ELECTRIC GUITAR COURSE SUMMARY

Let’s face it, playing electric guitar is cool! It may seem a daunting task, but our structured yet informal classes will soon have you up and running. We have been teaching guitarists for twenty five years and, before you know it, you’ll be jamming with fellow classmates and playing with a band!

The classes only take a couple of hours per week, and you have to put in some of your own practice, but as the courses are structured and organized you’ll be amazed at the progress you can make!

Each level contains a perfect balance between technique, theory and the building of practical skills, all delivered in a supportive and encouraging environment. Simply put, this is the most enjoyable way to learn to play and meet like-minded people and, who knows, they may end up in your band!

GENERAL COURSE DETAILS

ELECTRIC GUITAR COURSE OUTLINES:

ELECTRIC GUITAR I

This course is for the absolute beginner who has no prior playing experience. You will build up all of the basic techniques that are required to play the guitar, such as strumming, picking and fretting, whilst also acquiring an introductory chord vocabulary and an understanding of timekeeping.

Electric Guitar I will cover basic elements such as guitar tuning, open position chords, strumming patterns and timekeeping.  You will learn how to play 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, featuring examples from the Beatles to Oasis and the Red Hot Chilli Peppers.

Finally, in week ten of the course we provide a student backing band for the class so that everyone can get their first taste of playing in a band, all within an encouraging and supportive environment.

LEVEL I COURSE OUTLINE

• Guitar tuning
• The chords in the open position  (Major, Minor, Dominant 7)
• Learning the notes on the guitar and playing simple melodies  
• Develop time keeping skills and strumming patterns
• The pentatonic scale
• Understanding guitar tablature and how to read a chart
• Play in a band environment

ELECTRIC GUITAR II

This course is for guitarist who has grasped the basic skills, such as open chords and strumming, but wants to now develop further. The course is designed to help you start to organise the fretboard, including some scales and moveable chords, as well as developing your stamina and level of performance.

The course will cover elements such as chord vocabulary, with the introduction of barre chords in two positions. You will also look into basic harmony and theory such as harmonizing the major scale and learn to use scales such as the major scale and blues scale. In addition you will continue to develop timekeeping and more complex strumming patters.

Finally, one unit of the course is an LPW (Live Performance Workshop), where we provide a backing band for the class to workshop a song and have the opportunity to apply some of the material studied!

LEVEL II COURSE OUTLINE

• Bar chord development in two positions.
• The major scale in two movable patterns
• Basic harmony and theory such as harmonizing the major scale
• The pentatonic scale in two movable patterns
• The Blues scale
• Play in a band environment

ELECTRIC GUITAR III

If as a guitarist you have a solid understanding and ability to play the simple movable chords and the odd scale, but are unsure of your next step, then this course is for you. It is designed to not only continue to build solid technical skills, but also to start developing some simple music theory, and hence your musical understanding. In level three you will continue to expand your chord vocabulary and the implementation of scales in your improvising.

At level three, we also introduce two units that are ‘style specific’, giving you the chance to start investigating a musical genre in greater depth. In Electric Guitar III the styles studied are ‘Blues’ and ‘Funk’.

Finally, as in the other levels one unit is an LPW where you will be backed by an Institute ‘House Band’ and perform in a real band environment.

COURSE OUTLINE

• Pentatonic scales in five positions on the guitar
• Enhancing your chord vocabulary with chords such as Sus chords and 9^th chords
• The major pentatonic scale
• Triads on different sets of strings on the guitar
• The minor scale
• Play in a band environment

ELECTRIC GUITAR IV

This course is for the guitarist who has mastered some movable chords and can play scales reasonably fluidly, and is looking to take his playing to the next step. It is designed to continue to build solid technical skills, broaden your chord vocabulary, develop some music theory, and continue to build strength and stamina. In level four your will look at the improvisational approach used in different styles of music using scales and arpeggios.

Where genres meet and merge is always where the most interesting developments in music occur so, as at level three, two of the units are ‘style specific’. This offers you the chance to experience different genres, which at level four are Rock and Country.

Finally, one unit is an LPW giving you an opportunity to play with an Institute ‘House Band’, gain live experience and apply what you have learnt.

COURSE OUTLINE

• The Mixolydian scale
• Improvising in different styles of music
• Linking pentatonic patterns on the fretboard
• Arpeggios such as Major, Minor 7^th, Dom 7th
• Major scale in five positions
• Play in a band environment