SUMMER SESSIONS

Objective

By the end of this summer music program, students attending the acoustic guitar sessions will be able to perform technique fundamentals, play 4-chord songs & exhibit basic improvisation using pentatonic/blues & major scales. These combined skills will equip the student to perform in the upcoming June Lessons Showcase Recital, should the participant be interested in doing so.

Gear Needed

Store can provide acoustic guitars; no specific models are required.

Week 1 – Fundamentals

• Introduction
• Fundamentals: Holding the guitar, proper hand positioning & basic strumming technique
• Group Strumming Jam (Open Strings)
• Introduction to Chords: Em & Am (simple open chords)
• Group Strumming Jam: Incorporating Em & Am with a simple rhythm patter
• Introduction to Notation: Reading chord diagrams & strumming pattern
• Playing Practice: Strumming exercises in unison & volunteer solo practic
• Group Strumming Jam: Applying chords & strumming together

Week 2 – Expanding Chords & Strumming Patterns

• Welcome
• Group Strumming Jam – Review Em & Am
• New Chords: C & G (adding to the chord vocabulary)
• Strumming Patterns: Downstrokes & basic upstrokes
• Group Strumming Jam: Playing chords in a song progression
• Review Notation: Reading more complex strumming patterns
• Playing Practice: Switching between chords smoothly
• Introduction to the Pentatonic/Blues/Major Scale: Open Position Em blues scale
• Group Practice: Playing the Em blues scale together

Week 3 – Introduction to Melody & Blues Scale Practice

• Welcome
• Group Strumming Jam: Reviewing chords & strumming patterns
• New Chord: D (expanding chord repertoire)
• Review of Chord Changes & Smooth Transitions
• Introduction to Picking: Playing a simple melody on one string
• Pentatonic/Blues/Major Scale Exercises: Playing the Em blues scale in different rhythms
• Playing Practice: Alternating between chords and simple blues scale licks
• Group Pentatonic/Blues/Major Scale Exercise: Call-and-response style practice

Week 4 – Applying Skills & Performance

• Welcome
• Group Strumming Jam – Reviewing all chords & strumming techniques
• Application of Skills: Playing a song that combines chords, strumming and blues scale licks
• Group Strumming Jam: Refining transitions and timing
• Pentatonic/Blues/Major Scale Exercise: Playing the scale at different speeds and in different orders
• Write Your Own Simple Chord Progression & Strumming Pattern
• Group Performance: Students play their chord progressions in a group setting
• Final Jam Session: Free play & fun collaboration
• Conclusion & Next Steps

Objective

Students attending theses group classes will learn the techniques, scales and stylings of playing lead guitar. They will explore alternate picking, economy picking, legato techniques and approaches, plus tapping and sweep picking. Other integral aspects, such as bending strings, whammy bar ideas and pinch harmonics will be introduced. The sessions will include group improvisation using the techniques and ideas explored in class. These combined skills will equip the student to perform in the upcoming June Lessons Showcase Recital, should the participant be interested in doing so.

Gear Needed

Equipment will be provided, but you may also bring your own electric guitar and amp with distortion.

Week 1 – Explore Alternate and Economy Picking Techniques

• Welcome Session
• Introduction to Alternate Picking: Open string exercise for alternate picking
• Pentatonic Scale: Practice alternate picking the pentatonic scale
• Solo Ideas Using Pentatonic Scale
• Group Jam: Incorporating the pentatonic scale in improvisation
• The Bends: Learn techniques to bend notes with confidence
• Insert the Bends: Break up your alternate picking with bending notes
• Shapes of Pentatonic: Learn all five shapes of the pentatonic scale
• Introduction to Economy Picking
• Jam the Bends: Group jam with improvisation

Week 2 – Explore Legato Techniques and Ideas

• Welcome to Legato Week
• Legato Warmup: Start off with hammer-ons
• 3 Notes per String: Ascending legato application with scales
• Ascending Legato Lick: Putting it into your solo
• Descending Legato Exercise: Introducing pull-offs
• Slide Techniques and Ideas
• Slide Away: Putting slides in your legato licks
• Legato Jam: Group improvisation incorporating legato ideas and techniques
• Kitchen Sink Jam: Improvisation incorporating all techniques

Week 3- Explore Tapping Techniques and Ideas

• Intro to Tapping
• Tapping the Pentatonics
• String Skip Tapping: Tapping the pentatonics while skipping strings
• 2-String Tapping Ideas: Tapping ideas for two strings
• Tap Jam: Group improvisation using tapping techniques
• 4 Notes per String With Tapping
• Tapping the Progression: Arpeggio tapping ideas
• Tapping With Bends: Incorporate bends and slides with tapping
• Tapapalooza: Epic group jam using all the ideas explored in class

Week 4- Explore Sweep Picking

• Introduction to Sweep Picking
• 3-String Arpeggios in D Major: Sweep technique applied to arpeggios
• Sweep Technique with Pull-Offs: D Major Triad sweeps with pull-offs
• 4-String Arpeggios in G Major
• Sweep Jam: Incorporating sweep techniques into group improvisation
• Review the Techniques
• Combination Licks: Ideas that incorporate 2 or more different techniques
• Shred and Tell: Show the group your best licks
• Miscellaneous Techniques: Pinch harmonics, whammy tricks, harmonic tricks
• Final Jam: Group jam employing all techniques
• Conclusion and Final Q&A Session

Objective

Students will learn how to play the ukulele through scales, chords, strumming patterns, songs and group performance in this vibrant and fun group class. Participants will learn to play nine new songs and a blues melody while developing the confidence and skills to participate in our June Student Showcase.

Gear Needed

Ukulele. Instruments will be provided by the store.

Week 1- Learn the Foundation

• Introduction
• Getting to Know the Instrument: Names of strings, tuning and holding the instrument
• Strumming Technique: Practice strumming open strings
• Learn the C and F Chords: Strumming technique and switching chords
• Introducing the G Chord: Practice switching between all three chords
• First Song: Group song using C, F and G chords, whole note rhythm
• New Rhythms: Half note and quarter note strumming exercise
• Second Song: Group song using C, F and G chords and new rhythms
• New Chord: Introducing the Am chord
• Third Song: New song using C, F, G and Am chords
• Wrap Up and Review

Week 2 – Expanding the Repertoire

• Review: Play three songs from previous lesson
• New Rhythm: Practice applying new rhythm to chords
• Fourth Song: New song using new rhythm
• Song Review: Group performance of all four songs with new rhythms
• Hearing Cadences: Perfect, imperfect and plagal cadences
• Minor Keys: Exploring minor key songs with same four chords
• New Chords: Introducing the Dm and Em chords
• Fifth Song: New song using the Dm and Em chords

Week 3 – New Keys, New Songs, New Skills

• Introducing the D Chord
• Exploring the Key of G Major – Switching between G, C and D and Em chords
• Sixth Song: New song in key of G major
• Comparing Keys: Hearing relationships of chords in C and G major
• New Chords: A major and E7
• Seventh Song: New song in the key of D major
• C Major Scale: Learn the C major scale
• New Chord: Adding Bm chord shape
• Diatonic Chords: Playing through diatonic chords in C major and G major
• Group Jam: Song in C major with improvisation

Week 4 – Ukulele Blues and Class Summary

• New Chord: Adding F# minor chord
• New Rhythm: New strumming pattern
• Eighth Song: New song in the key of A major
• D Major Scale – Learn the D major scale
• Group Jam: Improvisation in D major
• Ninth Song: Group Choice (Pick from 3 different songs)
• Diatonic Chords: Play diatonic chords in key of A major
• Dominant Chords: Learn D7, G7 and A7
• Blues in D: 12-bar blues in D
• Conclusion

Objective

By the end of this summer music program, students attending the drum lessons will be able to exhibit technique fundamentals, improvise using rudiments and read basic music notation. These combined skills will equip the student to perform in the upcoming June Lessons Showcase Recital, should the participant be interested in doing so.

Gear Needed

In order to reduce the friction around available inventory at each store, there will be various percussion instruments to choose from depending on what is available, including djembes, congas, bongos, toms, snare drums, bass drums, cowbells, hand pans, steel drums, etc.

Week 1 - Fundamentals

• Introduction
• Guided Drum Circle Jam
• Fundamentals: How to strike a drum, fulcrum while holding sticks and posture
• Introduction to Dynamics
• Guided Drum Circle Jam: Incorporating correct technique and dynamics
• Introduction to Notation: Reading rhythms with quarter notes/rests and eighth notes/rests
• Reading Practice: Playing through exercises in unison and on a volunteer basis, incorporating different dynamics
• Guided Drum Circle Jam

Week 2 – Dynamics and Reading Drum Notation

• Welcome
• Guided Drum Circle Jam
• Rudiments: Single strokes, double strokes, paradiddles
• Review Dynamics
• Guided Drum Circle Jam: Incorporating rudiments and dynamics
• Review Notation: Adding 16th notes/rests
• Reading Practice: Playing through exercises in unison and on a volunteer basis, incorporating different dynamics
• Guided Drum Circle Jam

Week 3 – Rudiments

• Welcome
• Guided Drum Circle Jam
• Rudiments: Review rudiments learned and add flams, flam taps and hertas
• Dynamics: Review dynamics
• Notation Reading: Practice reading rhythms in unison
• Guided Drum Circle Jam
• Introduction to Improvisation
• Reading Practice: Playing through exercises in unison and on a volunteer basis, incorporating different dynamics and rudiments
• Guided Drum Circle Jam: Incorporating improvisation using rudiments and dynamics

Week 4 – Applying Skills and Performance

• Welcome
• Guided Drum Circle Jam
• Application of Skills: Read/learn exercises that focus on applying notation reading, dynamics and rudiments learned so far
• Guided Drum Circle: Improvising using rudiments and dynamics
• Write Your Solo
• Drum Circle With Solo Performances
• Free Drum Circle Jam
• Conclusion