What do I learn first???
This is the typical question for the new guitarist. There's so much to learn, so many directions you can go, so many weird terms, and, true enough, that's partly why I love the guitar and music so much! HOWEVER, there are some things that EVERY guitarist NEEDS to know. That's what we'll cover in the First Guitar Lesson club. 
This is a unique class because each class is designed to be its own "very first lesson." This is effective because there are certain things on the guitar that you must know, but aren't directly related to one another. We focus on each one of those items in a different class.
We rotate the same material  every 8 weeks; however, I approach it in a way that isn't cumulative, so students can come and go as they please. We also review certain things so that lessons overlap in a way that is accessible to newcomers. If they miss one class, they can always "make it up" once we circle back around to that lesson. 
Because learning the guitar is such a unique experience for every aspiring musician, I recognize students may learn at different speeds than each other.  With that in mind, I offer multiple levels of the material, so that those who are picking up the material more quickly are still engaged while no students feel left behind either.

So what are the "musts" that we'll cover in this class?
-Parts of the guitar
-The simplest chords, and for those that are comfortable doing so, slightly more advanced versions of those chords. 
-learning notes on one string and an introduction to reading musical notation using that guitar string.
-Melody Day: basic melodies on the guitar anybody can learn without any experience.
-Introduction rhythm and strumming.
-Basic fingerpicking and picking techniques exercises
-Fretting hand's finger exercises and techniques
-Proper posture and hand positioning
-Learn note names of the open strings

Materials Needed:
Students should have:
✅Guitar: Either acoustic or electric (with an amplifier if electric).
✅Method for note taking
✅ Handouts and Sheet Music: Provided by the instructor.
✅ Access to Online Resources and Recordings: For additional learning material.

Important Reminder:

Make sure your guitar is tuned before the class starts. We will provide resources to help with tuning, as it can be time-consuming and challenging to do so individually during class.

September 2024
🎵 The week of August 18th - 24th: First chords, First notes - high E string
🎵 The week of August 25th - 31st: First notes - low E string
🎵 The week of September 1st - 7th: First chords (#2)
🎵 The week of September 8th - 14th: Parts of the guitar and open string note names
🎵 The week of September 15th - 21st: Melody Day
🎵 The week of September 22nd - 28th: Basic strumming
🎵 The week of September 29th - October 5th: Melody #2
October 2024
🎵 The week of October 6th - 12th: First chords, First notes - high E string
🎵 The week of October 13th - 19th: First notes - low E string
🎵 The week of October 20th - 26th: First chords (#2)
🎵 The week of October 27th - November 2nd: Parts of the guitar and open string note names
November 2024
🎵 The week of November 3rd - 9th: Melody Day
🎵 The week of November 10th - 16th: Basic strumming
🎵 The week of November 17th - 23rd: Melody #2
🚫 The week of November 24th - 30th: No lessons - Thanksgiving week
December 2024
🎵 The week of December 1st - 7th: First chords, First notes - high E string
🎵 The week of December 8th - 14th: First notes - low E string
🎵 The week of December 15th - 21st: First chords (#2)
🚫 The week of December 22nd - 28th: No lessons - Christmas week
🎵 The week of December 29th - January 4th: Parts of the guitar and open string note names
January 2025
🎵 The week of January 5th - 11th: Melody Day
🎵 The week of January 12th - 18th: Basic strumming
🎵 The week of January 19th - 25th: Melody #2
February 2025
🎵 The week of January 26th - February 1st: First chords, First notes - high E string
🎵 The week of February 2nd - 8th: First notes - low E string
🎵 The week of February 9th - 15th: First chords (#2)
🎵 The week of February 16th - 22nd: Parts of the guitar and open string note names