Guitar for Beginners Certificate Program
Go from guitar novice to more confident instrumentalist. With personalized feedback from a touring guitarist, you'll be able to play complete songs in a variety of styles, create chord progressions, and solo in any key.
Taught by a world-class guitarist and educator, the Guitar for Beginners certificate program consists of three four-week courses designed for adults and teens. The program can be completed at a pace that works for you and offers a unique opportunity to delve deeper into your craft while showcasing your achievements with a credential from Interlochen—an impressive addition to your résumé, college application, or LinkedIn profile.
For students under 18, the Guitar for Beginners certificate program is also an engaging way to earn high school credit. It’s ideal for students looking to challenge themselves beyond their school curriculum or to supplement their homeschool studies.
The following three guitar courses make up the certificate program, and must be taken in sequential order:
Guitar for Beginners 1
✔ Build and play popular chords, in addition to the major and pentatonic scales
✔ Develop your time and rhythm by learning how to count beats and use a metronome
✔ Use basic fingerpicking technique
✔ Develop your tone and use of dynamics
✔ Play beginner popular songs
Guitar for Beginners 2
✔ Fluidly play the E minor pentatonic scale forwards and backwards, applying it to create melodic phrases and solos
✔ Demonstrate proficiency in playing the moveable major scale across all 12 keys, facilitating improvisation and musical exploration in different tonalities
✔ Execute chord progressions from hit songs with confidence, incorporating rhythmic variations and smooth transitions between chords
✔ Master power and barre chords, enabling the ability to play complex chord structures essential for rock, pop, and other contemporary music genres
Guitar for Beginners 3
✔ Play major and minor pentatonic scales in three octaves using sliding patterns
✔ Use the formulas for constructing dominant 7, minor 7, major 7, slash, and extended chords, and play these chords to enhance your repertoire
✔ Apply the circle of fifths to find chords in any key and create chord progressions
✔ Play classical and contemporary pieces and create original riffs and melodies
Learn and save: Students who enroll in the certificate program will receive a discounted rate by registering for all three online creative writing classes as a package.
Certificate programs comprise three four-week courses, providing deeper training in an artistic discipline or area of study. Students who enroll in a certificate program will receive a discounted rate by registering for all three courses as a package.
Each Interlochen Online course is designed to be inspiring and flexible with weekly learning units that combine video segments and guided instruction that you can complete on your own schedule. Combined with that learning is an optional weekly hour-long video class meeting, where you can learn from you instructor and interact with fellow students in real-time. You will also interact regularly with your instructor and peers through messaging inside the learning environment, including receiving personalized feedback on your work from your instructor.
Upon completion of the program, you will receive a physical certificate and a shareable digital certificate. Certificates for students under 18 are accredited by the Independent Schools Association of the Central States (ISACS); high school-age students will also receive an official transcript to share with their current school for consideration for high school credit.
Guitar for Beginners Certificate Program
Tuition
$897 $799
Ages
Teens: Grades 6-12
Adult Learners: 18+
Questions? Speak with an Advisor.
Email: online@interlochen.org
Phone: 231.276.5990
You can also schedule an appointment.
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