Band & Music
Guitar
Guitar 10 (General Music 10) - 3 credits *Course fee No Prerequisite – Open to all grade levels.
Never picked up a guitar? Know a few chords? Been playing for years? The ESBCHS Guitar program is designed for guitarists of all levels. Class will be taught in a group setting and students need no previous music experience. You will be introduced to the fundamentals of music as applied to the guitar including:
- Musical notation (tablature, note names and timing theory)
- Fingerpicking (single note techniques) and strumming techniques
- Chord techniques including open chords, power chords and barre chord styles
- The exploration of various musical styles from classical to rock.
This course is designed for students to develop a love of music through the guitar. The ability to play guitar is a skill you will use for the rest of your life. Don’t miss out!
Please note: Students are required to provide their own acoustic or classical guitar for this course, which can either be purchased or rented for a small fee from local music stores.
Select the image below to view an interview with our Band program teacher.
Select the image below to view a 3D rendering of our Band program lab.
Guitar 20 (General Music 20) - 3 credits *Course fee
Prerequisite: General Music 10 or an audition
The Guitar 20 program is designed for guitarists of all levels, but previous experience is beneficial. Class will be taught in a group setting and is a continuation of Guitar 10. We will be working on songs with different chord styles (Barre, Open, and Power chords) and with more chord changes and strumming patterns. There will be opportunities for small ensemble (duet, trio, etc) performances, as well as we will be looking at classical fingerpicking techniques.
Please note: Students are required to provide their own acoustic or classical guitar for this course, which can either be purchased or rented for a small fee from local music stores.
Band
Instrumental Music 10 (5 credits) *Course fee – Yearlong course scheduled before school – Prerequisite: Band 9 or audition
Instrumental music using traditional instrumentation. Focus on honing musical skills and learning advanced technical passages. There are opportunities for Jazz Band, festival participation, musical exchanges and tours. This course takes place all year, every second day, at 7 a.m. prior to regularly scheduled classes, 2-3 days per week.
Instrumental Music 20 (5 credits) *Course fee – Yearlong course scheduled before school – Recommended Prerequisite: 60% in Music 10
Instrumental music using traditional instrumentation. Focus on improving musical interpretation skills, and learning advanced technical passages, as well as the study of music theory and history. There are opportunities for Jazz Band, festival participation, musical exchanges and tours. This course takes place all year, every second day, at 7 a.m. prior to regularly scheduled classes, 2-3 days per week.
Instrumental Music 30 (5 credits) *Course fee – Yearlong course scheduled before school – Recommended Prerequisite: 60% in Music 20
Instrumental music using traditional instrumentation. Focus on honing musical interpretation skills, learning advanced technical passages and the study of music theory and history, as well as conducting and arranging. Opportunity for Jazz Band, festival participation, musical exchanges and tours. This course takes place all year, every second day at 7 a.m. each morning, 2-3 days per week.
New to Music?
Introduction to Music 10 (3 credits) No Prerequisite – Open to all grade levels.
Are you interested in learning how to play an instrument but did not have the opportunity to enroll in a Band option in Junior High? This class is for you. You will learn the basics of music theory and how to play a concert band instrument. Instrument options include Flute, Clarinet, Bass Clarinet, Saxophone (Alto, Tenor or Baritone), Trumpet, Baritone, Trombone, Tuba or Percussion. This class is available for students who have never played an instrument before, or played in grade 7 or 8, but have not participated in Band in the last couple of years and want to start playing again.