Principal Applied Guitar (Freshman Level)

Course Description

MVS1316 — Principal Applied Guitar is the freshman-level applied music course in classical guitar for students whose principal instrument is guitar. The course consists of weekly private one-on-one lessons with an applied guitar faculty member, supported by daily individual practice and concurrent participation in guitar ensemble, chamber music, or other allied music coursework. Students develop fundamental classical guitar technique (right-hand finger technique using rest-stroke and free-stroke; left-hand position and shifting), graded etude literature, repertoire spanning Renaissance through contemporary periods, and stylistic awareness of the historical guitar repertoire, culminating in a faculty jury examination at the end of the semester.

This course is offered at approximately 26 Florida public colleges and universities, including Valencia College, Miami Dade College, Hillsborough Community College, Florida State College at Jacksonville, St. Petersburg College, Daytona State College, Santa Fe College, Palm Beach State College, Florida SouthWestern State College, Pensacola State College, Northwest Florida State College, and Broward College. It articulates to the freshman applied guitar sequence at FSU, UF, UM Frost (which has a particularly strong classical guitar program), UCF, USF, UWF, and other State University System music programs subject to placement audition.

The Statewide Course Numbering System (SCNS) encodes information about applied music courses in the digits of the course number. Following the convention documented by Florida State University's College of Music, the first digit indicates academic level (1 = freshman, 2 = sophomore, 3 = junior, 4 = senior), the second digit indicates the applied music placement (2 = secondary, 3 = principal, 4 = performance), the third digit repeats the first, and the fourth digit indicates the specific instrument within the prefix family.

For MVS1316, the prefix MVS denotes Applied Music: Strings; 1 indicates freshman level; 3 indicates principal placement; 1 repeats the academic level; and the final 6 places guitar in the string score order (violin = 1, viola = 2, violoncello = 3, double bass = 4, harp = 5, guitar = 6).

Learning Outcomes

Required Outcomes

Upon successful completion of MVS1316, students will be able to:

• Demonstrate balanced sitting position with proper instrument support (footstool, support cushion, or A-frame), with the instrument held at the appropriate angle for both hands.
• Apply fundamental right-hand technique: rest-stroke (apoyando) and free-stroke (tirando) for melody and accompaniment lines; thumb-and-finger coordination; arpeggio patterns (PIM, PIMA, PAMI).
• Apply fundamental left-hand technique: low-thumb-behind-neck position; finger-tip-on-string presentation; legato shifting between positions; barre technique (full and partial barres).
• Perform major and minor scales in two or three octaves using standard fingerings (Segovia or Sor scale fingerings).
• Perform arpeggio patterns and chord shapes in standard keys.
• Prepare and perform etudes from standard freshman literature: Sor Studies Op. 31, Op. 35, Op. 60; Carcassi 25 Studies Op. 60; Carulli; Aguado Studies; Brouwer Estudios Sencillos (Books 1–3).
• Prepare and perform solo repertoire from at least two contrasting style periods — typically Renaissance/Baroque (transcribed lute or vihuela works; selected Bach lute or cello-suite movements at freshman level) and Romantic/20th-century (Tárrega, Albeniz, Villa-Lobos preludes).
• Demonstrate introductory sight-reading in at least the first position with knowledge of notes through the fifth or seventh fret on all six strings.
• Demonstrate basic tone production: nail placement and shaping, free-stroke and rest-stroke quality, dynamic range and color variation through hand position adjustment.
• Perform a faculty jury at the end of the semester demonstrating prepared scales, etudes, and solo repertoire.
• Perform at least once in studio class or student recital during the semester.

Optional Outcomes

• Engage in guitar ensemble performance (duets, trios, or larger guitar choir).
• Develop introductory tremolo technique (PAMI tremolo over a thumb bass line).
• Apply introductory ornamentation for Renaissance and Baroque repertoire.
• Develop fingernail care and shaping discipline (essential for classical guitar tone).
• Engage in cross-style awareness (jazz, flamenco, Latin American) where program emphasis allows.

Major Topics

Required Topics

• Sitting Position and Instrument Support: Footstool versus support-cushion (Dynarette, GitanoLap) versus A-frame; instrument angle; right-hand and left-hand positioning relative to the instrument.
• Right-Hand Technique: Free-stroke (tirando) for arpeggios and accompaniment; rest-stroke (apoyando) for melodic emphasis; thumb (P) preparation and follow-through; finger preparation; nail-flesh balance.
• Left-Hand Technique: Low thumb behind the neck; finger-tip presentation; balanced finger pressure; clean shifts between positions; barre technique.
• Daily Technique Routine: Right-hand arpeggio patterns from Giuliani 120 Right-Hand Studies Op. 1; left-hand independence and shifting exercises; scales (Segovia, Sor, or institutional fingering systems).
• Scales and Modes: Major and minor scales (two or three octaves) in standard fingerings; introductory modes for repertoire awareness.
• Etude Literature: Sor Studies Op. 31, Op. 35, Op. 60; Carcassi 25 Studies Op. 60; Carulli; Aguado; Brouwer Estudios Sencillos; Diabelli; Giuliani.
• Renaissance and Baroque Repertoire: Transcribed lute and vihuela works (Mudarra, Milan, Narváez, Dowland), introductory Bach (selected Cello Suite movements transcribed; Lute Suites BWV 996, 997 selected movements at freshman level).
• Classical and Romantic Repertoire: Sor (besides studies, the standard solo works); Aguado; Mertz; Tarrega (Lagrima, Adelita, Recuerdos de la Alhambra at appropriate technical level).
• 20th-Century Repertoire: Villa-Lobos Préludes (Nos. 1, 4 at the introductory level); Brouwer; Castelnuovo-Tedesco; Albeniz transcriptions.
• Tone Production and Voicing: Nail care and shaping; right-hand position adjustments for color (sul tasto, sul ponticello equivalents); rest-stroke voicing of melody.
• Performance Preparation: Memorization (essentially required for classical guitar performance), management of performance anxiety, jury preparation.

Optional Topics

• Tremolo Technique: The PAMI tremolo pattern (thumb bass + PAMI melody) introduced through Tárrega Recuerdos de la Alhambra or comparable.
• Guitar Ensemble: Duets, trios, larger ensembles; reading multiple-line scores; coordination with other guitarists.
• Historical Performance Practice: Lute and vihuela origin of repertoire; ornamentation conventions; tuning conventions (some Renaissance works prefer alternative tunings on the third string).
• Cross-Style Awareness: Jazz guitar comping (where institutional jazz studies emphasis exists); flamenco rasgueado technique; Latin American styles.

Resources & Tools

• Studio Faculty Member: Primary applied teacher (typically a part- or full-time classical guitar professor) who delivers weekly individual lessons.
• Practice Facilities: Dedicated practice rooms with appropriate seating; humidity-controlled storage for institutional instruments.
• Foundational Methods: Aaron Shearer Classic Guitar Technique (vols. 1–3); Frederick Noad Solo Guitar Playing; Charles Duncan The Art of Classical Guitar Playing; Scott Tennant Pumping Nylon (technical workout text).
• Etude Books: Sor Studies Op. 31, Op. 35, Op. 60; Carcassi 25 Studies Op. 60; Giuliani 120 Right-Hand Studies Op. 1; Brouwer Estudios Sencillos.
• Repertoire Anthologies: Modern Approach to Classical Guitar (Charles Duncan, Hal Leonard); Solos for the Classical Guitar (Schirmer); standard urtext editions for Bach, Sor, Giuliani.
• Equipment: Quality classical guitar with nylon strings (mass-market beginner instruments are typically inadequate at the principal level; expect to invest in an intermediate concert-grade guitar by sophomore year, $500–$2000 range); footstool or support cushion; nail file and buffer.
• Studio Class: Weekly group meeting for performance practice, peer feedback, masterclass discussion.
• Jury Committee: Multi-faculty panel for end-of-semester performance evaluation.
• Guitar Foundation of America (GFA): Professional organization providing the annual GFA International Convention (a major event in the classical guitar calendar), competitions, and pedagogical resources.
• Florida-Region Resources: The Miami International Guitar Festival (held annually) and the Frost School of Music classical guitar program at the University of Miami are major Florida-based opportunities for collegiate guitarists.

Career Pathways

• Music Educator (K–12, post-completion of BME and Florida teacher certification through FTCE Music K–12).
• Performing Musician in regional orchestras, opera and ballet pit orchestras, theatre productions, jazz ensembles, and chamber groups. Florida hosts the Florida Orchestra (Tampa Bay), Naples Philharmonic, Jacksonville Symphony, Orlando Philharmonic, Sarasota Orchestra, Palm Beach Symphony, Florida Grand Opera, and the Sarasota Opera.
• Theme Park & Entertainment Performer at Walt Disney World, Universal Orlando, SeaWorld Orlando, Busch Gardens Tampa Bay, and Disney Cruise Line.
• Cruise Ship Musician for vessels homeporting at Florida's major embarkation ports (PortMiami, Port Canaveral, Port Everglades, Port Tampa Bay, Jacksonville).
• Worship and Liturgical Musician for churches across Florida's metro and rural communities.
• Private Studio Teacher, often credentialed through the Music Teachers National Association (MTNA) or instrument-specific Florida professional associations.
• Military Musician with U.S. Armed Forces premier bands or regional service bands (audition required; competitive).
• Studio Recording & Session Work, particularly in the Miami, Orlando, and Tampa recording markets.

Students intending to pursue performance professionally should plan on completing a Bachelor of Music (BM) in Performance at a Florida university — typically Florida State University, University of Florida, University of Miami (Frost), University of Central Florida, University of South Florida, University of West Florida, Florida Atlantic University, Florida International University, Florida Gulf Coast University, or Florida A&M University — and continuing to graduate study or competitive auditions.

Classical guitar has a substantially different career structure than other applied music disciplines: solo recital and chamber-music performance is the primary professional path; private studio teaching is the largest single employment sector (much larger than for orchestral instruments); cross-genre performance (jazz, flamenco, Latin American, popular) is more readily integrated than in other applied disciplines; and college-level teaching (typically requiring a DMA) is a competitive but viable goal for top graduates. Florida's classical guitar scene includes the Miami International Guitar Festival, active GFA chapters, and substantial Latin American classical guitar audiences.

Special Information

SCNS Transferability

Applied music courses with prefixes MVB, MVH, MVJ, MVK, MVO, MVP, MVS, MVV, and MVW are not automatically transferable under the Florida Statewide Course Numbering System. Per FSCJ's published policy on the SCNS, these courses require evidence of skill achievement (audition, jury performance, or portfolio) and must be evaluated individually by the receiving institution. Students transferring to a four-year music program should plan to audition with the receiving institution's applied faculty regardless of credits earned. The Florida Common Prerequisites Manual (available at floridashines.org) lists state-wide prerequisite expectations for music majors transferring to State University System institutions; faculty in the receiving program place students into the appropriate applied level based on audition.

Audition and Placement

Admission to MVS1316 requires a placement audition with the applied guitar faculty. The audition typically includes prepared solo repertoire (one or two contrasting selections), scales, and sight-reading. Students whose technical level is below the principal placement may be assigned to a pre-principal sequence or to class instruction until they reach the principal standard.

Credit Hour Variation

Per the Florida SouthWestern State College catalog, applied guitar instruction is offered at 2 credits with the convention that "thirty minutes of private instruction per week equals one credit hour" — meaning 2-credit study corresponds to a 60-minute weekly lesson. Other Florida institutions follow similar conventions, with credit values ranging from 1 to 2 credits per semester.

Co-requisite Requirements

Most institutions require concurrent enrollment in guitar ensemble or other allied music coursework, in music theory and ear training, and in another music course (any MUx-prefix course other than Music Appreciation).

Lab Fee and Equipment

Most institutions charge a private lesson lab fee in addition to standard tuition (typically $75–$200 per semester). Classical guitar students should anticipate substantial personal equipment investment by the sophomore or junior year — a concert-grade guitar typically costs $1,500–$5,000 and is the single largest equipment expense for most classical guitar students.

Continuation Sequence

MVS1316 is followed by a second freshman semester (often repeating MVS1316) and then by MVS2326 or MVS2326C at the sophomore principal level. The sequence continues with MVS3336 (junior) and MVS4346 (senior) at the four-year music school.

Fingernail Discipline

Classical guitar is unusual among applied disciplines in requiring careful attention to fingernail length, shape, and condition on the right hand. Students develop a daily nail-care routine (filing, buffing, sometimes protective coating with acrylic or silk-and-nail-glue products). Sudden nail damage can disrupt performance preparation, so students learn early to maintain consistent nail condition.