Guitar Courses

Guitar Ensemble

ENGT-200
1
Course Chair
Kim Perlak
Semesters Offered
Fall, Spring, Summer
Required Of
None
Electable By
Guitar principals
Prerequisites
None
Department
GUIT
Location
Boston Campus
Performing groups for guitar principals. Offered in stylistically delineated sections, including jazz, rock, metal, acoustic pop, funk, fusion, and blues, this course focuses on development of performance skills in the specified style. Students should consult the Guitar Department in order to enroll in the appropriate section.

Jazz Guitar Trio

ENGT-233
1
Course Chair
Kim Perlak
Semesters Offered
Fall, Spring
Required Of
None
Electable By
Guitar principals
Prerequisites
ILGT-119
Department
GUIT
Location
Boston Campus
This ensemble will aid the student in performing in a jazz trio setting of guitar, acoustic bass, and drum set. Topics will range from idiomatic introductions and endings; challenging standard tunes/melodies; single note, octave, and chord soloing; soloing in double stops; solo introductions (rubato and in tempo); trading fours; comping for bass solos; reharmonization considerations; modulation/transposition for variation of color; fingerstyle/pick considerations; and attaining a good sound.

Classical Guitar Repertoire

ENGT-280
1
Course Chair
Kim Perlak
Semesters Offered
Fall, Spring
Required Of
None
Electable By
Guitar principals
Prerequisites
None
Department
GUIT
Location
Boston Campus
An ensemble for aspiring classical guitarists of all levels, based on the traditional repertoire class, where standard and lesser-known works of guitar literature are performed, coached, and discussed. Students will regularly perform level-appropriate pieces agreed upon with the instructor, and through these performances, the class will provide a survey of guitar literature. Coaching will cover issues of classical guitar performance such as tone, technique, musicality, interpretation, and style. The course will also include study of major classical guitarists and their recordings.

Classical Guitar Chamber Music Ensemble

ENGT-281
1
Course Chair
Kim Perlak
Semesters Offered
Fall, Spring
Required Of
None
Electable By
Guitar principals
Prerequisites
None
Department
GUIT
Location
Boston Campus

An intermediate level ensemble focusing on the rehearsal, recording, and performance of literature written or transcribed for classical guitar.

Guitar Artist Ensemble

ENGT-340
1
Course Chair
Kim Perlak
Semesters Offered
Fall, Spring, Summer
Required Of
None
Electable By
Guitar principals
Prerequisites
Written approval of course instructor
Department
GUIT
Location
Boston Campus
In-depth approach to guitar performance, with each section of the course dedicated to signature repertoire and vocabulary of specific artists. Students will focus on the artist's harmonic, melodic, and rhythmic styles. Students should consult the Guitar Department in order to enroll in the appropriate section.

Classical Guitar Chamber Music Ensemble 2

ENGT-381
1
Course Chair
Kim Perlak
Semesters Offered
Fall, Spring
Required Of
None
Electable By
Guitar principals
Prerequisites
ENGT-281
Department
GUIT
Location
Boston Campus
Sight-reading and performing more advanced literature written or transcribed for classical guitar.

Guitar Performance Skills for the Non-Guitar Principal

ILGT-115
1
Course Chair
Kim Perlak
Semesters Offered
Fall, Spring, Summer
Required Of
None
Electable By
All
Prerequisites
None
Department
GUIT
Location
Boston Campus

A lab for the non-guitar principal focusing on technique for the development of basic lead, comping, and soloing skills for effective performance. Students are required to provide their own acoustic or electric guitar.

Guitar Styles Skills Labs

ILGT-119
1
Course Chair
Kim Perlak
Semesters Offered
Fall, Spring, Summer
Required Of
None
Electable By
Guitar principals
Prerequisites
None
Department
GUIT
Location
Boston Campus
Instrumental labs for guitar principals with a minimum of second-semester standing. Offered in stylistically delineated sections (jazz, rock, funk, fusion, blues), these labs develop performance skills in the specified style.

Guitar Comping and Soloing in Odd Meters

ILGT-213
1
Course Chair
Kim Perlak
Semesters Offered
Fall, Spring
Required Of
None
Electable By
Guitar principals
Prerequisites
None
Department
GUIT
Location
Boston Campus

A course developed to aid guitarists in negotiating odd and compound meters. The student will explore meters based on groupings of 5, 7, 9, and 11 through a graduated series of exercises, ‚études, class demonstration, and participation. Some knowledge of chord voicings and the ability to solo over chord changes is strongly recommended, but not essential.

Bottleneck Blues Lab

ILGT-215
1
Course Chair
Kim Perlak
Semesters Offered
Fall, Spring
Required Of
None
Electable By
Guitar principals
Prerequisites
None
Department
GUIT
Location
Boston Campus
A weekly one-hour departmental lab to develop skills and repertoire in the traditional bottleneck blues guitar style.

Creative Applications for Proficiency Materials

ILGT-217
1
Course Chair
Kim Perlak
Semesters Offered
Fall, Spring
Required Of
None
Electable By
Guitar principals
Prerequisites
ILGT-119
Department
GUIT
Location
Boston Campus
This lab will explore creative applications for Guitar Department final exam materials with emphasis on improvisation, accompaniment, and composition in non-jazz contexts, including use of triadic and drone-based modal vamps to assist utilizing the less familiar modes in melodic minor, harmonic minor, and harmonic major; improvisation over common and nonfunctional harmony; and comping, voice leading, and voicing creation.

Guitarmony 1

ILGT-223
1
Course Chair
Kim Perlak
Semesters Offered
Fall, Spring
Required Of
None
Electable By
Guitar principals
Prerequisites
ILGT-119
Department
GUIT
Location
Boston Campus
Complete enharmonic examination of four-note structures beginning with drop 2 type voicings and including various tension additions and substitutions. Different voice-leading concepts will be introduced resulting in an enriched vertical and horizontal harmonic awareness by students.

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