Werner Bonthuys

Werner Bonthuys

Zandvoort · Netherlands

Guitarist · Teacher · Songwriter · Author · Facilitator · Developer

South African songwriter and guitarist living in Zandvoort, Netherlands. Music has been part of every part of my life since I was nine years old.

Listen to After The Noise Get in touch

2026

After The Noise

A collection of songs about memory, identity, distance, and the things we carry long after they're gone. Written from real moments rather than conclusions, these songs trace the quiet shifts that shape a life.

After The Noise

After The Noise

9 Tracks · 36:10 · Alternative / Folk / Singer-Songwriter

All On Me · Why And How · Changing Shape · That Was That · Home · Rooi Grond · It Starts Again · All Of It Came With Me · Choosing To Move

Background

About

I grew up in Petrusburg and Bloemfontein, South Africa. Music found me in 1992, when I was nine — through my father's guitar and the songs he played. I was fascinated by how music becomes attached to important moments in people's lives. I still am.

Werner Bonthuys

I studied classical guitar before diving into jazz theory and spending years playing in rock cover bands — a combination that prepared me well for what came next. I went on to train at the Academy of Contemporary Music in Guildford, England — one of the most formative experiences of my musical education. Since then I've performed across South Africa, England, and the Netherlands: hotel lounges, opera houses, festivals, weddings, and everything in between. I've played to audiences of thousands and worked as a session guitarist since 2005 — becoming the preferred choice for many of South Africa's top recording artists, with credits spanning artist albums, singles, and television.

In 2026 I released After The Noise, my debut album — folk-inspired singer-songwriter work rooted in personal experience. My next project is taking me somewhere different: a band called Foreign Language, exploring soul, blues, jazz, and fusion.

I now live in Zandvoort, where I teach privately across the greater Haarlem and Amsterdam areas, lead the Haarlem Guitar Club, and write about music and learning.

Trinity College London — Grade 5 Classical Guitar, 1999

Academy of Contemporary Music, Guildford — Higher Diploma in Guitar Performance, 2005

RSL Awards — Grade 8 Guitar · Level 6 Diploma in Teaching and Learning for Performing Arts

Teaching since 1999 — 25+ years across South Africa, England, and the Netherlands

Private tuition · Haarlem, Amsterdam & online

Guitar Lessons

I teach everyone — from complete beginners to advanced players, children to adults, including visually impaired students. Everyone deserves access to music.

Students who are willing to work and embrace the process can achieve exceptionally high standards. Graded certifications are available through RSL Awards.

Book a lesson at learnguitar.nl

Founded 2023 · Haarlem

Haarlem Guitar Club

A community of guitarists that I founded and lead — monthly workshops, jam sessions, learning, and shared musical exploration. All levels, all styles.

Haarlem Guitar Club

Find out more

Publications

Books & Writing

Guitar Scales, Arpeggios & Chords

Guitar Scales, Arpeggios & Chords
A complete fretboard reference for guitarists who want to understand the structures that underpin music — not just memorise shapes.

Available on Amazon

The Anatomy of a Scale — my second book, currently in progress. Same curiosity that started everything: a fascination with how music works beneath the surface.

In development

Guitar Skill Tree

An app I'm building to help guitarists track and visualise their progress — mapping out skills, scales, technique, and theory as a connected journey rather than a checklist.

guitarskilltree.com

Say hello

Get in Touch

Got a question, a collaboration idea, or just want to talk music? I'm fairly easy to reach.

Guitars & Gear

Ibanez Fender Takamine Line 6 Boss