Great For students of all levels
Music Theory for GuitarGain a deeper understanding of the fretboard and how music “works” through the lens of the guitar.
Learn To THink like a musician
Have you ever wondered how other guitarists can hear a song for the first time and learn it by ear like it’s a magic trick? Or how they add embellishments or improvisations to songs on the fly? The key to quickly learning how to play a song is understanding why music works the way it does. In Music Theory for Guitar, you’ll learn all this and more. By the end of the class you’ll gain a deeper understanding of how music works through the lens of the guitar.
You’ll learn:
- Learning the fretboard (find all notes by using octave shapes)
- Recognizing intervals and their relationships (single string studies)
- Triads on the top 3 strings (major, minor, diminished, and augmented)
- Understanding functional harmony (how chords are built and how they tend to progress)
- Improvising (minor pentatonic from the 6th scale degree of a key)
- Learn Melodies by ear to build a better connection to your instrument
- Further study: 7th chords, arpeggios, modes, and phrasing
Music Theory for Guitar
Wednesdays at 5pm (90 minutes)
5 weeks 5/1 – 5/29
$225
*Students must enroll in entire series. No credits or refunds will be given for missed classes.
Meet your Instructor
Jamey Cummins
“To me, being a musician means constantly honing and evolving your craft. There is no finish line in music and therefore always something new to learn every time you pick up your instrument. With teaching, I try to meet the student at their level, assess their goals, and help put them on a path towards achieving those goals. I hope that my students leave lessons feeling inspired to play, practice, and keep expanding their knowledge. When it comes to the guitar I try to stress the importance of understanding the fundamentals that go beyond the instrument so that when they go to apply a musical technique they don’t get stuck in muscle memory.
I studied music at Blackhawk college, jazz studies at the University of Iowa, and attended several music-education events around the country such as: guitar sessions at Berklee College of Music and Django in June in Northampton MA. As a jazz guitarist, I’ve been invited to perform all over the country at festivals such as Redwood Coast in Eureka CA, Denver Vintage Jazz Festival, Bix Beiderbecke memorial jazz festival in Davenport IA, and the Detroit Jazz Festival among several others.
From Davenport Iowa, I’m inspired by all sorts of things from comedy, film, basketball, and of course the music of all genres. I love when the unexpected happens in the creative process and something becomes much more than you anticipated!”