Learn to Play Guitar Essentials

Amanda Azan

Intro to Technology in Music

MUS2360-01

December 4, 2007

What does this program do?

Learn to Play Guitar Essentials is ideal for beginning guitar players. Whether you are an aspiring musician wanting classical guitar training or an ambitious rock-and-roller looking for more traditional instruction, this program will help you to achieve your goals in an effective, easy, and fun way.

What else does it do?

Every chord is featured both visually and audibly so that you can learn quickly and check your progress along the way.

There is also a built in tuner to make sure your notes are right each and every time.

How is it affective in Music Therapy?

As a Music Therapy Major, learning to play the acoustic guitar is an essential requirement. In the addition of practicing your principal instrument at a university, students must treat the guitar as their other principal instrument.

Sometimes, students need extra help with forming chords, learning to tune, and gaining confidence on the guitar.

This program is a quick and easy way for students to increase their abilities on guitar.

Music Therapy…continued

In addition, many songs that we play have difficult fingering patterns. By learning alternate fingerings for chords, it can make learning and memorizing songs much easier for a Music Therapist.

How to Get Started?

First, insert the CD-ROM and install the program.

Once the program is installed, click on the desktop item named “ISB Guitar Tutor One”. It should be a yellow icon.

Click on the screen that says INTERACTIVE SONGBOOK to start the program and begin learning guitar!

ISB Guitar Chord Tutor One

What should I click???

Once you’re on the main screen, you have the option of doing many things.

Yellow Button (tools) = Control Panel Red Button (X) = Exit the Program Purple Button (?) = Help! Quick Guitar Guide Start learning chords…pick a key!

Learning Chords

Once you click on a key, a screen like this one will show up.

By clicking on an option at the bottom (ex. D(1)) you will hear the chord, see how to play it, and be provided a fingering chart.

Learning Chords continued…

On the bottom left hand side there are three gray buttons. The first one will repeat the sound of the chord, the second will arpeggiate the chord, and the third will provide a tuner.

At the top, there is a up and down arrow, which will allow you to decide which chords you want to learn in that key. (Ex. All A chords in the Key of D Major)

More on Learning Chords

If you want to hear what each string should sound like once your fingers are set on the fretboard, you can click on each string individually and it will sound.

If it has an “X”, then you won’t hear anything.

If it has an “O”, then you will hear the open string.

Need Help? Go to Quick Guitar Guide!

What else is there?

When you want try out a different key, just click the yellow checkmark, and it will take you back to the homepage.

Questions???