Over the past 32 years, Guitar Weekends has taught players from complete beginners to advanced guitarists.
To help you choose the right online or shop course, we’ve created three playing levels. These make it easier to understand where your playing sits and find courses with the right level of challenge, enjoyment and progression.
Over the past 32 years, Guitar Weekends has taught everyone from complete beginners picking up the guitar for the first time to highly experienced and advanced players.
To help you choose the right Online or Shop course, we’ve created nine Difficulty Badges across three broad levels – Beginner, Intermediate and Advanced.
The badges are designed to give you a quick idea of the level of each course and the skills you might encounter.
They’re a guide, not an entrance exam.
You certainly don’t need to tick every box within a level before taking a course. Your experience will also vary depending on the subject – you might be a confident blues player but completely new to fingerstyle, for example.
Use the badges to help you choose, but don’t let them stop you from trying something that interests you.
Our tutors have extensive experience in guitar education, including working with ABRSM, Trinity and RSL syllabusesand creating arrangements across all grades for electric, acoustic and classical guitar.
They’ve taught everyone from complete beginners through to degree and Master’s-level music students.
We’ve used that combined experience to create a clear, practical Guitar Weekends level system based around the skills guitarists actually use.
That’s completely normal.
A course may contain several songs, techniques or exercises requiring different skills. An individual lesson will usually sit within one or two neighbouring Difficulty Badges, while a complete series may cover a wider range.
Your own level can vary too. An advanced classical guitarist may have very little experience of improvisation, while a confident blues guitarist might be completely new to fingerstyle.
So don’t get too caught up in the badge.
The important questions are: Will you enjoy the course? Will you learn something from it?
Don’t automatically rule it out.
With our Online and Shop courses, you’ll have lesson materials and a video recording that you can work through at your own pace. You can pause, rewind and revisit difficult sections as often as you need.
A course slightly above your current level can give you something to work towards and help push your playing forward.
And if you’re unsure, get in touch. We’re always happy to talk through your playing experience and help you decide whether a course is suitable.
Our Day and Residential courses often attract a broader mix of playing levels, so assigning one Difficulty Badge can actually be misleading.
The advantage of learning in person is that our tutors can adapt the material and individual parts to the players in the room. A group might contain a Beginner Plus guitarist alongside an Intermediate player, with each tackling the music at an appropriate level.
Group playing is a big part of Guitar Weekends, and mixed abilities can work extremely well together.
For these courses, we therefore provide specific suitability guidance on the individual course page rather than relying on a single badge.
Still unsure? Get in touch and we’ll happily help you choose.
Below is a basic breakdown of what we might expect. But don’t take this as a complete rule, it is just a guide. Other areas may come into play.
COMPLETE BEGINNER
If you see this badge, the course is suitable for players at the beginning of their guitar journey. You may have only been playing for a few weeks or months and know a handful of basic chords such as G, Em, C, Am, D, E and A.
You don’t need any theory or technical knowledge. The music, rhythms and chord changes are straightforward and great at helping you develop good technique, coordination and confidence.
The emphasis is on learning and enjoying the basics.
BEGINNER
If you see this badge, you’d expect material that moves beyond the very first steps. You might already know a few common chords, be able to play parts of some songs and have started to develop a sense of rhythm.
We’ll build on those foundations by exploring more chord shapes, strumming patterns, simple melodies and riffs, alongside introductory fingerpicking and plectrum techniques. You may also come across basic techniques such as hammer-ons, pull-offs, palm muting and accents. These add more character to your playing.
Don’t worry if some of this is completely new to you. You don’t need to arrive knowing it all – we’ll help you develop these skills as you go.
BEGINNER PLUS
If you see this badge, the course is aimed at players who are relatively comfortable with the basics and are ready to explore a little more of the guitar.
We’ll build on familiar chords and techniques while introducing more interesting rhythms, new sounds and greater movement around the fretboard. We may explore a few more techniques such as slides, string bends and vibrato, alongside developing your strumming, picking and coordination.
You’ll find fun simple riffs, licks and the chance to start learning to improvise, particularly through blues, rock and other popular styles.
LOW INTERMEDIATE
If you see this badge, the course is aimed at players who are comfortable with the basics and ready to explore more of what the guitar can offer.
We’ll help you develop new chord shapes, rhythms, riffs and lead ideas, while gradually exploring more of the fretboard and adding greater variety and expression to your playing. You may encounter techniques such as bends, slides, muting and harmonics, alongside opportunities to experiment and create ideas of your own.
INTERMEDIATE
If you see this badge, the course is aimed at players who are growing in confidence and ready to broaden their playing across different styles and areas of the guitar.
We’ll help you explore more involved rhythms, chord ideas, riffs, lead playing and solo guitar arrangements, while developing greater expression through techniques such as bends, vibrato and slides. You may also start to improvise more freely, develop solos and bring more of your own ideas into the music.
You can expect longer songs, instrumentals and arrangements of well-known music, giving you plenty to get stuck into.
INTERMEDIATE PLUS
If you see this badge, the course is aimed at players who are comfortable with a good range of guitar skills and are ready to stretch themselves with more involved music.
We’ll explore more of the fretboard, longer and more detailed arrangements, interesting rhythms and expressive lead playing, while developing your ability to move confidently between chords, riffs, melodies and solos. Fingerstyle players may encounter more flowing arrangements where chords, melodies and picking patterns come together, across styles such as folk, blues, jazz, classical and contemporary music.
There’ll also be greater opportunity to explore improvisation, tone, dynamics and your own musical ideas, helping you develop a more individual approach to your playing.
Some of the material will naturally be challenging – that’s part of the fun! You don’t need to arrive having mastered everything.
LOW ADVANCED
If you see this badge, the course is aimed at experienced players ready to stretch themselves with more adventurous music.
We’ll explore more of the fretboard, richer chords, expressive lead playing, improvisation and detailed arrangements. Fingerstyle players can expect pieces that combine chords, melodies and accompaniment into complete solo guitar performances.
At this level, the material is designed to give you something to really get your teeth into. You don’t need to arrive having mastered every technique but the opportunity to be challenged is there.
ADVANCED
If you see this badge, the course is aimed at confident, experienced guitarists looking to take their playing further and tackle more challenging music.
We’ll explore advanced arrangements, expressive lead and rhythm playing, improvisation and techniques from a wide range of styles, with greater freedom across the whole guitar.
At this level, it’s increasingly about developing your own sound, interpretation and musical personality. The material will challenge you, but our tutors will be there to break it down, share their professional approaches and help you get the most from your playing.
ADVANCED PLUS
If you see this badge, the course is aimed at highly experienced players looking to explore some of our most challenging and creative material.
You’ll encounter advanced arrangements, faster and more intricate playing, extended improvisation and techniques from across a wide range of styles. There’ll also be greater freedom to explore your own arrangements, compositions, tone and musical ideas.
At this level, it’s as much about creativity and musical personality as technique. Our tutors will share their professional approaches, challenge your playing and help you discover new ways to develop your own musical voice.