You’ve got the guitar basics down: You can strum your guitar and play a few of your favorite songs, but you’re ready to take the tunes to the next level. In Guitar Scales and Chord Progressions you’ll expand your knowledge of scales, chord fingerings, and common chord progressions. You’ll also learn important skills for soloing, creating melodies, and adding depth and dimension to your guitar playing.
Offered By
How to Play Guitar SpecializationBerklee College of MusicAbout this Course
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Learner Career Outcomes
10%
got a tangible career benefit from this course
Flexible deadlines
Reset deadlines in accordance to your schedule.
Shareable Certificate
Earn a Certificate upon completion
100% online
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Course 2 of 4 in the
Intermediate Level
Learners should complete "Guitar for Beginners" before enrolling in this course.
Approx. 15 hours to complete
English
Subtitles: French, Portuguese (European), Russian, English, Spanish
What you will learn
Play scales in a moveable open position
Identify and play major, minor, diminished, and augmented arpeggios
Add rhythmic timing to arpeggios and strumming to enhance your playing
Skills you will gain
TablatureMusic notationGuitar scalesGuitar chordsGuitar
Learner Career Outcomes
10%
got a tangible career benefit from this course
Flexible deadlines
Reset deadlines in accordance to your schedule.
Shareable Certificate
Earn a Certificate upon completion
100% online
Start instantly and learn at your own schedule.
Course 2 of 4 in the
Intermediate Level
Learners should complete "Guitar for Beginners" before enrolling in this course.
Approx. 15 hours to complete
English
Subtitles: French, Portuguese (European), Russian, English, Spanish
Offered by
Berklee College of Music
Berklee College of Music was founded on the revolutionary principle that the best way to prepare students for careers in music is through the study and practice of contemporary music. For more than half a century, the college has evolved to reflect the state of the art of music and the music business. Berklee serves distance learners worldwide through its award-winning online extension school, Berklee Online.
Syllabus - What you will learn from this course
1 hour to complete
Welcome to Guitar Scales and Chord Progressions!
Welcome to Guitar Scales and Chord Progressions! 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.
1 hour to complete
1 video (Total 2 min), 4 readings, 1 quiz
3 hours to complete
Scales
In this lesson, we'll be learning and practicing the pentatonic scale. First we'll learn the b3 pentatonic scale, then the b7 pentatonic scale, and then we'll learn how to play the scale on one string. We'll also work on improvising using a single string. Finally, we'll practice playing scales in a moveable open position.
3 hours to complete
7 videos (Total 24 min), 4 readings, 2 quizzes
4 hours to complete
Arpeggios
This lesson, we'll be working with arpeggios, which means playing the notes in a chord one at a time. We'll be learning and practicing major, minor, diminished, and augmented arpeggiated chords.
4 hours to complete
6 videos (Total 19 min), 7 readings, 2 quizzes
4 hours to complete
Chords and Progressions
In this lesson, we'll begin practicing chords and popular chord progressions. We'll also begin practicing these progressions with both open and barre chords.
4 hours to complete
6 videos (Total 28 min), 6 readings, 2 quizzes
2 hours to complete
Rhythm
In this final lesson, we will focus on arpeggiated chords and playing them in different rhythms. We will also practice blues scales and finally, put all of these aspects together.
2 hours to complete
7 videos (Total 24 min), 1 reading, 2 quizzes
Reviews
TOP REVIEWS FROM GUITAR SCALES AND CHORD PROGRESSIONS
by ADMay 18, 2020
Teaches major and pentatonic scales, arpeggios, chord progression and 12 bar blues. Essential knowledge for beginners. Lectures are nice and easy to follow. Overall a great course for beginners.
by MRAug 16, 2020
Excellent, very helpful, the instructor was fantastic, I learned a lot. Would appreciate more examples of putting it all together. I enjoyed the process, even with my busy schedule.
by ICJan 27, 2019
Good beginner/early intermediate course which touches on some typical chord progressions and arpeggios and the ionian major scale (but not inversions or other modes and scales)
by AGJun 27, 2020
A good course for a guitarist who knows its basics. The professor taught really well. The course content was also apt and carefully constructed. Overall a good course.
About the How to Play Guitar Specialization
Have you always wanted to play the guitar, but never knew where to start? Whether you’re just picking up the guitar for the first time or you just want to brush up on your skills, the Guitar Techniques specialization created by Berklee College of Music will help you practice the techniques you need to bring your playing to the next level. Throughout this 16-week specialization, you’ll lay a firm foundation by learning and practicing major, minor, and pentatonic scales as well as triads and chords. You’ll also practice improvising, writing melodies and licks, and playing through lead sheets. By the end of this specialization, you’ll have learned the skills and confidence to perform your favorite songs in front of an audience.
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