Guitar for Songwriters, Level 1

Have you owned a guitar for years but have only a passing acquaintance with it?  Maybe you learned a few chords but never went forward?  Or perhaps you have just started to teach yourself and would like the guidance of a gifted teacher and the encouragement and inspiration of a group setting? Don't just learn guitar. Learn to play guitar in the context of the songs you love and the songs you'll write. Enter Guitar for Songwriters, Levels 1 & 2.

This course is designed for a beginning player. That can be you if you are a total beginner, or it can be you if you know a few chords but can't confidently change in time, play in time, have more than one or two strumming or picking patterns, or just generally want to build a sturdy foundation as a player. Level 1 will take you there, building dexterity and ergonomics in left and right hand technique, expanding your chord vocabulary and understanding the basic function of chords in diatonic harmony, broaden your palette for picking and strumming techniques, introduce fingerstyle playing, and give you writing assignments to put it to use--all the way to barre chords, where Level 2 picks up.

Supplementary materials include a password-protected website for class members with:

• handouts,
• audio of exercises and drills,
• complete class audio for all 6 weeks to review or make-up

Sample (general) curriculum overview:

Week 1

• introduction (frets, fingers, positions, shapes)
• basic technique/finger exercise (coordination, holding pick)
• chords vs. single notes
• guitar tablature (how to read ; numbers/fingers)
• chord diagrams (how to read)
• open chords!!!** (handout )
• begin learning chords/song

Week 2

• finger exercise
• review song
• moving fingers/chord progressions…putting it together*
• basic strumming technique* (one on one/groups)
• new chord(s)

Week 3

• finger exercise
• review song
• strumming (more options)
• new chord(s)/new song(if ready, some students)

Week 4

• finger exercise
• review song(s)
• strumming practice
• diatonic chord theory (understanding why certain chords sound good together and form keys)

Week 5

• finger exercise
• review songs
• strumming practice
• more chord theory (putting what our fingers know together with what our minds can understand)

Week 6

• finger exercise
• performances (solo/group/with teacher accompany)
• assignments for using these skills and concepts in songs