This absolute beginning guitar course provides the student with basic guitar skills. Students learn more then 25 chords, 20 folk/pop songs, bass lines and rock riffs and some easy introductory classical techniques. Many of the songs we learn use different accompaniment techniques. At first we do simple down strums then move on to up strums on the upbeats then bass/strum and later arpeggios etc. At the end of this first semester, the beginning guitarist should be able to read tablature and chord diagrams and be able to play simple melodies, pieces with a melody-and-bass, some folk/pop song arrangements, and some easy classical pieces.
It is the instructor's belief that with classical guitar technique as a foundation, all other styles of guitar playing are easier to learn. In addition many styles of popular guitar will be covered as well. For instance, we play lots of Beatles, Dylan and current songs, Stairway to Heaven, Boulevard of Broken Dreams, Good Ridance, Wipe Out, Peter Gunn, Blackbird, Malaguena, Hey Joe, Hit the Road Jack, Hotel California, House of the Rising Sun, Good Riddance, Stand by me, Louie,Louie, Smoke on the water, Free Fallin’, I’m a Believer, Rock n Roll patterns, Malaguena, Greensleeves and some rock bass lines and riffs. In that we have many different levels of guitarists in class, the instructor will start from the beginning, going over the basic techniques of playing learning the fundamentals of tablature and diagram reading. A typical class begins with warm-ups and technique work, followed by either tablature reading or song material with constant careful monitoring of each individual student's progress. A list of all items covered on the mid-term will be handed out at the fourth class session, and four weeks before the final. To minimize stress the student is encouraged to begin checking off exam items three weeks leading up to the exams, sometimes playing them many times towards eventual pass with our goal of finishing the entire list. We will work towards passing all the items on both exams worth 100% of the final grade. The final grade will be proportionate to the amount of material passed. |
