Department for Education Instrumental Music Classical Guitar Programme:

Trinity Gardens School

Dear Parent/Caregiver,
Welcome to the DfE Instrumental Music Classical Guitar Programme at Trinity Gardens School.
Limited places are available for year 5 & 6 students to participate in group lessons in Classical
Guitar. There is no cost for lessons.

Students accepted into the Classical Guitar program are expected to:
 Commit to 12 months of lessons provided by DfE Instrumental Music
 Attend weekly half hour small group lessons
 Bring guitar and music to each lesson
 Commit to a regular practice routine
 Commit to performances where necessary

The guitar is a versatile instrument. It can be used in a wide range of musical styles and lead to a lifelong involvement
in music. Instead of using a plectrum (pick), the technique for Classical Guitar involves sounding the strings with the
fingers of the right hand. Once students become proficient with Classical Guitar right hand technique, it is, if desired,
relatively easy to adopt the plectrum technique. It also requires adopting a particular posture. Students will be
exposed to a wide variety of musical styles and develop skills in reading musical notation and playing techniques.

INSTRUMENT/EQUIPMENT
The following equipment is required in order to commence and facilitate lessons:
 Nylon string guitar
 Guitar footstool
 Tutor book-‘Enjoy Playing Guitar’ new edition, Tutor Book 1 by Debbie Cracknell

Suggested retail music stores should be able to assist with purchase of equipment
Size Music: 74 Glen Osmond Road, Parkside
Winston Music: 87 Winston Ave, Daw Park
Harrison’s Music: 68 Grenfell St, Adelaide
Ceceres Music: 41 Magill Rd, Stepney.
I would suggest you phone the stores first to check the availability of the book.
Students need to have a nylon string guitar (often referred to as a Classical Guitar), not a steel string or electric
instrument. As a rule, primary school students should have a ¾ size instrument. Most students move to a full sized
instrument in Year 7 or 8. The recommended brand is Yamaha, and whilst may cost slightly more will ensure students
can produce a quality sound and achieve more success.
It is essential for students to also have a guitar footstool. This is important in order to establish correct posture and
form correct technique.
The tutor book required by students is ‘Enjoy Playing Guitar’, new edition, Tutor Book 1 by Debbie Cracknell which
comes with a CD. As students learn in a group setting, it is essential everyone has the same book.
A music stand for playing at home is also quite useful, as is a clip-on guitar tuner.

PLAYING AT HOME
It is important to remember playing the guitar should be an enjoyable experience. In order to make progress and
gain the most from lessons, it is advisable students are encouraged to play at home. It is better to do a small amount
each day (approx. 10 minutes) rather than a few large blocks on an irregular basis.