ACOUSTIC GUITAR COURSE SUMMARY

Just bought an acoustic and need some help on what to do next, or have you hit a wall on the instrument and want to get out of that rut? Our courses are all fun, engaging and musically rewarding, and taught by our experienced, specialist tutors who understand the skills and knowledge required for mastering the acoustic guitar. They only take a couple of hours per week and are a great way to unwind after work.

The courses are all designed to progress and build from one level to the next, so that skills and repertoire can be built over a longer period of time. This also allows students to progress within a group environment and forge friendships with other acoustic players. Whether you are an absolute beginner, or have already been playing for a while, these courses offer a great way into the wonderful world of acoustic guitar.

In addition, for one week on every course you will take place in a small Live Performance Workshop. This gives you a great opportunity to back a singer, or perform as part of a small ensemble, and gain some valuable performance experience, all in a supportive and relaxed environment.

GENERAL COURSE DETAILS

ACOUSTIC GUITAR COURSE OUTLINES:

ACOUSTIC GUITAR 1

Acoustic Guitar I is specially designed for the absolute beginner who wants to learn to play in a fun and interactive environment.

The course covers basic elements such as guitar tuning, open position chords, strumming patterns and timekeeping. By the end of the course you will be able to confidently play a number of songs in a few different styles, and will have developed the foundation skills and technique necessary for further development of your playing.

You will build up your chord vocabulary, including Major, Minor and Dominant 7^th chords, whilst also gaining an understanding of strumming patterns and timekeeping. This will then lead on to you learning songs in a variety of styles by artists such as Oasis, Simon and Garfunkel and Damien Rice.

In addition, in unit ten a guest vocalist will join the class giving you the opportunity to experience working as an accompanist for a vocalist. The course is always focused on making music, using real examples to illustrate a topic, which means that this is a relaxed, informal and fun way to get your playing off the ground!

LEVEL I COURSE OUTLINE

• Guitar tuning
• Open position chords (Major, Minor, Dominant 7)
• Learning the notes on the guitar and playing simple melodies
• Time keeping and strumming patterns
• Learning guitar tablature and how to read a chart 
• Accompanying a singer

ACOUSTIC GUITAR 2

Acoustic Guitar II is designed both for students who have completed the Acoustic Guitar I course, as well as for those students who have already acquired some basic levels of skill and knowledge in their playing. This course is designed for students who can comfortably play chords in open position, can strum along to a few songs in different styles and are looking to expand their playing.

The course will cover elements such as expanding the open chord vocabulary, the introduction of barre chords (in two positions), more complex strumming patterns and the introduction of single string riffs. You will also be introduced to the basic elements of fingerstyle technique.

In addition, as in Acoustic Guitar I, a guest vocalist will join the class for one unit giving you the opportunity to further experience working as an accompanist. Again, as the course is focused on repertoire and playing, it creates a fun environment in which to learn.

LEVEL II COURSE OUTLINE

• Bar chord development in two positions.
• Expanding open chord vocabulary on the guitar (Minor 7^th, Major7^th, Sus chords)
• Basic Harmony and Theory such as harmonizing the major scale
• The open string Pentatonic shapes
• Finger style patters and timekeeping
• Accompany a singer

ACOUSTIC GUITAR 3 

Acoustic Guitar III begins to introduce more stylistic diversity and is designed for those students who have already acquired some level of skill and knowledge in their playing. The course is designed for students who are looking to explore contemporary acoustic guitar in the style of players such as Tommy Emmanuel, Jerry Reed and Chet Atkins.

The course introduces more advanced finger style techniques such as thumb independence and chord melody as well as further building understanding of musical theory and fretboard knowledge. In addition, two weeks of the course will be ‘style specific’, focusing on two alternate tunings that have become popular in acoustic playing, and giving you the chance to explore different acoustic sounds.

As the course is more repertoire focused, on completing the course you will be able to play more confidently as a solo player and also as an accompanist. You will also develop your playing skills and knowledge and improve your competence across a range of different styles using different techniques.

LEVEL III COURSE OUTLINE

• Rhythmic techniques on the acoustic guitar in the style of Extreme, Newton Faulkner
• Developing finger picking technique
• Open tunings drop D and DADGAD
• Using 3rds and 6ths in rhythm guitar
• The minor scale

ACOUSTIC GUITAR 4

Acoustic Guitar IV is designed to build on the materials covered during the previous courses whilst making you into a more confident musician.

The course has a strong emphasis on building repertoire and all of the new skills and techniques introduced are supported by real musical examples. Techniques such as flat picking, hybrid picking and slide guitar are all supported by specific musical pieces for you to master and add to your growing repertoire.

As in Acoustic Guitar II, two of the units will be focused on a specialist style, in this case acoustic slide guitar, whilst other units will investigate the playing of some of the most iconic acoustic masters. You will also cover some of the popular altered tunings and chord voicings to bring new ideas into your playing.

LEVEL IV COURSE OUTLINE

• Finger picking, flat picking and hybrid picking
• Building chord vocabulary and playing through popular chord progressions in the Blues style
• Drop D tuning, DADGAD and other altered tunings using traditional Irish and Scottish tunes
• The playing style of James Taylor
• Acoustic blues and slide playing
• Featured influential acoustic players - Davey Graham, Nick Drake, Eva Cassidy, Robert Johnson, Paul Simon
• Tips and ideas for arranging popular tunes or your own composition