Robert McNamara

BEGINNING GUITAR

This class is geared for those who have never played guitar before. Topics covered include:

• Reading Music: basic musical notation and guitar tablature. You will learn how to play melodies in a variety of musical styles, including folk, blues, classical, pop, jazz, and rock;
• Chords: fingering, switching, and strumming techniques in a variety of musical styles;
• Fingerpicking. Arpeggio and alternating bass fingerpicking patterns, including simple melodies combined with bass lines;
• Surf Guitar Songs. California Law dictates that if you live within 10 miles of the ocean and play guitar, you must learn at least one (1) Surf Guitar song.

INTERMEDIATE GUITAR

This class is geared for those who either have passed the Beginning Guitar class and wish to continue, or those who have had some experience playing, can read tablature, and can strum and switch chords at the same time. Topics covered include:

• Fingerstyle: techniques used in arrangements of songs in a wide variety of musical styles, including blues, jazz, classical, flamenco, classical, and pop.
• Flatpicking: alternating picking techniques used in styles such as bluegrass, rock, and jazz.
• Rhythmic accompaniment techniques
• Basic improvisation using scales and modes