Description
Intermediate Guitar 2
Dates: Four Tuesdays, July 7-28
Time: 7:45 PM – 8:45 PM
Cost: $150, non-refundable; includes booklet
Maximum Enrollment: 12
Registration Deadline: Monday, June 30
Description
In this class, we’ll continue where Intermediate Guitar 1 left by building your right-hand independence from the ground up — alternating bass lines, melody on top, and everything in between. We’ll work through a mix of styles (folk, blues, classical-influenced) so you leave with a versatile fingerpicking toolkit you can apply to any song you love. Song suggestions welcome!
Skill Level
You should know a handful of chords and strums. You do not need to have taken Beginning Guitar 1 or 2, or Intermediate Guitar 1.
Class Materials
Guitar – Please bring a working guitar with good action and setup.
Notebook/Pen/Pencil – You may want to take notes and have somewhere to organize in-class handouts.
Smartphone/Tablet or Recording Device – You may want to record audio or video of me demonstrating chords and songs. There are also good ukulele tuning apps you can download. I recommend the Boss app.
Recommended, not required – An electronic tuner (the best kind is one that clips on the headstock of your ukulele, such as a Snark Tuner), and a portable music stand. Included: PDF booklet for home practice and access to videos and lyric/chord sheets.
Class Meetings
Each week covers a new core concept suited to the intermediate level, demonstrated in class and applied through a new song. There’s time for questions, individual feedback, and homework.
The first class introduces the course booklet, my approach to practicing, and a chord or two with an accompanying song. In the second or third week, we’ll spend time on posture and body mechanics — how you sit, how your hands and arms work together, and small adjustments that reduce tension and make playing more efficient. In the final class, we review the core concepts and repertoire covered, and discuss next steps for each student individually.
I pace the class with everyone’s level in mind. Students with more experience help raise the room, while intermediate players often find it useful to revisit foundational ideas they may have skipped over. Questions are always answered in a way that’s useful to everyone, so that concepts ahead in the booklet feel familiar when you get to them.
Practicing
To be successful, you’ll want to put in at least a little effort each day. Keep your ukulele out of its case in a safe spot (away from windows) so you can easily pick it up anytime you feel like it. The length of a practice session does not necessarily equal the length of the progress you’ll make. Practice time varies for the individual, and you’ll know if you’re putting in the effort or not. Practice until you’re “full” and stop before you get bored or it becomes a struggle. That way, when you come back to it, you’ll be looking forward to it again instead of worrying and wondering. If you ever experience pain, please stop and let me know. A simple adjustment to your arm or ukulele could be all that’s needed.
Repertoire
Each week, we’ll add to your repertoire of “campfire songs.” You’ll also receive a booklet of songs with lyrics and chords so that you can explore them on your own, ask questions in class, and/or have them for future practice and learning. This repertoire is meant to go along with the booklet and as such can be instructional, as well. Songs you know make for great warmups or “etudes” in your practice session!
Contact
Please email me at info@harvestmusicschool.com or call/text (323) 497-6980. I will try to respond as quickly as possible but by Friday of that week at the latest.
