Guitar Styles LabThe Global Conservatory
Explore the full spectrum of guitar styles.
From blues bends to jazz voicings, fingerstyle arrangements to funk rhythms, this program immerses you in the diverse vocabulary of guitar music. Develop versatility, deepen your theory knowledge, and find your artistic identity across genres.
Master Multiple Styles, Find Your Voice
This 6-month deep dive explores blues, jazz, classical, funk, country, and contemporary guitar through hands-on repertoire, theory integration, and style-specific technique.
Genre Fluency
Develop authentic command of multiple guitar styles through repertoire study, listening analysis, and guided improvisation in each genre.
Advanced Harmony
Explore extended chords, modal theory, jazz harmony, and how different genres approach harmonic movement and voice leading.
Technique Expansion
Build advanced techniques: hybrid picking, sweep arpeggios, slide guitar, fingerstyle independence, and genre-specific articulations.
Creative Identity
Discover your unique artistic voice by blending influences from multiple traditions into a personal style.
Eight Style Modules
Each module immerses you in a guitar tradition with repertoire, technique exercises, theory connections, and creative assignments.
Blues Guitar
The foundation of modern guitar. Master the 12-bar blues, bending, vibrato, and blues scale improvisation.
- 12-bar blues in major and minor
- Blues scale and pentatonic patterns
- String bending and vibrato technique
- Shuffle and straight-eighth feels
- Call-and-response improvisation
Jazz Guitar Essentials
Chord melody, walking bass, and improvisation over jazz standards.
- 7th chord voicings (maj7, min7, dom7)
- ii-V-I progressions and turnarounds
- Basic jazz comping rhythms
- Introduction to improvisation over changes
- Standard repertoire: 3 jazz tunes
Classical & Fingerstyle
Right-hand independence, classical technique, and solo fingerstyle arranging.
- Free stroke and rest stroke technique
- Arpeggio studies (Giuliani, Carcassi)
- Classical repertoire selections
- Fingerstyle arrangement principles
- Solo guitar performance
Rock & Alternative
Power chords, effects, alternate tunings, and modern rock vocabulary.
- Power chord riffs and palm muting
- Effects pedal basics (distortion, delay, reverb)
- Alternate and drop tunings
- Legato technique (hammer-ons, pull-offs)
- Modern rock rhythm and lead patterns
Funk & R&B Guitar
Rhythmic precision, chord stabs, and groove-based playing.
- 16th-note strumming patterns
- Muted strums and ghost notes
- Extended chords (9ths, 11ths, 13ths)
- Single-note funk lines
- Playing with a rhythm section
Country & Americana
Chicken picking, pedal steel bends, and open-position country licks.
- Hybrid picking technique
- Country bends and double stops
- Open-position country chord voicings
- Train beat and boom-chuck patterns
- Country improvisation approaches
World Guitar Traditions
Flamenco rasgueados, bossa nova rhythms, and African highlife patterns.
- Bossa nova rhythmic patterns
- Basic flamenco techniques (rasgueado, picado)
- African highlife and palm wine guitar
- Celtic and folk fingerpicking
- Rhythmic feels from around the world
Style Integration Project
Blend influences from multiple genres into original compositions and arrangements.
- Cross-genre arrangement techniques
- Original composition workshop
- Recording and production basics
- Portfolio preparation
- Final recital performance
Specialists in Every Style
Each module is taught by a faculty member who has dedicated their career to that genre, ensuring authentic and deep instruction.
Marcus King Jr.
Blues guitarist and educator with 20+ years performing on the international blues circuit. Known for his masterful tone and deep knowledge of blues history and technique.
Lucia Fernandez
Concert classical guitarist and flamenco artist. Conservatory-trained with performance credits at Carnegie Hall and the Alhambra Festival. Expert in fingerstyle technique and Spanish guitar traditions.
Tom Bridges
Jazz guitarist and session musician with credits on 50+ albums. Teaches jazz harmony, improvisation, and funk rhythm guitar with an emphasis on practical musicianship.
Kenji Yamamoto
Multi-instrumentalist and ethnomusicologist specializing in cross-cultural guitar styles. Has studied guitar traditions in Brazil, West Africa, and Japan.
Student Voices
What Students Say
Student Voices — Coming After Our Inaugural Cohort
TGC's founding cohort begins in 2026. Verified student testimonials will be published here once real students have completed programmes and provided written consent to share their experience.
A Versatile Guitarist Emerges
Graduates leave as multi-style guitarists capable of performing, teaching, or creating across genres.
Multi-Genre Fluency
Perform authentically in 6+ guitar styles with proper technique and vocabulary.
Advanced Theory
Understand modes, extended harmony, and genre-specific theory frameworks.
Original Voice
Blend influences into a personal style with original compositions and arrangements.
Performance Ready
Prepared for the Guitar Performance & Audition certificate or professional gigging.
Your Weekly Learning Rhythm
A structured cadence designed to build mastery through consistent practice, expert feedback, and peer collaboration.
Enroll in Guitar Styles Lab
Join a cohort of dedicated guitarists and expand your musical vocabulary with expert guidance across every genre.
About This Credential
The Global Conservatory issues professional certificates and credentials. TGC certificates are non-degree credentials designed to validate specialized skills and knowledge. They do not represent academic degrees, college credits, or accredited diplomas. For questions about credential recognition, visit our credential verification page.
Start Your Journey
Ready to Enroll?
Submit your interest and our admissions team will contact you with program details, pricing, and next steps.
No commitment required. Financial aid available for qualifying students.