Beginning Jan. 9, Guitar Club now meets during both A and B blocks on Fridays after leaders decided the growing club needed more structure to accommodate different skill levels. This came as differences between beginners and advanced players became more noticeable.
“I realized that there were a lot of beginners and a lot of advanced players, and they didn’t mesh well at all,” senior officer Arnav Majeti said.
The divide became clear as meetings grew more crowded, making it difficult to effectively teach both groups at the same time.
“The room itself was already split, so we figured, as a club, that it would be better to separate the groups themselves,” Majeti said. “[That way we’re] able to dedicate more time to beginners and able to distribute more advanced songs to the advanced players.”
The club was extremely popular on Fridays, making it hard to get a spot for many.
“Before, we were getting a full A block every time,” Majeti said. “Now, it may not be as full, but overall, I think there’s still a greater number of people showing up because not as many people could sign up before.”
Members said the split was designed to make newer players feel more included while still challenging experienced guitarists.
“Basically, there were a lot of people that got stuck into one big group instead of small groups with an officer,” senior member George Krasnic said. “The president thought we should allocate one block towards beginners and people that are new or trying to get into guitar, so that they feel more included. And then an advanced section where people that already know how to play the guitar and want to learn more advanced techniques can go.”
The advanced block remains flexible rather than exclusive.
“The advanced block isn’t really how it seems,” Krasnic said. “The beginner is if it’s your first week there. If you know a couple of chords by memory and can play a song or two, you’re welcome to come to the advanced block anytime you want.”