CGC ACADEMY
“A structured curriculum, dedicated teachers, and a community of supportive guitarists to help you improve.”
Serving the adult amateur
am·a·teur
for love of the craft/
The Classical Guitar Corner Academy serves adult amateur guitarists by providing them with the highest quality education available.
It is an opportunity for you to access a world class education from your home and join a vibrant community of guitarists who are studying the classical guitar alongside you.
The Academy caters for absolute beginners, intermediate players, and also advanced players. You will have the opportunity to get personal feedback, undertake grade exams, post performances, and join meetups with other members. At any time, you can access the comprehensive curriculum which has already helped thousands of guitarists achieve their musical goals.
Guitarists who study here are fun, dedicated, supportive, and friendly. We celebrate small victories like your first performance (no matter what it sounds like!), and large ones like being awarded a CGC grade certificate.
This is a wonderful place to study, and it gets results.
Meet your head teacher, Dr. Simon Powis
I am a guitarist just like you and I am excited to share my knowledge and experience. I was awarded a doctorate from Yale University, performed in Carnegie Hall, the Kennedy Center, taught in international universities and masterclasses and I maintain an active performance career. I say this only to convey that I have passion for both performance and education and through this site I have been privileged to help hundreds of guitarists like you to improve their playing.
Simon Powis is the rare combination of a virtuoso guitarist and a thoughtful, forward thinking pedagogue. – Ben Verdery, Yale University.
Simon displayed outstanding sensitivity and a musical maturity that was worthy of any professional concert platform. – Huffington Post
“Although he has performed, taught and given master classes all over the world, the talented and personable guitarist is perhaps most widely known these days for his highly regarded online classical guitar pedagogy: Classical Guitar Corner.”
– Classical Guitar Magazine
Meet The Team
Nicoletta Todesco
General Manager
Niki is an Italian guitarist with a masters in classical guitar performance from Yale University. She runs all of the events at CGC, teaches, and keeps our projects running smoothly.
Simon Powis
Founder & Director
Simon is the head teacher for the CGC curriculum, directs the Summer School, hosts the podcast, teaches students in coaching calls and runs bi-weekly performance seminars. Simon holds a doctorate in classical guitar performance from Yale University.
David Belcher
Community Manager
David Belcher is an experienced guitarist who has performed throughout the United States. At CGC you will bump into Dave on the forum and via email as he helps manage the site and answer your questions.
How it works.
Everything you need, in one place.
As a member of Classical Guitar Corner you will have access to an incredible suite of learning tools. From robust technique courses to video tutorials on a specific piece of music, you will be amazed at the amount and quality of material available to you.
To guide you through the lessons you will be using step-by-step curriculum that is structured and goal oriented. There are eight grades (Grade 1 – 8) that take you from complete beginner material through to intermediate and advanced lessons.
8 Grades For You To Learn and Master
The Fundamentals Course prepares the absolute beginner to start studying with correct technique, posture, and a working knowledge of the guitar. It is a quick course that will get you started and playing within a short period of time. No prior experience is needed with guitar or music.
The first four grades cover core techniques that are used in classical guitar playing. Techniques such as free stroke, rest stroke, arpeggios, and nail shaping are all covered. In addition to technique you will learn how to read music, get and introduction to music theory, musicianship, and sight reading.
Repertoire has been carefully selected to help you progress without frustration. You will have lessons for all of the repertoire in level one and even duets to further use your new found skills.
Should you want to take a grade exam, you can submit in either a Spring or Fall exam period. From these submissions you will receive personal feedback, guidance, and a certificate to mark your achievement.
Grades 5 & 6 are designed for the intermediate guitarist and includes repertoire from Bach, Tarrega, Giuliani, Carcassi and more.
Courses are available in all core areas of study: Technique, Musicianship, Notation, Sight Reading, Theory, Analysis, Duets
Grades 7 & 8 incorporate advanced techniques and true masterpieces of the repertoire. Examples include: Bach Allemande BWV 996, Bach Prelude from Cello Suite No.1 BWV 1007, Scarlatti sonantas, Giuliani etudes, Legnani, Tarrega’s Capricho Arabe, Villa Lobos Prelude No.1, Julia Florida by Barrios and more.
You will find advanced courses on rasgueado technique, and in depth workshops from Ben Verdery, Gohar Vardanyan, Fred Hand and other teachers.
Learn To Read Music and Sight Read
If you are new to notation, that is no problem. There are specific courses that will teach you how to read music at a steady pace. Each level aligns perfectly with the repertoire so you can put your reading skills to use straight away.
Sight reading is also a key focus at the Academy because it allows you to learn and play music with confidence and speed. You will have access to graded sets of sight reading challenges that will keep you entertained and challenged as you progress.
The Masterclass Series
I have invited some of my colleagues to conduct masterclasses just for the CGC members. These in-depth masterclasses focus on repertoire and their associated techniques. The pieces chosen are from Level 3 through 5 and represent and intermediate to advanced level. Current masterclasses include:
- Gohar Vardanyan
- Dr. Noa Kagayama (Juilliard)
- Benjamin Verdery (Yale)
- Fred Hand (Mannes)
- Garret Lee (Luthier)
- GFA laureate, Kevin Gallagher
Member Challenges
Making progress on the classical guitar can often feel like a turtle race: it’s a long road that takes discipline and daily work. However, it’s also important to set smaller, more achievable goals to keep you motivated and on track to reach your more long-term goals. To that end, CGC Academy hosts member challenges each season. These challenges only last for three to four weeks, giving you the opportunity to set and stick to small, achievable goals. Each challenge has a different focus: for instance, scales or left-hand arpeggios.
Performance Seminars
All members are welcome to participate and or watch our live performance seminars. Students are welcome to perform a piece, exercise, or whatever they might be working on and get detailed feedback to help them improve. Replays are available in the forum and performance seminars are run every other weekend.
These live sessions are easy to set up (just like Skype only better!) and provide a wonderful sense of community amongst members.
Grade Exams
Twice a year you have the opportunity to submit a grade exam. This includes a performance of set repertoire pieces, a practice routine, and also a self assessment of your playing and progress. Not only do you get to enjoy the focus and motivation from this process but you will receive detailed personal feedback on your playing.
Sheet Music, Practice Routines, Worksheets, and Downloads
Everything you will need to study through the grades will be provided for you. The materials are easily downloaded and accompany each lesson.
All members get access to all materials in the curriculum.
Progress Journals
By starting a progress journal at the Academy you will be able to watch your transformation over time. It helps you focus on what you need to work on and also provides a great source of positive motivation when you feel stuck. More often than not we are making progress but it is hard to feel that progress. Keeping a progress journal helps keep your perspective on your achievements. As an added bonus you will find that other members are happy to cheer you on with support and feedback if you ask for it.
Summer School
Each year the students of CGC have the opportunity to attend an international gathering of guitarists near Boston USA. This weeklong event brings in master teachers and provides a fun relaxed environment for students to hone their performance skills, knowledge, and ensemble skills. The Summer School runs in June each year and is a ton of fun!
See the results for yourself
Before
After
“Finding this site has been one of the great joys in my life.”
Above are two videos submitted by an Annual Member at CGC, Barry. They are the same piece, the same guitar, and the same player 11 months apart. You will notice that not only is the speed and control further developed, the left hand technique is much more secure, the right hand tone is more consistent, and overall the performance is more musical.
Barry has taken advantage of the live seminars, regularly posts videos in the forum, and receives helpful feedback from Simon, the CGC team and the other students. He is a great example of what can be done with the membership at Classical Guitar Corner.
Watch members describe the Academy in their own words
“I appreciate the possibility of posting something you are working on and getting feedback from people”
“I would highly recommend this site to anyone who is approaching guitar as a beginner, intermediate, or even advanced player.”
“A well thought out, well planned, curriculum makes it easier for me to organize my practice time, because it is very limited”
“Simon has a structure that brings students up to a level they never thought they would achieve.”
“I’m having a phenomenal time and I cannot recommend it enough anyone”
“There’s a way for each player to learn something and gain confidence”
I hope that you will please excuse me, as I am still getting over the shock of the amazing quality of this site, our teacher and all of you! I looked at the free lessons skeptically and then joined for just a month (because what could that hurt really)….but honestly I was prepared for the experience to be an utter waste of time and money. I could not have been more WRONG. – Cheryl Ann (posted in the CGC Forum)
I was never taught how to practice and this is making a huge difference.– Paul
I’ve seen a lot of change in guitar pedagogy in my life and I think that the clarity of your teaching as well as your expert use of technology provides enormous value to guitar students at all levels. – Lou
I am now 56 years young and it took a lot of trial and error trying to learn on my own and jumping from one you tube channel to the next without any clear path for progression until I came upon Classical Guitar Corner! – Chris
Personal Coaching Calls
Get Personalized Feedback Each Week With Coaching Calls
Imagine having access to multiple Skype calls with amazing teachers each week!
There are several ways for all members to get feedback on their playing in the Academy. These include performance seminars, grade exams, forum posts, and member challenges. However, if you want to get ongoing, immediate, and regular personal feedback on your playing you should consider joining our coaching calls.
Each week you will have the opportunity to sign up for one-to-one sessions with a selection of world class performers at a variety of time slots. You can use this time to ask a specific question, play and get feedback, set practice goals, or get general guidance with your studies. Sessions are fifteen minutes each, you can schedule them up to two weeks in advance and they are open in a wide range of time slots over each weekend.
It is an amazing opportunity to work with teachers one-on-one for an entire year for the added cost of around two Skype lessons!
It’s really simple…
We put our heart and soul into this school and we are confident you are going to enjoy being a member. If you find that this site is not for you, you can let us know within thirty days of signing up, and we will give you a full refund. This guarantee means there is no risk in signing up and every reason to become a member right now.
Choose your membership below.
JOIN TODAY
Thousands of guitarists from around the world have worked through the CGC Academy. Come and discover what real practice feels like, how powerful an online program can be, and what it feels like to be supported by a community of peers.
QUARTERLY
- Full Curriculum Access
- Full Curriculum Downloads
- Forum Access
- Performance Seminars
- Member Challenges
- Exam Submissions
- Masterclass Access
ANNUAL
- Full Curriculum Access
- Full Curriculum Downloads
- Forum Access
- Performance Seminars
- Member Challenges
- Exam Submissions
- Masterclass Access
COACHING
- Everything from Annual
- plus
- Weekly Coaching Calls
- Dr. Simon Powis
- Dr. Connie Sheu
- Dave Belcher
- Niki Todesco
FAQ
Yes!
The Notation & Sight Reading Course for Grades 1 & 2 is included in all of the memberships. This course takes you from the very beginning and guides you through step by step to reading your first guitar pieces.
Yes, absolutely! The courses start from the very, very beginning. You will learn how to hold the guitar, how to tune, and also how to read music without any prior knowledge.
You might be surprised to know that while members at CGC are both young and old the majority of members are 40+. We even have some members who are well into their 80’s and are making great progress. All are welcome here at Classical Guitar Corner.
I would recommend either the annual or quarterly membership for you as you will likely need to access a wide range of lessons. As you have already played guitar before you will have skills in some areas but other areas that need improvement. Having access to the entire curriculum with be the best way to “fill in the gaps” You can still progress in a structured manner but you can skip parts you don’t need.
Yes! All of your course materials are included. Practice routines, repertoire (solo and duo), sight reading challenges, worksheets and audio.
There are two reasons for this:
#1 I want to be fair to paying members of CGC
#2 I believe the membership rates are already representing exceptional value. The equivalent cost in private one-to-one lessons would be well into the thousands each year and there simply isn’t a price you can put on the quality of the materials and the community on this site.
Questions?
You can give us a call at: +1(347) 561 8543
You will either get Simon Powis or Dave Belcher and if neither is available you can leave a voicemail and you will be contacted as soon as possible.
Or, you can use this message form below:
CLASSICAL GUITAR CORNER ACADEMY