acoustic guitars

2009-06-22T01:17:00.001-07:00

Get a Major in Guitar by Enrolling In a Top Guitar Training School, Guitar Institute of Technology

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Program Overview: In 1977, the Guitar Institute of Technology (GIT) revolutionized contemporary music education with the first full-time program to offer hands-on professional training for the electric guitarist. Over three decades later, MI remains the leader in guitar education with a unique system that combines technical, creative and professional development in a performance-based program. At MI, you learn from a proven curriculum taught by the best guitar instructors in the world, augmented by visiting artists seminars, concerts and lessons from some of the greatest players in contemporary music. Network with other players, find your creative voice, and get the training you need to become the player you've always dreamed of being.
Bachelor of Music: Guitar majors in the Bachelor of Music in Performance (Contemporary Styles) program undertake intensive instrument technique and live performance curricula along with a wide range of classes in supportive music and general studies to earn MI's unique contemporary music degree (see the Bachelor Degree home page and Program Outline for an overview of requirements).

Guitar instrument technique courses are designed and taught according to the same principles that have made MI one of the world's leading centers for the study of contemporary electric guitar. Requirements include:

G112a.b. Single String Improvisation IIA-IIB
Begins with an exploration of “blues tonality”, including the mastery and usage of blues, Dorian, and Mixolydian scales over dominant seventh harmonies. Diatonic seventh arpeggios and their applications are covered along with alternate major and minor-tonality scales, culminating in the development of diatonic key-center improvisation. One lecture hour plus one lab hour per week for two quarters.

G211a.b. Single String Improvisation IIIA-IIIB
Prerequisite: G112b Single String Improvisation IIB. Chromatic variations on key-center improvisation are introduced, including modal interchange and secondary dominants. Symmetrical scales, including chromatic, diminished, and whole-tone, are introduced and applied. Other topics include analysis of and improvisation over non-root position chords and the development of the “chord/scale” concept of improvising. One lecture hour plus one lab hour per week for two quarters.

G122a.b. Rhythm Guitar IIA-IIB
Development of chord construction skills based on the five major scale fingering patterns, including the theory and application of harmonized major scales. Introduces syncopated eighth-note rhythm figures using different harmonic textures from full chords to single-note accompaniment. Easy and moderate chord transposition is also covered. One lecture hour plus one lab hour per week for two quarters.

G221a.b. Rhythm Guitar IIIA-IIIB
Prerequisite: G122b Rhythm Guitar IIB. This course is designed around writing and performing rhythm guitar parts in a variety of styles. Concepts introduced include voice leading on the fingerboard and the use of sixteenth note and triplet syncopation. The ability to improvise and apply appropriate rhythm parts in context will be stressed through classroom performance. Moderate to difficult chord transposition is also covered. One lecture hour plus one lab hour per week for two quarters.

M142Ga.b. Reading IIA-IIB
Class covers reading on the lower and upper part of the neck. Learn to read and count “cut time”, 3/4 meter and syncopated rhythmic figures. Continue chromatic studies in the fifth position, transposing to concert pitch and chart reading, with a stronger emphasis on ensemble reading performance. One lecture hour plus one lab hour per week for two quarters.

M241Ga.b. Reading IIIA-IIIB
Prerequisite: M142Gb Reading IIB. Learn to count and read in odd meters and changing meters. Class covers reading up and down string sets, melodies with a range outside a single position, position shifting, interpretation and developing sight reading techniques. One lecture hour plus one lab hour per week for two quarters.
Associate of Arts: The Associate of Arts in Performance (Guitar) program includes a combination of general and instrument-specific courses designed to produce skilled, knowledgeable, stylistically versatile contemporary performing guitarists. Courses are described below (see course catalog for specific course descriptions and other information). Combined with regular seminars, clinics, and small open counseling sessions with internationally-known guitarists, the AA-Guitar program provides the world's premier contemporary guitar educational experience.

GUITAR CORE

Single String Improvisation I
An introduction to the fundamentals of electric guitar playing including various picking styles and performance techniques. The development of an organized approach to the neck is stressed through the application of major and minor diatonic and pentatonic scales and triad arpeggios in a variety of keys and patterns. Improvisation in major and minor tonalities is introduced, including aspects of melodic construction and rhythmic phrasing.

Single String Improvisation II
Begins with an exploration of “blues tonality”, including the mastery and usage of blues, Dorian, and Mixolydian scales over dominant seventh harmonies. Diatonic seventh arpeggios and their applications are covered along with alternate major and minor-tonality scales, culminating in the development of diatonic key-center improvisation.

Single String Improvisation III
Chromatic variations on key-center improvisation are introduced, including modal interchange and secondary dominants. Symmetrical scales, including chromatic, diminished, and whole-tone, are introduced and applied. Other topics include analysis of and improvisation over non-root position chords and the development of the “chord/scale” concept of improvising.

Rhythm Guitar I
An introduction to harmony as it is applied to the guitar fingerboard. Students learn to organize the neck into patterns and develop the ability to construct chords on the spot. Major, minor, and dominant-seventh quality chords are taught in open and movable shapes and applied to everyday rhythms and chord progressions. Rhythm techniques concentrate on developing steady time and learning typical strumming patterns and other accompaniment textures.

Rhythm Guitar II
Development of chord construction skills based on the five major scale fingering patterns, including the theory and application of harmonized major scales. Introduces syncopated eighth-note rhythm figures using different harmonic textures from full chords to single-note accompaniment. Easy and moderate chord transposition is also covered.

Rhythm Guitar III
This course is designed around writing and performing rhythm guitar parts in a variety of styles. Concepts introduced include voice leading on the fingerboard and the use of sixteenth note and triplet syncopation. The ability to improvise and apply appropriate rhythm parts in context will be stressed through classroom performance. Moderate to difficult chord transposition is also covered.

Rhythm Section Workshop I
An introduction to ensemble performance. Concentration is placed on listening, dynamics, awareness of song form, and basic chart reading as well as practical performing techniques such as giving and following cues, instrument setup, sound, and stage presence. Students perform each week and develop fundamental technical approaches to a variety of popular styles while gaining live experience.

Rhythm Section Workshop II
Ensemble performance emphasizing the fundamental rhythm section textures of various popular styles and the skills necessary for playing them. Emphasis is also placed on handling variations in typical song form, improving chart reading skills, and taking a leadership role within the group.

Rhythm Section Workshop III
Ensemble Performance with an emphasis on popular song styles. Students play pre-composed melodies over charts including both key center harmonies and chromatic variations. A final project culminates in a concert performance.

Reading I
Develops the fundamentals of music reading centered around the middle of the neck. Includes counting and reading basic rhythmic figures and rests, sharp and flat key signatures and non-diatonic notes. Also includes fundamentals of chart reading and transposing to concert pitch (reading an octave higher than written).

Reading II
Class covers reading on the lower and upper part of the neck. Learn to read and count “cut time”, 3/4 meter and syncopated rhythmic figures. Continue chromatic studies in the fifth position, transposing to concert pitch and chart reading, with a stronger emphasis on ensemble reading performance.

Reading III
Learn to count and read in odd meters and changing meters. Class covers reading up and down string sets, melodies with a range outside a single position, position shifting, interpretation and developing sightreading techniques.

Guitar Studio Recording
Course provides individualized recording session experience in a professional project studio. Students complete a 2-3 song demo CD under the guidance of a guitar instructor-producer, creating and recording rhythm patterns, fills and solos over prerecorded rhythm tracks.

PERFORMANCE

Private Lessons
Weekly instrument lesson with an instructor who guides the student in developing technique, musicianship and style in support of core curricular goals. The instructor and student jointly determine a specific course of study depending on student needs, strengths and experience.

Live Playing Workshops
Students perform regularly throughout the program in their choice of styles and settings. Regularly scheduled* LPWs include:

Blues
Classic Rock
Country Rock
Modern Rock
Hard Rock
Metal
Classic R&B
Contemporary R&B
Freestyle Hip Hop
Funk
Fusion
Latin
Reggae
Traditional Jazz Ensemble
Student Choice(styles vary)

*LPW offerings vary by quarter; check current course schedule for availability.

MUSICIANSHIP

Harmony and Theory I
An introduction to Harmony and Theory as it applies to popular music. Includes the development of fundamental music notation skills, rhythms, major and minor scales, intervals, chords and diatonic harmony.

Harmony and Theory II
Begins with diatonic harmony and expands to include chromatic variations typical of popular music, including scale and chord alterations and harmonic analysis of non-diatonic major and minor progressions.

Harmony & Theory III
A study of advanced concepts in harmony including altered scales and chords, symmetrical scales and chromatic harmony. Students learn to analyze scale/chord relationships and understand non-diatonic progressions from the perspective of both the player and writer.

Ear Training I
An introduction to Ear Training as it applies to popular music. Covers the ability to recognize by ear major and minor scales, intervals, chord qualities, diatonic progressions, and rhythms in the context of examples drawn from contemporary popular music.

Ear Training II
Concentrates on the recognition and transcription of diatonic major and minor melody and harmony and rhythmic figures including sixteenth notes. Includes specific examples drawn from contemporary popular music.

Ear Training III
Recognition and transcription of non-diatonic melody and harmony, rhythmic figures based on triplets and compound time signatures. Concepts are related directly to their application in contemporary popular music.

ELECTIVES

Each quarter, AA (Guitar) students may choose from an enormous variety of elective courses covering all major contemporary styles, techniques, and musical interests as well as general courses in songwriting, technology, music business and more. Current guitar-specific electives are listed below; topics and scheduling are subject to change and some require prerequisites. Check the current course offering for up-to-date information about courses offered during a specific quarter:

Jazz Listening
Blues Listening
Acoustic Guitar
Classical Guitar
Instrument Maintenance and Repair
Playing Techniques for Guitar
Reading Bootcamp
Rumba Workout
Slide Guitar
Metal Guitar
Applied Metal Guitar
Guitar EFX
Guitar Heroes of the ‘60s and ‘70s
Acid Jazz/Funk Guitar Workshop I
Blues Guitar
Twang Guitar
Guitar Workout
Alternative Guitar Heroes
Jazz Workshop I
Jazz Workshop II
Classical Guitar Ensemble
Pop Guitar Ensemble
Jazz Guitar Ensemble
Funk Guitar Ensemble
Shred Guitar
Applied Rock Improvisation
Applied Technique
Chord Melody I
Chord Melody II
Eclectic Electric Guitar
Country Guitar
Jazz Guitar I
Jazz Guitar II
Basic Professional Studio Skills
Fusion Masters
Guitar Heroes of the ‘80s
Melodic Soloing
Recording Guitar
Advanced Electric Guitar Styles
Acid Jazz/Funk Guitar Workshop II
Rock Rhythm Guitar
Rock Lead Guitar
Afro-Cuban Guitar
Brazilian Guitar
Funk Guitar
Advanced Groove Concepts
Certificate: In 1977, the Guitar Institute of Technology revolutionized contemporary music education with a unique approach to performance-based professional training for the electric guitarist. Several decades and thousands of graduates later, GIT remains the international leader in contemporary guitar education. The four-quarter, 60 credit-unit Certificate in Performance (Guitar) curriculum is based on a teaching system that develops technical, creative and professional skills in a performance-intensive, total-immersion environment. The large, diverse staff of the best guitar instructors in the world is augmented by regular seminars, concerts, and lessons from top-ranked visiting artists. Beyond the classroom, GIT is a unique opportunity to meet other players, find your creative voice, and become the player you’ve always dreamed of being.

Private Lessons
A weekly, one-hour lesson with an expert instructor focuses on building well-rounded, consistent technique, maximizing your strengths, and developing your own style.

Performance
Rhythm Section and Live Playing Workshops train you to put your playing skills to work on stage with a live band, teaching you the nuts and bolts of performance as you take your style to a new level.

Open Counseling
Informal, small-group lessons let you ask questions, try out new ideas, and jam with your teachers and fellow students.

Seminars/Guest Artists
Regular clinics, seminars, and concerts feature some of the greatest guitarists in the world.

Classes
Core and elective classes taught by outstanding instructors build you into a skilled, well-rounded player capable of understanding and performing virtually any style of contemporary music. A partial list includes:

Single String Improvisation
Rhythm Guitar
Harmony & Theory
Ear Training
Reading
Acoustic Guitar
Blues Guitar
Jazz Guitar
Metal Guitar
Slide Guitar
Guitar Heroes of the 60’s and 70’s
Acid Jazz/Funk Guitar
Twang Guitar
Instrument Maintenance and Repair
Applied Rock Improvisation
Recording Guitar
Afro-Cuban Guitar
Funk Guitar
Non-Certificate: MI’s Encore Program is a non-certificate option for students of bass, guitar, keyboards, drums, and voice. Working closely with the Encore Coordinator, Encore students create a personalized ten-week schedule drawn from the wide range of lessons, classes, performance workshops and other activities available for each instrument (students may also combine different instrument classes subject to availability). There are no required courses and grading is optional. All instruments, styles and levels are available and classes start every quarter.

The Encore Program includes:

Private Lessons
As an Encore student, you receive a weekly, one-hour private lesson on your primary instrument with a private instructor hand-picked to match your personal style and level. The instructor works with you in the areas of your choice, guiding you during your program while also providing you with enough information and inspiration to keep you working long after you leave (requests for private lessons with a specific MI instructor will be accommodated subject to instructor availability).

Personal Schedule
Before beginning classes, the Encore Coordinator will counsel you on course selections and arrange for a placement profile to determine the course levels for which you qualify. You may choose any combination of courses normally available to students at your level equal to a full-time credit load of fifteen units. We’ve found that students who set clear-cut goals accomplish much more in a limited amount of time, so the Coordinator will assist you in defining the results you wish to achieve. See the current Course Catalog for information on particular classes you may want to attend.

Access to Facilities
While you’re an Encore student, you’ll enjoy all of the privileges available to our students, including 24-hour access to MI’s facilities for practice and rehearsal, use of the video library, admission to special clinics and seminars, and participation in open counseling and live performance workshops.

Additional Encore information:

- State and federal financial aid are not available to students who are not enrolled in Certificate or Degree programs.

- Most core classes available to entering Encore students during January and July quarters are at an intermediate-to-advanced level. January or July enrollment is not advisable for beginning-level Encore students. Consult with the Encore Advisor before making your decision.

- All courses are not offered every quarter. Courses specific to Baccalaureate and non-instrument-based Certificate programs (as well as certain other courses offered by instrument-based Certificate and AA programs) are not available for Encore enrollment. Before enrolling, consult with the Encore Coordinator to confirm the availability of the specific courses you wish to attend.

- Encore students are entitled to the curriculum, materials and other resources applicable to the courses included in their enrollment schedule only.

- Encore students are responsible for all applicable fees

- Courses taken during an Encore session do not earn course credit, and attendance or completion of any course does not subsequently guarantee advanced placement in a Certificate or Degree program.
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An acoustic guitar is a guitar that uses only acoustic methods to project the sound produced by its strings. The term is a retronym, coined after the advent of electric guitars, which depend on electronic amplification to make their sound audible.

In all types of guitars the sound is produced by the vibration of the strings. However, because the string can only displace a small amount of air, the volume of the sound needs to be increased in order to be heard. In an acoustic guitar, this is accomplished by using a soundboard and a resonant cavity, the sound box. The body of the guitar is hollow. The vibrating strings drive the soundboard through the bridge, making it vibrate. The soundboard has a larger surface area and thus displaces a larger volume of air, producing a much louder sound than the strings alone.

As the soundboard vibrates, sound waves are produced from both the front and back faces. The sound box provides both a support for the sound board and a resonant cavity and reflector for the sound waves produced on the back face of the soundboard. The air in this cavity resonates with the vibrational modes of the string (see Helmholtz resonance), increasing the volume of the sound again. The back of the guitar will also vibrate to a lesser extent, driven by the air in the cavity. Some sound is ultimately projected through the sound hole[1] (some variants of the acoustic guitar omit this hole, or have f holes, like a violin family instrument). This sound mixes with the sound produced by the front face of the soundboard. The resultant sound is a complex mixture of harmonics that give the guitar its distinctive sound.

An example of the sounds which an Acoustic Guitar can create through vibration of it's strings. This guitar uses steel strings.

No amplification actually occurs in this process, in the sense that no energy is externally added to increase the loudness of the sound (as would be the case with an electronic amplifier). All the energy is provided by the plucking of the string. The function of the entire acoustic system is to maximize intensity of sound, but since total energy remains constant, this comes at the expense of decay time. An unamplified guitar (one with no soundboard at all) would have a low volume, but the strings would vibrate much longer, like a tuning fork. This is because a damped harmonic oscillator decays exponentially, with a mean life inversely proportional to the damping, i.e. the more the volume is increased by the soundboard, the shorter the resulting sound will last.
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