Music Course 09 · Hall course
Guitar Ensemble —
First Chords to First Gig
Eight Saturdays from first chords to a first gig. A full song by week three, a public performance by week eight.
- Starts
- Sat 21 Nov
11:00–12:30 - Where
- Hall
14 Kirkgate, Leeds - Runs
- 8 weeks
12 places max
8 left of 12 places on the Sat 21 Nov batch
This batch starts in
Counting down to Sat 21 Nov 2026, 11:00. When it hits zero, this batch is in session.
Not lessons.
A band, with a date.
Not lessons — a band. The Guitar Ensemble is for players who can handle open chords and want the thing practice rooms never give you: other people to play with, a set to learn, and a date in a real venue at the end of term.
Marcus arranges every song for the group in the room — simpler parts for newer players, chord-melody and fills for the confident. Sessions run like rehearsals: play first, talk about what just happened, play it again better.
Bring your own guitar or use one of the studio's. The only entry requirement is honest: you can change between G, C, D and Em without stopping. If you can't yet, the taster session will tell you — and Marcus will tell you what to learn first.
The eight
weeks
Same shape every week: teaching first, then practice with the teacher close by. Open a block to see what you will do — and what you leave with.
Open chords refreshed at playing speed, not lesson speed. First ensemble piece learned by ear and by chart, parts assigned by confidence.
You leave with: your part in two ensemble songs.
Chord-melody basics and keeping time inside a group: who leads, who follows, and how to recover when it wobbles. It always wobbles.
You leave with: a two-song run without a stop.
One song gets the full rehearsal treatment — intro, dynamics, ending — recorded each week so the group can hear itself improve.
You leave with: a recording of the group, week six vs week three.
Playing to people changes everything: nerves, tempo, listening. A friendly rehearsal audience first, then the real venue booking is confirmed.
You leave with: stagecraft notes from someone who's done 200 gigs.
The gig. A real room, a real audience, four songs, and the bar afterwards. Families and friends are the crowd; Marcus compères.
You leave with: a gig played — and a recording to prove it.
Batch schedule
Guitar Ensemble — First Chords to First Gig · Hall
| Starts | Day & time | Teacher | Places left | Status |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Sat 21 Nov 2026 | Saturdays · 11:00–12:30 · 8 weeks | Marcus Reid | 8 of 12 | Booking |
| Sat 16 Jan 2027 | Saturdays · 11:00–12:30 · 8 weeks | Marcus Reid | 12 of 12 | Booking |
| Sat 13 Mar 2027 | Saturdays · 11:00–12:30 · 8 weeks | Marcus Reid | — | Boards Sat 30 Jan |
Every batch is the same 8 weeks, the same teacher, the same fee. Later batches board on the 1st of the month, two months ahead.
Full course fee
£176
or 3 × £58.67 monthly — the same total, no extra cost.
- Spare guitars available in every session — just ask
- End-of-term gig in a real venue included
- Session recordings shared with the group
- 15% concession for full-time students & over-60s
How paying works
-
1
Enquire — we hold your place for 48 hours
Send the form below. We confirm your place by email within one working day, and it is held for 48 hours while you pay. No payment is taken from the form itself.
-
2
Pay in full, or start instalment one
The confirmation email carries one payment link. Instalments leave your account monthly on the date you choose; the last one lands before the course ends.
-
3
Changed your mind? The rules are printed
Full refund up to 14 days before your start date. Inside 14 days, one free transfer to a later batch. If we ever cancel, you choose: full refund or free transfer.
Your teacher
Marcus Reid
Marcus has played guitar professionally for twenty years — sessions in London, then touring with two bands — and teaches the way rehearsals actually work: play first, talk about what just happened, play it again better.
He runs the Guitar Ensemble and the Songwriting Circle. The ensemble's end-of-term gig is a real booking in a real venue, and the circle's rule is that every song gets played in full before anyone is allowed an opinion.
Marcus's other batches on the board
- Thu 26 Nov Songwriting Circle · Room 4 · 6 weeks · £150
- Sat 12 Dec Family Guitar Taster (workshop) · Hall · one session · £12
Good to know before session one
- Bring your own guitar or book a studio guitar free when you enrol — six available each session.
- Parts are set by confidence, not by audition pride. Everyone plays every song.
- The gig venue is confirmed in session seven; families get the details first.
- Can’t yet change chords cleanly? Book the Family Guitar Taster or ask Marcus what to practise first.
Enquire for
this course
Two minutes, no payment taken. We reply within one working day (Mon–Sat) and hold your place for 48 hours.
Guitar Ensemble — First Chords to First Gig
- Next start: Sat 21 Nov · 11:00
- Hall, Leeds
- £176 or 3 × £58.67 · 8 places left
Prefer to talk? Call 0113 496 0000, Mon–Sat 09:00–21:00.
Enquiry received
You're on the list.
Reference ENQ-0000
We reply within one working day (Mon–Sat).
Your place is held for 48 hours from our reply. If you don't hear from us, check spam — or call 0113 496 0000 and quote your reference.