Rhythm & Timing for Guitarists — Haarlem Workshop

Know your chords, but struggle to make a song flow? Lose the beat when changing chords, or find yourself guessing which way to strum?

This practical three-hour workshop with professional guitarist and educator Werner Bonthuys will help you understand rhythm and put it to work on your guitar.

What you’ll learn

• Keep a steady pulse through rests and chord changes.
• Count and play quarter notes, eighth notes, sixteenth notes and triplets.
• Coordinate strumming and picking direction.
• Build rhythmic patterns using space, accents and syncopation.
• Develop groove and practise effectively with a metronome.

We’ll clap, count, strum, pick and play together, applying each skill to musical examples. You’ll leave with a focused 10-minute practice routine to continue at home.

Who is it for?

Acoustic and electric guitarists who know basic chords and want stronger rhythm and timing. No music-reading experience required—we’ll introduce rhythm notation step by step.

Practical details

• Saturday 28 November 2026, 13:00–16:00, including a short break.
• Hart, Kleine Houtweg 18, Haarlem. Room 02 (Meisjeskamer).
• Maximum 30 participants.
• Bring your guitar, a pick and a tuner. If bringing an electric guitar, contact the organiser before the event to confirm amplification arrangements.
• The workshop is taught in English.

Your workshop leader

Werner Bonthuys is a professional guitarist and educator with more than 30 years of playing experience and a full-time music career since 2005. He runs Learn Guitar and the Haarlem Guitar Club.

learnguitar.nl · wernerguitar.nl