Music Production Lessons for All Levels | Macquarie University Educator

Student and Tutor worked on two guitar pieces, reviewing chord shapes, strumming patterns, and transitions for the first song. They then delved into a new piece, addressing techniques for muted notes and complex finger positioning. The Student will practice both songs, focusing on integrating the refined strumming patterns and improving timing and transitions.

The Student received an introductory guitar lesson from the Tutor, covering basic guitar anatomy, string names, and proper fretting technique. They practiced the 'spider exercise' for finger dexterity and learned their first C major chord. For homework, the Student was advised to practice the spider exercise and come prepared with a song they would like to learn in the next session.

Student and Tutor reviewed C major triads and inversions, practicing their application across the guitar fretboard. They also explored various C major scale shapes and engaged in an improvisation exercise using both scales and triads over a backing track. The session concluded with a detailed review of a specific R&B piece, addressing chord transitions and fingering, and setting a future plan to focus on strumming techniques.

The student and tutor explored advanced guitar concepts, including the CAGED system with a focus on less familiar shapes and triads with their inversions. They practiced identifying chords, applying fingerings, and understanding the theoretical basis of inversions, with follow-up practice assigned using a metronome for rhythm and timing.

The Tutor and Student reviewed diminished chords, their shapes, and their function as the seventh chord in major keys. They also explored chord progressions and scale degrees using the circle of fifths, and then applied these concepts to troubleshooting specific challenging transitions within the Student's R&B piece. For the next session, they plan to work on a Bossa Nova track to further practice chord voicings.

The tutor and student focused on foundational singing techniques, including diaphragmatic breathing, vocal warm-ups like lip trills, and vowel pronunciation exercises ('Ah', 'Ee', 'Oh'). They practiced staccato and legato articulation, and the student performed a song excerpt for feedback, identifying areas for vocal development and breath control.