Rhode Island College Digital Commons @ RIC Master's Theses, Dissertations, Graduate Master's Theses, Dissertations, Graduate Research and Major Papers Overview Research and Major Papers 2015 High School Guitar: Building a Successful Four-Year Program Virginia Boyle Follow this and additional works at: https://digitalcommons.ric.edu/etd Part of the Music Education Commons Recommended Citation Boyle, Virginia, "High School Guitar: Building a Successful Four-Year Program" (2015). Master's Theses, Dissertations, Graduate Research and Major Papers Overview. 308. https://digitalcommons.ric.edu/etd/308 This Project Paper is brought to you for free and open access by the Master's Theses, Dissertations, Graduate Research and Major Papers at Digital Commons @ RIC. It has been accepted for inclusion in Master's Theses, Dissertations, Graduate Research and Major Papers Overview by an authorized administrator of Digital Commons @ RIC. For more information, please contact [email protected]. Running head: HIGH SCHOOL GUITAR HIGH SCHOOL GUITAR: BUILDING A SUCCESSFUL FOUR-YEAR PROGRAM by Virginia Boyle A Project Submitted in Partial Fulfillment of the Requirements for the Master of Music Education in The Department of Music, Theater and Dance Rhode Island College 2015 HIGH SCHOOL GUITAR ABSTRACT High School Guitar: Building a Successful Four-Year Program is an instructional text written for teachers who wish to develop or extend a guitar program at the high school level. It includes anecdotal experiences and teaching practices from the successful guitar program built at Mt. Hope High School in Bristol, RI over the past twenty years. Information about starting a guitar program is provided, and class content and curriculum development for each of the four years of high school guitar instruction are discussed. In addition, ideas about developing and maintaining a classical guitar performance ensemble at the high school level are included. HIGH SCHOOL GUITAR Table of Contents Chapter One: Introduction ............................................................................................... 1 Introduction and Purpose ........................................................................................ 1 Existing Material .................................................................................................... 1 A Brief Description of My Plan ............................................................................. 5 Professional Biography and The Mt. Hope High School Guitar Program ............. 8 Philosophy of Music Education ............................................................................ 10 Acknowledgements .............................................................................................. 11 Chapter Two: Why Guitar? .......................................................................................... 12 Introduction ........................................................................................................... 12 The Influence of the Guitar .................................................................................. 12 Guitar Classes Supplement A Music Teacher’s Schedule .................................... 13 Guitar Attracts New Students and Helps Students at Risk ................................... 14 Guitar Programs Are Relatively Inexpensive ........................................................ 15 Guitar Promotes Creativity and Encourages Singing ............................................ 16 Chapter Three: The Four-Year Program Overview .................................................... 17 Introduction ........................................................................................................... 17 Scheduling Four Years of Guitar Class ................................................................. 17 Course Descriptions ............................................................................................... 18 Chapter Four: Getting Started ....................................................................................... 21 Introduction ........................................................................................................... 21 HIGH SCHOOL GUITAR Who Should Teach Guitar? ................................................................................... 21 National Teaching Guitar Workshops .................................................................. 22 How to Obtain Guitars .......................................................................................... 22 So Many Accessories ............................................................................................ 24 Text Suggestions .................................................................................................... 26 Why Teach Classical Guitar? ................................................................................ 27 Chapter Five: Guitar One Class Content ...................................................................... 30 Introduction ........................................................................................................... 30 Class Expectations, Setting the Tone .................................................................... 30 Care of the Instrument ........................................................................................... 32 First Position Notation .......................................................................................... 33 Teach Technique Every Day ................................................................................ 37 Classical Position Checklist ................................................................................... 41 Work In Fifth Position For Left Hand Development ............................................ 43 Common Chords .................................................................................................... 43 Simple Bass Line ................................................................................................... 45 Guitar One Trios: Melody, Chords and Bass ........................................................ 46 Tablature ................................................................................................................ 47 Tuning in Guitar One ............................................................................................. 47 Barre Chords .......................................................................................................... 49 Playing the Blues ................................................................................................... 50 First-Year Improvisational Trio ............................................................................. 52 HIGH SCHOOL GUITAR Final Exam – Bach’s Minuet in G ......................................................................... 52 Chapter Six: Guitar Two Class Content ....................................................................... 54 Introduction ........................................................................................................... 54 Guitar Two Expectations ....................................................................................... 54 Review Notation With Right Hand Technique Development ............................... 54 PIMA and Rest Stroke ........................................................................................... 55 Review Chords And Barre Chords ........................................................................ 57 Free Stroke Arpeggios ........................................................................................... 59 Duets and Trios Using Rest Stroke and Free Stroke ............................................. 60 Scales and Moving Up The Fret Board ................................................................ 61 Position Studies ..................................................................................................... 61 Music Theory ......................................................................................................... 63 Solo Literature and Level 3 and 4 Listed Solos ..................................................... 63 Practice Procedures ................................................................................................ 65 Tone Quality (Nails) .............................................................................................. 67 Playing Two And Three-Note Melodies ............................................................... 68 Small and Large Ensemble Literature ................................................................... 68 Guitar Two Classes Perform At Guitar Ensemble Spring Recital ......................... 70 Chapter Seven: Guitar Ensemble Organization .......................................................... 71 Introduction ........................................................................................................... 71 Guitar Ensemble Overview ................................................................................... 71 3rd And 4th Year Guitar Students ......................................................................... 72 HIGH SCHOOL GUITAR Auditions and Scheduling ...................................................................................... 73 Rehearsal Procedure, Similar To Chorus and Band .............................................. 73 Encouraging Student Leadership ........................................................................... 77 Student Contracts ..................................................................................................