Fleming College

Guitar - Open Up Your Playing

Course Code: ARTS2516

This course is not suitable for beginners.
Broaden the scope of your understanding of music and your technical ability on the guitar. Instruction will cover basic chord theory (how chords work in a key), specifically in the context of guitar-based instrumental music or accompanying one's own or another's voice. Your chord vocabulary will be extended by learning how to make your 'cowboy chords' in 1st position (and other positions) sound great by adding the 'colours' of the 7, 9, 11 and 13th scale degrees. Explore picking hand guitar techniques, including Travis picking, tremolo, and walking bass lines. The basics of chord melody arranging, where both chords and melody are played simultaneously, will also be included, using a simple example song. Expect to do a lot of playing and be inspired by musical ideas. There will be plenty of time to bring your songs to life using the new playing techniques.