Guitar Intermediate
Course Overview
This course is designed for people who are able to read music notation at a basic level and know some chords.
Here is where we start to really enjoy what it is like to play in ensemble. Playing music in various parts, adding chords and improvising. This is where we get to play and play and play and really solidify and expand our skills.
You’ll learn:
• How to read music in various positions on the guitar
• How to play pieces in 3 and 4 parts
• How to improvise at a more sophisticated level
• How chords, various chord voicings and arpeggios are used
• How to read chord charts and play along with songs
By the end of the term, you'll feel more and more confident about reading and playing music from notation and chord charts. And you will just feel fantastic from one term of laughing and playing together.
Course Breakdown
Week 1: Rhythm concepts. Strumming patterns Right hand techniques. Reading notations
Week 2: Developing Improvisation
Week 3: The Chord Scale (from the E string)
Week 4: Focus: In “Focus” I ask students to nominate a song to learn. I prepare materials for three of these songs and then group students who would like to learn to play that song. This continues for part of each session until the end of term (At the moment we are doing Hotel California, Vincent and the main theme from the Ghibli Studio Film Laputa the Castle in The Sky)
Week 5: Song Shoot The Moon
Week 6: Right hand picking techique
Week 7 and 8: March Antico
Week 9: Warm-up, rehearsal and little performance with video recording.
This outline provides an overview of what may be covered during the course; however, changes may occur based on various factors and the needs of the class.
Term Dates
Term 1 runs from Saturday 31 January to Saturday 28 March
Term 2 runs from Saturday 18 April to Saturday 20 June (10 week course)
Term 3 runs from Saturday 18 July to Saturday 12 September
Term 4 runs from Saturday 10 October to Saturday 5 December
Materials List
• An acoustic guitar with new strings and a guitar pick.
• A folder and music stand if you have one.
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Joseph Zarb
Joseph is an experienced music educator and performer, currently teaching guitar at Mercy College Chatswood and Lane Cove Public School, where he has taught for over 15 years. He is also a board member of the Lane Cove Music Education Co-op, having served as Chairman during its founding year.
From 1998 to 2008, Joseph taught Visual Arts and Music at high school level, including HSC Visual Arts, primarily at Delany College Granville.
As a performer, Joseph is active in several ensembles:
Marsala – World Music Without Borders (Singer, Guitarist, Band Leader)
Performing globally inspired music in over 16 languages for more than 30 years.The Cameron Jones Trio (Guitare Rythmique)
A Gypsy jazz group inspired by Django Reinhardt.The Three Rivers Ensemble (Guitar, Voice, Ney)
Performing traditional Turkish and Middle Eastern music.
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