Guitar Performance Techniques from Coursera

What's inside

Syllabus

Welcome to Guitar Performance Techniques!

Welcome to the course! Here we will cover all the details about the course and what you'll need to know to get the most out of your experience.

Warming Up

In this lesson, we begin by learning how to warm up for a rehearsal or performance. Warming up effectively is essential to play your best, and you'll find that it will enhance all of your skills in an ensemble setting. It will help you to play more relaxed, get a better tone, improve your time, intonation, articulation, and allow you to focus on listening.

Developing Your Ears

This lesson focuses on the skills needed to develop “good ears.” Musicians who develop “good ears” are able to adapt to any musical situation, even when they do not know the song, key, or form. We will go over exercises to improve our ears and we will practice learning melodies and identifying chords by ear.

Tone Production Essentials: Developing Your Touch on the Guitar

This lesson will focus on key elements to develop your unique and personal sound on the guitar. We will discuss how the pick can be used to adjust four essential elements of your guitar sound: timbre, dynamics, note duration, and intonation. These four essential elements, when practiced with focus, will take you on the path to having a great touch and unique approach to sound and tone.

Performance Preparation

In this lesson, we'll prepare for a performance. Being prepared for a rehearsal or gig can help to create a relaxed atmosphere and better overall performance experience. We will discuss developing a performance checklist as well the importance of knowing your gear. Finally, we'll highlight the importance of listening and blending on stage.

Good to know

Know what's good

, what to watch for

, and possible dealbreakers

Develops practical and essential skills to play well with others in any ensemble situation

Builds foundational skills for ensemble playing

Teaches essential warm-up techniques that enhance all ensemble skills

Enhances accuracy, tone, and intonation

Helps guitarists interact confidently in group settings

Reviews summary

Excellent guitar performance techniques course

According to students, this guitar performance techniques course is well received, with excellent instruction and challenging but rewarding assignments. Students say the course is well-structured and engaging, helping them improve their guitar playing and prepare for live performances. Many students appreciate the practical tips and knowledgeable instructor.

Well-structured and engaging

"Informative course. Well laid lessons. Thanks."

"Great to share the knowledge - I think I can become better in the ensemble / jamming situation now. Thanks!"

"Nice and useful course for guitar players."

Valuable information for guitarists

"There is so much useful information and valuable musical insight."

"This course has given me a lot of things."

"a great course which shows little but essential details about guitar playing"

Instructor is supportive and engaging

"Excellent course with Tim Miller !"

"Congrats and thank you! "

"Too awesome, extremely knowledgeable, a must-taking course."

Assignments improve guitar skills

"Excellent course that definitely makes one work."

"It was very challenging but amazing!! I loved this course and the instructor was very cool!"

"What a great course. I've learned practical ways of preparing for a gig; from effective warm-ups to what-to-bring-to-a-gig."

Assignments can be challenging

"I thought the assignments here need some improvement."

"The final assignment for week 1 is much too difficult"

"And to top it off, the final exam of week 4 asks the player to improvise a 12-bar blues solo over chords when no part of this course has once talked about soloing, improvisation techniques, soloing over the blues, nothing."

Activities

Be better prepared before your course. Deepen your understanding during and after it. Supplement your coursework and achieve mastery of the topics covered in Guitar Performance Techniques with these activities:

Review basic music theory

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Develop the essential skills that are needed to play guitar

Browse courses on Music Theory

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Review the notes on the guitar neck
Practice reading and writing simple rhythms
Identify the basic major and minor chords

Practice your scales and arpeggios

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Warming up your fingers and practicing scales and arpeggios will help you improve your dexterity and accuracy.

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Choose a scale or arpeggio to practice.
Play the scale or arpeggio slowly and deliberately.
Increase the speed gradually as you become more comfortable.

Watch tutorials on guitar techniques

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Watching tutorials can help you learn new techniques and improve your playing skills.

Browse courses on Guitar Techniques

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Find a tutorial on a technique that you want to learn.
Watch the tutorial carefully and follow the instructions.
Practice the technique regularly.

Four other activities

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Metronome practice

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Improve your timing and accuracy

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Set the metronome to a slow tempo
Practice playing simple rhythms along with the metronome
Gradually increase the speed of the metronome

Join a guitar practice group

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Playing with other musicians can help you improve your timing and listening skills.

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Find a practice group that is open to new members.
Attend practice sessions regularly.
Participate in the group discussions and activities.

Record yourself playing guitar

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Recording yourself can help you identify areas where you need to improve.

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Set up a recording device.
Play a song or piece that you are working on.
Listen to the recording and identify areas where you can improve.

Record and share a performance of a piece of music

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Showcase your skills and get feedback from others

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Choose a piece of music to perform
Practice and prepare for the performance
Record your performance and share it with others

Career center

Learners who complete Guitar Performance Techniques will develop knowledge and skills that may be useful to these careers:

Music Teacher

A Music Teacher is an educator who leads group instruction in music theory and performance. Whether instructing a school choir or giving private guitar lessons, a Music Teacher must excel at leading group musical experiences. This course, Guitar Performance Techniques, will help Music Teachers prepare for these collaborations by providing skills such as ear training, tone production, and ensemble playing. The skills taught in this course may also be useful for designing effective lesson plans that encourage students to play harmoniously and develop their own musicality.

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Music Director

A Music Director oversees the musical aspects of a production, such as a play, film, or video game. This role is responsible for leading rehearsals, selecting and adapting music, and working with musicians to achieve the desired musical outcome. The Guitar Performance Techniques course can provide Music Directors with the skills they need to lead and collaborate with other musicians effectively. The course will help Music Directors develop their ear training, tone production, and ensemble playing skills.

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Session Musician

Session Musicians are hired to play on recording sessions for a variety of projects, such as albums, film scores, and commercials. They must be able to quickly learn and adapt to different musical styles and genres. This course, Guitar Performance Techniques, can help Session Musicians develop the skills they need to succeed in this role. The course will help them improve their ear training, tone production, and ensemble playing skills.

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Guitarist

Guitarists perform music on the guitar as soloists or as part of a band or ensemble. They may also teach guitar lessons or work as session musicians. This course, Guitar Performance Techniques, will help Guitarists develop the skills they need to succeed in these roles. The course will help them improve their ear training, tone production, and ensemble playing skills.

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Audio Engineer

Audio Engineers are responsible for recording, mixing, and mastering audio for a variety of projects, such as albums, film scores, and podcasts. They must have a strong understanding of music theory and production techniques. This course, Guitar Performance Techniques, may be useful for Audio Engineers who want to develop their skills in working with musicians and creating high-quality recordings.

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Music Producer

Music Producers oversee the creative and technical aspects of music production. They work with artists and musicians to develop and refine their sound, and they may also be responsible for managing budgets and timelines. This course, Guitar Performance Techniques, may be useful for Music Producers who want to develop their skills in working with musicians and creating high-quality recordings.

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Music Therapist

A Music Therapist uses music to help people improve their physical, emotional, and cognitive health. They may work with individuals or groups in a variety of settings, such as hospitals, schools, and rehabilitation centers. This course, Guitar Performance Techniques, may be useful for Music Therapists who want to develop their skills in using music to help others.

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Sound Designer

Sound Designers create and mix sounds for a variety of media, such as film, television, and video games. They must have a strong understanding of acoustics and sound engineering techniques. This course, Guitar Performance Techniques, may be useful for Sound Designers who want to develop their skills in creating and mixing sounds for different media.

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Composer

Composers create original music for a variety of purposes, such as film scores, video games, and commercials. They must have a strong understanding of music theory and composition techniques. This course, Guitar Performance Techniques, may be useful for Composers who want to develop their skills in writing and arranging music for different ensembles.

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Music Journalist

Music Journalists write about music for a variety of publications, such as newspapers, magazines, and websites. They must have a strong understanding of music theory and journalism techniques. This course, Guitar Performance Techniques, may be useful for Music Journalists who want to develop their skills in writing about music.

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Music Publisher

Music Publishers acquire and license music rights for use in various media, such as film, television, and advertising. They must have a strong understanding of the music industry and copyright law. This course, Guitar Performance Techniques, may be useful for Music Publishers who want to develop their skills in acquiring and licensing music rights.

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Music Promoter

Music Promoters promote and organize concerts and other music events. They must have a strong understanding of the music industry and marketing techniques. This course, Guitar Performance Techniques, may be useful for Music Promoters who want to develop their skills in promoting and organizing music events.

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Arranger

Arrangers adapt existing music for different instruments or ensembles. They must have a strong understanding of music theory and orchestration techniques. This course, Guitar Performance Techniques, may be useful for Arrangers who want to develop their skills in adapting music for different ensembles.

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Music Librarian

Music Librarians are responsible for organizing and cataloging music collections in libraries and other institutions. They must have a strong understanding of music theory and library science. This course, Guitar Performance Techniques, may be useful for Music Librarians who want to develop their skills in organizing and cataloging music.

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Music Critic

Music Critics write reviews and articles about music for a variety of publications, such as newspapers, magazines, and websites. They must have a strong understanding of music theory and criticism techniques. This course, Guitar Performance Techniques, may be useful for Music Critics who want to develop their skills in writing about music.

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