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HAPPY HOUR GUITARAOKE/View available classes

HAPPY HOUR GUITARAOKE/View available classes

Happy Hour Guitaraoke
Meet, Mingle, Jam! You'll be having so much fun you won't even realize that you are getting better at guitar.

NYCGS teacher Eliane Delage has founded Happy Hour Guitar, a guided jam that allows beginners and intermediate guitar players to practice their basic chords and strumming patterns by strumming along to a great selection of songs on her specially created big screen Guitaraoke videos!

It isn't just a fun way to practice guitar--it is a way to meet and make new music friends. It is a BYOB Happy Hour, so feel free to bring your favorite beer, wine or beverage of your choice.

There will be a playlist for each evening with a brief explanation about chords and the strumming before each song. The playlist will run once as a collective jam, after that, each member will get a choice of a song to play solo on an electric guitar in front of the group! You're not required to play in front of the group but it sure is great fun and an opportunity to shine!

Sessions will be held every Friday from 5:30 to 8:30pm. You don't have to commit to every Friday, and the jams are not sequential.

Acoustic guitars (even lefty!) and capos are provided. There will be cups, a wine/beer opener and ice on site.


HAPPY HOUR GUITAR FAQ's


WHAT IS HAPPY HOUR GUITAR?
Happy Hour Guitar is a guided jam where you'll practice guitar using GUITARAOKE videos. (Registration at the bottom of this page.)

WHAT IS A GUITARAOKE VIDEO?
It is karaoke for guitar - the words and chord charts flash on the screen at the the precise time you need to play them. They songs have vocals, bass, drums, and keys, but no guitars on the tracks. You provide the guitar accompaniment.

CAN I BUY A GUITARAOKE VIDEO?
Absolutely not! The videos are currently used for Happy Hour Guitar only.

I PLAY THE UKELELE, CAN I JOIN?
YES! Ukulele's are most welcome!

CAN I BRING MY BASS TO THE JAM?
YES, you can!

WHO CAN JOIN?
ADULT Guitar, Ukulele, and Bass players.

CAN I BRING MY OWN BEER OR WINE TO THE JAM?
YES. This is a BYOB jam! There will be ice, cups, and a bottle opener on site.

I AM A BEGINNER, CAN I PARTICIPATE?
YES! Happy Hour Guitar is primarily for beginners, however, intermediate and advanced players are always welcome.

HOW MANY CHORDS DO I NEED TO KNOW?
You'll have a good time even if you know as little as 3 chords: G, C, and D OR G, D, and A7.
You'll have a great time if you know 5 chords: G, D, C, Em, and A.
And you'll have an amazing time if you know these 10 chords: G, D, C, Am, Em, F, A, E, B7, AND Bm.

I AM TERRIFIED OF THE F CHORD, CAN I STILL COME?
A word about the F chord: There are several different ways to play an F chord, and in most cases, they all work: short barred F, short simple F, Fmaj7, F6/9, F5 (aka F power chord) or full barred F.

THE SONG I WANT TO PLAY HAS ALL CHORDS THAT I KNOW, EXCEPT Bm. AM I GOING TO BE OK?
You'll definitely be ok! It's a great opportunity to learn a new chord, but you can also skip Bm if you're working on mastering other chord changes in the song.

WHAT IF THE SONG HAS CHORDS LIKE Em7 OR Amaj7 OR D7/9#?
The numbers on the chords are tensions (additional notes) that make the chords sound extra awesome, but you can certainly play the root chord until you master the new shapes.
EXAMPLES:

  • For Em7, you can play Em
  • For Amaj7, A can be played instead
  • For D7/9#, D7 or D can be played


DO I HAVE TO BRING MY OWN GUITAR?
NO! NYC Guitar School will have guitars available, even lefties!

HOW MUCH DOES IT COST?
$25 FOR ONE SESSION
$90 FOR A SET OF 4 SESSIONS
$150 FOR A SET OF 8 SESSIONS

THIS A CLASS?
NO, it is a practice jam meant to improve your guitar playing and chord knowledge.

HOW DO I JOIN?
To sign up for Happy Hour Guitaraoke, you can call the NYC Guitar School office at (646) 485-7244 or stop by our office at 251 W. 30th St. on the 11th floor!

WHEN DOES IT HAPPEN?
Fridays 5:30-8:30PM.

HOW LONG IS THE SESSION?
The jam runs for 3 hours.

WHERE IS IT TAKING PLACE?
NYC Guitar School - 251 W. 30th St., 8th floor.

Returning student? Call 646-485-7244 to receive your 10% off discount code! New students may register online:
SIGN UP


Important Info, Details, Refund and Cancellation Policy:

We hope you'll love Happy Hour Guitar, but please note that your Happy Hour Passes will EXPIRE four months from the date of purchase. If for some reason you cannot use all of your sessions within 4 months, you can request a 50% refund before the end of the 4 months.



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  •   "Thank you NYC Guitar School for nine years of engaging, professional, and fun lessons and activities. Our son Austin has grown to love his Suzuki guitar lessons with the ever-patient, encouraging, and amazing Rob. The children in his weekly group class have bonded into an endearing group of young musicians. The Suzuki camp offered each year is always a highlight of summer vacation and consistently scores two thumbs up! It’s hard to imagine a time when NYCGS wasn’t part of our child’s life. It has definitely made his life fuller and has filled our lives with beautiful music! We look forward to many more years at the school."
    Yee Hom Family

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    "Flexible... Service oriented... Knowledgeable... Patient... Excellent... Accommodating...

    Free resources, tools, and anything else you need to get there. Cannot recommend enough."

    Rukiya J.
  •   "I was given a gift certificate to Brooklyn Guitar School after my wife researched it online. I had taken guitar lessons back in the Bronze Age when I was a kid, and I love music of all kinds (OK, maybe not too much disco or Dixieland at any one sitting, but otherwise, let 'er rip). BGS teaches a series of incremental skill- and song-based beginners classes that allow you to quickly learn chords, strums and technique, play cool songs right away, and have nearly illegal amounts of fun while you are doing so. Koby taught my Absolute Beginners classes and I have been with Michelangelo ever since. They are both accomplished professional musicians; and experienced, enthusiastic and patient teachers who make sure you get it right while you're having a great time. Taking group lessons also allows you to interact with other noobies, support each other and learn together. The school also sponsors open house sessions, sing-alongs and vocal classes, and group performances. They sponsored an ACLU fundraiser by teaching "Songs of Peace and Freedom" (This Land Is Your Land, For What Its Worth, Redemption Song, City of Immigrants, If I Had A Hammer). We played the songs again in Union Square Park this past June. The school has a wonderful funky, laid-back vibe; and is welcoming to old and young students alike. The staff is uniformly cool and helpful-they can't do enough for you (from suggestions about buying an instrument to helping replace a busted E string.) So I am over a year into my studies, a proud graduate of their "Beginner" classes; and it's just great to be able to fell like I can actually "make music" every so often. I can't imagine learning anywhere else."
    Andrew E.
  •   "Been 2 years since I wrote the review below. This past performance at the Way Station in Brooklyn moved me to write a second one. Never would believe I would play on stage with fellow performers. Brooklyn Guitar School gave me that opportunity. Everyone works to create a safe place to grow and express your abilities despite doubts that players always have about themselves. Despite the fear that comes when performing. Teachers and fellow students are very positive and supportive so you are not afraid to get out there. Safe and also real. REAL ROCK... REAL ROCK AND ROLL. ----- Two thumbs up for Brooklyn Guitar School! I played guitar in my teens but could never get past basic open chords. Three years ago I started lessons at Brooklyn Guitar School. The fit was so right for me. Comfortable environment where everyone, young and old, experienced and novice, is welcomed and valued. The instructors are accomplished professionals in their own right, and all know how to teach different types of styles to different types of players. Private lessons are great, and in Performance classes students play with other students. This allows players to come together in a "band' and perform both at the music center and at a local establishments... and there is nothing like the real thing to build confidence and musicianship. And if you are part of the Brooklyn Guitar School, you are also a part of a citywide Guitar School, with opportunities in Manhattan and Queens as well as Brooklyn. So if you are looking to grow musically, I highly recommend checking them out. The place is right, the people are right, and the price is right."
    Linda A.
  •   "I have been taking lessons with Nick for over a year now. My weekly lesson has become the highlight of my week. The school is great and Nick is an awesome teacher. He can teach any song or style, breaking it down into easy to learn bits. So far I can play Redemption Song, Wish You Were Here, Proud Mary, San Tropez, and Summertime among others. He teaches me how to correct mistakes and drill down more challenging parts and has the answers to any music related questions that I have. I highly recommend Nick and The New York City Guitar School. It's the best money I have ever spent! Try it, I am sure you will agree!"
    Mark P.
  •   "The first thing I want to say is that I hope everyone is staying safe during these unprecedented times. I have been a student of the NYC Guitar School for quite some time, about 5 years. I absolutely LOVE, LOVE, LOVE this school. I am currently taking Guitar Ensemble at the Brooklyn school and Absolute Beginners for Bass at the Midtown school. Recently, my classes have been moved online. While I was skeptical, at first, I have been amazed at the experience. I may feel like I've gone down the rabbit hole, but being able to continue my guitar lessons is providing a little bit of stability at this time. Don't be afraid of online classes. They are just as amazing as the classes at the school. Both of my classes are group classes and the transition to online group classes was seamless. I am thrilled to be able to continue forward on my musical journey and the NYC Guitar School are the best guides I could ever ask for. They are amazing musicians and leaders. I hope that we will be able to come together soon, in the meantime, this is a wonderful alternative. If need be, I will continue in these lessons online until such time as we are released from our current situation. Thank you, thank you, thank you to Dan Emery and all the members of the NYC Guitar School who are doing everything possible to help us to keep making music together."
    Eletra J.
  •   "I've been taking classes here for several years now. I came to learn one instrument, and, after about a year, realized I was more interested in a different instrument. My teacher was not only capable of teaching multiple instruments, but offered me wisdom and advice when I decided to pick up a new instrument (brands, pricing, what's the best tuner, gig bag, etc.). I can't say enough positive things about Brooklyn Guitar School—highly recommend."
    Hope Anne N.
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    "I love this place! My son takes a private lesson while I take a group class. We also performed in a special 'birthday showcase' last summer because our birthdays are close together. Best Guitar School Ever!"

    Marquina I.
  •   "I can't say enough wonderful things about this school. I've been taking classes at BGS for 3 years and have gone from only being able to play a couple of chords to feeling confident enough to perform at open mics. I've been taking Kyle's ensemble class for over a year and it's the highlight of my week. He is a talented musician and an incredible teacher who does a great teaching us technique and theory in a laid back, patient manner. He's also just a really wonderful person! It's been great getting to know everyone at the school-- they are so supportive and helpful, it feels like family. Taking classes at BGS has actually gotten me through some tough times. I always knew I had it to look forward to no matter what. Thank you to Ivan, Kyle and everyone for creating such a special place to learn music!"
    Michele B.

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