Take your guitar playing to the next level at our music college
ICMP has been developing and delivering contemporary music education for over 30 years – longer than any other music college in the UK. In fact, we’ve been committed to providing a guitar-specialist education for our students from the time we launched in 1986, when ICMP was known as the Guitar Institute.
We pride ourselves on our personalised approach to student engagement, regular one-on-one support, small class sizes, high number of teaching hours per week, and innovative use of technology in the classroom – initiatives you just won’t find to the same extent at any other music college.
Our personalised learning approach means we really get to know you as a guitar player. We’ll provide a studying experience that’s unique to you, and will work side by side to cultivate your natural talent, explore your future career goals, and provide ongoing opportunities for live performances, recording, auditioning, touring and career development. And you’ll significantly improve your guitar playing skills and performance expertise while you’re at it.
We understand that each student will have distinct career ambitions, and your vision of ‘success’ will be yours and yours alone, so we encourage you to follow your own unique path. At ICMP, your future is in your hands, and you’ll graduate feeling inspired and emboldened, with the tools, contacts, confidence and drive you need to push your career as a guitar player forward.
Studying a Guitar course at ICMP makes financial sense too, with the fees for ICMP music degrees in London significantly less than those at many traditional universities, and, also much lower than other UK contemporary music education providers - making studying music at ICMP great value as well as great fun.
So why not immerse yourself in music at ICMP London? It’s the ultimate space to learn, question and discover your place in the music industry.
Guitar Lessons in London
Those wishing to study a three-year guitar degree course can choose from a BMus (Hons) Popular Music Performance or a BA (Hons) Creative Musicianship guitar course.
There’s also a choice of one-year courses, including the Cert HE Popular Music Performance (Guitar) and the Cert HE Creative Musicianship.
Postgraduate students can take the one-year Masters (MMus) in Popular Music Performance guitar course to develop their guitar playing, musicianship skills and music education to the highest level.
ICMP Guitar Classes
As a guitar player at ICMP, you’ll cover a broad spectrum of music education, from theory and music reading skills, developing competent levels of musicianship, and understanding the way the music business operates, to learning how to arrange, compose and record songs, and becoming skilled in the use of industry-standard music technology… all regardless of your chosen course or study level.
You’ll become an important part of the ICMP guitar community and will be challenged to play to professional standards, build your technical expertise, and make meaningful contributions to the musical situations you find yourself in. You may also be asked to master some of the additional skills the modern guitar player needs in today’s working environment, such as building advanced guitar techniques, studying drop tunings, and developing your stylistic awareness across a wide range of styles – all necessary abilities if you’re looking to become an adaptable, creative and modern session guitarist and educator. Also, depending on the guitar course you choose, in addition to the electric guitar, you may also study acoustic guitar, banjo, classical guitar and mandolin.
You’ll complete your music studies using a varied range of industry-standard equipment, including Fender, MusicMan and Yamaha instruments; Fender, Marshall, Orange, Victory and Blackstar amps; and pedals by brands such as Line 6, Electro Harmonix and Boss.
Creating opportunities through innovative professional partnerships
At ICMP, we work tirelessly to seek out new partnerships that connect our students and alumni to today’s flourishing professional music scene, plugging ICMP into the heart of the industry. Throughout the year we open our doors to labels, publishers, booking agents, A&R and artist managers, all with the express intent of building our students’ connections. Alongside welcoming industry professionals onsite, we also actively partner with companies and organisations throughout London and the wider music industry. These partnerships offer ICMP guitar school London students unique and exclusive opportunities to engage with the music industry, building their networks amongst some of the industry’s biggest names.
ICMP Industry Tutors
ICMP’s highly esteemed guitar teaching faculty is made up of the very best tutors – experienced guitar players, accomplished academics, qualified teachers and respected industry practitioners. They’ve personally shaped the very face of the music industry and are ready to help inspire and energise you. They’re focused on what works now in today’s music business, and keen to pass their knowledge of the ever-changing music industry landscape, and all things guitar, onto you. Above all, they’ll work hard to build and sustain a creative and entrepreneurial network around you which will identify up-and-coming talent and, ultimately, support you and your classmates as the next generation of skilled professional music industry guitar players.
ICMP’s International Reach
ICMP is the most international music college in London and the UK, and you’ll be connecting with students from all around the world while undertaking your contemporary music education. This diversity of worldwide culture and musical styles forms a unique musical tribe, making for thought-provoking classroom discussion, fascinating learning experiences and exciting global networking opportunities.
On top of this, ICMP London has a truly global outlook as a music industry education provider, partnering with a range of respected international academic institutes, including the Los Angeles College of Music, University of Southern California, the London School of Fashion, Rockacademie in the Netherlands, ATLA in Paris, and the Vienna Music Institute.
Recent articles
-
ICMP’s National Album Day 2024 | Great British Groups
Check out some of our favourites albums from ICMP-affiliated artists…
-
Interview | Pete and Vinnie Play
We catch up with guitar duo and content creators Pete and Vinnie Play to learn more about their artist project, No Writer…
-
Best Music Venues in Leeds
We explore many of the best venues keeping Leeds' music scene flourishing...