Musicianship 1: Guitar Lab
.5 credits (1 quarter course) – Open to students in ALL levels and ALL grades. No prerequisite. This class meets in the music lab and integrates GarageBand music production software. This course is designed for the student with little or no experience playing the guitar. The purpose of this course is to prepare students for a lifetime of guitar playing and music appreciation. Students will learn to play melodies and chords on the electric guitar using fingerstyle and picking techniques. Students will perform solo and ensemble literature in a variety of musical styles and read standard music notation. This course may be taken as a prerequisite to Musicianship 2: Basic Music Theory.
Course outcomes and expectations are:
Course outcomes and expectations are:
- Develop an understanding of guitar music notation and learn to read basic notes and rhythm patterns.
- Develop an understanding of basic guitar technique including left/right hand techniques.
- Perform several songs (melody and chord progression) in a variety of styles.
- Improvise basic accompaniment patterns.
Guitar Lab YouTube Playlist
These tunes will be practiced during Guitar Lab class:
- Bad Moon Rising by Credence Clearwater Revival (D major) - Guitar Guide
- Three Little Birds by Bob Marley (A major) - Guitar Guide
- Down by the Riverside (G major) - Guitar Guide
- Stand by Me by Ben E. King (G major) - Guitar Guide
- When the Saints Go Marching (E major)
- Sweet Home Chicago by Robert Johnson (E Blues) - Guitar Guide
- Wade in the Water (E minor)
- Greensleeves (E minor)
- Joshua (A minor)
- House of the Rising Sun by The Animals (A minor) - Guitar Guide
- Hotel California by The Eagles (A minor)
- Imagine by John Lennon (C major)
- Let It Be by The Beatles (C major)
- Shenandoah (C major)
- My Girl by the Temptations (C Major)
Mr. Fein's Performance Videos
I'm trying to get better at guitar too! The better I get, the more I can offer my students. Below are some videos of various songs I've recorded. Most of these songs are performed fingerstyle using my fingers in my right hand instead of a pick.
Great Guitar YouTube Channels
Swift Guitar - 30 Beginner Guitar Songs
Below are some great beginning guitar videos created by a local guitar teacher/performer named Rob Swift. Check out Rob Swift’s YouTube channel for all of his videos.
HHS Guitar Club
Mr. Althouse has sponsored the HHS Guitar Club for the past few years. The club meets every Wednesday 2:30-3:30pm in rm. 226 and it is open to anyone who plays a stringed instrument (guitar, bass, ukulele,etc.). Students can bring their own instrument and store it safely in rm. 226. There is one electric guitar amp and one bass amp available for student use during the club meeting. Mr. Althouse brings his acoustic guitar for students to share if they don't have a guitar that day.
Guitar Club is a great opportunity for students to meet and play with other students interested in guitar and music in general.
Reach out to Mr. Althouse for additional information:
[email protected]
Guitar Club is a great opportunity for students to meet and play with other students interested in guitar and music in general.
Reach out to Mr. Althouse for additional information:
[email protected]
Purchasing a guitar
The lab at Haverford is furnished with all the gear needed to learn guitar in class including an Squier electric guitar. It is optional to purchase a guitar for home practice. You will definitely get a lot better a lot faster with some extra practice time at home after school and on the weekends.
Types of Guitars:
There are 3 main types of guitars. I suggest purchasing the style of guitar that speaks to you the most.
**There is a 4th style called an acoustic electric. This is basically an acoustic guitar with pickups inside it so you can amplify the acoustic guitar through an amplifier. This is a nice feature if you like the sound of acoustic guitar but think you will need to amplify it in a band settings in the future. I decided to purchase an acoustic electric steel string because I liked the sound of steel string acoustic but I needed the option to plug it into an amplifier for concerts or to lead a large group in a sing-a-long.
Recommended Brands/Models
The price of acoustic and electric guitars can range quite a bit but you should be able to get a solid beginner acoustic or electric guitar for about $200-300. Some recommendations for beginner model guitars are below.
Acoutic:
Where to purchase?
I strongly suggest that you purchase a guitar from a smaller guitar shop. These sort of shops can give you personal service and setup the guitar properly when you leave with your new instrument and can service the guitar in the future. Consider stopping into a guitar shop and ask the dealer what has been impressing them lately at lower price points. Play a few guitars in your price range or ask the dealer to play a few for you. Let your ears guide you to the sound you like best.
I've personally purchased a Gibson acoustic electric guitar and 2 ukuleles from Beau Monde Guitars in Northvale, NJ. Lou, the shop owner, made great recommendations, setup the instruments, and shipped them to me in Havertown.
Some other local guitar shop recommendations:
Types of Guitars:
There are 3 main types of guitars. I suggest purchasing the style of guitar that speaks to you the most.
- Steel string acoustic - This is the style guitar that I suggest most often. It has steel strings for a bright, acoustic sound. It will take a little more finger strength to push the strings down compared to an electric but you will get used to it very quickly.
- Nylon string acoustic - This style of guitar is most closely associated with classical guitar music. It has nylon strings for a more muted sound.
- Electric - These are the types of guitars we use in class. This style of guitar is most closely associated with rock and roll music. You will need an amplifier and 1/4" cable if you purchase an electric guitar.
**There is a 4th style called an acoustic electric. This is basically an acoustic guitar with pickups inside it so you can amplify the acoustic guitar through an amplifier. This is a nice feature if you like the sound of acoustic guitar but think you will need to amplify it in a band settings in the future. I decided to purchase an acoustic electric steel string because I liked the sound of steel string acoustic but I needed the option to plug it into an amplifier for concerts or to lead a large group in a sing-a-long.
Recommended Brands/Models
The price of acoustic and electric guitars can range quite a bit but you should be able to get a solid beginner acoustic or electric guitar for about $200-300. Some recommendations for beginner model guitars are below.
Acoutic:
- Ibanez - They've been around for a long time and have a good reputation. The acoustic guitar I own is an Ibanez Artwood AW10 that I've had since 2002. I believe I paid about $300 for it and I've really enjoyed the instrument for many years.
- Yamaha - FG800 ($200) and FGX800C ($300) are recommended acoustic models.
- Epiphone - Epiphone Les Paul ($150)
- Orange - Orange Crush 20 amp ($140)
- Vox - Vox AV15 amp ($250)
Where to purchase?
I strongly suggest that you purchase a guitar from a smaller guitar shop. These sort of shops can give you personal service and setup the guitar properly when you leave with your new instrument and can service the guitar in the future. Consider stopping into a guitar shop and ask the dealer what has been impressing them lately at lower price points. Play a few guitars in your price range or ask the dealer to play a few for you. Let your ears guide you to the sound you like best.
I've personally purchased a Gibson acoustic electric guitar and 2 ukuleles from Beau Monde Guitars in Northvale, NJ. Lou, the shop owner, made great recommendations, setup the instruments, and shipped them to me in Havertown.
Some other local guitar shop recommendations:
- Bluebond Guitars in Philly near South Street
- Danny's Guitar Shop in Narberth, PA
- D-Town Guitars in Doylestown, PA
- George's Music in Springfield, PA
- Roxy Guitars in Roxborough, PA
- J.B. Kline & Son in Lambertville, NJ
Guitar Tuner app
Download GuitarTuna to your smart phone to have a free tuner with you at all times. This is the best guitar tuner app I've come across and I use it daily in my guitar playing. Click the links below to download this app for iOS (Apple) or Android (Google) smartphones/tablets.