Arden K  

5

  5.0 (3)

Instruments: Guitar, Bass Guitar, Electric Guitar, Acoustic Guitar
Styles: Jazz, Rock, Blues, Funk, Punk

MUSIC EXPERIENCE The Last Class, Cover Band, New York, NY September 2021-Current ● Lead and rhythm guitar and backup vocals ● Co-founded and manage gig booking, practice scheduling, setlist creation, general operations, and social media ● Played several venues across New York City including The Bowery Electric, The Delancey, Chelsea Music Hall, City Winery, and Red Lion ● Sold out every venue and nicknamed Guitarden by the people Union College Jazz Ensemble, Jazz Band, Schenectady, NY March 2018-June 2019 ● Lead and rhythm guitar ● Played classic jazz songs as well as modern classics The Cutoffs, Originals/Cover Band, Baldwinsville, NY September 2014-August 2015 ● Lead/rhythm guitar, bass guitar, and lead/backup vocals ● Wrote and performed several originals Guitar Lessons, Instructor, Baldwinsville, NY September 2014-August 2015 ● Taught a novice guitar player and took him from simple chords to complex melodies and reading tablature ● Lead him through songs of his choosing while instilling core guitar fundamentals ● Taught in-home, one hour per week as an independent instructor MUSICAL COURSEWORK ● Music Theory 1: Diatonic Harmony - Traditional harmony and modulation through writing and listening ● Music Theory 2: Chromatic Harmony - Composition and performance of intermediate music theory ● Seminar: Early Music - Listen, analyze, discuss, and write the music of the Middle Ages and Renaissance ● Baroque Music - Study of opera and sacred and secular music by Bach and Handel ● Music and the Holocaust - Analysis of music writing during World War II and its impact ● East Asian Music Cultures - Live performance, discussion, and composition of East Asian Music

Phase 1: Open Chords I like to start here because it is such a fundamental concept in guitar. No matter how long you've been playing, you will always find yourself going back to these open chords. You can build so many campfire sing-a-long songs with these chords. This section will also introduce some common rhythms and strumming patterns. The toughest part here is building finger strength but there's no better place to start! Phase 2: Simple Riffs and Tablature This is where we get into "lead" guitar. Simply put, this is the "one note at a time, faster" section. We'll start here by learning some catchy riffs within the students ability and interest. Speed will certainly develop in this phase and the student will be a more well rounded player. This is also where I will introduce reading tablature (tabs). Tabs are the guitar equivalent of sheet music and allow a guitar players to learn new songs quickly for years to come. Phase 3: Major and Minor Bar Chords This phase can be entered once the student has developed a certain amount of hand strength. I say this because in a bar chord necessitates pressing down all 6 strings at once and will sound very muted without this strength and precision. While these are difficult, they open up a whole new world of possibilities. Several new major and minor chords are unlocked, and it leads way to more advanced shapes. Phase 4: Intermediate Riffs and Techniques This is an extension of Phase 2 but expands on the difficulty and span of the riffs. At this point, the student will have very quick and strong hands and will be able to play difficult songs. We also will dive into the "why" here. I'll start to explain scales and scale degrees in relation to the same songs the student loves to play. Here we will also hone in techniques like bending, hammer-ons, and pull-offs. Phase 5: Advanced Bar Chords Here is where we will significantly diversify the knowledge base of chords. This will include 7ths, Major 7ths, 9ths, diminished, and more. These are some jazzy sounding chords that are off the beaten path! This phase also focuses less on memorization and more on deduction. Using some light music theory, students will be able to know why these chords look the way they do and how to form new ones. Phase 6: Fingerpicking and Tapping Here we will explore the technique of fingerpicking. The student will use all the fingers on their right hand to the fullest extent and be able to play lovely music of many genres. We will also explore Finger Tapping, a style which uses both hands on the fretboard. This will help with electrifying solos as well as interesting acoustic solo pieces. Phase 7: Advanced Soloing and Improvisation At this point we have a masterful guitar player and are getting them ready for their big debut at Madison Square Garden :) In this phase we will expand the riffs we have learned into full length solos. I will teach them also about improvisation and how to create new solos based on a set key. We will explore several popular styles as well as my personal style I use for improvisation. As always, we use the students interest and abilities as a guide and use the style that is best suited for them!