MUS 216—Guitar Basics: Acoustic & Classic Guitar Fundamentals

Designed for beginning guitarists who wish to understand the fundamentals of music and performance through the guitar. Prior instruction is not required. Upon completing this course, students are encouraged to audition for individual lessons to pursue a minor or major in music. Also, students may continue their studies on the guitar through non-major lessons. It is recommended that less experienced students wishing to register for individual lessons take this course before auditioning. In this course, students will develop fluency in reading standard notation through the use of beginning classical and fingerstyle guitar techniques. Other basic skills such as chord strumming, tablature notation, improvisation, and ensemble playing will be covered. With a primary focus on the classical and rock guitar repertories, students will explore a wide range of musical genres to develop a strong foundation for further studies. Students are required to have their own instrument. The use of a classical guitar nylon-string is highly recommended for the purposes of this course, but acoustic guitars (steel-string) will be accepted.