Workshops

BRITTANY GUITAR WORKsHOPS – AUGUST 29 – SEPTEMBER 2, 2023

Geoff and Kitty in full concentration mode in the main teaching room

My regular Summer holiday for guitarists, in the beautiful French countryside. Four days of acoustic guitar workshops, punctuated by regularly imbibing and dining in coastal restaurants and evening jam sessions around a massive kitchen table. Sounds nice, eh? Spaces are limited to eight participants (non-participating guests are welcome – get in touch for accommodation options).

The final day concludes with an informal concert in the main room, with me + guest spots from willing participants!

Cost: £375 incl. 4 days’ tuition, course materials, lunches & refreshments, a welcome buffet on arrival day, and a meal on the last evening.

N.B. Travel and accommodation are extra, but please be in touch for advice on where to stay, and car-sharing from the ferry-port in Dieppe is highly recommended – we’ll do whatever we can to help / advise.

TICKETS & CONTACT

Who’s it for?

This course is aimed at steel-string acoustic guitarists of an intermediate level and above. We will cover a variety of topics such composing and arranging, Celtic tunes, altered tunings, traditional fingerstyle guitar, useful theory etc.

You are welcome to offer topic suggestions in advance, and I’ll see what I can do 🙂

For maximum benefit, you’ll need a solid grasp of the following topics:

  • All common open major and minor chords
  • Familiarity with one or two moveable barre chord shapes
  • Some fingerpicking experience
  • Solid rhythm in 4/4 time

HALSWAY MANOR GUITAR WEEK – SEPTEMBER 19-23, 2022

The annual guitar week at the national centre for folk arts, Halsway Manor, in the splendid Quantocks in Somerset. It’s always a lovely event, with workshops, jam sessions and performances. I’ll be leading some workshops and performing a set on the final evening, along with my co-hosts, Vera Van Heeringen and Dave Malkin.

More information here.

Who’s it for?

“This course is aimed at acoustic guitarists (steel-strung) of an intermediate level and above, it’s not really suitable for beginners.

As a guide, to get the most from the course you’ll need a grasp of the following topics:

  • All common open major and minor chords
  • Familiarity with one or two moveable barre chord shapes
  • Some basic fingerpicking ability
  • Steady, even strumming rhythm in 4/4 time

Beyond this, enthusiasm is much more important than skill level; we only ask that you join in to the best of your ability. This week is all about helping you develop your playing, whatever your current level of ability, and sending you away with the inspiration and tools to continue to improve.”