Beyond the Notes: A Creative Workshop with Guitar

Charles has been studying music, the arts, and performing guitar for 30+ years. Charles has two mottos - 1) Always try to leave things a little bit better than you found them, and 2) Creativity is often more about courage than talent. Charles’ hope is that you will walk away from this workshop inspired, energized, and empowered to inject fresh perspectives and supercharge your creative journey.

This class is for you if you:

Desire a deeper understanding/reminder of basic music theory and harmony.

Wish to explore composition techniques and form.

Looking to engage in exploring the creative process and develop your own unique musical expression.

The workshop is geared for someone who wants to explore following three topics:

Basic music theory and harmony

Composition techniques and form

The creative process and idea development.

Dive into a treasure trove of creativity hacks to move your guitar and creative practice into new realms! Instead of just playing songs written by others, we will collaborate in an effort to find your unique musical voice. In this interactive workshop, you'll experiment with diverse methods to stimulate your musical creativity. Walk away equipped with one or more secret weapons to inject fresh perspectives and supercharge your musical journey.

Methods/Tools/Hacks identified are meant to enable a grammar with which one can construct an infinite number of personal creative sentences.

Here are three key things attendees will explore:

1. Basic Music Theory and Harmony: Understanding the fundamentals of guitar music theory, including scales, chords, intervals, and key signatures, is essential. Attendees benefit from exploring how to construct melodies and harmonies and how these elements work together to create a coherent piece of music. This knowledge serves as the building block for all artistic music composition.

2. Composition Techniques and Form: Attendees will then be introduced to various composition techniques, such as motif development, counterpoint, and thematic variation. Additionally, an overview of different musical forms (like sonata-allegro, rondo, or ABA form) helps to structure compositions. Understanding how to shape a musical idea into a complete, structured work is a key skill explored.

3. Creative Process and Idea Development: A crucial aspect of composition is the ability to generate and develop ideas. This workshop provides insights into different approaches to creativity, such as improvisation, the use of musical inspiration from other works, or the transformation of non-musical ideas into music. Learning about the creative process from experienced composers can be particularly inspiring and educational for beginners.

These elements provide a solid foundation for any budding artist composer, giving them the basic tools and knowledge to start creating their own music.

1) A good attitude 2) A guitar if you have one 3) A multipage project notebook and pen or pencil.

Students must be 16 years old and older. All students under 18 years old must be accompanied by and under the direct supervision of a responsible adult.

Students should have the desire to explore Composition and Improve as a Guitarist - Be able to answer the question: What does it mean when you make a note sharp or flat?

Learn more about our class and ticket cancelation policies here.

Please email [email protected] with any questions.

*Sales end 24 hours before the start of the class to allow the instructor and staff time to prep.

Event Venue & Nearby Stays

Artisan's Asylum, 96 Holton Street, Boston, United States