Overview

Players of all levels and styles are welcome at the Martin Taylor Guitar Retreat in Big Indian, New York. Whether you’ve been playing for years, or you just know a couple of tunes, you'll be able to immerse yourself in learning fingerstyle, jazz and acoustic guitar at this four day guitar retreat with Martin Taylor and his guest teachers including John Knowles, Jim Cunningham, Alison Burns and James Taylor.

Martin will give you insight into the techniques, styles and tips to inspire and improve your playing. The retreat is designed to gather guitarists of all levels from around the globe with a common goal - learning and playing guitar.

This is the seventh year that the Martin Taylor Guitar Retreat has been held at the Full Moon Resort (just 2.5 hours from New York City). Don’t miss this chance to spend a week in the beautiful Catskill Mountains, just 30 miles from historic Woodstock. What could be better than a musical holiday where you really learn something and have a great time with like-minded guitarists?

The Martin Taylor Guitar Retreat will take place this year from August 25th-29th, 2025. During each day you'll learn directly with Martin and his guest teachers and each evening you can sit back with a wine or local handcrafted beer and take part in intimate, once-in-a-lifetime jam sessions. Just bring your guitar, get ready to learn, jam, make friends and have fun!

To really help you make the most from this event we have created a series of preparatory home study courses and cool bonuses (see below)!

What Is The Martin Taylor Guitar Retreat About?

The Martin Taylor Guitar Retreats are all about hands-on playing. Helping you achieve RESULTS and have fun in the process.

Your Retreat Teachers

Martin Taylor

Fingerstyle & Jazz Guitar

Grammy nominated musician Dr. Martin Taylor, MBE, is a virtuoso guitarist, composer, educator and musical innovator whom Acoustic Guitar magazine calls ‘THE Acoustic Guitarist of his Generation’.

Widely considered to be the world’s foremost exponent of solo jazz and fingerstyle guitar playing, Martin possesses an inimitable style that has earned him global acclaim from fellow musicians, fans and critics alike. He dazzles audiences with a signature style that artfully combines his virtuosity, emotion and humor with a strong, engaging stage presence. Taylor has enjoyed a remarkable musical career spanning across five decades, with more than 100 recordings to his credit. Completely self-taught beginning at the early age of 4, he has invented and developed a unique way of playing the guitar that is greatly admired, and often emulated, by guitarists all over the world.

In addition to his solo concerts and recordings, he has also collaborated with musicians from many different musical genres, including: Jeff Beck, Tommy Emmanuel, Bill Wyman, Chet Atkins, Stephane Grappelli, David Grisman, George Harrison, Jamie Cullum, Bryn Terfel, Dianne Schuur and Gary Burton. He has been awarded two honorary doctorates, a BBC lifetime achievement award, Top 10 albums in both the USA and Europe, a record 14 British Jazz Awards and in 2002 he was appointed MBE 'For Services to Jazz Music' by Her Majesty the Queen of Great Britain.

As one of the world's most recognized online guitar teachers his innovative online guitar school in partnership with ArtistWorks, with its headquarters in Napa, CA, has been featured on NPR, BBC, Fox News and the LA Times and is subscribed to by guitarists in over 58 countries.

'Martin Taylor is one of the most awesome solo guitar players in the history of the instrument. He's unbelievable' - Pat Metheny
'He out-shred's all of us put together....I've never seen anything like it' - Jeff Beck
"There is a touch of genius in his playing" - Classical Guitar Magazine
"No matter how complex or daring, Taylor's interpretations never short change the melodies; indeed, his remarkable fluid touch imbues a seamless beauty. Martin Taylor is something to behold." - The Washington Post

Your Retreat Teachers

John Knowles

Fingerstyle Guitar

Guitarists around the world learn from John Knowles’ FingerStyle QUARTERLY and his TrueFire video lessons. He has authored seven books of the music of Chet Atkins, Jerry Reed and Lenny Breau. John’s music has been recorded by Chet Akins, Jerry Reed, Tommy Emmanuel, the Romero Family and James Galway. His Gorilla Song (co-written with his son Jay) is an international hit with recordings by Raffi and XUXA. Heart Songs, John’s album of duets with Tommy Emmanuel, was recently awarded Recording of the Year by the National Thumb Pickers Hall of Fame.

In 1996, Chet Atkins awarded John an Honorary CGP (Certified Guitar Player) and in 2004, John was inducted into the National Thumb Picker's Hall of Fame for the second time. His work has won a Grammy and two Emmy nominations. John earned his PhD in physics from Texas Christian University in 1968.

“I set out to be a better teacher than most players… and a better player than most teachers.”  John Knowles, cgp

Your Other Retreat Teachers

Here's What You Get

• YES, I understand that spaces are limited to 35 places so it's important that I act now before public registration close!
• YES, I understand this includes one (1) ticket to the Martin Taylor Guitar Retreat in Big Indian, NY on August 25-29, 2025. I understand I will receive registration information for the Retreat when I register.
• YES, I understand my registration includes lodging at the Full Moon Resort for four nights as well as 3 amazing meals a day.

Your Special Bonus Bundle

• BONUS: HOME-STUDY RETREAT PREPARATION COURSE ($997 value)
  You will also receive access to the Martin Taylor Guitar Retreat home-study preparation course with video lessons covering some of the concepts and tunes you’ll be learning at the Retreat. This prep-course will help you gear up and get ready for the “Martin Taylor Guitar Retreat” by learning the chords and melody for tunes, and many of the other cool tips and lessons.
• BONUS: CREATIVE PROCESS COURSE ($197 value)
  You will also receive 40+ HD Video Lessons from James Taylor as he breaks down each of the five stages of the creative process to help you unlock your creative potential as a guitarist.
• BONUS: MARKETING FOR MUSICIANS COURSE ($150 value)
  Learn how to brand, market and sell your music. Whether you want to get more gigs, release an album or promote your songs this marketing course for creatives will help.