lesson your tutor will send you an invitation with a link to join the class and any further information including resources and equipment you will need for the lesson.


Materials and items you will need to do the course


- A guitar (acoustic or classical guitars preferred.)
- A guitar pick/plectrum
- A guitar capo
- A music stand
- Positive attitude
- Musical passion

The tutor will advise you on guitar tuners.

To avoid unnecessary cost please do not purchase any materials or textbooks until you are certain that your course will run. Course decisions are normally made a week prior to the course start date.

Extra study or practice

In order to fully absorb the material covered in each session, it is recommended that you practice a little bit every day, 30 - 60 mins if possible. This will ensure that you build both calluses on your fingertips as well as muscle memory for chord shapes.

Ollie, the tutor will encourage your progress by setting weekly tasks during each session which if you record yourself playing and post onto an online PADLET course page, you will receive personalised feedback and advice on from Ollie.

How to enrol

You can enrol by phoning ACRES' House on 01825 761820 on Monday to Friday between 9:30 am and 4 pm. Alternatively, to register your interest in a course please email adultlearning@acres.org.uk with the course title and your contact details and a member of the team will call you back to enrol you on your chosen course.

Previous students say

Ollie is a new tutor to ACRES however music has been an integral part of his life from a relatively early age. Starting on the guitar at the age of 8 Ollie quickly realised that music was more than just a hobby and he has now been playing for 13 years. This musical journey enabled Oliver to network with industry professionals and he has performed with and supported: Mud, Cutting Crew, The Blockheads, John Otway, Charlie Grima and Blurred Vision. During secondary school, Oliver began teaching one to one private lessons to a variety of students and has since gone on to play in Jimi Hendrix's London flat. At the suggestion of an industry professional, Oliver ended up studying at the Academy for Contemporary Music in Guildford where he was awarded a 1st Class BA Honours Degree in Music Industry Practice (Production).

Next steps within this subject with ACRES

A continuation beginners guitar course will be offered in January 2021. Please see our website for up to date information on all of ACRES' upcoming courses in the New Year.

Future steps beyond ACRES

Find out about other courses with the National Careers Service for opportunities to extend your skills and knowledge.

Further information

Please visit the ACRES website, see our brochure, or alternatively contact a member of the team on 01825 761820.