Prerequisites

Guitarists should have at least one year of playing experience and the ability to play some chords on the guitar. Guitar tablature and chord blocks, in addition to traditional notation, will be used throughout the course.

Textbook

Berklee Jazz Guitar Chord Dictionary by Rick Peckham

This chord dictionary includes over a hundred jazz chord forms, from basic 7th chords with all standard tension substitutions and alterations to guide tone chords to triads over bass notes. It is organized to reveal relationships between different types of chords and help you learn the voicings quickly and thoroughly, in a way that is easy to remember. You will improve your comping and soloing, develop your fingerboard facility, and add more colors to your harmonic palette.

Software Requirements

• PC Web browser: Firefox 3.0 or higher, Internet Explorer 7 or higher
• Macintosh Web browser: Firefox 3.0 or higher, Safari 3.0 or higher
• Flash Player: current version
• Acrobat Reader: current version
• QuickTime Player: current version
• A basic audio recording tool that will allow you to record yourself playing along with a background track and save the recording in MP3 format. You will have a tool to use for this purpose inside the learning environment. Alternatively, you can use software like Audacity or Digital Audio Workstation (DAW).

Hardware Requirements: PC Users

• Windows XP, Vista or 7
• Intel Pentium 4 or higher
• 1 GB RAM
• 500 MB hard drive space recommended
• Sound card
• 256 color monitor / 800x600 pixels resolution or better
• A printer is recommended, so that you can print out music examples used in the course
• Speakers or headphones for your computer
• A built-in microphone or an external microphone plugged directly into your computer (via built in ports or an external audio interface).

Hardware Requirements: Mac Users

• OS X 10.5 or higher
• Intel Mac
• 1 GB RAM
• 500 MB hard drive space recommended
• Speakers or headphones for your computer
• A printer is recommended, so that you can print out music examples used in the course
• Speakers or headphones for your computer
• A built-in microphone or an external microphone plugged directly into your computer (via built in ports or an external audio interface).