Music & Dance

This introductory guitar course is designed for beginners interested in learning how to play the guitar. We will review guitar maintenance, string sizes, changing strings, choosing the proper guitar and care of the guitar. We will cover sight-reading, music theory, scales, and note values. When you finish this course you should be able to pick up sheet music and know the key, melody, chords, and changes. You will need to have a guitar and you will need to purchase the book - Hal Leonard Guitar Method Book I available at J&H Music (located at 835 KMD in Oakland. You will also need a 3-ring binder for your homework. The instructor welcomes students ages 10 and up. A parent or guardian must register and participate in the class with students under 17. Limit 10 students.

Have you ever wanted to learn the guitar but simply find it difficult to find the time? In just a few hours you can learn enough about playing the guitar to give you years of musical enjoyment, and you won’t have to take private lessons to do it. This crash course will teach you some basic chords and get you playing along with your favorite songs right away. Since this class is being held online with ZOOM, you will be able to sit at home with your guitar and take this class without any pressure. And since this course includes an online book and online follow up video lessons, you will be able to continue your practice and study on your own. An optional periodic online question and answer session is also included. A recording of the class is included as well. This course is partly lecture/demonstration and partly hands on instruction. We will cover topics of how chords work in a song, how to form the three main types of chords, how to tune your guitar, basic strumming patterns, how to buy a god guitar (things to avoid), and how to play along with simple tunes. Limit 15 students, ages 13+

In just a few hours, you can learn enough secrets of the trade to give you years of musical enjoyment. Learn to play the piano the way professionals do-using chords. Since this class is being held on-line with Zoom you will be able to sit at your piano or keyboard at home and take this course with no pressure at all. And since this course includes an online book and online follow up video lessons, you will be able to continue your practice and study on your own. An optional periodic online question and answer session is also included. A recording of the class is included as well. This course is partly lecture/demonstration and partly hands on instruction. We will cover topics of how chords work in a song, how to get more out of sheet music by reading less of it, how to form the three main types of chords, how to handle different keys and time signatures, how to avoid “counting”, and how to simplify over 12,000 complex chords. Limit 25 students.