Portable #30 (bhack@rjuhsd.k12.ca.us) Program Outline & Class Policy Introduction: Beginning Guitar is designed for students who have a limited background with music and have never played the guitar. Students may repeat this course to earn at least a “B” grade in order to move on to the Intermediate Guitar Program. Guitar is a fun instrument to play but only when you know how to play. To learn to play the guitar well requires ongoing practice. There are no shortcuts. Time and effort is what is required. Please avoid SAD at all costs. (Student Attendance Disorder) Key Points about Grades: Use your practice time in class wisely. Students will earn a bi-weekly practice grade. Working together in small groups or with a partner is encouraged so long as individual effort is not lost. Bring your guitar to class every day. Students who fail to do this or are tardy to class will be marked down. Performance quizzes will be given roughly on a bi-weekly basis. The mid year and semester final will include some written information. Performance grades will be based on your effort and understanding of the unit we are working with as much as your own musical skill, however, experience suggests that students who are consistent with their use of practice time in class and on weekends will make solid progress quickly. The best grades in class are earned by those students who complete all required performance assignments and who clearly demonstrate the best effort during large group and small group lessons. Please remember to keep your class notebook organized and updated at all times. There will be a mid term and final notebook check during the semester. Key Points about Room Use: Chewing gum or eating in class is not allowed. Bottled water is fine. Cell phones are not to be used during class. I will remind you once or I may choose to have you place it on my desk until the end of class. The use of IPODS in class will need some perspective and common agreement. If the use is directly related to what we are covering in class, it can be a useful learning tool. I am asking students to check with me first before assuming that IPOD use is okay during class time. Because we are working within a large portable classroom, I will expect a high standard of student conduct. Student safety is most important. Storage and movement of guitars in and out of the classroom requires careful consideration by all students and this topic will be discussed the 1st week of the semester. Key Points about Attitude: A positive attitude goes a long way in this program. The class environment and mood must be one in which no student is made to feel uncomfortable about their guitar skills or lack there of. To a large degree, all of us are here to learn and practice at our own pace as best we can. We are here to share success, and we are here to make mistakes. Former students have stated over and over that their best learning experiences happened when all students we committed to working together in a TEAM effort. Our class is a small learning community of students who collectively share a common interest and passion for music. Key Points about Large & Small Group Lessons: Allow me to be “The Tour Guide.” Large group lessons are designed to be taught to the entire class. This means that you need to observe, listen carefully, and try your best to follow along with the class. Stay focused and avoid doing things that distract others around you. Do not try to practice things that are clearly outside the lesson. One of the biggest problems with students learning the guitar is that they can easily fall into the trap of practicing the same things or the wrong things over and over. Large group lessons are designed to cover very specific information. Small group situations are designed to allow students time to review and practice information learned from the larger group lessons. Do not confuse both situations. Weekends and holiday periods are great opportunities for review of notebook information and for individual practice. Students are allowed to take their guitar home midweek but this is not required. Passing periods between classes does not allow us enough time for individual questions or individual problem solving. Leave a note on my desk and I will respond the next day. I answer school email ASAP. I’m also available before and after school. Guitar Requirements: You must provide your own guitar and case. If you are unable to do this, please see me ASAP after school or before school. I will discuss the purchase of guitars and the quality of guitars during the 1st week. Attempting to learn on an instrument that does not meet basic playing standards is difficult and usually discourages students from becoming successful in this program. An adequate guitar case is required to protect your guitar during the school day and periods of time when the guitar is left at school. Nylon vs. steel string guitars are a common topic that we will discuss during the 1st week. The “Guitar Check” is the first student assignment. Questions about the local music industry, vendors, and related issues are topics that I am more than happy to discuss with students and parents. Semester Areas of Study: 1st Quarter 2nd Quarter Open Position Chords & theory Reading notes in Open Position Major, minor, suspended and 7th chords Movable chords, E/A form Bar Chords Basic strumming and picking patterns Introduction to Pentatonic Scales Chord progressions and chord switching Introduction to Bass Guitar Songs from 1950’s & 1960’s Songs from the 1970’s & 1980’s Music theory, use of tab, common terms Introduction to finger picking styles Major & Minor 7th chords, “color” chords Using Harmony & Melody together Understanding verse, chorus, & bridge Understanding key changes / the Capo
Portable #30 (bhack@rjuhsd.k12.ca.us) Program Outline & Policy Introductions: This class is designed for students who have completed the Beginning Guitar course with a grade of “B” or better. Our class goal is to move your guitar skills further up the neck/fret board so that you have the ability to play well beyond “open position.” We will begin the class with a review of some open position chords learned during the Beginning Guitar Course. Grading: A class notebook will be ongoing and should continue to be organized during this class. It will be checked at mid term and final grading periods. It must be well maintained and updated, brought to class every day, and organized according to the following:
I expect all students to use their practice time in class wisely. A practice grade will be given at the end of 2 week intervals with each school day having a value of two points per day. Absences, tardies, or lack of focus during large and small group lessons can greatly impact your practice grade. When I need large group focus, do not allow your behavior to detract from the greater needs of the class. The biggest part of your grade will be reflective of how well you apply yourself to the class lessons and personal practice effort. The periodic performance quizzes, which I also use to determine your performance grade, will take care of themselves when you have taken full advantage of you practice time in class. Plan on seeing some type of performance quiz about once every other week. Use of Facilities: While P-30 is carpeted and offers a fair amount of room, it works best as a “guitar lab” type format. Individual practice and volume levels are not ideal and can become difficult at times. No food or drinks are allowed during class. Water bottles will be allowed. Please take the opportunity to wash your hands before and after class as time permits. Sharing guitars during class is a common practice but proper health issues should also be considered. Be respectful to your fellow students and try to keep the volume of your playing in perspective. We will also cover guitar storage issues ASAP. Performing: Because this is an intermediate guitar class, the issue of performing is largely afforded to the Advanced Guitar Program. I will encourage public performance situations when and where I feel students are more comfortable and capable. As a class, we will have opportunities for in class performance situations and we will also view many professional performance situations via video / DVD, and on line formats. Our class environment is one in which all students should feel comfortable knowing they are allowed to make mistakes. We will approach many lessons in class as a team effort so that the larger musical journey of sorts is a shared experience. Conclusions: There are no short cuts to learning how to play the guitar. We will be working with a wide variety of music styles, techniques, and lesson ideas, including coverage of music theory as applied to the guitar. Always apply your best effort to each. Good ear training requires that you keep an open mind about music at all times. Do not allow yourself to become limited in your musical taste and perspective. The best guitar players are those that constantly challenge themselves and try to stretch their own abilities with diversity of style. Learning how and what to practice is an art within itself as this will also be covered in class. Leave your “valuable” guitars at home and bring your “less costly” instruments to school. The program is “Acoustic” based but I encourage students to use weekend time for review of class lessons and other areas of experimentation. Areas of Study:
The media presentations used during class are designed to demonstrate guitar playing at the commercial / professional level. We will study a sample of people who have had great career success in the music industry while also demonstrating the wide gap that the guitar is able to cover in a musical sense. Observation and critical ear development are both important aspects for personal musical growth. Class participation during this part of the program will greatly enhance your understanding about how and why the guitar continues to be at the forefront of American music culture.
Portable #30 (bhack@rjuhsd.k12.ca.us) Program Outline & Policy Introductions: This class is designed for students who have completed both Beginning Guitar and Intermediate Guitar with a grade of a “B” or better, or have received prior teacher recommendation. Please see your counselor for a schedule change if these prerequisites have not been met. Our larger goal is to move your guitar playing skills into different areas of live performance for both individual and group situations. This program will have a series of in class review units along with the assumption that you already have a good understanding and familiarity with the following:
Grading: 1) A class notebook must be kept at all times and will be checked for both semester grades. Notebooks should always be well maintained, brought to class every day, and organized according to the following themes:
2) An in class practice grade will be completed on a bi-weekly basis on Aeries. Two points can be earned each day based on attendance and overall efforts to use in class practice time effectively in both small group situations and large group class lessons. 3) Performance grades will be completed based on large group class lessons assigned and your required participation in our RHS Guitar Shows which will happen at the end of each semester. More information about our class guitar shows will evolve and be provided for you as we move into the program. Other on campus based performances will also be considered for grading purposes. 4) Review assignments will continue throughout the course and they will reflect both harmony and melody aspects of guitar playing. These will be focused on your continued use of movable chords and the use of scales. Developing a good solid foundation for performance situations requires that you continue to review and draw upon skills that you have been exposed to in the past, but may not have had enough review time in order to gain confidence. In performance situations, professional guitarists quite often approach the stage as a place to demonstrate the comfort zone of their guitar skills rather than a place to test out those skills. Use of Facilities: My biggest problem goes to the issue of students trying to eat, drink, or chew gum in class. With a carpeted floor in P-30, this will not work. Bottled water is fine with me and also recommended. Gum is likewise a major problem with a carpeted floor. I want to keep the current facility in the best condition possible. Please respect this. Because this is an advanced class, we will be spending a large amount of class time working inside a performance based facility. (JBG Theatre) The classroom (P-30) will be treated as a guitar lab type environment. Keep things in perspective and please be respectful and mindful of our surroundings. Should weather permit, we may have opportunities to use some practice time outside. Transportation of guitars to and from school will follow the same format as used in earlier programs. The use of Ipods in class will be monitored. Do not assume all is okay with me just because we are a music class. If you feel that your Ipod use is class related, please be sure to ask me first. Practice Time: All students will be expected to meet the performance requirement of this program. Too much time spent socializing at the expense of honest practice unfortunately finds its way into your performance and delivery. Professional musicians often refer to their struggle with practice time as “Fighting the Monster.” You should divide your time into parts or sections. Examples would be as follows…. 1) Review and practice with scales, trying to play a melody within a scale position 2) Review of chord progressions, picking patterns, chord changes, finger picking 3) Review of material that is fun and easy for you to play, including past selections 4) Review and practice of new material that is challenging and difficult to execute Possible Support Assignments: 1) Local Concert Review Assignment for acoustic and electric based music 2) Sound Technology Assignment using line cable, speaker cable, and amplification 3) Providing a “mini” concert for RHS students during single lunch days 4) Providing guitar music for a variety of on and off campus school related events 5) Sharing your experience of the RHS guitar program with other local schools
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