Gordon Giltrap and Will McNicol offering residential weekend course

If you’ve ever wondered how to perfect your compositional style, Gordon Giltrap and Will McNicol might well be the people to help. To which end they are holding a residential weekend entitled ‘Composing for solo guitar’ on 12-14th October at Woodside, Warwickshire.

The three day residential course costs £500 per head and includes accommodation for two nights and includes all meals learning materials and tuition.

Giltrap says: ‘During my life of writing, recording and performing music for solo guitar, players have often asked me about the creative process of ‘Composition’ for guitar. To help provide an insight into this fascinating and rewarding subject, I have developed a learning event which will be held over a weekend in Warwickshire this October. I will be joined by Will McNicol who is both a talented guitarist and a dear friend. Will and I will also be supported during the weekend by Paul Roberts a successful and experienced RGT registered Guitar Tutor’.

Places are limited to 20 participants and the weekend will be of interest to any guitarist who wishes to write or improve their own compositions and to develop their innate creativity, the organiser says.

Areas to be covered will include:

Why start composing and examples of how to approach it.

Practical compositional tools including structure methods, melodic sequence and linking sections.

A very personal insight from Gordon into how ‘Heartsong’ was created, and other shared examples from Gordon and Will.

How to create images, colour and melodic emotion.

Developing a set chord sequence as a group.

Working in small groups with coaching from Gordon and Will

The style of the weekend will be informal and relaxed with plenty of time for individual reflection and one to one coaching.

Further information from pcrguitar@gmail.com  and www.giltrap.co.uk