[Newbies] Hit Songs Made Easy

Hit Songs Made Easy: Newbies 🎸

Got a guitar sitting at home—but aren’t quite sure what to do with it?

This six-week workshop is for absolute beginners. No experience, music-reading, or theory knowledge required. We’ll start with the true essentials: tuning your guitar, learning how the frets work, and getting comfortable with foundational chords including G, C, and D.

From there, we’ll use recognizable songs to make the basics feel musical right away. You’ll work toward playing accessible hits such as “Love Me Do” by The Beatles, “Knockin’ on Heaven’s Door” by Bob Dylan (or the Guns N’ Roses version), and “Zombie” by The Cranberries.

Expect a relaxed, supportive space where buzzing strings, sore fingertips, and awkward chord changes are simply part of learning. Nobody arrives knowing how to do this.

Over six weeks, you’ll:
🎸 Learn how to tune your guitar and identify frets
🎵 Build core chords including G, C, and D
🪕 Practice steady, approachable strumming patterns
💪 Strengthen your fingers and improve chord changes
🎶 Recognize common song structures and chord patterns
🎤 Put it all together to play familiar songs from start to finish

You won’t become a guitar hero overnight—but you will stop feeling like a stranger to your instrument. By the end of the series, you’ll have practical guitar fundamentals, a few recognizable songs in your hands, and the confidence to keep playing.

📅 Dates: Saturdays – September 12, 19, 26, October 3, 17 & 24
🕔 Time: 5:00 – 5:45 PM
🏠 Location: Highland Park Community Centre (3716 2 St NW, Calgary, AB T2K 0Y4)
💵 Fee: $20 per session (Or get a free session by e-transferring us $100 for the whole series before September 12. Email: 'hello@vitaconsult.ca'. *Please note the previous email 'info@gracenotesacademy.ca' is no longer used.)
👨‍🏫 Instructor: Kent McAlister
Kent brings more than 25 years of teaching experience, formal guitar studies at Vancouver Community College and Vancouver Island University, and a distinguished career as a performer and songwriter. He has released three albums, toured Canada, headlined festivals, and shared stages with Rosanne Cash, The Tennessee Three, and Corb Lund. His practical, personalized teaching helps students build fundamentals through songs they enjoy.