Why join a guitar society?

Guitar societies are a great way to meet other players of all backgrounds and experiences. They are a fun way to play with others and provide an opportunity to share your music to a friendly audience. Here are my experiences with 3 different groups that I have played with:

Oxford Guitar Society (OGS) - where it all started:

When I was at uni, I decided I wanted to be a bit more involved in the guitar communities I hadn’t experienced since playing in my primary school ensemble. I joined my local guitar society, the Oxford Guitar Society, and they did an amazing job at getting me into playing again! It was after a year or so of listening to the others play solos, duets, quartets and playing ensemble music that I started taking individual lessons again, being surrounded by cool people is always going to be inspiring! 

They are a small, friendly group, and I do miss spending the coffee/tea breaks chatting to them. 

The monthly meetings work by having two ensemble sessions with a break in the middle and time for players to play solos, duets, quartets for each other. 

They also invite guests in to play small concerts and I do remember having a lot of fun completing their rather niche and rather difficult classical music themed christmas pop quiz 😄🎄

For me it was a wonderful break to the student bubble, to socialise with a mix of different people with, or who previously had, various professions. I recommend everyone try out their local guitar society no matter their level, as they have parts for everyone including simple melodies and bass lines. 

Bromley Guitar Society (BGS) - a fantastic ensemble covering a large repertoire:

Working from a very similar structure as the OGS, the Bromley guitar society has really boosted my repertoire. I have been exposed to many new styles of music I otherwise wouldn’t have played ranging from Ukrainian folk songs to jazz, and our director’s own arrangement of Bach’s Brandenburg concerto no. 6. 

Annual highlights are participating in the Reigate and Redhill music festival and a friends and family concert, where everyone can share what they've been working on that year. I have also enjoyed the seasonal sight reading where we attempt to play through Halloween and Christmas music.

With the BGS I have been performing solo pieces and trying out duets whenever possible. I’ve gained a lot more confidence as a solo and ensemble player. They’ve been a great testing ground for new pieces and I’ve been learning to deal with nerves and the ups and downs of performing, in a very safe and supportive environment. You learn to ride the waves, not every performance will go the way you want it to, but you can still have fun doing it :)

Ensemble top tips:

Before playing, look at the key, time signature, skim through to follow the structure - find the repeats

If you are starting out, just play the first beat of every bar 

Focus keeping in time, not playing all the right notes

Work on the filling in the notes at home

Bring a pencil to annotate your score 

Wimbledon Guitar Society (WIGS) - a flourishing network of classical guitarists :

Rather different to the previous two, the Wimbledon Guitar Society is a solo classical guitar society (although their ensemble sector is in the works). This means it’s more focused on making a usually solitary endeavour more sociable. It’s more than a group, it’s like a network of artists of all levels, with sections for regular playing members and advanced performers. 

In the members' sessions, players share pieces they are working on to each other. It’s a good reason to bring back some old pieces as well as continue adding new ones, ready for these meets. You can also get useful feedback from the society’s performance coach, Brad. I find it useful to get feedback from different people as you can get so used to your own playing that it’s hard to look at it objectively, it’s interesting what others do or don’t hear. I always come away learning something new.

The advanced sessions are monthly masterclasses where local players and guitar students receive feedback from the post graduates. WIGS gives music students a home for after they graduate, as it can be difficult to suddenly lose the structure of studying in a conservatory. Everyone else also benefits as anyone can go watch these masterclasses and listen to both the playing and feedback given. 

Lastly, WIGS has their own concert series, where we all come together to put on a program full of big names and future stars. They’ve had Royal College and Royal Academy of Music students perform as well as famous guitar duos, quartets, performances with violin, flute, early music ensembles… the list goes on! It’s amazing having a constant flow of good music to listen to, come along to a concert if you can!