Guitar 1

Module 01 Music: The Universal Language
After completing this module, you will be able to:
• Define and recognize the basic elements of music.
• Differentiate between the three basic types of guitars.
• Identify basic parts of the guitar.
• Describe basic guitar care and maintenance.
• Understand basic history of the guitar.
• Understand and describe practice principles and techniques.
• Hold the guitar using proper positioning.
• Describe the universal principles of the three basic positions.
• Hold the guitar pick correctly
• Perform basic strumming and plucking techniques.
• Hold down the strings with the left-hand fingers using proper form.
Module 02 Making Music on the Guitar
After completing this module, you will be able to:
• Use the classical position to hold the guitar.
• Use your right-hand fingers to play a free-stroke pattern.
• Use your left-hand fingers to play notes on the first string.
• Play an arrangement of a classical guitar piece.
• Play a left-hand pattern using all of your fingers
• Use a guitar pick to play notes on the first string.
• Read and interpret fretboard diagrams.
• Strum the E major, E minor, and E dominant seventh chords.
• Use three types of strums: thumb sweep, brush strum, and pick strum.
• Identify the chord quality of major, minor, and dominant 7th chords by sound.
• Read and interpret guitar tablature.
• Notate guitar tablature.
• Play an E minor pentatonic scale, ascending and descending.
• Read a scale using both tablature and a fretboard diagram.
• Understand and define improvisation.
• Create an improvised solo using the E minor pentatonic scale.
• Evaluate your own performance on the guitar.
Module 03 Strumming Chord Accompaniment
After completing this module, you will be able to:
• Identify and form chord shapes.
• Diagnose and fix unclear chord tones.
• Practice chord changes effectively.
• Identify chords by listening (Em, A7, D, Am, E7, G, D7, C, G7.
• Use alternate left-hand fingering for the Em and A7 chords.
• Learn strategies for strumming fewer than six strings.
• Strum basic chord progressions to accompany songs (Em-A7, D-A7, Am-E7, G-D7, C-G7).
• Use a guide finger.
Module 04 Reading Guitar Music: Treble Strings
After completing this module, you will be able to:
• Describe fundamental concepts of music notation.
• Identify basic symbols used in music notation.
• Play basic rhythm values on an open string.
• Identify natural note names and their location on the fretboard.
• Read and play music on the treble strings using standard music notation.
• Use strategies for learning to play a new piece of music.
• Read and play pick-up notes and ties using standard music notation.
• Recognize pick-up notes and ties in music you hear.
• Translate melodies written in standard notation into tablature.
Module 05 Beginning Music Theory
After completing this module, you will be able to:
• Identify half-step and whole-step intervals on the fretboard.
• Identify half-step and whole-step intervals in standard music notation.
• Identify half-step and whole-step intervals by listening.
• Identify and play sharped notes and flatted notes on the guitar.
• Understand the major scale interval pattern.
• Play a G major scale.
• Use strategies for correcting errors in a piece of music.
• Play a piece of music that is based on the notes of a G major scale.
• Compose a piece of music using standard music notation.
Module 06 Reading Guitar Music: Bass Strings
After completing this module, you will be able to:
• Read and play music on the bass strings using standard music notation.
• Understand and recognize basic form in music.
• Play a piece of music using AABA form.
• Understand eighth notes and eighth rests.
• Play studies and music using eighth notes.
• Know the name and location of the natural notes in first position.
• Play music using all natural notes in first position.
Module 07 Guitar Ensembles
After completing this module, you will be able to:
• Describe the basics of practicing and performing in an ensemble.
• Perform each part of guitar duet arrangements featuring melody and countermelody, melody
and chords, and melody and bass line.
• Identify and analyze significant musical events within ensemble compositions.
• Make evaluations of the quality and effectiveness of ensemble performances.
• Recognize the key signatures of C, G, D, and A.
• Identify scale degrees using function names.
• Understand how triads and seventh chords are built in the keys of C major, G major, and D major
• Identify primary chords in the keys of C major, G major, and D major.
• Strum an accompaniment using the primary chords in the keys of G major and D major.
• Play the “E” and “A” blues scales and the A minor pentatonic scale.
• Understand swing rhythm.
• Create blues licks.
• Improvise a blues solo using the A blues scale.
Module 8 The Guitar in American Music
After completing this module, you will be able to:
• List ways music can impact society.
• List various styles of music.
• Conduct an interview.
• Understand the origins of bluegrass, rock, and jazz music.
• Play common bluegrass and rock licks (or riffs) on the guitar.
• Play a common jazz chord progression on the guitar.
• Understand basic techniques used in jazz improvisation.
• Perform a piece of guitar music demonstrating many skills learned in this course.

You will need a playable six-string guitar and a way to record and submit a
video performance to your instructor.
A guitar is “playable” if it is the correct size for the guitarist, is easy to press
the strings down against the frets, and plays in tune up and down the
fretboard. There are three common types of six-string guitars: classical,
steel string, and electric. If you do not already have a guitar, you may want
to seek the advice of an experienced guitarist, a guitar teacher, or your local
music store.
Most guitars are built to be played right-handed, so that the right hand
would pluck the strings and the left hand would press the strings down
against the frets. Many left-handed guitarists play right-handed guitars.
Many guitarists and teachers recommend that left-handed students try
playing on a right-handed guitar when first learning. There are some guitars
available that are built to be played left-handed. This course is taught using
a right-handed guitar. Students choosing to use a left-handed guitar will
need to adjust accordingly.