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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 (10 found)

Guitar 1

Beginner

Any Day of the Week with Joel Frankel, Chris Winters, Dan Fulkerson, Shelley Miller, Albert Martinez, Scott Besaw, Tom Ryan, Henry Altenberg, Alicia Lees, Jim Wynton, Max Berg, Ruben Portillo, Camille McClellan, Bear Williams or Julia Mendiolea

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 Carlos Chacon, Joel Frankel, Alvin McGovern, Dan Fulkerson, Shelley Miller, Albert Martinez, John Abbey, Scott Besaw, Henry Altenberg, Alicia Lees, Nikki O'Neill, Max Berg, Ruben Portillo, Camille McClellan, Bear Williams or Julia Mendiolea

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 Park - Armitage Ave or Lincoln Square - Lincoln Ave Campus

Guitar 2

Beginner

Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday, Saturday or Sunday with Carlos Chacon, Joel Frankel, Barbara Silverman, Alvin McGovern, Dan Fulkerson, Randy Morris, Shelley Miller, Albert Martinez, John Abbey, Scott Besaw, Steve Dawson, Nikki O'Neill, Max Berg, Ruben Portillo or Camille McClellan

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, Tuesday or Wednesday with Charles Kim, Dan Fulkerson, Henry Altenberg or Julia Mendiolea

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 or Lincoln Park - Armitage Ave

Guitar 2 Repertoire

Beginner

Any Day of the Week with Joel Frankel, Barbara Silverman, Chris Walz, Randy Morris, Shelley Miller, Scott Besaw, Jim DeWan, Steve Dawson, Henry Altenberg, Max Berg, Ruben Portillo or Camille McClellan

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

Any Day of the Week with Charles Kim, Chris Walz, Dan Fulkerson, Shelley Miller, Scott Besaw, Jim DeWan, Steve Levitt, Henry Altenberg, Max Berg, Ruben Portillo or Camille McClellan

80 minutes  ·  Once a week for 8 weeks

Build dexterity with basic fingerpicking and flatpicking.

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

Guitar 3 Repertoire

Intermediate

Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday, Friday or Saturday with Charles Kim, Dan Fulkerson, Shelley Miller, Scott Besaw, Steve Levitt, Ruben Portillo or Camille McClellan

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 Square - Lincoln Ave Campus or Lincoln Park - Armitage Ave

Guitar 4

Intermediate

Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday or Friday with Chris Winters, Dan Fulkerson, John Abbey, Scott Besaw, Tom Ryan, Alicia Lees, Nikki O'Neill, Max Berg or Ruben Portillo

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

Guitar 4Ever

Intermediate

Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday or Sunday with Joel Frankel, Jacob Sweet, Jim DeWan, Steve Dawson or Max Berg

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

Extended Play: Guitar

Intermediate

Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday or Friday with Mary Peterson, Chris Winters, Elaine Moore, Scott Besaw or Michael O'Toole

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