A practical 10-week course designed to cover many aspects of playing jazz guitar
The classes in this ten week course will be structured to include these three areas:
1. Ensemble skills
2. Playing a jazz blues
3. Studying a standard
We will start the session with playing together using especially written materials that will help you to improve your timing, fingerboard knowledge and understanding of basic standard notation (no prior experience with reading music needed). Then through a step by step process you will develop the musical ‘tools’ needed to go from playing the chords to playing and creating a coherent jazz blues solo. Finally we will study a jazz standard using some of the ideas and approaches presented so that you can apply these and make your own practice more effective.
This course is aimed both at guitar players who already have some knowledge and ability with playing jazz, but also those that have no prior experience but have interest in exploring this style. You will need to be reasonably fluent with chord changes including some half-barre chords, and some ability with single line melody would also be useful. Also not necessary but useful to know would be the blues scale/minor pentatonic and very basic theory e.g. construction of major/minor/7th chords.
About the tutor
Giles Strong is a widely respected guitarist, educator and composer based in the North East of England. During his 25 years teaching career, Giles has worked as a tutor for Northumbria University, the BMus degree programme at the Sage Gateshead, a peripatetic teacher in Newcastle and Gateshead schools music service. Giles puts creativity at the centre of his teaching and performance work. This can be found in the unique and innovative study materials he writes for jazz and plectrum guitar, as well as the music he composes and arranges for his jazz ensemble ‘The Giles Strong Quartet’.
The course fee is £130 for a 10-session term. You may also pay £15 per session (minimum payment £30).
There are some half-price bursaries available for adults aged 18-25 (please email learning@jazz.coop for details).
About learning and participation at The Globe You will need to bring all the equipment you need including instruments, amplifiers (if required) and music stands.
Creating a Globe Account
When you buy tickets you will be invited to create an online account. You don’t have to do this but, if you do, you will find it quicker and simpler to buy tickets in future. Also, you can access all your ticket information and livestream files from your account dashboard, which is very convenient.
Jazz Guitar – Summer Term 2026
Mondays: 19:00 – 20:30 at The Globe
Term starts Monday 20 April
Half Term break: Monday 25 May
Finishes Monday 29 June
Course Fee: £130
Important: As well as paying for this workshop below, please make sure you fill in the enrolment form here as this will help the tutor in preparing for this course. Many thanks!
All tickets are sold subject to our Terms and Conditions of sale.
Description
A practical 10-week course designed to cover many aspects of playing jazz guitar
The classes in this ten week course will be structured to include these three areas:
1. Ensemble skills
2. Playing a jazz blues
3. Studying a standard
We will start the session with playing together using especially written materials that will help you to improve your timing, fingerboard knowledge and understanding of basic standard notation (no prior experience with reading music needed). Then through a step by step process you will develop the musical ‘tools’ needed to go from playing the chords to playing and creating a coherent jazz blues solo. Finally we will study a jazz standard using some of the ideas and approaches presented so that you can apply these and make your own practice more effective.
This course is aimed both at guitar players who already have some knowledge and ability with playing jazz, but also those that have no prior experience but have interest in exploring this style. You will need to be reasonably fluent with chord changes including some half-barre chords, and some ability with single line melody would also be useful. Also not necessary but useful to know would be the blues scale/minor pentatonic and very basic theory e.g. construction of major/minor/7th chords.
About the tutor
Giles Strong is a widely respected guitarist, educator and composer based in the North East of England. During his 25 years teaching career, Giles has worked as a tutor for Northumbria University, the BMus degree programme at the Sage Gateshead, a peripatetic teacher in Newcastle and Gateshead schools music service. Giles puts creativity at the centre of his teaching and performance work. This can be found in the unique and innovative study materials he writes for jazz and plectrum guitar, as well as the music he composes and arranges for his jazz ensemble ‘The Giles Strong Quartet’.
The course fee is £130 for a 10-session term. You may also pay £15 per session (minimum payment £30).
There are some half-price bursaries available for adults aged 18-25 (please email learning@jazz.coop for details).
About learning and participation at The Globe
You will need to bring all the equipment you need including instruments, amplifiers (if required) and music stands.
Creating a Globe Account
When you buy tickets you will be invited to create an online account. You don’t have to do this but, if you do, you will find it quicker and simpler to buy tickets in future. Also, you can access all your ticket information and livestream files from your account dashboard, which is very convenient.
Any Questions?
Please email learning@jazz.coop
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