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Guitar School

Guitar lessons screenshot

Welcome to the Gigajam Guitar School. Get ready to learn to play guitar with our award-winning web-based method.

To get started first download and install the Gigajam Xtractor software, for either Windows or Mac OS X. Read the lesson instructions and watch the Introductory TV Show to get the most from your lessons.

Then open a lesson and have fun learning. When you've completed an exercise you can upload it to your porfolio in your locker.

Technical Exercises

Please practice and upload complete performances for each of the technical exercises in this section when you are ready. Completion contributes to 45% of your award. All of the skills contained in these pieces are developed through the lessons and technical exercises. You will need to demonstrate:

Technical Accomplishment
The extent to which the instrument is effectively controlled.

Musicality
The ability to make sensitive and musical performance decisions.

Musical Knowledge
The synthesis of theoretical, notational and contextual knowledge.

Performance

Please practice and upload performances for each of the songs in this section when you are ready. Completion contributes to 45% of your award. All of the skills contained in these pieces are developed through the lessons and technical exercises. However, you need to play the songs showing:

Technical Accomplishment
The extent to which the instrument is effectively controlled.

Musicality
The ability to make sensitive and musical performance decisions.

Musical Knowledge
The synthesis of theoretical, notational and contextual knowledge.

Communication
The degree to which the performer communicates with and engages the listener through musical performance on their instrument or voice.

Knowledge & Understanding

Please complete the questions in this section when you are ready. Completion contributes to 10% of your award. All of the answers are contained within the course, so please check your understanding of your instrument and the music you have studied so far.

Teacher Verification

Once all the sections of this grade are showing as complete, then please ask your teacher if they will verify the specified technical exercises and performances. You need your teacher to confirm that they have witnessed you perform the specified exercises and performances and that the level of performance is consistent with the level of work evident in this grade of your portfolio. Once complete and verified you can then enter your work to receive your School Music Performance Award.

Teacher Verification

Once all the sections of this grade are showing as complete, then please ask your teacher if they will verify the specified technical exercises and performances. You need your teacher to confirm that they have witnessed you perform the specified exercises and performances and that the level of performance is consistent with the level of work evident in this grade of your portfolio. Once complete and verified you can then enter your work to receive your School Music Performance Award.

Teacher Verification

Once all the sections of this grade are showing as complete, then please ask your teacher if they will verify the specified technical exercises and performances. You need your teacher to confirm that they have witnessed you perform the specified exercises and performances and that the level of performance is consistent with the level of work evident in this grade of your portfolio. Once complete and verified you can then enter your work to receive your School Music Performance Award.

Teacher Verification

Once all the sections of this grade are showing as complete, then please ask your teacher if they will verify the specified technical exercises and performances. You need your teacher to confirm that they have witnessed you perform the specified exercises and performances and that the level of performance is consistent with the level of work evident in this grade of your portfolio. Once complete and verified you can then enter your work to receive your School Music Performance Award.

Teacher Verification

Once all the sections of this grade are showing as complete, then please ask your teacher if they will verify the specified technical exercises and performances. You need your teacher to confirm that they have witnessed you perform the specified exercises and performances and that the level of performance is consistent with the level of work evident in this grade of your portfolio. Once complete and verified you can then enter your work to receive your School Music Performance Award.

Teacher Verification

Once all the sections of this grade are showing as complete, then please ask your teacher if they will verify the specified technical exercises and performances. You need your teacher to confirm that they have witnessed you perform the specified exercises and performances and that the level of performance is consistent with the level of work evident in this grade of your portfolio. Once complete and verified you can then enter your work to receive your School Music Performance Award.

School Music Performance Awards

By completing each of the Technical Exercises, Performances and Knowledge& Understanding sections of this unit of the course, you will be able to receive a nationally recognised qualification for your hard work and achievement. Once each of these sections of the unit are shown as complete, you should ask your teacher if they believe you are ready to have your worked verified, or whether you need to improve some of the submissions.

To qualify for a pass you need to be aiming for scores consistently above 65%, and you can receive a pass with merit for scoring above 75% and a pass with distinction for scores above 85%. When ready ask your teacher to witness you playing the specified technical exercises and performances. Once complete you can enter to receive your School Music Performance Award.

Debut Grade Guitar Lessons

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Guitar Intro Lesson

An introduction to the guitar and how to use Gigajam's lessons and software. If you are new to Gigajam or to the guitar, start here.

Lesson TV show

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Lesson 1: Playing rock chords

Understand the layout of the guitar and how to follow chord boxes. You will be able to play a couple of rock chords with music by the end of this lesson.

Lesson TV show Lesson booklet Lesson

SUBSCRIPTION REQUIRED Lesson 2: Developing rhythms

Learn how to create rhythm using different notes. Play a series of rhythms with your rock chords along with music.

Lesson TV show Lesson booklet
UWLQ Entry Level Award In School Music Performance (Debut) (QCF) Ofqual No. 601/0304/8 ?

Technical Exercises

Performance

Knowledge & Understanding

Teacher Verification

Grade One Guitar Lessons

SUBSCRIPTION REQUIRED Lesson 3: Introducing eighth notes and developing rhythm

You will be developing a good understanding of rhythm and how to read rhythm on the musical stave. You will also learn two new chords to mix with your existing chords.

Lesson TV show Lesson booklet

SUBSCRIPTION REQUIRED Lesson 4: Introducing palm muting

Learn to play great rock chords and the technique of palm muting. You will develop greater control over the sound of the guitar and greater fluency in moving around the guitar neck

Lesson TV show Lesson booklet
UWLQ Level 1 Award In School Music Performance (Grade 1) (QCF) Ofqual No. 601/0300/0 ?

Technical Exercises

Performance

Knowledge & Understanding

Teacher Verification

Grade Two Guitar Lessons

SUBSCRIPTION REQUIRED Lesson 5: Developing palm muting with accents

Sound like a real rock guitarist using all the rhythms and chords learned so far. You will be acquiring the techniques that make you sound like a professional.

Lesson TV show Lesson booklet

SUBSCRIPTION REQUIRED Lesson 6: Developing understanding of the fingerboard

The world of rock chords is wide open for you now, as you are taught how to learn and be able to play every power rock chord there is!

Lesson TV show Lesson booklet

SUBSCRIPTION REQUIRED Lesson 7: Learning new chords

With rock chords in the bag, it is now time to use all your skills to develop playing all the chords you need. This lesson starts you on the journey introducing strumming technique and major and minor chords.

Lesson TV show Lesson booklet
UWLQ Level 1 Award In School Music Performance (Grade 2) (QCF) Ofqual No. 601/0302/4 ?

Technical Exercises

Performance

Knowledge & Understanding

Teacher Verification

Grade Three Guitar Lessons

SUBSCRIPTION REQUIRED Lesson 8: Developing strumming and chord changes

This lesson provides a more in depth look into strumming technique and opens up another world of rhythmic playing for you, whilst learning even more chords for your library.

Lesson TV show Lesson booklet

SUBSCRIPTION REQUIRED Lesson 9: Developing your rock chord library

More chords, developing your rhythm and ability to move fluently around the guitar neck.

Lesson TV show Lesson booklet

SUBSCRIPTION REQUIRED Lesson 10: Performing a song

Learn how to play with a professional band, whilst reading a guitar chart. This lesson focuses on reading and navigating a musical score. When you've finished this lesson you'll be performing at grade three standard.

Lesson TV show Lesson booklet
UWLQ Level 1 Award In School Music Performance (Grade 3) (QCF) Ofqual No. 601/0303/6 ?

Technical Exercises

Performance

Knowledge & Understanding

Teacher Verification

Grade Four Guitar Lessons

SUBSCRIPTION REQUIRED Lesson 11: Introducing sixteenth notes

This lesson introduces sixteenth notes and goes on to develop your rhythmic strumming skills by developing up and down strokes and simple combinations of sixteenth and eighth notes in common rhythms.

Lesson

SUBSCRIPTION REQUIRED Lesson 12: Building our rock guitar library

This lesson completes the library of open chords you need to know before we move onto barre chords in depth in Lessons 13 and 14. You will learn the chords of E7, Em, A7 and Am7.

Lesson

SUBSCRIPTION REQUIRED Lesson 13: Developing barre chords

This lesson begins to open up a world of chords for you by introducing the concept of barre chords. This lesson will focus on creating barre chords rooted from the 6th string. By the end of this lesson you will be able to play E, F, Fm, Fm7, F#, F#m, A, Am, Ab, Am7, A7, G, Gm, G7, G#m, Bb, Bm7, B and C.

Lesson

SUBSCRIPTION REQUIRED Lesson 14: Continuing the study of barre chords

Developing the concept of the creation of barre chords this lesson develops your ability to play barre chords rooted from the 5th string.

Lesson

SUBSCRIPTION REQUIRED Lesson 15: Introducing rests

This lesson starts the study of sound and silence, introducing rests, their symbols and the affect they have on the development, construction and playing of rhythm.

Lesson

SUBSCRIPTION REQUIRED Lesson 16: Introducing dotted notes and ties

This is the second lesson in Level 2 that is devoted to reading and the understanding of rhythm. By the end of this lesson you will be able to read, recognise and play both dotted notes and ties, giving you access to sophisticated rhythmic patterns.

Lesson

SUBSCRIPTION REQUIRED Lesson 17: Introducing 1-4-5 chord progressions

We are laying the groundwork for guitar solo studies that follow in Level 3. Here you will develop your ability to hear, recognise and play a 1-4-5 chord progression.

Lesson

SUBSCRIPTION REQUIRED Lesson 18: Introduction to triplets and triplet feel (12/8 and shuffle)

This is the third lesson in this section devoted predominantly to the understanding of rhythm. Triplet based rhythms are commonly used and need to be understood in order for the modern guitarist to be able to play in a variety of rhythmic and musical styles.

Lesson

SUBSCRIPTION REQUIRED Lesson 19: Introducing lead guitar playing

This lesson points the way to your Level 3 studies and introduces the concept of the minor pentatonic scale, so that you have a basis from which to begin playing guitar solos. To accompany scale knowledge, we also introduce a number of lead guitar techniques so that you will be able to play some guitar solo ‘licks’ by the end of this lesson.

Lesson

SUBSCRIPTION REQUIRED Lesson 20: Performing a song

Continue to learn how to play with a professional band, whilst reading a guitar chart. This lesson focuses on reading and navigating a musical score. When you've finished this lesson you'll be performing at grade four standard.

Lesson
UWLQ Level 2 Certificate In School Music Performance (Grade 4) (QCF) Ofqual No. 601/0359/0 ?

Technical Exercises

Performance

Knowledge & Understanding

Teacher Verification

Grade Five Guitar Lessons

SUBSCRIPTION REQUIRED Lesson 21: Developing lead guitar techniques (hammering on/pulling off)

Part three of the course is devoted to the development of learning to play lead guitar using the techniques learned at the end of part 2, along with some new techniques and some licks. In this lesson we introduce the skills of Hammering on and pulling off and integrate these into some useful licks.

Lesson

SUBSCRIPTION REQUIRED Lesson 22: Improvisation Part 1 (the extended pattern)

In this lesson we will start by building our musical theory and show how this relates to our ability to play lead guitar. We will develop the skill of playing the extended A minor pentatonic scale and learn to play licks all around the extended pattern. We will develop the understanding of identifying the root note, as this will become very useful as we progress.

Lesson

SUBSCRIPTION REQUIRED Lesson 23: Improvisation Part 2 (introducing the blues note)

Here we will build on the extended scale knowledge by adding the blues note. The blues note is incredibly useful in soloing of all styles and is an essential ingredient when learning to play lead guitar. As well as developing the understanding of the blues note there will be many practical licks to play along and learn

Lesson

SUBSCRIPTION REQUIRED Lesson 24: Improvisation Part 3 (pattern 3 minor pentatonic)

We develop the theme here by learning pattern 3 of the minor pentatonic and incorporating the blues note. We will develop improvising within the scale by studying and learning some new licks.

Lesson

SUBSCRIPTION REQUIRED Lesson 25: Improvisation Part 4 (pattern 4 minor pentatonic)

We develop the theme here by learning pattern 4 of the minor pentatonic and incorporating the blues note. We will develop improvising within the scale by studying and learning some new licks. We will also connect patterns 3 and 4 together using the root note.

Lesson

SUBSCRIPTION REQUIRED Lesson 26: Improvisation Part 5 (pattern 5 minor pentatonic)

This is the third lead guitar lesson that builds upon your existing knowledge and develops your knowledge further, this time by learning pattern 5 of the minor pentatonic. We also include the blues note. Improvisation is developed with the scale by studying and learning some new licks. We also connect patterns 1 and 4.

Lesson

SUBSCRIPTION REQUIRED Lesson 27: Completion of the fingerboard

We now introduce and develop our understanding of the minor pentatonic pattern 2. Having done so, we can now integrate all the patterns learned so far. We take this a step further by developing the ability to solo in a number of different keys.

Lesson

SUBSCRIPTION REQUIRED Lesson 28: Developing pentatonic/blues scale soloing

In this lesson we introduce the concept of landing notes and safety notes when soloing. As a contrast, we also develop our musical understanding of licks that don’t land on root notes and we take the whole lead guitar playing one step further by looking at genuine improvisation.

Lesson

SUBSCRIPTION REQUIRED Lesson 29: Developing improvisation of pentatonic/blues Part 2

The focus has been largely on the development of simple rhythms through our lead guitar studies thus far. This lesson specifically incorporates triplets to develop the rhythmic content of our solo playing. As we have done before we will apply triplets to Blues and the extended scale.

Lesson

SUBSCRIPTION REQUIRED Lesson 30: Performing a song

Continue to learn how to play with a professional band, whilst reading a guitar chart. This lesson focuses on reading and navigating a musical score. When you've finished this lesson you'll be performing at grade five standard.

Lesson
UWLQ Level 2 Certificate In School Music Performance (Grade 5) (QCF) Ofqual No. 601/0309/7 ?

Technical Exercises

Performance

Knowledge & Understanding

Teacher Verification