Lead Cat Press: Music Education for Guitarists

Hello, Fellow Guitar Players

It's starting to feel like spring, and that means it's almost time to take our guitars outside to practice and jam with other musicians. It's been a tough winter because a lot of us have really missed being able to go to indoor shows, due to COVID. There are steps we can take to help prevent illness, and I'll share how I'm helping a Seattle clean air organization in this newsletter, and I'll share how you can help, too!

IS IT TIME? YES, IT'S TIME

A lot of folks reach out to me after they order The Guitar Lesson Companion, and they tell me that they want to study the material on their own for a while and then message me for lessons when they get stuck.

I'm not going to tell someone what I think might be best for them without truly understanding their experience and goals, but I will share that when most people do reach back to take lessons after trying to learn on their own, they are often shocked to realize all the things they missed, learned incorrectly, or did not understand well enough to apply to actual music.

It's something I see over and over again, and when you begin noticing that the best guitar players you hear all have had really good teachers and mentors, it starts to make sense. Even if you don't have particularily high musical aspirations, a good music teacher will help you reach your goals faster and more effectively, so why not take the opportunity when you have the chance?

FREE CLASSES

I offered one free small group online class each month, throughout 2023. From a crash course in music theory and applying the CAGED system to music, to ear training and learning songs by ear, we covered a lot of ground, all 100% FREE for students who reached out to me!

As I mentioned last month, the free classes have been put on hold until I am able to monetize my YouTube channel, and here are my latest videos that are helping us reach this goal:

4 WEEK SMALL GROUP GUITAR CLASSES, ALL ONLINE 

These 4 week classes are limited to 4 students and offer you structure with clear assignments during the course, along with direction for how to practice (and what to practice) after the class ends. Throughout the course, students are encouraged to email videos each week of their assignments so I can offer personalized attention; I have found this to be super helpful for students!

The way I categorize students is purely based on a student’s understanding and application of fundamental guitar skills, and students are asked to complete a self-assessment questionnaire so I can place them in the class that best matches their experience, interests, and goals. These questionnaires also help me develop the curriculum for each class, which is why the descriptions here are general.

Registration Deadline: Saturday, March 31st   
Email to Register: LeadCatPress@gmail.com

GROUP A: SATURDAY CLASS 
Saturdays: April 6, 13, 20, 27  10:30am - 11:20am (Pacific Time)   
$175, (You must already own The Guitar Lesson Companion, Volume One)

This class might be a good fit for you if you have had some, but limited experience on the guitar. Our specific lesson plan is determined after I receive student questionnaires from enrolled students, but we usually cover: 
+ Posture and hand positions 
+ Warm up routines 
+ Changing chords cleanly and in time 
+ Playing simple chord songs 
+ Reading rhythms and notes in standard music notation and TAB 
+ Memorization techniques to learn the notes on the neck 
+ Movable chords and scale patterns 
+ Basic soloing skills 
+ Music theory introduction

GROUP B: SATURDAY CLASS 
Saturdays: April 6, 13, 20, 27 11:30am - 12:20pm (Pacific Time)   
$175, (You must already own The Guitar Lesson Companion, Volume One)

This class might be a good fit for you if you have been playing for a while but you skipped over the fundamentals, feel like you have some gaps in your playing, or you are unable to apply what you do know on an intuitive level with complete comprehension. Our specific lesson plan is determined after I receive student questionnaires from enrolled students, but past classes have included: 
+ Scale and Chord Warm Up Routines 
+ Crash course in Standard Music Notation, notes and rhythms 
+ Triad Inversions with embellishments (open and close) 
+ Applying music theory to the guitar, melodically and harmonically 
+ The CAGED System and jazz chord melodies 
+ Chord tone soloing 
+ Playing “outside” 

GROUP C: SUNDAY CLASS 
Sundays: April 7, 14, 21, 28  Class Time is TBD 
$175, (You must already own The Guitar Lesson Companion, Volume One)
This class might be a good fit for you if you have been playing for a while but you skipped over the fundamentals, feel like you have some gaps in your playing, or you are unable to apply what you do know on an intuitive level with complete comprehension. Our specific lesson plan is determined after I receive student questionnaires from enrolled students, but past classes have included: 
+ Scale and Chord Warm Up Routines 
+ Crash course in Standard Music Notation, notes and rhythms 
+ Triad Inversions with embellishments (open and close) 
+ Applying music theory to the guitar, melodically and harmonically 
+ The CAGED System and jazz chord melodies 
+ Chord tone soloing 
+ Playing “outside” 

WE ARE CREATING COVID SAFER SPACES

As I’m sure you know, COVID isn’t over and many musicians and audience members are still unable to safely attend performances. Many of these folks are immune compromised and/or cannot afford to be sick for weeks, or months in some cases.

MORE WAYS TO STAY TUNED AND SUPPORT MY WORK

Along with YouTube, you can find me on FaceBook, Instagram or Post. When you use this link to make purchases on Amazon, up to 8% of your total order is added to my scholarship fund, and if you purchase courses or a subscription to Truefire, you will learn some killer concepts that I can help you apply to your own music in your lessons. 

Thanks so much for taking some time to check out my newsletter. Please reach out ASAP if you're interested in taking one of the 4 week small group classes, or anytime to inquire about private lessons.

Kind Regards,

Susan Palmer of LeadCatPress.com

👉 Don't forget about my Article & Resource page where I have tons of playlists, lessons, and PDFs (many of them free.)