Discover the joy of making music with City Lit’s beginner-friendly music courses. Whether you’ve always wanted to learn an instrument, understand music theory, or find your singing voice, our courses offer the perfect starting point—no previous experience required.
Led by passionate and experienced tutors, you’ll explore the basics of musicality, rhythm, technique, and expression in a supportive and relaxed environment. From piano and guitar to singing, theory, and more, there's something for everyone—whatever your musical goals.
These courses are ideal for adults of all ages who want to explore their creativity, build confidence, and enjoy learning something new.
Explore our music courses for beginners and take your first step into the world of music.
- Folk and pop guitar tasterCourse start date: Sat 26 Jul 2025
Location on this date: Keeley Street
Tutors: Tony RowdenLearn the essential chords that will begin your guitar career, and develop the motor skill to strum pop songs. Please bring an acoustic guitar.Full fee £29.00 Senior fee £29.00 Concession £29.00 - Classical guitar tasterCourse start date: Sat 26 Jul 2025
Location on this date: Keeley Street
Tutors: Tony RowdenEnjoy this introduction to playing classical guitar. Please bring a nylon-strung guitar.Full fee £29.00 Senior fee £29.00 Concession £29.00 - Drum kit tasterCourse start date: Sat 26 Jul 2025
Location on this date: Keeley Street
Tutors: Mark HuggettSpend time with our drumming tutor, meet the drum kit, sticks and practice pads supplied. Come and play. - Saxophone tasterCourse start date: Sat 26 Jul 2025
Location on this date: Keeley Street
Tutors: David HarrisonDiscover how a saxophone class works, and learn about embouchure, breathing, and fingering. Bring your tenor or alto saxophone to this session.Full fee £29.00 Senior fee £29.00 Concession £29.00 - Piano taster
Course start date: Wed 30 Jul 2025 (and 1 other date)Location on this date: Keeley Street
Tutors: Ana Claudia MagalhaesA fun introduction to the piano: learn the basics about the instrument, names of the notes and where they are, and how to play some simple tunes. Find out whether piano is the instrument for you!Full fee £29.00 Senior fee £29.00 Concession £20.00 - Music history bookclub: My Tango with Barbara StrozziCourse start date: Fri 1 Aug 2025
Location on this date: Online
Tutors: Edward BreenThe music history book club meets towards the end of each term to discuss novels and biographies with musical themes and references relevant to the music history programme.Full fee £19.00 Senior fee £19.00 Concession £19.00 - Come and sing: Mamma miaCourse start date: Sat 2 Aug 2025
Location on this date: Keeley Street
Tutors: Siobhan Blake, Richard Hartley-WilsonCome and sing all your favourite ABBA songs from the wildly popular jukebbox musical Mamma Mia at our friendly weekend workshop. There will be oppurtunities for solos over the weekend.Full fee £129.00 Senior fee £129.00 Concession £90.00 - Great works: Beethoven's Symphony No 9 "Choral" Course start date: Tue 5 Aug 2025
Location on this date: Keeley Street
Tutors: Katy Hamilton, Trish ShawBeethoven’s monumental ninth symphony, first performed in 1824, has had an enormous impact on western classical music and on wider European culture. How did Beethoven come to write this work, and what does this symphony still mean to us two centuries after its first performance?Full fee £39.00 Senior fee £39.00 Concession £39.00 - Great composers: Gilbert and SullivanCourse start date: Tue 5 Aug 2025
Location on this date: Keeley Street
Tutors: Katy HomdenCreators of arguably the most popular and enduring opera in the English language from the 19th century, this course will introduce you to Gilbert & Sullivan’s musical legacy via biographical study and operatic highlights. tutor: Katy HomdenFull fee £59.00 Senior fee £59.00 Concession £59.00 - Singing 1Course start date: Mon 28 Apr 2025 (and 4 other dates)
Location on this date: Keeley Street
Tutors: Siobhan BlakeStart singing and explore your voice in this fun, confidence-building course. These classes will introduce you to healthy use of your singing voice and basic musicianship through a selection of songs from a variety of genres. Break weeks 5th and 26th May.Full fee £229.00 Senior fee £183.00 Concession £160.00 - Piano/keyboards 1B Course start date: Sat 3 May 2025 (and 6 other dates)
Location on this date: Keeley Street
Tutors: Cheslav SinghA near-beginners’ course for pianists. If you have completed Piano/keyboards 1A or and have basic keyboard and music reading skills in C position, this course will introduce you to more notes.Full fee £229.00 Senior fee £229.00 Concession £160.00 - Exploring classical music 1Course start date: Mon 15 Sep 2025 (and 2 other dates)
Location on this date: Keeley Street
Tutors: Edward BreenDo you want to know more about Western classical music? Explore selected topics and key works in Medieval to (early) Baroque music on this informative 10-week course. Ideal for people with no specialist knowledge. NB: Break week: 27 Oct 2025.Full fee £219.00 Senior fee £175.00 Concession £153.00 - Piano/keyboards 1A Course start date: Mon 28 Apr 2025 (and 8 other dates)
Location on this date: Keeley Street
Tutors: Jonathan WilsonThis is the beginning of our piano programme, designed for absolute beginners to both piano and music-reading. This classic course is the perfect way to start your piano playing.Full fee £199.00 Senior fee £199.00 Concession £139.00 - Music theory: grades 1 and 2Course start date: Thu 1 May 2025 (and 3 other dates)
Location on this date: Keeley Street
Tutors: Selena KayLearn the basic principles of musical language and notation: rhythmic values, time signatures, pitch on treble and bass clefs, simple major scales, intervals and key signatures, and the most common musical terms and signs. break week: 29 May 2025.Full fee £229.00 Senior fee £183.00 Concession £160.00 - Choral singing for pleasure Course start date: Mon 28 Apr 2025 (and 1 other date)
Location on this date: Keeley Street
Tutors: Richard Hartley-WilsonWhether you’re a beginner or have some experience, this choral class will give you something to look forward to on a Monday. We sing many genres from musical theatre to pop plus more traditional pieces. This course is very popular, so booking early is essential. Break weeks 5th & 26th May 2025.Full fee £249.00 Senior fee £199.00 Concession £174.00
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