A weekend of great songs, group playing, singing, jamming and live performance with Gary Dunn and Andy Moore.
The Big Jamboree is all about making music with other people. Across the weekend we’ll take great songs from rock, pop, blues, folk, country and more, explore the guitar parts that make them work, and then put everything together as a group. You’ll develop your rhythm playing, chord knowledge, riffs, fills, lead playing and improvisation – but always with one purpose:
Making the whole group sound better.
Residential
Starts:
5pm, Fri 6th Nov 2026
Ends:
2pm, Sun 8th Nov 2026
Run by:
Gary Dunn
Venue:
Holiday Inn Scotch Corner, Scotch Corner
The Big Jamboree isn’t simply a free-for-all jam session. It’s about learning how musicians actually play together.
One of the biggest differences between practising at home and playing with other musicians is understanding where your guitar fits.
Gary and Andy will take familiar songs and show you how different players can contribute different musical parts.
Across the weekend we’ll explore:
Sometimes your part might be incredibly simple. At other times there’ll be an opportunity to stretch yourself with a more challenging rhythm, riff, solo or improvisation.
The aim isn’t to play the most notes. It’s to learn how to make great music together.
This is one of the most important ideas behind this year’s Jamboree. When several guitarists play together, we don’t want everyone strumming exactly the same chords in exactly the same place. Instead, we’ll explore ways of layering guitar parts. One guitarist might hold down the main rhythm. Another might play smaller chord voicings or triads. Someone else might add a riff or fill, while another takes a simple lead part.That means players of different abilities can contribute to the same piece of music at their own level.
It also teaches you one of the most valuable skills a guitarist can develop: How to listen to what’s happening around you and find the part the music actually needs.
The Big Jamboree is led by two professional tutors, Gary Dunn and Andy Moore, who bring decades of professional playing, performing and teaching experience to the weekend.
Having two tutors isn’t simply about having two people teaching the same material. It gives us much more flexibility to respond to the musicians and interests we actually have in the room.
Gary’s extensive experience as a professional band, session and accompanying guitarist makes him particularly well placed to demonstrate how guitarists create parts that work together rather than compete with each other.
Andy brings experience as a guitarist, arranger, singer and frontman, helping players understand how guitars, vocals and performance can combine to turn a collection of individual parts into a complete song.
Having two tutors also allows us to split into breakout groups throughout the weekend, working on different guitar parts, techniques, vocals or performance ideas before bringing everyone back together. While one group might work on rhythm, riffs or lead guitar, another could be developing vocals, accompaniment, harmony or an alternative arrangement.
Throughout the weekend Gary and Andy will demonstrate ideas together, teach individual parts and get into the group to play alongside you.
This isn’t about sitting and watching the tutors play. It’s about the tutors helping you make the music.
If you enjoy singing while you play guitar, The Big Jamboree is a fantastic opportunity to experience your songs in a completely different way. Bring along something you enjoy singing and we’ll explore how the other guitarists can create parts around you.
You don’t need to consider yourself a “singer”. If you enjoy singing a few songs and would like to experience performing them with other musicians, you’re very welcome. And don’t worry if you’d rather just play guitar – singing is absolutely not compulsory!
Got a song you’ve always wanted to play with other musicians? Bring it along. You can suggest songs before the weekend or bring ideas with you and we’ll see how we can develop them with the group.
Part of the fun of the Jamboree is discovering what happens when you take a familiar song and put it in the hands of a room full of guitarists. We’ll have plenty of our own material prepared, but there will also be room for your music and your ideas.
We know a full residential weekend doesn’t work for everyone, so there are four ways to join The Big Jamboree. Whichever option you choose, you’ll be joining the same group of guitarists, with Gary Dunn and Andy Moore teaching and playing alongside you.
The complete Jamboree experience.
Join us from Friday evening through to Sunday afternoon for the full Guitar Weekends experience, including all tuition, group playing, breakout sessions and course materials, plus hotel accommodation, breakfasts, lunches, dinners and refreshments. Your weekend also includes our informal Saturday evening Open Mic & Jamboree.
Everything except the bedroom and breakfasts.
Live locally or prefer to stay elsewhere? Join us for the complete Friday-to-Sunday Jamboree without hotel accommodation or breakfast. You’ll take part in all the tuition, breakout sessions, group playing and evening activities alongside the residential players. Includes Friday dinner, Saturday lunch and dinner, Sunday lunch, refreshments and Saturday’s Open Mic & Jamboree.
A full day making music together.
Can’t manage the whole weekend? Join us for the main teaching day of The Big Jamboree, playing alongside Gary, Andy and the weekend group. Your day includes all Saturday tuition, group playing and breakout sessions, course materials, lunch and refreshments. Our official day-course hours are 10am–5pm, although you’re very welcome to arrive a little earlier, get set up and join the residential players as they warm up.
The complete Saturday experience.
Join us for the full 10am–5pm teaching day, then stay with the group for dinner and our informal Open Mic & Evening Jamboree. Your place includes all Saturday tuition, group playing and breakout sessions, course materials, lunch, refreshments and Saturday evening dinner. Then stay and enjoy the evening: perform a song, sing, accompany another player, join other guitarists, get Gary and Andy involved – or simply enjoy being part of it. There’s no pressure to perform. The evening is about having fun, playing together and enjoying the music.
Arrive, settle in and get the guitars out.
Friday evening is deliberately relaxed. We’ll get to know each other, warm up with some accessible songs and start exploring the ideas we’ll develop throughout the weekend. After dinner we’ll continue playing together, with plenty of opportunity for songs, informal performances and getting comfortable with the group.
Saturday is the heart of the Jamboree and our main teaching day.
We’ll work through a wide variety of songs and styles, learning guitar parts and discovering how to arrange them for the musicians in the room. Expect lots of guitars in hands and lots of music being made. We’ll experiment with rhythm parts, riffs, triads, fills, lead ideas, vocals and different combinations of players. With two tutors available, we can also divide into smaller groups where useful before bringing everyone back together.
After dinner we’ll move into our informal Saturday evening Open Mic & Jamboree. Play something yourself, join somebody else, sing, accompany another guitarist, get Gary and Andy involved – or simply enjoy the evening.
Performing is encouraged, but never compulsory.
Sunday gives us the opportunity to develop everything we’ve been working on. We’ll revisit material, try new songs, refine our arrangements and give everyone the opportunity to play and perform alongside other musicians. It’s where all those individual rhythm parts, chords, riffs, fills, solos and vocals come together.
And we’ll finish the weekend doing what the Jamboree is all about:
Making music together.
The Big Jamboree is designed for acoustic guitarists, electric guitarists and singer-guitarists who want to experience playing music with other people. As a general guide, if you can play common open chords, have started using basic barre chords and can keep a rhythm going through a song, you’ll have plenty to contribute. More experienced players will have opportunities to tackle more advanced rhythm parts, triads, riffs, fills, lead guitar and improvisation.
That’s one of the great things about group playing: Everyone doesn’t need to be at the same level because everyone doesn’t need to play the same part. A simple three-chord rhythm part played well can be every bit as important to the music as a lead guitar solo.
That’s absolutely fine. You don’t need any previous band or performing experience. The Jamboree is designed to give everyday guitarists the opportunity to experience what it’s like to make music with other people in a friendly and supportive environment.
You don’t have to be a brilliant guitarist to be valuable in a band. You just need to learn how to play the right part, listen to the musicians around you and contribute to the music.
You don’t need lots of equipment. Bring your acoustic or electric guitar, any small pedals, practice amp or equipment you particularly want to use, and a music stand or device for reading charts if you have one. We’ll provide course materials and have front-of-house amplification available.
If you’re a singer-guitarist, bring along some songs you’d enjoy singing with the group. And if there’s a particular song you’d love to try with a room full of guitarists, bring that too!
We’ll provide a selection of chord charts, lead sheets, lyrics and other course materials throughout the weekend. We’ll also capture useful material from the sessions where appropriate, which may include tutor demonstrations, flip-chart notes, additional PDFs, photographs, audio or short video examples.
The aim is for you to leave with not only memories of a great weekend, but new songs, musical ideas and material you can continue playing at home.
Whether you join us for the complete residential weekend or come along for Saturday, The Big Jamboree is your opportunity to get out of the practice room and experience making music with other people.
Come to learn. Come to play. Come to sing if you want to. Bring some songs and ideas of your own, meet other guitarists and discover just how much fun it can be when all those individual parts come together.
Bring your guitar. Bring your ideas. Bring your voice if you have one – and let’s make some music.