Touch Guitar Circle 2026 At‑a‑Distance Course

IMPROVISATION 

This is a comprehensive, long‑form course dedicated entirely to improvisation on the Touch Guitar, Warr Guitar, Chapman Stick and related touchstyle instruments.

It approaches improvisation from three complementary perspectives: 

• The physical – technique, coordination, endurance

• The intuitive – listening, presence, reacting, trusting musical instinct 

• The intellectual – understanding harmony, structure, and musical context 

Taken together, these angles form a practical framework for developing real improvisational freedom. This course is not about licks, recipes or stylistic obedience. It is about learning how to think, hear and act in sound - in real time - on a touchstyle instrument. 

COURSE DURATION & STRUCTURE 

Mid‑February to mid‑November 2026 

This is deliberately long. Skillful improvisation cannot be rushed, downloaded or mastered in a weekend. It requires repetition, friction, failure and return. The extended format allows habits to dissolve and new ones to form - in the body as well as the mind. 

The course is open to players of all levels, including absolute beginners. There is no minimum technical requirement, only a willingness to engage seriously. Every topic will be presented in a way that allows beginners and advanced players to work side by side, each extracting what they are ready for. 

LEARNING FORMAT 

• Bi‑weekly video lessons - focused, uncompromising, cumulative and designed to be revisited over time 

• Downloadable materials for each lesson (MP3 audio examples and practice tracks, PDF notes, exercises, and reference material) 

• Monthly live Zoom gathering (weekend): Questions, confrontation, clarification, shared playing, scheduled to accommodate participants worldwide, recorded and archived for all participants 

This combination of self‑paced study and regular live interaction creates a strong sense of continuity, community and shared commitment throughout the year. 

COURSE CONTENT

The curriculum is progressive and interconnected, covering both fundamentals and advanced concepts: 

• A structured system for navigating notes, intervals, scales, and arpeggios across the instrument 

• Improvisation against drones (single-note, harmonic, unstable) 

• Playing through chord changes without chasing chords 

• Extended techniques as musical necessity, not effects 

• Free playing and non‑referential sound 

• Melodic clarity under pressure 

• Polyphonic thinking: double stops,  counterpoint, independence 

• Endurance training for sustained attention and physical demand 

• Ear training embedded directly in action 

Rather than treating these topics as isolated skills, the course continually weaves them together, reflecting how improvisation actually functions in real musical situations. 

WHO THIS COURSE IS FOR (AND WHAT IT IS NOT)

This course is for players who: 

• Absolute beginners who want a clear, supportive entry into improvisation

• Intermediate players seeking structure and deeper understanding

• Advanced players looking to refine intuition, expand vocabulary, and break habitual patterns

• Feel constrained by patterns they didn’t consciously choose 

• Want structure without stylistic obedience Are will to sound bad in order to sound honest 

This course is not: 

• Genre training

• A shortcut

• Entertainment

The purpose is to help you develop your own musical voice. This work is demanding, but it is meaningful. 

COURSE FEE

940 EUR, plus 19% German VAT (if applicable) 

If you are able and feel called to support this work beyond the base fee, additional contributions are welcomed.

HAVE QUESTIONS?

If you’re uncertain whether this is for you, that uncertainty may be a sign of the very patterns this work is designed to meet. Questions can be addressed before enrollment by reaching out to info@touchguitarcircle.com. 

READY TO ENROLL? 

Click below  - you will receive information about payment details and next steps.