Guitar Masterclasses

Weekly guitar masterclasses are held in Denver Thursdays 6:30-7:30pm with Curtis Madigan for dedicated high school guitarists. This workshop is geared towards the internal process of the musician, enhancing rhythmic ability, ear training, and other concepts that drastically increase musicality. Madigan’s students have gone on to study at Berklee College of Music and other top music schools.

This group works from Madigan’s Guitar Masterclass Book

Examples of Topics

Madigan’s revolutionary theory of rhythm addresses numerous overlooked aspects of rhythm that make huge changes in your students’ playing. Waxing and Waning Duration is a concept that is solely applicable to melodic instruments and can make or break your group’s sound.

The exercise on this page depicts an extremely simple yet highly profound way to increase your groups sonic unity, rhythmic alignment, and overall groove.

This excerpt is from the Guitar Masterclass workbook written by Curtis Madigan. The concepts however, are applicable to choirs, orchestras, jazz ensembles, wind ensemble and more.

Neighboring syncopations is another concept unique to Madigan’s Sound Formation Method. This concept address the practice of training your students in similar syncopated rhythms that feel dramatically different.

These similar rhythms and their distinction in execution is a defining factor in creating a mature and professional sounding ensemble versus an amateur group that struggles with refined rhythmic feels.

Again, this is an incredibly simple but not necessarily easy principle that creates a huge shift in your group’s overall sound for the better.

This excerpt comes from Madigan’s Level 5 workbook.

We can displace, syncopate, and mix our hemiolas to create many strong groove patterns. How to mix hemiolas is explained along with many examples of displaced hemiola patterns and syncopated hemiolas.

*Concepts taught in guitar masterclasses are highly dependent upon the skill level of each guitarist.