Secondary Strings—Guitar: MUSC 104P

Instructor: Alma Sehic
Phone:
e-mail:
Office Hours: Office hours vary each semester but will be posted outside room 220.

Course Objectives: This course is designed to give choral music education majors a basic understanding of the guitar. We will cover elementary classical guitar technique as well as chord playing.

Text: Beginning Classroom Guitar by Phillip Hemmo, Schirmer Books, NY, 1998

Attendance: Because class meets only once a week, tardiness and unexcused absences will affect your grade. See the School of Music Handbook for Undergraduate Students for attendance requirements. If you must miss class because of a concert choir engagement, please let me know as soon as you know your schedule. Absences will not be excused after the fact.

Grades: Grades will be based on your preparation of each week’s assignments, three playing exams spaced throughout the semester, and a final exam at the end of the term. You are expected to practice the material presented in class 45-60 minutes a day.

Course Syllabus

The first 10-15 minutes of each class will be spent reviewing material covered during the previous class and checking on your preparation of assignments. Please arrive on time with your guitar tuned to concert pitch.

Week One: Introduction to the guitar; seating position; right and left hand position; right hand finger strokes; forming notes with the left hand (Pg. 1-11 of text).

Week Two: Notes on the first and second strings (pages 15 and 17).

Week Three: Ode to Joy (page. 18): discussion of right hand fingering.

Week Four: Notes on the third string (page 21); Red River Valley (page 22).

Week Five: Notes on the fourth String (page 27); Amazing Grace (page 28); discussion of string crossing.

Week Six: Notes on the fifth String (page 33); Greensleeves (page 34).

Week Seven: Notes on the sixth string (page 39); Come Again (page 42)

Week Eight: Waltz by Carcassi (page 46); discussion of technical difficulties of the piece.

Week Nine: Discussion of arpeggio technique; the p-i-m-a arpeggio.

Week Ten: Prelude by Carcassi (page 59); discussion of right hand arpeggio fingerings.

Week Eleven: Prelude by Carcassi continued; work on problems in class.

Week Twelve: Introduction to chords, chord symbols, and chord charts.

Week Thirteen: Playing from chord charts.

Week Fourteen: Review for final exam.