Syllabus

Lesson 1: Basics and Bass Lines

• Technique and Tone: Posture and Position
• Musicianship: Notes on String 6
• Musicianship: Notes on String 5
• Reading and Repertoire: Chart Reading with Bass Lines
• Your Week 1 Practice Routine
• Assignment 1: Bass Line on Guitar

Lesson 2: Power Chords

• Musicianship: Power Chords with Root on String 6
• Musicianship: Power Chords with Roots on String 5
• Technique and Tone: Strumming with Power Chords
• Reading and Repertoire: Chart Playing with Power Chords and Strumming Patterns
• Your Week 2 Practice Routine
• Assignment 2: Rhythm Guitar Parts, Bass Line, and a Power Chord

Lesson 3: Pentatonic Scale: Pattern 1

• Reading and Technique: Learning Pentatonic Scale Pattern 1
• Musicianship: Positioning the Pentatonic Pattern 1 for Major and Minor Pentatonic
• Technique and Tone: Soloing Strategy 1 - “The One, Two, and Three-Note Solo”
• Musicianship: Notes on Strings 4 and 3
• Your Week 3 Practice Routine
• Assignment 3: Two-Layered Parts

Lesson 4: Improvising with the Pentatonic Scale

• Technique and Tone: Soloing Strategy 2 - “Call-and-Response” Phrasing
• Technique and Tone: Soloing Strategy 3 - Four Phrases
• Technique and Tone: Soloing Strategy 4 - Combining Phrasing Approaches
• Musicianship: Notes on Strings 2 and 1
• Your Week 4 Practice Routine
• Assignment 4: Soloing Strategies

Lesson 5: Pentatonic Scale Theory and Basic Ear Training

• Musicianship: Major Scale Theory
• Musicianship and Technique: Major Pentatonic Theory and Practice
• Musicianship and Technique: Minor Pentatonic Theory and Practice
• Composition and Repertoire: Writing Melodies with Pentatonic Theory
• Your Week 5 Practice Routine
• Assignment 5: Major Pentatonic, Written and Original Melody, and Power Chords

Lesson 6: Midterm Review

• Musicianship and Tone: Review – Warm-ups and Note Location
• Musicianship and Technique: Rhythm Guitar Review – Bass Lines and Power Chords
• Musicianship and Technique: Pentatonic Scale Review
• Musicianship and Technique: Applied Theory Review – Major Scale and Major and Minor Pentatonic
• Reading and Repertoire: Pulling Things Together – Chart Reading
• Assignment 6: Midterm Assessment

Lesson 7: Common Open Chords

• Musicianship: Three Common Open Chords (Group 1)
• Musicianship: Four More Common Open Chords (Group 2)
• Musicianship: Three More Common Open Chords (Group 3)
• Reading and Repertoire: Chart Playing with Open Chords: C, F, Am, G
• Reading and Repertoire: Chart Playing with Open Chords: G, D, Am, C, Em
• Reading and Repertoire: Chart Playing with Open Chords: E, A, B7, D, G, A
• Your Week 7 Practice Routine
• Assignment 7: Strumming Open Chords

Lesson 8: Strumming Patterns with Open Chords

• Musicianship and Technique: Split Strum and R&B Strum
• Musicianship and Technique: Folk Strum
• Musicianship and Technique: Strumming “in 3”
• Reading and Repertoire: Strumming Charts with Split Strum and R&B Strum
• Reading and Repertoire: Strumming Charts with Folk Strum
• Reading and Repertoire: Strumming Charts “in 3”
• Your Week 8 Practice Routine
• Assignment 8: Strumming Accompaniment with Melody

Lesson 9: Chord and Key Theory: How to Learn the Chords of a Song by Ear

• Musicianship: Basic Key Theory: Building Chords, “What is a Key?”
• Musicianship and Repertoire: Chord Theory: Determining the Key of a Song
• Musicianship and Repertoire (Topic 2): Common Chord Progressions
• Composition and Repertoire: Songwriting with Applied Theory
• Your Week 9 Practice Routine
• Hearing and Playing Chord Progressions Using Open Chords

Lesson 10: Notation Reading Basics

• Musicianship: Review - Notes on the Fretboard
• Musicianship and Reading: Basic Standard Notation - Notes on the Staff
• Musicianship and Reading: Reading Notes in First Position
• Reading and Repertoire: Reading Melodies in the First Position - Noteheads and Basic Rhythms
• Your Week 10 Practice Routine
• Assignment 10: Reading

Lesson 11: TAB Reading Basics

• Musicianship and Reading: Tab Reading
• Musicianship and Reading: Tab and Standard Notation
• Reading and Repertoire: Chart Reading with Tab and Standard Notation
• Your Week 11 Practice Routine
• Assignment 11: Tab

Lesson 12: Final Review

• Musicianship and Technique: Open Chord and Strumming Review
• Musicianship and Theory: Chord and Key Theory Review
• Reading and Repertoire: Reading Review
• Materials in Practice: Create Your Practice Routine
• Materials in Practice: Chart Reading and Composing
• Assignment 12: Culminating Experience