Guitar 101 [Pick the date][type the sender company name] Fall 2012 Course Information: Location: Merriam Theater Dates: Monday October 1st Monday December10th 5:45 7:15 Note: There will be no class Monday November 19th Thanksgiving Break Instructor Information: Name: David Sikorski Email: dsikorski@uarts.edu Email Policy: If your question/concern is of a personal/private nature, I encourage you to contact me via email. I will respond you as soon as possible. David Sikorski I have always been a fan and appreciator of all kinds of music. I began playing guitar in high school and went on to major in Jazz Performance at The University of the Arts. Shortly after I completed a Master of Arts in Teaching from the same school. Between then to now I have been fortunate to travel the U.S. playing music in various bands and venues. Some of my more proud accomplishments have been having songs placed in movie and television soundtracks, performing along side national acts, and cultivating relationships with new friends and music around the world. Recently, I ve had music placed in Sports Illustrated s Swimsuit Eddition and accepted at job as an Elementary Music Teacher at Rose Tree Elementary school in Media, PA. Course Description: This course is designed to give the student a solid foundation in modern guitar performance through the development of sound technical skills, rudimentary knowledge of practical music theory, and the acquisition of a desired song repertoire. Course Overview This course presents a comprehensive overview of the basics of the guitar. It provides the theory and core methodology you will need to perform, read, and write music on the the guitar. There are also opportunities for advancement and individualized instruction within a group setting. In addition to the fundamentals of the instrument we will also discuss trends in the music industry, current musicians in contemporary music, and different applications of the guitar throughout history. Course Expectations In order to be successful in this course, students will perform in class examples of course objectives in a relaxed setting. Students are not graded exclusively upon proficiency in performance, but rather their ability to develop and improve the application of fundamental course objectives throughout the duration of this course. Weekly practice is also assessed by the students ability to recall previous concepts and objectives. Prerequisites Classes or Knowledge Required for this Course
There are no prerequisites for this course; however, to ensure your success, it is recommended that students have an acoustice or electric guitar, a tuner, manuscript notebook, two pocket folder for hand-outs, and a pencil. Course Objectives At the end of this course, students will be able to: Identify and comprehend the fundamentals of musical notation Identify and perform proper and varied picking techniques Perform and analyze Open-Voiced chords. Identify the parts of the guitar. Assess and perform routine matinence on the instrument Develop a reperatoire of basic music. Comprehend and perform basic chord structures with correct rhythm and tempo. Discover how to continue to play guitar through supplemental material Assess individual achievement and retention COUR SE RESO URCES Handouts Much of the material presented in class is via paper handout. If for some reason you should miss a class I can provide pdf. Files via email. If you d like to save paper, I can also provide pdf. files prior to class via email to be viewed in class on your personal computer. Written assignments may be presented as a Microsoft Word document (.doc). If you do not have Microsoft Word installed on your computer, you use Open Office Writer instead, which you can obtain free at http://www.openoffice.org/. Additional Course Materials Supplies To be discussed throughout the class sessions. COUR SE ACTIVITIES Performances We will perform in class each week as a group to assess progress and facilitate discussions on specific topics. Presentations Most weeks there will be an instructor presentation. The presentation will be focused more on synthesis + expansion of the materials, so it is your responsibility to maintain an understanding of the materials. Assignments There will be weekly assignments for this course. Assignments will be presented in class. Students will be presented with any assignment specific files. COUR SE POLICIES Student Feedback/Communication I welcome all feedback on the course. My preferred method of communication with individual students is via email. Students are offered the opportunity to complete an official mid-semester evaluation of the course. This evaluation is traditionally delievered + completed electronically at the beginning of the fifth class session. 2
If you experience a legitimate emergency (according to my standards) which will prevent you from completing required coursework on time, I expect you to communicate with me at the earliest reasonable opportunity. Please state the nature of the emergency and when you expect to turn in the coursework. Submitting Electronic Files All electronic files must be submitted in.doc or.pdf format. If you do not have Microsoft Word, you can download Open Office Writer free at http://www.openoffice.org/. This will allow you to open the instruction files, make changes and save in.doc or.pdf. Please name your file in the using the following convention: Assignmentname_Yourname.doc. Thus, if my name where Allexicon Noteworthy and I was submitting the Narrative PowerPoint assignment, I would rename the Narrative PowerPoint.doc file as Narrative PowerPoint_AllexiconNoteworthy.doc. Attendance Attendance is mandatory and essential to your performance. The information needed to complete assignments properly will be given in class. As a student in this course, it is your responsibility to make certain you obtain information covered should you miss a class session. Previously absent students must come to the following class with all of the appropriate work due for that day. All students are expected to arrive to class on time and remain present for the duration of the class. Be aware that tardiness and early dismissals will accumulate in absences. 2 absences = lowered grade 2 late arrivals / early dismissals = 1 absence 30 minutes late arrival/early dismissal = 1 absence Evaluation and Grading Weekly Practice 50% In-Class Participation 25% Homework Assignments 25% UNIV ERSITY POLICIES: 100% Code of Conduct All participants in the course are bound by the University of Arts Student Code of Conduct, found at Academic Honesty Policy The University is an institution of learning, research, and scholarship predicated on the existence of an environment of honesty and integrity. As members of the academic community, faculty, students, and administrative officials share responsibility for maintaining this environment. It is essential that all members of the academic community subscribe to the ideal of academic honesty and integrity and accept individual responsibility for their work. Academic dishonesty is unacceptable and will not be tolerated at the University of the Arts. Cheating, forgery, dishonest conduct, plagiarism, and collusion in dishonest activities erode the University's educational, research, and social roles. If students who knowingly or intentionally conduct or help another student perform dishonest conduct, acts of cheating, or plagiarism will be subject to disciplinary action at the discretion of UArts Continuing Studies. 3
GRAD ING: Your grade will be calculated using the following scale: Grade Percentange Range Grade Point A 100 93% 4.0 A- 92 90% 3.67 B+ 89 87% 3.33 B 86 83% 3.0 B- 82 80% 2.67 C+ 79 77% 2.33 C 76 73% 2.0 C- 72 70% 1.67 D+ 67 69% 1.33 D 63 66% 1.0 F 59% or less 0.0 I Incomplete - P Pass - 4
SCHE DULE: Session 1- Learning the parts of the guitar: Electric and Acoustic- Proper posture and comfort while playing. Basic exercises for fretting the instrument; discuss guitar players and different types of music to be covered throughout the semester (decided by the class and instructor); basic open-voiced chords. Session 2 Introduction to reading and writing musical notation (staff, clefs, notes, time signatures, etc ). Address fundamentals of rhythm and tempo. Review previous chord-fingerings and introduction to more openvoiced chords. Performing simple chord progressions with explained tempo and rhythm. Introduction to the pick and picking techniques. How to practice properly. Session 3- Review fundamentals of reading and writing music, open-voiced chords, and picking techniques. Begin discovering popular songs utilizing only open-voiced chords. Begin note reading on 1 st and 2 nd strings with simple melodies. Introduction to basic music theory and major / minor chord building. Harmonizing simple melodies with open-voiced chords. Session 4 Continued introduction and theory behind major / minor chord building. Review of notes on 1 st and 2 nd strings. Begin to learn the notes on the 3 rd and 4 th strings. Perform examples using notes on both 3 rd and 4 th strings with harmonization. More open-voiced chords in popular music. Introduction to F major chord. Session 5- Popular songs that all utilize the F major chord. Let It Be Simple melody utilizing notes on strings 1-4 all at once. Split class up into sections and perform different parts at the same time. Learn notes on 5 th and 6 th strings applying more simple melodies and chord progressions. Introduction to Barre chords. Session 6- Review of notes on all six strings with melodic exercises, duets, and chords. A deeper look into Barre chord voicings and fingering positions. A look into examples of Barre chords in the Reggae music. Rhythmic and picking study using examples of popular Reggae songs. An in-depth look into the fret-board on a horizontal plane. In class practice with some individual critiques and attention Session 7- Pros and Cons of Guitar Tablature with some popular examples. A look into the musical stylings of the Blues and Jazz through progressions, chord qualities, and fingerings. Dominant chord fingerings. Discuss and watch some popular guitar players who have become pioneers of the instrument. Assignment to find an internet tab and bring / email to play in next class Session 8- Discovering how to play songs by ear. Difference between tonality and key. Rediscovering major and minor chord building and its application into figuring out chords by ear. Identifying and constructing the parts of a song. (Verse, Chorus, Bridge, how Melody works.) In-class examples. Play through internet tabs brought in by class. Pros and Cons. Discuss final project to be decided by instructor and class. Some options include original compositions, guitar ensemble piece, making a recording, etc Session 9 Work on final project. Orchestrate, in-class practice, etc Maintenance of the guitar (Changing strings, polish and cleaners, DIY techniques to avoid costs from music stores.) Session 10 Performance of final projects, to be video taped or recorded. The longevity of guitar. How to continue to practice and play. Final recommendations (records, instructional books, future options and opportunities.) 5