Smithsburg High School Non-Performing Courses

Non-Performing Courses

Guitar I and II

Guitar is offered as a half-year course. This course is open to all students. There is no need to have prior musical experience! The school does offer guitars for the students to use (rental agreements are issued). The Sounds Innovations method books are the method books used in class. Any student who wishes to enroll in the Guitar II course without having completed the Guitar I course must have approval from the Instructor before enrolling.

Students will learn how to read music (including note reading and guitar chords) and how to proficiently play the guitar using guitar picks and the traditional style of fingerpicking.

Music Appreciation

The Music Appreciation course is a half-year course. The focus of this course is to expose students to different cultures and styles of music. Additionally, the students will be able to explore music production and recording.

Students will also be taught basic fundamentals of music such as form, harmony, melody, tone, and rhythm. Since this course is exploratory, there is no need for any previous musical experience.