Nashville

This course covers all of the necessary elements of playing rock guitar. Techniques including bending, hammer-ons, pull-offs, slides, vibrato, and tapping are covered. Other topics include chord work, pentatonic scales, arpeggios, and modes. From the classic rock sound of Led Zeppelin and Jimi Hendrix to the modern styles of Velvet Revolver and Nickelback, this course will help any aspiring rock guitarist.

Designed for the aspiring blues guitarist, this course covers the styles of blues masters such as B.B. King, Albert Collins, Eric Clapton, and Stevie Ray Vaughan. Topics include pentatonic scales, chord voicings, arpeggios, turnarounds and developing ‘feel’ through the use of blues techniques such as bends, slides, and vibrato.

Students will learn and develop the skills required to effectively perform jazz guitar in the style of masters such as Jim Hall, Pat Metheny, John Scofield, and Joe Pass. Topics include harmony, chord voicings and extensions, swing feel comping, chord/melody approaches, and extensive improvisation studies such as scales, modes, arpeggios, and creating lines. Swing, bebop, Latin, and modal styles will be covered by analyzing jazz standard repertoire.

Essential elements of acoustic guitar playing are covered for solo performance and vocal accompaniment. Topics include flatpicking, finger picking, chord harmony, scale theory, alternate tunings, and slide. From the Delta blues sound of Robert Johnson to the folk stylings of Joni Mitchell and James Taylor to the modern acoustic sounds of Michael Hedges, Ani DiFranco, and Dave Matthews, this course is a must for the acoustic guitarist.

From Paganini to Rodrigo, this course will explore a variety of right hand finger-picking techniques, musical understanding and interpretation of pieces. Topics will include classical arpeggios, flamenco rasgueados, tremolos, and a study of repertoire of some of the greatest composers such as Sor and Brouwer. Students will leave this class with the skills necessary to express themselves on classical guitar as well as skills useful for other styles of playing. The course will culminate with an ensemble performance at the end of the session.

Broaden your playing and influences with this course, designed to give insight into every aspect of country guitar. From the slick chicken picking and slippery pedal steel bends of Brent Mason and Johnny Hiland, to the magnificent fingerstyle work of Chet Atkins and Jerry Reed and the turbo charged Flat picking of Bluegrass players Doc Watson and Tony Rice, there’s something for everyone interested in this eclectic style. Topics include traditional and hybrid finger picking, building licks from chord forms, creating double-stops, open string runs, pedal steel bends, Travis picking, western swing, various styles of rhythm playing and constructing solo guitar arrangements.

This class is designed for guitarists of all ages who have very limited playing experience. Basic guitar skills such as positioning, tuning, chords, strumming, and single note playing are learned. Songs from a variety of styles including, rock, blues, folk and others are studied while applying skills learned in class.

Bass players of all levels will benefit from this course. Bass skills needed to play many styles including jazz, rock, funk, Latin, and blues are covered. Topics include chord progressions, creating bass lines, improvisation, ear training, and theory. Bass techniques such as slapping, popping, and chords are also explored. Students enrolled in this course will have extensive ensemble performance opportunities.

Designed for drummers of all levels, this intensive course covers all styles of music. Conducted in group and private lessons, students will study groove, technique, syncopation, polyrhythms, brush technique, soloing, reading, and other drum and percussion concepts. Students enrolled in this course will have extensive ensemble performance opportunities.

Keyboard players of all levels will work with instructors in a setting that enables students, including those classically trained, a chance to explore improvised and popular contemporary music styles including jazz, blues and rock. Curriculum topics include triads, intervals, chord voicings & progressions, inversions, scales and modes, soloing, rhythm section fundamentals, synthesis and midi recording. Students enrolled in this course will have extensive ensemble performance opportunities.

For vocalists of all levels, this course is designed to develop individual vocal style, expand vocal range and increase overall vocal ability while learning to sing the songs you enjoy. Learn techniques that are used in singing pop, jazz, blues, rock, country, and folk. Topics include chest, middle, and head voice, breathing, vibrato, licks and trills, and daily warm ups. Also explore diet, body movement and overcoming stage fright. Students enrolled in this course will have extensive ensemble performance opportunities.

Through a combination of individual and interactive in-class study and performance, this course will introduce students to the basics of the art – and business – of songwriting. Open to students of various levels, the course will be divided into three main study areas: lyric writing, song structure, and the business of songwriting. The course will focus on popular or mainstream genres, and the class will analyze songs from a wide range of popular songwriters, including Bob Dylan, Sheryl Crow, and Avril Lavigne. Students will be encouraged to collaborate with their classmates and perform songs created in class as an ensemble