Room S206
Class Description
This music course is designed to introduce students to basic music fundamentals and history through guitar skill development. Students learn familiarization with the fret-board, left and right hand coordination, note reading skills, scales, basic guitar literature, and the history of music through the guitar.
This course may be used to satisfy graduation requirements for music.
Expectations
We are all in this class to learn. We learn from each other, whether that's your teacher, your classmates, your family, your books, your computer. My number one expectation is that this year, you will
HELP SOMEBODY
Someone in this class will need your help with understanding something, or knowing where to go, or just having some grace for a tough moment. Sometimes that person will be you, and you will need to help yourself. I will do everything I can to help you.
Required Materials
You'll need the following for each class:
Guitar textbook packet
sheet music
picks
pencil
We will use Canvas to submit assignments, get readings, discuss topics, and take quizzes and test.
Grades
Your grade in the class will be an average of both term 3 and term 4 grades. Your grade in each term will be an average of all the work you have completed that term. There are three categories of assignments:
Engagement (10%) Self-Assessment: Invest yourself in your learning. Do what you need to do to get the most out of this experience.
4 per term (every 2 weeks)
Practice and Application (50%): Exit tickets, Classwork, analysis, worksheets: usually every class.
Assessment (40%) Quizzes: skill checks for things we've learned to do or songs we've learned. 4 quizzes per quarter. Performances usually once per term)
Retakes: If you need to retake an assessment, you can do so as many times as necessary. Don't spend all your time trying to retake the quiz over and over without doing some studying in between, though.
"Retaking" a performance is not at all the same thing as performing live to share all your wonderful music with others! If you're nervous about performing, we will work to make you feel comfortable sharing your talent and genius.
Guitar Lab I is a performing arts class, so performances are mandatory.
Guitar Lab I is a performing arts class, so performances are mandatory.
Course Outline
In this class, we will study the following units:
Unit 1: Audiation: playing chords that require one finger, simple chords, strumming patterns, bass notes
Unit 2: Open Chords: playing chords at the top of the neck, chord progressions
Unit 3: Reading music: Tablature: reading music, pentatonic scales and patterns
Unit 4: Scales and Riffs: Major and minor scales and popular guitar melodies
Unit 5: Barre Chords: Moveable chord shapes, articulations, dynamics
Unit 6: Fingerstyle: Arpeggiating chords using fingers
Unit 7: Composition: Writing songs
Academic Integrity
Your best work in this class is very important. I only want to see YOUR work, not anyone else’s work, r the work of an AI. I have no tolerance for this. Any student submitting someone else's work on an assignment will receive no credit on that assignment and will have a conference with the teacher and/or school administrators.
Responsibility for Equipment
Students are financially responsible for all equipment checked out to them from the Instrumental Music Department. At the end of their enrollment in this class, students must return all equipment that was checked out to them in the same condition in which they received it. Students will be financially responsible for the repair or replacement of damaged or lost/stolen equipment.