One afternoon, one band, all Green Day: what happens at a KitchenJam band workshop

On Sunday 1 November, a group of KitchenJam players met at our Canary Wharf studio with one plan for the afternoon: learn three Green Day songs, then play them start to finish as one band.

We picked Boulevard of Broken Dreams, Good Riddance (Time of Your Life) and Wake Me Up When September Ends.

Nobody needed to have played in a band before. We’d written out parts for every level, so people newer to the guitar could stick to chords while those who’ve been playing a while took on the riffs, solos, bass and vocals.

That’s the whole idea of a band workshop. It isn’t a lesson in the usual sense. It’s an afternoon of playing music with other people, which is where a lot of the fun of guitar lives.

What to expect at your first band workshop

• We pick a few songs by one band and learn them together in the session. You don’t need to learn them beforehand.
• There’s a part for every level. Beginners get a simpler part, and if you’ve been playing a while there are riffs, solos, bass and vocals.
• By the end, you play the songs start to finish as a full band.
• Bring your guitar if you have one. At Canary Wharf you can borrow one of ours; at Stratford, message us before the day.
• The workshops are for adults. They’re free for KitchenJam members with the code from your members’ email, and £35 for everyone else.
• Members can bring a friend of any level for free. There are 4 friend places at each workshop.
• We may film a little for Instagram. Just tell us on the day if you’d rather not be in shot.

Next band workshops

• Sat 21 Nov, 2.45 to 4.30pm: The Beatles at Stratford. Book
• Sun 22 Nov, 2 to 3.30pm: Queen at Canary Wharf. Book
• Sat 16 Jan, from 3pm: The Clash at Canary Wharf. Book

We also run kids and teens band workshops at Stratford for our younger members.

Never played with other people before? These are a good place to start. And if you’re new to KitchenJam, your first session is a free trial session (we call it a Soundcheck), at Canary Wharf or East Village.

At KitchenJam, everyone’s made to play guitar.