Soul Guitar. A four week course

Dates, times and location

Saturdays Summer term 

Saturday 6th of June at 1.30pm. Saturday 13th of June at 1.30pm. Saturday 20th of June at 1.30pm. Saturday 27th of June at 1.30pm All sessions take place at 25-27 Curtain Road, EC2A 3LT

Wednesdays Autumn term 

Wednesday 2nd of September at 6pm. Wednesday 9th of September at 6pm. Wednesday 16th of September at 6pm. Wednesday 23rd of September at 6pm All sessions take place at 25-27 Curtain Road, EC2A 3LT

Each session lasts between 70 and 90 minutes.

All sessions take place at 25-27 Curtain Road, EC2A 3LT

What this course is

This is the Guitar Social’s celebration of the guitar as found in soul music of the 1960’s, 1990’s and early 2000’s.

Our focus will find us amongst the musicians that mainly populated the Motown and Stax record labels (with a few digressions), with famous names like Marvin Gaye, Smokey Robinson, Lauryn Hill, Otis Redding, D’Angelo and bands such as The Temptations, The Contours, The Miracles.

Behind every big name there is a cast of supporting producers, managers and musicians that made their work popular. You will have almost certainly heard the guitar lines of players like Joe Messina, Robert White and Marv Tarplin, without necessarily being able to name the many songs that they took central parts on. This course will invite those supporting players and their legacies back into the spotlight through discussion, jams and listening assignments.

Perhaps more well known but still working in the background are the house bands at the Motown (The Funk Brothers) and Stax record labels (Muscle Shoals Rhythm Section). These two bands defined such a great deal of what we associate the soul sound to be. The work of both bands will be explored.

The Guitar Social is very excited to be delivering this brand new course. Guitar playing in soul music has such an understated but vital role and as a style of playing, it represents fertile ground for personal growth and progression.

Some of the members of The Funk Brothers, Motown's house band that featured on recordings like My Girl, Heard it Through the Grapevine, and Pappa Was A Rolling Stone

Key areas of learning

• You’ll be working on a number of songs as a group in our Shoreditch location. You can see a sample of those songs below. You can then look forward to performing those songs at our end of term party, which is optional, but always fun.
• Triads and inversions are unavoidable in soul music. Often the entire guitar part for a track relies on the usage of them, up and down the neck. If you don’t know triads and the fretboard at the start of the course, you certainly will by the end of it.
• By removing one note from a triad, you arrive at the interval of a sixth. We have tonnes of examples of this interval in action throughout the genre and the good news is, they sound awesome, but they’re pretty easy to execute.
• Double stops are found throughout the lead parts in soul music as are guitar lines designed to replicate horn parts. I’ve prepared a number of lead parts for you to explore, some which sit at entry level and then we have those more complicated parts for players that have been going for a little longer.
• Crucially, you’ll be able to describe what the soul sound is, where it was recorded, and who played it.

Name that chord? Lauryn Hill sits across several genres including hip-hop, reggae and Neo Soul. Her song Tell Him features in this course. 

Playing level

This program is defined as improver level + by Guitar Social standards. To learn more about what that means, head here.

Practice

Upon signing up to this course you’ll receive a pack of resources featuring song sheets, tabs, exercises and videos. Head here to see a sample of those materials. You will benefit from this course by doing five 20 minute practice sessions a week.

Song Sample

This playlist is the moodboard for this course. We will be encountering some, but not all of these songs. You can also put forward your own song ideas once the course starts. 

Events

By signing up to this course you get free entry to all of The Guitar Social's events. These include our weekly open mic, monthly movie and book clubs, and ad hoc events like jams in parks (in the summer) and themed events such as our blues workshops and album study sessions.

 

A larger sized class back in our old Camden venue

 

Frequently asked questions

Will I need a guitar?

Yes. You can bring an electric or an acoustic guitar, but if you do bring electric, you will need to bring your own portable amp, lead and cables.

Where is the session held?

25-27 Curtain Road, EC2A 3LT. Look for the red building and press the buzzer. We kindly ask that you don’t show up more than ten minutes early.

I can’t make all sessions, can I still join?

It is very common for people to not make all the sessions, so yes, you are welcome to join. If you miss a class, you’re welcome to attend any other session that week. You can find our full schedule on the calendar.

How large is the group?

Workshop sizes vary. Niche subject areas are typically attended by less than ten people where our beginners, improver and intermediate sessions can have upwards of fifteen people in attendance.

What is the typical age range?

We welcome people from the age of 18 upwards into our sessions and beyond retirement age. Typically you’ll find yourself in a mix of individuals in their mid to late 20’s and then you can keep going up from there.

What happens next?

Book your place and then just show up on the day and get ready for a great time exploring music with people just like you

Some of our reviews 

Guitar social is my favorite place - ! such fun , laughs all while learning the guitar ! Loads of events and a great way to meet likeminded people !

Charlene 

Really enjoying The Guitar Social. It's a great concept, the mix of courses, lessons and jam sessions is exactly what I needed as a "bedroom" player. It's got me out playing music with others, and gives something concrete to work towards each week.

Peter 

The Guitar Social: Pretty unique blend of lessons, workshops, improv and live nights. Feels relaxed and inclusive, total beginners to some very accomplished players, mixed into a friendly melange. Try it.

Ken