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tonebase Guitar Course

Crafting A Composition Course

Taught by renowned guitarist 

Sergio Assad

Explore the possibilities of composing for guitar alongside Sérgio Assad. Follow along as he demonstrates his step-by-step process and creates an original short sketch! This course is an excellent first step toward the world of composition and harmony. If you’ve never written as much as the shortest melody before, don’t worry. While sharing his step-by-step process, Sérgio Assad writes a sixteen-bar composition for the guitar, walking you through the process of writing your own from scratch. Whether you’re a music theory expert or don’t know the first thing about chords, this course will get you writing in no time!

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    Category: 
    Skills
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    Difficulty: 
    All-Levels
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    Duration: 
    c. 
    1
     hours
     hour
All courses on tonebase include subtitles in English and Spanish

Course Syllabus

Secondary Line Pt. 1

Now that the melody is finished, Assad discusses how to begin exploring ideas for a potential secondary line by considering the inner voices and experimenting with arpeggiation.

Melodic Range

Once Assad has changed the chord voicings, he explores neighbor tones of the new top note to develop a new melody in order to create a more dynamic and interesting line.

Inversions

Assad explores various chord voicing in different positions on the strings in order to give more shape and range to the piece.

Secondary Line Pt. 2

Taking the secondary line that has been suggested by the harmony, Assad shows how he expands it into its own line that fits with the melody.

Getting Started

In this lesson Assad explains the importance of singing as a way of naturally trying out ideas without having to deal with the technical limitations of attempting to play different melodies on the instrument. He then goes on to begin discussing chords and chord progressions.

Enhancements Pt. 2

Assad adds interest to the composition by using chord extensions.

Enhancements Pt. 1

Assad discusses the more nuanced enhancements that can be made to the melodic line.

Neighbor tones

After choosing a chord sequence, Assad discusses how he experiments with melody using neighbor tones and rhythm.

Form and Harmony

In the second lesson Assad discusses choosing form and meter, as well as further experimenting with chord sequences and harmony.

Click here to download the course workbook PDF and see the full syllabus →
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Sergio Assad
meet YOUR INSTRUCTOR

Sergio Assad

Internationally acclaimed composer and performer, Sergio Assad is best known as the older sibling in the Duo Assad, described by many as the finest pairing of guitarists currently before the public.

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Sergio Assad
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