World's Longest Guitar Lesson

Take part in our world record attempt for the longest guitar lesson

The Drum has joined forces with the Guitar Social to not only break the world record for the longest guitar lesson but give the visually impaired access to the joy of making music. 

Starting at 6 pm on Thursday the 18th of July and running until Friday 19th we will teach around 200 guitarists in classes of 10 - ranging from absolute beginners to the more advanced.

The event will end with a mass jam in a brand new square in London City Island where around 200 will play the same song enmass.

The project will allow the Guitar Social to extend a course specifically designed to help the visually impaired learn to play the guitar.

The project has been successfully piloted at the RNIB in London where the power of music to counter social isolation and promote inclusion has been underlined. Its students include Mary - who despite being partially blind, and just taking up the guitar has just played her the first gig. And by the way, she is 96.

She proves that there are no excuses for not learning to play and we would love you to take part.

The GuitarSocial which dedicates itself to getting novice musicians out of their bedrooms and on to a stage. And as well as the able-bodied it also works with charities like the RNIB to bring the magic of making music to the visually impaired.

It really provides a living example of how music really does underpin social cohesion, as the RNIB group it teaches starts to feel part of a social network - a big deal particularly for people who are losing their sight, something that leaves many feeling isolated and alone. After successes such as Mary - who at the age of 96 played her first live gig - Guitar Social aims to roll the project out to others to ensure many more visually impaired people can benefit. 

A major part of this will be to create the necessary online audio courses and resource which will be distributed to as many as possible via a platform such as Spotify.

However, depending on the success of this project money will also be invested in getting teachers into other centres such as the RNIB as well as developing a guitar specifically designed for the visually impaired.

London City Island is a new creative district in East London, that is also the new home of English National Ballet and the London Film School.

Served by both the Jubilee Line and the DLR, is also features new flat and two new public spaces including Trinity Square, which will be where our mass jam will take place.

In addition, two other cool venues will feature in the project Trinity Art Gallery and the London City Island Grocer.