Guitar Repertoire and Performance Syllabus

Repertoire and Performance syllabus — full chapter and topic list

Expand any chapter to see its topics and sub-topics. This is the whole examinable outline for Repertoire and Performance in Guitar, not a summary of it.

1. 1

   Learning Songs

   4 topics

   • Breaking a Song into Sections
   • Learning from Tabs and Chord Charts
   • Transcribing by Ear
   • Using a Capo and Transposing
2. 2

   Beginner-Friendly Repertoire

   3 topics

   • Three- and Four-Chord Songs
   • Classic Folk and Pop Tunes
   • Simple Fingerstyle Pieces
3. 3

   Genre Study

   5 topics

   • Blues Guitar Essentials
   • Rock and Riff-Based Playing
   • Folk and Acoustic Singer-Songwriter
   • Jazz Comping and Voicings
   • Classical and Fingerstyle
4. 4

   Practice and Skill Development

   5 topics

   • Structuring a Practice Routine
   • Warm-Up Exercises
   • Ear Training and Interval Recognition
   • Sight-Reading Practice
   • Tracking Progress and Goal Setting
5. 5

   Performance and Recording

   4 topics

   • Playing with a Band and Timing
   • Stage Presence and Managing Nerves
   • Singing While Playing
   • Home Recording Basics

Repertoire and Performance flashcards for Guitar

19 of 50 cards from the Repertoire and Performance deck — real questions with worked answers.

1. What are the standard sections of a typical pop/rock song structure?

   Intro, verse, pre-chorus (optional), chorus, bridge, and outro. Verses tell the story with changing lyrics, the chorus repeats the main hook, and the bridge provides contrast before the final chorus.

2. Why should you break a song into sections before learning it?

   Chunking lets you practice small, repeatable units (e.g., just the chorus), master each section separately, identify repeated material so you learn less total content, and reassemble the song with smooth transitions.

3. What is the 'bridge' of a song and what is its musical function?

   A contrasting section, usually appearing once after the second chorus, that introduces new chords, melody, or dynamics to break repetition and build tension before the final chorus.

4. In guitar tablature, what do the six horizontal lines and the numbers on them represent?

   The lines represent the six strings, with the top line being the high E (1st string) and the bottom line the low E (6th string); the numbers indicate which fret to press (0 means open string).

5. On a chord diagram, what do an 'X' and an 'O' above the nut mean?

   'X' means do not play (mute) that string; 'O' means play the string open (unfretted).

6. In tab notation, what do the symbols h, p, / (or \), and b indicate?

   h = hammer-on, p = pull-off, / and \ = slide up and slide down, b = bend the string up to the target pitch.

7. What is the main limitation of guitar tab compared with standard notation?

   Tab usually shows only where to fret notes, not their rhythm or duration, so you typically need to know how the song sounds (or read an attached rhythm staff) to play it correctly.

8. What is the recommended step-by-step order when transcribing a song by ear?

   1) Map the song's structure/sections, 2) find the key and bass/root notes, 3) determine each chord's quality (major, minor, 7th), 4) work out melodies and riffs phrase by phrase, checking against the recording.

9. When transcribing a fast passage by ear, what playback technique helps most?

   Slowing the recording down without changing its pitch (time-stretching, e.g., 50-75% speed) and looping short phrases until each note is identified.

10. Why is finding the bass note first so useful when transcribing chords by ear?

    The bass note is usually the chord's root, so identifying it reveals the chord's letter name; you then only need to determine the quality (major/minor/7th) above it.

11. By how much does a capo placed at fret $n$ change the pitch of the open strings?

    It raises every open string by $n$ semitones, so a chord shape sounds $n$ semitones higher than its open-position name.

12. You play a G major chord shape with a capo at the 2nd fret. What chord actually sounds?

    A major — the G shape is raised $2$ semitones (G $\to$ G$\sharp$ $\to$ A).

13. Give two main reasons guitarists use a capo.

    1) To transpose a song into a key that suits the singer's vocal range, and 2) to keep easy open-chord shapes and their ringing, open-string sound in keys that would otherwise require barre chords.

14. To transpose a song from the key of C to the key of E, how many semitones must every chord move?

    Up $4$ semitones (C $\to$ C$\sharp$ $\to$ D $\to$ D$\sharp$ $\to$ E); e.g., C becomes E, F becomes A, G becomes B.

15. What is the classic 'three-chord song' progression in Roman numerals, and what are those chords in the key of G?

    I–IV–V; in G major: G (I), C (IV), and D (V).

16. What is the famous 'four-chord' pop progression, and what are its chords in C major?

    I–V–vi–IV; in C major: C–G–Am–F. It underlies hundreds of pop songs.

17. In Roman numeral chord analysis, what is the difference between uppercase and lowercase numerals?

    Uppercase numerals (I, IV, V) indicate major chords; lowercase numerals (ii, iii, vi) indicate minor chords (vii° is diminished).

18. What is the '50s progression' used in countless doo-wop and pop ballads?

    I–vi–IV–V (e.g., in C: C–Am–F–G), often played with a slow, even strum or arpeggios.

19. Write out the most common folk/pop strumming pattern in down (D) and up (U) strokes over one bar of four beats.

    D – DU – UDU (down, down-up, up-down-up): downs on beats 1, 2, and 3-and's downbeat is skipped — counted as '1, 2 &, & 4 &', keeping the wrist moving in constant eighth-note motion.

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