Many people feel intimidated at the thought of a group class, and this is a very understandable feeling since most of us aren’t in the habit of playing music with others. I’ve been in a few group situations throughout my journey as a musician over the past 25 years that were not great experiences, but by and large, playing music in groups has been wonderful. The important thing in a group setting is to make
sure that someone is being intentional about creating a positive experience.
Our group classes are small (usually 3 – 6 people) and we keep things light hearted and friendly. Each class begins with participants reminding everyone of their name and saying one small thing about
themselves. In this way we get to know a little bit more about each person each week and over time, friendships are developed. I always state at the outset that mistakes are mandatory! If you’re making
mistakes, it means you are pushing yourself and trying something new, which is what we are all here to do — to learn and grow together and challenge ourselves to move beyond our current limitations.
We have several options for group classes:
Young Strummers is for kids ages 4 – 8 and a parent and Ramblers is for kids ages 9 – 12 and a parent. Our Young Strummers start out on a 3-string guitar called a Loog (provided as a free loaner for all
participants who need one) and Ramblers jump in on a 6 string guitar from the get-go (also provided as a free loaner). Both groups of kids learn alongside a parent or guardian. This shared experience of
music-making forms a strong bond between parent and child and is also helpful for in-home practice. In my experience, almost all young kids need a parent to facilitate helping them to make music and
practice at home, and this is which is much easier to do if you as the parent are in the class as well.
The curriculum that I wrote for the Young Strummers and Ramblers classes is centered around songs largely drawn from the American folk song tradition of such folk artists as Jean Ritchie and Pete Seeger.
All songs are age-appropriate and contain no references to violence or scary themes (no small feat when drawing on American folk songs, many of which center around conflict or violence between the sexes). Games, worksheets (and of course candy) are also integrated for a fun and engaging experience.
A sampling of some of the songs you and your child will learn:
Young Strummers
Li’l Liza Jane
London Bridge
Simple Gifts
Ramblers
If I Had a Hammer (Pete Seeger)
Peace Like a River (spiritual)
Silver Maple, Grass is Green (one of my originals for kids)
Ages 13 – adult join either Guitar 1, 2 or 3 depending on their level of prior experience. Those with no experience at all should join a Guitar 1 class which begins with a focus on learning the open strings of the
guitar as well as 8 foundational open chords. If you know and can transition smoothly between chords such as G, D and C, then you should begin with Guitar 2 or 3. Guitar 2 introduces 7th chords as well as basic improvisation and playing simple melodies by ear. Guitar 3 builds on these skills and starts in on learning to read standard music notation. All three levels (Guitar 1, 2 and 3) present technical topics
within the context of real songs. Presenting learning within a cultural context of songs adds meaning, depth and history to the act of playing music from day one.
A sampling of some of the songs you’ll learn:
Guitar 1
Be Thou My Vision (hymn)
Shady Grove (folk song)
If Not For You (Bob Dylan)
Guitar 2
Crossroad Blues (Robert Johnson)
Come Thou Fount of Every Blessing (hymn)
Three Little Birds (Bob Marley)
Guitar 3
El Condor Pasa (If I Could) (Simon & Garfunkel)
A Horse With No Name (America)
Hallelujah (Leonard Cohen)
If you’re a guitarist with 2 or more years of experience, consider joining our Intermediate Jazz Guitar class. This class requires a basic ability to read standard notation and some familiarity with jazz chords is a plus. As with all of our other classes, Intermediate Jazz Guitar is entirely song-based and we work from a syllabus that outlines which songs will be tackled on which weeks. Three areas of playing are
addressed: chords, melodies and solos. Plenty of time is made for playing together in the context of a small group in which everyone gets practice playing each part of a song as well as improvising. We
cover concepts such as guide tones and which scales correlate with which chords.
A sampling of some of the songs you’ll learn:
Intermediate Jazz Guitar
Bags’ Groove (Milt Jackson)
Contemplation (Mcoy Tyner)
Road Song (Wes Montgomery)
Big Bertha (Duke Pearson)
To get started or to find out more information on any of these group class opportunities, simply give me a call or shoot me a text.
Playing music with others (as well as by myself) has added an immense amount to the joy I get from living. It helps me understand myself and make sense of my experiences; it helps me manage my emotions, gives me a way to interact with history, and helps me form social ties with others. I and the staff of teachers at Riverside Guitar School would love to help you experience the same benefits in your life and would love it if you would join us for a group class!