At the End of the Course You Will Be Able To

Welcome back for your 2014-2015 school year! I am delighted to have you in beginning guitar! This class is designed to give you the basics skills you need to make playing guitar a life long hobby. Here is a short class description, important dates and some of my expectations for this class. Please go over this with your students. I look forward to working with your child.

Jennifer Benson (Light)

At the end of the course you will be able to:  Read music, tablature and chord charts  Perform basic strum patterns in several  Tune and string a guitar different time signatures  Play C,G,D, and F scales and their I IV  Perform a 12 bars blue sequence V 7 chord progressions.  Fingerpick arpeggios and advanced  Play several different guitar chords melodies  Understand and play bar chords in the E  Compose simple songs and A shape   Materials:  3-ring binder  Pencil and paper  Guitar Pick-You can buy one from me for $.25  Guitar Fee-$10.00   Guitars: The school will assign guitar to you. This will be your guitar for the semester. I will need you to fill out an instrument contract to use it.   Classroom Rules: 1. Come to class ON TIME and PREPARED 2. No gum, food, or drink (except water) 3. Keep cell phones put away and on silent 4. Always be Respectful- to your classmates, your teacher and yourself!   Consequences:  1st Offence: Verbal Warning  2nd Offence: Parent notification home  3rd: Afterschool Detention  4th: Office Referral   Grades:  Tests/Concert-50%  Quizzes-25%  Classwork-15%  Participation-10%   Tests: We will have playing tests in this class. This is completely individual. This grade will be based off correct playing technique, consistent rhythm and level of mastery. We will also have written tests on music theory.  Concerts: Our guitar class will perform several pieces at the beginning of the Holiday Chorus concert this year. Our Guitar Concert is Dec 15th at 7:00 in the ETPAC. Before the end of the 2nd six weeks we will start to evolve into a guitar ensemble and begin learning pieces together. This concert is mandatory and counts as a test grade. Please go ahead and put this date on your calendar.  Classwork: This includes daily theory work that is done in class  Practice Technique: You will receive a weekly practice/technique grade. This grade isn’t determined by achievement but by observing daily practices and work ethic. This is the criteria that will be used to determine your practice technique grade:   A Level Work  Is without proper equipment or music at  Works always to best ability in daily times and most of the time is not trying rehearsal to play with correct technique   Is able to work effectively with teacher and classmates  D Level Work  Uses correct playing technique in daily  Demostrates below average work in rehearsal daily rehearsals  B Level Work  Experiences much difficulty working with teacher or classmates-is unable to  Works to the best of ability most of the work independently. time  Is frequently without proper music or  Is able to work effectively with teacher equipment and classmates most of the time  F Level Work  Uses correct playing technique some of the time  Demonstrates poor work in daily rehearsals  C Level Work  Shows no effort  Works below ability during some daily rehearsals  Is unable to work with classmates or teacher  Experiences a little difficulty working with teacher or classmates  Is without music and equipment on a  regular basis   After an Absence:  Students are responsible for making up their work after an absence. Please ask me before or after class the following day what you missed. I will be happy to let you know. You will have the same number of days to make up your work as the number of days you were absent. Please be in class unless you are seriously ill.    I understand the information above and understand what responsibilities come with being part of a successful guitar program.   Parent signature: ______Student signature:______ 