Being confident within your own Guitar Playing really means being able to play anywhere…in-front of anyone.
The fastest way to raise you confidence to this level is to know your instrument well.
The benefit of the quiet confidence that comes from knowing your instrument well is really beyond measure.
Learning to play Guitar should be fun… it should also be progressive and productive…
As well as the options of a tailored song orientated fun based approach… The option to sit exams through Rock School.
The Guitar Studio offers a graded approach starting at the initial “White Pick Level” and going through to “Black Pick Level”.
Each level encompasses songs of you choice (at an appropriate level of difficulty) and a bunch of scales and and other Fretboard harmony related exercises… At the completion of each level the student receives a certificate stating their are competent at that level.
The Syllabus can be tailored throughout, stylistically towards your individual taste in Music.
Level 1
Level 1 (Red Pick) 3 songs of your choice at an appropriate level of difficulty.
As well as... (These should be played at 80 beats per minute (bpm) in a straight feel: quarter notes)
Group A Scales 1 octave
• C major scale
• A natural minor scale
• E & A minor pentatonic scales
Group B Chords:
• Power chords: B5, A5, G5 Two note chords to be played as a continuous sequence
• Major chords: A, D & E
• Minor chords: Am, Dm & Em
Group C Riff.
The riff is played over a four bar backing track. The initial riff pattern is given and
Students are asked to complete the riff by playing the same pattern over a different chord in the subsequent three bars.
Level 2
Level 2 (Yellow Pick) 3 songs of your choice at an appropriate level of difficulty.
As well as... (These should be played at 100 bpm in a straight feel: quarter notes)
Group A Scales 1 octave
• C & G major scales
• E & A natural minor scale
• C & G minor pentatonic scales
Group B Chords:
• Power chords: B5, A5, G5 Three note chords to be played as a continuous sequence
• Major chords: C, F & G
• Minor chords: Am7, Dm7 & Em7
Group C Riff.
The riff is played over an eight bar backing track. The initial riff pattern is given
(two bars) and the Student is asked to complete the riff by moving the same pattern on to the
indicated root of a different chord over the subsequent bars.
Level 3
Level 3 (Orange Pick) 3 songs of you choice at an appropriate level of difficulty.
As well as...
These should be played at 60 bpm in a straight feel: eighth notes
Group A Scales 2 octaves: to be prepared in the keys of G, A and B
• Major scales
• Natural minor scale
• Minor pentatonic scales
• Blues Scales
Group B Arpeggios 2 octaves to be prepared in the keys of G, A and B
• Major arpeggios
• Minor arpeggios
Group C Chords:
• Barre chords: G, Am, Bm to be played as a continuous sequence
• Dominant 7 chords: A7, C7, D7 & E7 to be prepared in open position or in barre chord form
Group D Riff. The riff is played over an eight bar backing track. The initial riff pattern is given
(two bars) and the Student is asked to complete the riff by moving the same pattern on to the
indicated root of a different chord over the subsequent bars.
Level 4
Level 4 (Green Pick) 3 songs of you choice at an appropriate level of difficulty.
As well as…
These should be played at 80 bpm in a straight feel: eighth notes
Group A Scales 2 octaves to be prepared chromatically in the keys of G-B, root note 6th string and
C-E, root note 5th string
• Major scales
• Natural minor scale
• Major pentatonic scales
• Minor pentatonic scales
• Blues Scales
Group B Arpeggios 2 octaves to be prepared in the same keys as the scales above
• Minor 7 arpeggios
• Dominant 7 arpeggios
Group C Chords
• Extended barre chords: Bm7, A7, G. Play as a continuous sequence
Group D Riff. The riff is played over an eight bar backing track.
The initial riff pattern is given (two bars) and the Student is asked to complete the riff by moving the same pattern on to the
indicated root of a different chord over the subsequent bars.
Level 5
Level 5 (Blue Pick) 3 songs of you choice at an appropriate level of difficulty.
As well as…
These should be played at 100 bpm in a straight feel: eighth notes
Group A Scales 2 octaves to be prepared chromatically in the keys of G-B, root note 6th string
• Minor pentatonic scales
Group B Arpeggios 2 octaves to be prepared chromatically in the keys C-E, root note 5th string
• Major arpeggios
• Minor arpeggios
• Minor 7 arpeggios
• Dominant 7 arpeggios
Group C Chords
• Root 5th string barre chords: C, Dm, Em7, F, G. Play as a continuous sequence
Group D Legato Study.
Students should prepare the eight bar legato study to be performed with a backing track.
Level 6
Grade 6 (Purple Pick) 3 songs of you choice at an appropriate level of difficulty.
As well as…
These should be played at 60 bpm in a straight feel: sixteenth notes
Group A Scales & Modes 2 octaves to be prepared chromatically in the keys of G-B, root note 6th string
• Ionian, Dorian and Phrygian modes. The candidate should prepare all and they will be asked
to play as pairs: Ionian-Dorian or Dorian-Phrygian
• Diminished scales
• Harmonic Minor scales
Group B Arpeggios 2 octaves to be prepared in the keys as above, root note 6th string
• Major 7 arpeggios
• Minor 7b5 arpeggios
• Diminished 7 arpeggios
• Dominant 7 triplet arpeggios
Group C Chords: play as a continuous sequence.
• Root 6th string chords: Gmaj7, Bbdim, F#7b5, Gmaj7. Sequence to be prepared chromatically
in keys G-B
• Root 5th string chords: Cmaj7, Ebdim Bm7b5, Cmaj7. Sequence to be prepared chromatically
in keys C-E
Group D Tapping Study.
Students should prepare the eight bar tapping study to be performed with a backing track.
Level 7
Grade 7 (Brown Pick) 3 songs of you choice at an appropriate level of difficulty.
As well as…
These should be played at 70 bpm in a straight feel: sixteenth notes
Group A Scales & Modes 2 octaves to be prepared chromatically in the keys of G-B, root note 6th string
• Lydian, Mixolydian and Aeolian modes. To be prepared consecutively
• Chromatic scales
• Whole Tone scales
Group B Arpeggios 2 octaves to be prepared chromatically in the keys C-E, root note 5th string
• Major 7 arpeggios
• Minor 7 arpeggios
• Dominant 7 arpeggios
• Diminished 7 triplet arpeggios
Group C Chords: play as a continuous sequence.
• Sequence 1 Root 6th string chords: Gmaj9, Em9, Am9, D9. Sequence to be prepared chromatically
in keys G-B
•Sequence 2 Root 5th string chords: Cmaj9, Am9, Dm9, G9. Sequence to be prepared chromatically
in keys C-E
Group D Harmonics Study.
Students should prepare the eight bar harmonics study. To be played with a backing track.
Level 8
Level 8 (Black Pick) 3 songs of you choice at an appropriate level of difficulty.
As well as…
These should be played at 80 bpm in a straight feel: sixteenth notes
Group A Scales & Modes 2 octaves to be prepared chromatically in the keys of G-B, root note 6th string
• Ionian, Dorian, Phrygian, Lydian, Mixolydian & Aeolian modes. To be played as three
consecutive scales from a note and mode given by the examiner.
Group B Arpeggios 2 octaves to be prepared in the keys as above, root note 6th string
• Dominant 7#5 arpeggios
• Dominant 7b5 arpeggios
• Minor 7#5 arpeggios
Group C Chords: play as a continuous sequence.
• Sequence 1 Root 6th string chords: Am7#5, D7b5, D7#5, G. Sequence to be prepared
chromatically in keys G-B
• Sequence 2 Root 5th string chords: Dm7#5, G7b5, G7#5, C. Sequence to be prepared
chromatically in keys C-E
Group D Sweep picking study. Students should prepare the eight bar sweep picking study.
To be played with a backing track.
