Our Strugglers Plus course takes us away from ‘basics’ and gives you the tools and knowledge to level up your playing to a point where you feel comfortable performing in a group or tackling more intermediate level music. The focus is on good technique, stylistic playing, practical theory that the pro’s use, and setting you on a path for productive self-improvement. Rhythm, barre chords and caged triads, strumming, fingerpicking, basic licks and soloing all come into focus. We cover most genres and you’ll learn a number of great songs along the way.
Non-residential
Sat 26th Sept 2026
10am – 5pm
(B&B and dinners are available through the hotel).
Run by:
Gary Dunn
Venue:
Holiday Inn Scotch Corner, Scotch Corner
This is a non-residential teaching day involving non-stop playing so you’ll want to bring prepared with either an acoustic guitar or an electric with small practice amp. There is no need for multiple instruments and pedals. You’ll add a number of great songs and practice exercises to your repertoire (10am to 5pm with lunch and morning/afternoon breaks).
The day is adaptable to the players we have in the room and our tutor Gary Dunn is well versed and working with a range of levels and getting the best out of you all. The student can be pushed as much as they wish. Below is some of what we
Mastering rhythm playing is super important, knowing what to play and how to fit in with the band is key. You don’t need to do a lot but what you do play wants to feel musical. Sometimes just playing simple triads with a cool rhythm is enough to elevate the track. But often amateur players, especially those who are relatively new to the concept of group playing do to much, filling the space with rhythms they always fall towards.
In our first session we will focus on the fundamentals of rhythm playing in a group context. We will focus on accurate rhythm but also on ensemble skills ie adding different parts to the pieces and arranging the rhythm parts as if you are performing in a live ensemble. This allows us to accommodate for the players in the room and work out where each of you are at. But it also benefits our students because most spend their time practicing alone.
We will synchronise our rhythm using sections of famous songs; Beatles, Rolling Stones, Kinks, Bob Marley and other classic pop and rock tunes. We will use plectrum technique for this session.
We will explore playing guitar intros and riffs accurately with a plectrum. We will discuss how to use the correct settings to create an appropriate tone for each song we play. There will be a number of different songs to choose from for this section. We will choose songs that accommodate the skill level of the group so that every player will be involved in the learning. Examples could include; Day Tripper, Hoochie Coochie Man, Beat It, All Day and All the Night, Highway to Hell and others to be arranged.
A little bit of theory. In this session we will use some of the course materials to link practical and theoretical concepts.
We will make a start on some fundamental principles of lead playing/improvisation and also learn a finger picking pattern or two then we will round up what we have studied and discuss how to progress using good practice techniques.
If you’re already a player but feel like you’re stuck in a rut or you’re just not enjoying your playing or getting anywhere, this is the course for you.
It goes without saying, our tutor might need to tweak the contents and/or flow of the course to reflect the overall standard and objectives of the group.
High Beginner to mid intermediate levels of acoustic and electric and guitarists
The course caters for relative high beginners up to struggling intermediate players. It’s not for raw beginners. Its over-riding aim is to sort out the ‘basics’ i.e. the techniques and know-how that fundamentally affect your ability to play properly while pushing you to a higher level with possible new concepts and techniques.
The content and flow have been layered to allow experienced and less-experienced players alike to play together throughout the course. If you have attempted a few open chord songs, can strum with fingers or, ideally, a plectrum, and want to sort out the ‘basics’ then this is the course for you.
If you’ve never been on a guitar weekends course then this could be good place to start.
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The fee is all-inclusive:
The aim is to provide materials ahead of time digitally so you can bring them on an iPad, laptop or similar device. We’ll make available all supplementary PDFs, copies of flip chart diagrams, any audio and video recordings via dropbox at a later date.
We always advise bringing as little as possible. An acoustic guitar is perfect, or an electric with a small amp. But remember, it’s all about playing and learning. You don’t want to be spending lots of time setting up pedals and large amps. You may wish to bring a music stand and device you can read PDF’s from.
Unlike our online sessions these Day-Only courses can only accommodate limited group numbers – book early to avoid disappointment.
Call us for a chat
If you’d like to know more, contact us and we can set up a call to go through:
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