Children’s Guitar (Beginner) Course Overview

Students will learn to read notes and chord charts while playing familiar riffs, songs, and chord progressions. Regular practice between classes helps students reinforce what they are learning, build finger strength and coordination, and become more comfortable playing the guitar.

The learning objectives below show how skills are developed and built upon throughout the class. Teachers may adjust pacing based on the number of class meetings and the needs of each group.

Getting Comfortable with the Guitar

• Learning the parts of the guitar and how to hold the instrument and pick
• Learning how to tune the guitar
• Developing finger strength and coordination through simple warm-up exercises
• Reading beginning notes and chord diagrams
• Playing familiar riffs and short musical patterns
• Learning beginning chords
• Strumming simple whole-note and quarter-note patterns

Beginning to Play Chords and Songs

• Learning additional chords
• Moving smoothly between basic chords
• Playing simple strumming patterns with a steady beat
• Beginning to identify and play notes on the guitar
• Playing familiar riffs and songs that reinforce chords, rhythm, and coordination
• Developing confidence playing independently and with the group

Building Reading and Playing Skills

• Reading and playing short melodic examples
• Expanding strumming patterns
• Learning additional chords and chord progressions
• Playing a basic blues progression and beginning blues riffs
• Exploring arpeggio picking
• Learning additional songs based on the interests and progress of the class

The skills developed in this beginner class are reinforced and expanded in Guitar (Continuing Beginner), where students continue developing chord changes, strumming, note reading, picking, and learning additional songs.