Holding the Guitar
- Students will be able to pick up and move their guitars safely and hold them comfortably while learning to understand the cues the teacher uses for silencing guitars or putting them away.
- Level: Beginner
Parts of the Guitar
- Students will be able to recognize and name the parts of the guitar.
- Level: Beginner
Naming Guitar Strings
- Students will learn to identify by sight and sound the way strings are numbered while using various picking techniques to play them.
- Level: Beginner
Guitar Technique
- Students will be able to play the guitar with good technique. This will allow them to feel more comfortable playing the instrument, give them more stamina, and set up habits that prevent repetitive stress injuries from playing a musical instrument.
- Level: Beginner
Holding a Pick
- Students will be able to hold a pick comfortably and begin using it to play guitar.
- Level: Beginner
Fret Numbers / Positioning
- Students will be able to associate fingers to frets and understand how to use the fret markers to gain quick access to different positions. This lesson lays an important foundation for understanding how to use their fingers on the fret board.
- Level: Beginner
Strum Patterns
- To teach students to play rhythmic patterns, which will increase their awareness of what they hear, improving their playing and making it fun.
- Level: Beginner
Stickers and Guitar Mutes
- Students will be able to play several different chords on 3 strings using stickers that show them where to place their fingers.
- Level: Beginner
3 String Emi – Get Up Stand Up
- Students will be able to play “Get Up Stand Up” by Bob Marley while using a reggae rhythm on the open E minor chord using 3 strings.
- Level: Beginner
Open Emi – Chain of Fools
- Students will be able to use the open E minor chord on 3 strings along with a bass line to play an arrangement of Chain of Fools by Aretha Franklin.
- Level: Beginner
G and C Chords with 1 Finger
- Students will be able to play a classic chord progression used in hundreds of songs by using only one finger while keeping good musical time with a strum pattern
- Level: Beginner
2 Chords, 1 Finger
- Students will be able to play the classic chord progression used in “Shout” by the Isley Brothers and “Hang Me Up To Dry” by the Coldwar Kids using 3 strings to play an open E minor chord and 1 finger G chord.
- Level: Beginner
1 Chord Song Arrangements
- Students will be able to play songs using only one chord and a good awareness of musical contrast.
- Level: Beginner
E Minor With a Funk Groove
- Students will be able to play “Thank You” by Sly and the Family Stone using the E minor chord and a steady strum pattern.
- Level: Beginner
E Minor with a Shuffle Feel
- Students will be able to play “On the Road Again” by Canned Heat using the E minor chord and a strum pattern in shuffle feel.
- Level: Beginner
The E Chord in 1 Chord Songs
- Students will learn to play the E Major chord on guitar and apply it to playing a one chord song.
- Level: Beginner
D Chord in 1 Chord Songs
- Students will learn to play the D Major chord on guitar and apply it to playing a one chord song.
- Level: Beginner
Learning the D7 Chord
- Students will learn to play the D7 chord on guitar and use it in playing “Feelin’ Blue” by Credence Clearwater Revival.
- Level: Intermediate
Playing A7 in Muddy Waters
- Students will be able to play the A7 chord in one of the most famous blues based songs in the history of rock and roll.
- Level: Intermediate
Dividing the Chords in Class
- Students will be able to play two different chords by focusing on one at a time while participating in a jam session over several classic rock tunes.
- Level: Intermediate
Rock and Roll G to C
- Students will be able to use the “anchor note concept” to play a classic chord progression used in a lot of favorite songs.
- Level: Intermediate
Hearing Chords
- Students will be able to hear the difference between chords based on hearing them as numbers related to a “1” chord. Music is a language made out of sound, and learning how to pay attention to it with our ears should always be our top priority.
- Level: Intermediate
Spanish Guitar
- Students will be able to use an E chord to play a traditional style of Spanish Guitar using Maleguena and Flamenco sounds by moving an E chord shape up and down the fretboard.
- Level: Intermediate
Anchor Chords
- Students will be able to change chords easily using the concept of “Anchor Notes” to move to a new chord.
- Level: Intermediate
G and C Using Target Notes
- Students will be able to change chords easily using the concept of “Target Notes” to move to a new chord
- Level: Intermediate
Changing Chords (Chord Grip)
- Students will be able to change chords easily by becoming aware of what guitar players refer to as the “chord grip”
- Level: Intermediate
1, 4, 5 (I IV V) Progression with A, D, and E
- Students will be able to use the A, D, and E chords to play a 1, 4, 5 (I, IV, V) chord progression enabling them to play and recognize this in dozens of songs.
- Level: Intermediate
Changing Chords From A to D
- Students will be able to use the A and D chords to play one of the most popular chord progressions in today’s music.
- Level: Intermediate
1, 4, 1, 5 (I IV I V) Progression with A, D, and E
- Students will be able to use the A, D, and E chords to play a 1, 4, 1, 5 (I IV I V) chord progression enabling them to play and recognize this in dozens of songs.
- Level: Intermediate
1, 5, 4, 5 ( I V IV V) Progression with A, D, and E
- Students will be able to use the A, D, and E chords to play a 1, 5, 4, 5 (I V IV V) chord progression enabling them to play and recognize this in dozens of songs.
- Level: Intermediate
1, 4, b7, 4 Progression with A, D, and E
- Students will be able to use the E, A, and D chords to play a 1, 4, H7, 4 (I IV HVII IV) chord progression enabling them to play and recognize this in dozens of songs.
- Level: Intermediate
E and E Minor Chords
- Students will be able to hear and play both E major and E minor chords by moving 1 finger on and off of the fretboard.
- Level: Intermediate
Switching Chords – C to Ami
- Students will be able to hear and play both E major and E minor chords by moving 1 finger on and off of the fretboard.
- Level: Intermediate
D and E with a Finger Slide
- Students will be able to change between the D and E chords by sliding the 1st finger between the 1st and 2nd fret.
- Level: Advanced
Open Pentatonic Scales
- Students will be able to play a pentatonic scale using open strings and notes in the first position to take solos and develop their understanding of the guitar.
- Level: Advanced
Guitar Solo With 1 Finger
- Students will be able to take a guitar solo using one finger to play two notes, while associating rhythm to speaking.
- Level: Advanced
Soloing in G
- Students will be able to use a “box shape” on guitar to take a solo. This will help them learn to change strings as well.
- Level: Advanced
Alternate Picking
- Students will be able to use a pick to play in both directions, resulting in more control over the instrument and the ability to play faster notes
- Level: Advanced
The Famous 4 Chord Songs
- Students will be able to play and recognize the chord progression used most often in popular music today.
- Level: Advanced
Using the B Power Chord
- Students will be able to play the B power chord in songs by finding the root note of the chord and building a power chord from it.
- Level: Advanced
4 Chord Do-wop Songs
- Students will be able to recognize and play songs that use a standard chord progression popularized in the 1950’s and still in use today.
- Level: Advanced
Using the F Power Chord
- Students will be able to play the F “power chord” in songs by finding the root note of the chord and building a power chord from it.
- Level: Advanced
3 Chord Songs Using 1 Finger
- Students will be able to play three popular songs using a standard chord progression using only 1 finger on a guitar with muted strings.
- Level: Advanced
Hearing Song Form / Elements
- Students will be able to recognize the parts of a song by listening the classic tune “Shout” by the Isley Brothers. They will also be able to identify some of the musical ideas used to make this song interesting.
- Level: Advanced