Syllabus: Guitar 1 Yorktown High School Teacher: Matthew Rinker Contact Information: Phone/voicemail = (703) 228-2800 Mailbox #98275 APS email = matthew.rinker@apsva.us Course Description: In this course students will learn, demonstrate and practice the basic skills associated with playing the guitar. Students will develop these skills in a positive supportive environment while also developing general musicianship skills and behaviors associated with good practice and rehearsal technique. This course will also provide large and small ensemble performing experiences. County Curriculum: This course follows the APS guitar curriculum published in 2008 and is aligned with all state requirements. State Requirements: The Virginia state SOLs for instrumental music are broken into four levels. This course will focus on the Beginning Level skills identified as IB.1 thru IB.24. Skills defined as Intermediate Level (II.1 thru II.24) will also be introduced dependent upon student readiness and mastery of prerequisite skills. Materials Used Include: Austin Classical Guitar Society website (guitarcurriculum.com) materials Primary Text(s): First Year Guitar Hands on Training (H.O.T.) by N. Marsters bk.1; Differentiated Class Guitar Materials by M. Rinker, Guitar Ensemble compositions grade 1 3 (various composers). Secondary Text(s): Will Schmidt s Superbook, Levitt s Berklee Series Vol. 1, Mel Bay s Finger Board Harmony, Howard Roberts Guitar Manual: Sight Reading. Supplies Needed: 1 three-ring binder for class handouts and notes. 1 pocket folder for music specifically for this class, pencils. Optional Supplies: Students do not need a guitar at home to be successful in this class. However, it is highly recommended that each student purchase a guitar for practice at home if they are able to do so. Students will be assigned a school guitar for use during class. Due to limited storage space, students personal instruments must stay at home unless brought for specific performance reasons and cleared with the instructor in advance. A list of music stores and recommended instruments will be provided. Students may also purchase their own method book for use at home (primary text listed above) if desired. Books can be ordered through classguitar.com
Yearly Plan Overview First Quarter (Focus on correct hand and body position and quality tone production) Parts of the guitar and care of instrument (SOL IB.17) Body and hand position (SOL IB.1) Relative Tuning Identify staff, time signatures, lines and spaces Read open strings on the staff Read rests and note values (whole, half, quarter, eighth) (SOL IB.21) Identify right hand letters and left hand numbers Right hand technique finger-style free and rest stoke (SOL IB.2) Notes in first position (by rote to start) C Major scale Reading music (standard notation) (SOL IB.21) Second Quarter (Focus on reading standard notation applied to guitar playing) (SOL IB.21) Harmony (chords) I-IV-V progressions in keys of D,A,G,E and C Major Creating accompaniments using a lead sheet Playing i,m,a rasqueados with simple chords Reading on all stings in 1 st position Large and Small Ensemble Music Conducting gestures, rehearsal practices (SOL IB.11) Reading Accidentals Chromatic scale WINTER CONCERT PERFORMANCE Tues. 12/13/16 @ 7PM Third Quarter (Focus on rehearsal of large and small ensemble music) Arpeggios using p,i,m and p,i,m,a Major scales in G, D, A and F in first position Chord review and intro. to movable chords Creating a 3 part guitar ensemble arrangement from a lead sheet Fourth Quarter (Continued focus on rehearsal of ensemble music Spring Concert) 12 bar blues progression Giuliani right hand studies Improvisation (pentatonic scales and blues scales added to vocabulary) Reading simultaneities (chords from standard notation) Chord inversions Movable triads Jazz chords w/ 7 th and upper extensions SPRING CONCERT PERFOMANCE Tues. 5/23/17 @ 7PM
Assessment 40% of the student s grade will be determined by their effort and class participation. Grades will be given daily for coming to class prepared (with notebook and pencil), setting up for class with a foot stool, instrument, music stand and method book (or appropriate materials posted on board); cleaning up at the end of class and using class practice time to practice what is assigned on a given day. The participation grade also reflects the students ability to work in a team/ensemble with other students. This aspect of the course is referred to as rehearsal etiquette. Each unit will contain many small proficiency and/or performance quizzes on individual objectives. There will be one major test grade given each quarter. These quarter tests may be either written tests or grades given for participation in concert performances (see planned assessment schedule for details). Students are expected to come to class prepared (with folder and pencil) everyday and are expected to use class practice time effectively. Proficiency quizzes may be retaken to improve the grade earned or taken late as a makeup in cases of absence. However, all re-takes and make-ups must be completed prior to the ending of the quarter in which the quiz was given. Proficiency quiz grades become final on the last day of each quarter. Make-ups and re-takes may need to be scheduled outside of regular class time. It is up to the student to schedule a make-up with the teacher. Grades for concert performance attendance may not be made up. Missing a performance without a valid written excuse (prior to the performance when possible) will result in a zero for that test grade. Students with valid excuses will be given a written make-up assignment to be due at the beginning of the next class meeting following the concert. Most Rehearsals for this ensemble will take place during class time and as such, class attendance is very important. Any additional rehearsals will be announced well in advance (at least three weeks prior to the rehearsal). A. Excused Absence from Rehearsal Except in cases of extreme emergency, illness, and religious observance, Guitar Ensemble members will NOT be excused from rehearsals. In cases of illness, students are asked to email Mr. Rinker at matthew.rinker@apsva.us prior to the rehearsal. A detailed and completed absence form is due within two days of the absence. The absence will be unexcused if no form is handed in. Forms can be obtained by request and will be available on Blackboard. Any conflicts that will occur during the year must be brought to the director s attention at least two weeks before rehearsal. Personal conflicts will be reviewed by the director (and principal if necessary) as they arise. Forms for such requests are available by request and on Blackboard. All material covered at the rehearsal must be made up. The student must make an appointment with Mr. Rinker within one week. Absences due to work and vacations during the school year will not be excused. Legitimate absences may include: religious observations, medical emergences, PSAT, SAT, ACT, illness. Others (including senior college visits) must be brought to the attention of the director for approval. B. Unexcused Absence from Rehearsal Any student receiving an unexcused absence without prior notification (2 weeks) from rehearsal will have his/her Rehearsal Attendance grade lowered 25%. Any student receiving an unexcused absence from rehearsal with prior notification (2 weeks) will have his/her Rehearsal Attendance grade lowered 10%. Two or more unexcused absences without prior notification will be reviewed by the director and may result in exclusion from performances.
C. Tardy to Rehearsal Attendance will be taken at the beginning of all rehearsals. If a student is late three times his/her Rehearsal Attendance grade will be lowered 10%. Every tardy received after the first three will lower the grade an additional 10%. D. Excused Absence from Performance Except in cases of extreme emergency, illness, or religious observance, Guitar Ensemble members will not be excused from performances. In cases of illness, students are asked to email Mr. Rinker matthew.rinker@apsva.us no less than five hours prior to the start of the report time. A detailed and completed absence form is due within two days of the absence. The absence will be unexcused if no form is handed in. Forms can be obtained by request and will be available on Blackboard. Personal conflicts will be reviewed by the director (and principal if necessary) as they arise. Forms for such requests are available by request and will be available on Blackboard. Absences due to work and vacations will not be excused. Legitimate absences may include: religious observations, medical emergences, PSAT, SAT, illness. Others must be brought to the attention of the director for approval. Request for performance absence must be submitted at least one month before performance. E. Unexcused Absence from Performance If a student has an unexcused absence from a performance without notification, their grade for that performance will be a zero. An unexcused absence from a performance with at least one month notification will result in the grade for that performance being lowered 50%. Only in cases of extreme emergency or personal illness will a person be excused from a performance. Excused absences must be approved by the director. Any absence that is not brought to the director s attention (unless an emergency) for approval prior (1 month) to the performance will be considered unexcused. Grading Class Participation (formative) = 40% (This includes preparedness and proper rehearsal etiquette and rehearsal attendance) Proficiency Quizzes (summative) = 30% Major Performances/Tests (summative) = 30% APS GRADING SCALE Letter Grade Percentages Quality Points AP & IB Quality Points A 90, 91, 92, 93, 94, 95, 96, 97, 98, 99, 100 4.0 5.0 B+ 87, 88, 89 3.5 4.5 B 80, 81, 82, 83, 84, 85, 86 3.0 4.0 C+ 77, 78, 79 2.5 3.5 C 70, 71, 72, 73, 74, 75, 76 2.0 3.0 D+ 67, 68, 69 1.5 2.5 D 60, 61, 62, 63, 64, 65, 66 1.0 2.0 E 0-59 0.0 0.0 Student grades reflect student achievement and not student behavior. Quarterly grades will round up when the percentage is.5 or higher.
In addition to achievement, work habits as noted in the report card comments will be evaluated for each course using the following symbols: + - Surpasses Expectations # - Meets Expectations ^ - Approaching Expectations N - Needs Improvement Following APS policy, the final grade will be calculated using the quality points and not percentages, letter grades, number or point systems. Planned Assessment Schedule There will be one major test grade given per quarter. The 4 th quarter test grade will be a participation grade for performance in the Spring Concert. The 2 nd and 3 rd quarter test grades may be from a written exam or may come from concert performance grades for performances in the winter. The 1 st quarter exam will be a written exam. The instructor reserves the right to change the sequence or content of any assessment with reasonable notice to students. Proficiency Quizzes 1. Parts of the Guitar 2. Correct Body and Hand Position 3. Right and Left Hand Symbols and String Names and Numbers 4. Demonstration of Good Tone Quality Free Strokes with i, m & a 5. Demonstration of Good Tone Quality Rest Strokes with i and m 6. Demonstration of Good Left Hand Technique (notes in 1 st position) 7. Memorizing 1 st Position Diatonic Scale 8. One Octave C Major & A Natural Minor Scales (rest stroke) 9. D Major Chord Progression 10. Lead Sheet Accompaniment w/ D progression 11. Reading on Strings 1 3 (1 st pos. diatonic) 12. A & G Chord Progressions 13. Reading on Strings 4 6 (1 st pos. diatonic) 14. E & C Chord Progressions 15. Reading Incorporating Accidentals 16. 2 Octave G Major & E Natural Minor Scales (1 st Pos.) 17. Accompaniments using Arpeggio Patterns (p,i,m & p,i,m,a) 18. 1 st Position Chromatic Scale 19. 1 Octave D Major and B Natural Minor Scales 20. 2 Octave F Major Scale (1 st pos.) 21. 2 Octave E Major Scale (1 st pos.) 22. 2 Octave A Major Scale (w/ position shift to 2 nd ) 23. 12 Bar Blues 24. Right Hand Studies (Giuliani #1, 2 & 3)
There will be a final exam given in this course. The final exam will count for 10% of the final grade for the course. The exam will consist of a written section and a performance section. The performance section of the final exam may be completed prior to scheduled exam day. Students with a cumulative average of 90% or higher will be exempt from the final. Seniors participating in the Senior Experience will take their final prior to their Senior Experience. Please sign and return the last page of this document to the instructor by 9/12 to signify that you have read and understand the content of this syllabus.
Guitar 1 2016-17 Instructor: M. Rinker I have read and I understand the expectations of students enrolled in this course. I understand that attending and participating in concert performances is a graded part of the course. Student Signature Parent/Guardian Signature Date Date