Classical Guitar Corner Academy
Know exactly what to practice next.
Build your classical guitar playing with a clear curriculum, expert teaching, and a community that celebrates your progress.
For adult beginners, returning players, and guitarists ready for a more structured path.
Annual membership $497 USD · 30-day money-back guarantee
A 4-minute introduction to learning at CGC.
Real members. Real progress.
Hear what a clear path can make possible.
Meet Donna, who came to the Academy looking for a graded curriculum. Listen to her playing before and after studying at CGC.
“After years of focusing on acoustic pop and fingerstyle guitar, I began studying classical guitar in my 40’s. However, because of my schedule, lessons were infrequent and mostly focused on learning repertoire. I often dreamed of attending a music school to study a graded curriculum. That dream came true upon finding Classical Guitar Corner Academy.”
Donna Z., CGC Member
One member’s experience. Your progress will depend on your starting point, practice, and time.
A place to begin. Room to grow.
Wherever you are now, find your next step.
You do not need to arrive at a particular level. The curriculum begins with the fundamentals and continues through advanced repertoire.
Starting from the beginning?
Build your foundation with the Fundamentals, then follow the graded path. You can begin even if you do not read music yet.
Start with the basics. Build them carefully.
Returning to the guitar?
Use the self-assessments to find your starting Grade. Revisit the foundations you need and give your practice a clear direction.
Pick up your guitar with a plan.
Playing, but feeling stuck?
Connect technique, reading, and repertoire through a progressive curriculum. Explore more demanding music, with individual guidance available through Annual with Coaching.
Give your existing skills a path forward.
How It Works
Your first steps inside the Academy
Find your starting Grade
Begin with the Fundamentals or use the self-assessments to place yourself. Beginners, returners, and self-taught players all have a clear entry point.
Follow your path
The Cornerstone Method lays out every lesson, piece, and exercise in order. Open the Academy, see your next lesson, and practice with purpose.
Meet your musical community
Introduce yourself, share your playing, and take part in member activities. Individual Coaching Calls are available with the coaching membership.
Meet Your Teacher
Dr. Simon Powis
I am a guitarist just like you. I hold a doctorate from Yale, I have performed at Carnegie Hall and the Kennedy Center, and I maintain an active performance career. I say this only so you know the teaching here is backed by real experience.
I teach the entire curriculum myself. If you have come across my YouTube lessons and you like the way I teach, you will feel at home here. And you will study alongside guest masterclasses from Andrew York, René Izquierdo, Gohar Vardanyan, Benjamin Verdery (Yale), Fred Hand (Mannes), and more.
“Simon Powis is the rare combination of a virtuoso guitarist and a thoughtful, forward thinking pedagogue.”Ben Verdery, Yale University
“One of the most widely respected sites of its kind.”Acoustic Guitar Magazine
Give your playing time to grow
Choose your year of music.
A year gives you room to build a practice routine, explore the curriculum, and get to know your musical community. Move at your own pace.
Our recommended starting point
Annual Membership
A clear path and a community beside you.
$497 USD / year
Billed annually. Renews each year until canceled.
- Full curriculum, from Fundamentals through Grade 8
- All membership downloads
- Live performance seminars and member challenges
- Member community
- Guest Masterclass Series
Save $291 compared with four quarterly payments.
Join Annual Membership30-day money-back guarantee on your first purchase.
Add individual guidance
Annual with Coaching
The full Academy, with feedback on your playing.
$897 USD / year
Billed annually. Renews each year until canceled.
- Everything in Annual Membership
- Access to weekly one-to-one Coaching Calls
- Personal feedback from CGC faculty
Coaching faculty: Simon Powis, David Belcher, Niki Todesco, James Erickson, and Sanja Plohl.
Join with Coaching30-day money-back guarantee on your first purchase.
Cancel your renewal at any time; keep access until your membership expires. Read the guarantee details.
Prefer a shorter commitment? View quarterly membership
Quarterly Membership
$197 USD every three months. Renews quarterly until canceled.
Full curriculum access, all membership downloads, live performance seminars, member challenges, and the member community. The Guest Masterclass Series is included with annual plans; individual Coaching Calls require Annual with Coaching.
Four quarterly payments total $788. Annual Membership is $497 per year.
30-day money-back guarantee on your first purchase. Cancel renewal at any time and retain access until expiry.
The Cornerstone Method
One path, eight Grades
A modern progressive method used by teachers, schools, and students around the world. Every Grade has clear goals, carefully selected repertoire, and optional exams with personal feedback.
- FFundamentals
- 1
- 2
- 3
- 4
- 5
- 6
- 7
- 8Advanced
From watching to playing
A structure for your practice.
Use the lessons, music, and exercises together. A practice session can be as focused as working on one technique, then applying it to a passage in your piece.
- Choose your focus.Use your Grade to identify the next lesson or skill.
- Take it to the guitar.Work with the video and downloadable music at your own pace.
- Reflect and return.Revisit a lesson, record your playing, or share an update in your progress journal.
Inside the Academy
Video lessons, sheet music downloads, play-along tracks, theory, duets, and over 40 scale and arpeggio lessons. Fifteen years of development, organized so you never have to wonder what comes next.
Experience the teaching
See how a difficult passage becomes something you can practice.
In this public sample from the Scales & Arpeggios course, Simon uses Villa-Lobos Prelude No. 4 to explore right-hand preparation, shifting, speed, and an even sound.
He breaks the passage into elements you can work on separately. It is a concrete example of the teaching behind the curriculum, for players working toward more advanced music.
New to classical guitar? Your starting point is the Fundamentals, not this advanced passage.
Villa-Lobos Prelude No. 4 · Scales & Arpeggios
Personal Feedback
Support for your next step
Ask our members what they value most and you will hear the same answer again and again: the community, and the feedback. Explore ways to take part and get feedback. Individual Coaching Calls are included with Annual with Coaching; other activities have their own schedules and participation arrangements:
- Coaching Calls: access to weekly one-to-one sessions with CGC faculty, with Annual with Coaching.
- Performance Seminars & Open Mic: play for a friendly room every other weekend.
- Grade Exams: optional, twice a year, with detailed written feedback and a certificate.
- Progress Journals: watch your own transformation, cheered on by fellow members.
- Member Challenges: seasonal three-to-four-week focus sprints, as a group.
In their own words
“Like many people have said, it’s the structure. It’s the curriculum, the way the lessons are laid out, supported by the live sessions and the community of people who offer comments and insights.”
CGC Member, live feedback session“I was prepared for the experience to be an utter waste of time and money. I could not have been more WRONG.”
Cheryl Ann, CGC Member“I am now 56 years young and it took a lot of trial and error, jumping from one YouTube channel to the next without any clear path, until I came upon Classical Guitar Corner!”
Chris, CGC Member“I am very pleased that I can now read a sheet of music without having to stop and pencil in the notes! The structure of the course really helped me to do this.”
Michael Mallen, CGC Member“After four years of study with the Academy, I passed my Grade 6 exam with really great results! I learned to play pieces beyond anything I imagined I would be able to play.”
Kari C., CGC Member“Would it be worth joining? I really didn’t know. That was four years ago. I can’t imagine not being a member. Nope. Can’t imagine it.”
Helen S., CGC Member“Coaching calls, performance seminars, member challenges, open mics, summer school. All have served to take my playing to a level I never thought possible.”
Mark C., CGC Member“This is the best online guitar course: a good structured curriculum, terrific instructors, open mics, a summer school and a very supportive community.”
Laura Heid, CGC MemberListen to the difference
More members. More musical journeys.
Hear Barry and Robert play before and after their studies, then meet more of the people who make up the Academy.
“Finding this site has been one of the great joys in my life.”
Barry, CGC Member
“I am thankful for the opportunity to share this journey with so many of you. I take inspiration from your videos, your questions, your performances, and your solutions.”
Robert G., CGC Member
Hear from CGC members
Members from around the world on what the Academy has meant to their playing.
These are individual member experiences. Progress varies with starting point, practice, and time.
See a place for yourself here?
Explore a year of structured learning and musical community.
Is the Academy right for you?
Not everything is for everyone, and we would rather you know before you join.
The Academy is for you if…
- You are an adult learner. Most members are 40 and over, some well into their 80s.
- You are a complete beginner, a returning player, or a self-taught guitarist who wants structure.
- You cannot read music yet. We teach you from the very first Grade.
- You want feedback on your actual playing, not just videos to watch.
- You value a kind, non-competitive community. We celebrate every milestone, including playing for someone for the very first time.
It is probably not for you if…
- You are looking for shortcuts or quick hacks. Real progress takes regular, guided practice.
- You mainly want electric or strumming styles. We are a classical guitar school through and through.
- You prefer to browse scattered lessons rather than follow a path. The structure is the point.
Common questions
I am an adult learner. Are there people my age here?
I am a complete beginner. Is this for me?
I can’t read music. Will that be a problem?
I am not a beginner but I have bad habits. Where do I start?
I have a private teacher. Will the Academy still help?
Are the Grade Exams required?
Which membership should I pick?
Do memberships auto-renew? Can I cancel?
Do you ever run discounts?
How does the 30 Day Guarantee work?
A note from Simon
I built this school for guitarists like you and me: people who love this instrument and want a clear, enjoyable way to get better at it.
We celebrate music here. We do not make it competitive or judgmental, because everyone is on their own journey. Whether your next milestone is playing in front of someone for the first time or finishing a piece beginning to end, it will be celebrated.
Not everything is for everyone. If something is holding you back, write to me; I read every email personally and I would love to hear from you. And if you are ready, I do hope you join us.
Your online guitar teacher,
Simon
Try the teaching first
Not ready to join?
Start with the free Fundamentals of Classical Guitar course. Get to know Simon’s teaching and begin building your foundation.
Your next chapter in music
A clear path. A year to make it your own.
Begin with Annual Membership, or add individual Coaching Calls. Learn at your own pace, with a community beside you.
Choose your annual membershipAnnual $497 USD · Annual with Coaching $897 USD · 30-day guarantee