From Shapes to Sound (Guitar)

Dates: Thursdays, January 8, January 22, & February 5, 2025
Time: 7:00 – 8:30 p.m. (Eastern)
Format: Online via Zoom
Fee: $150 + HST

Course Overview

From Shapes to Sound is a new online course designed for intermediate acoustic and electric guitarists who want to deepen their understanding of the instrument and explore how melody, harmony, and rhythm work together to create expressive, dynamic music.

This course bridges practical guitar skills with musical understanding—offering players fresh tools, concepts, and inspiration to move beyond the familiar and rediscover creativity on the fretboard.

Whether you’ve hit a plateau or simply want to understand the “why” behind what you play, From Shapes to Sound provides the structure and insight to help you break through barriers and reconnect with your musical curiosity.

PDF handouts will be provided before each class, and every session will include open Q&A time for discussion and sharing ideas.

Course Focus

The program is structured around three pillars of music—Melody, Harmony, and Rhythm—each explored through practical guitar applications, repertoire, and guided exercises.

Melody

• Understanding the fretboard and mapping note names across the guitar

• Exploring major scale patterns and relationships

• Understanding triads: mapping the guitar in the key of G major

• Why modes? When and why they’re useful

• Crafting a melody: note choice, phrasing, and space

• The “hip” notes: expanding your scales with tasteful non-scale tones

• Repertoire: People Get Ready (Curtis Mayfield)

• Repertoire: Ashokan Farewell (Jay Ungar)

Harmony

• Understanding chords and how they function within a key

• Moving beyond triads: exploring 7th chords

• Playing arpeggios melodically

• “Hipping up” your chord voicings

• Learning why you don’t always need to play the root of the chord

• Breaking up chords: folk-style Travis picking, moving bass lines, and beyond—patterns for chordal movement

• Repertoire: Georgia on My Mind

Rhythm

• Why rhythm is the most important part of the musical equation

• Chordal guitar playing: from folk styles through blues and swing feel

• How to practice rhythm

• Exploring new rhythmic feels: bossa nova, Charleston, and piano-inspired patterns

• Studies: Blue Monk

Learning Outcomes

By the end of this course, participants will:

• Understand how melody, harmony, and rhythm interact to shape musical expression

• Navigate the fretboard with greater fluency and confidence

• Recognize chord–scale relationships across keys

• Develop a more creative and dynamic rhythmic sense

• Expand their repertoire with fresh, stylistically varied pieces

• Gain practical tools for arranging, improvising, and personalizing music on guitar

Instructor Biography

Nicholas Russell is an artist and music educator based in Haliburton, Ontario. He holds an Honours Degree with a focus on music and is a graduate of the De Jonge School of Lutherie, where he designed and constructed a concert classical guitar under the expert guidance of Master Luthier Sergei De Jonge.

Nicholas’s musical interests span jazz, blues, world, classical, folk, and traditional styles. As an active performer, session musician, supporting artist, and band leader, he brings versatility and creative depth to every musical setting.

With over twenty years of teaching experience, Nicholas previously directed the lesson program at Folkway Music in Waterloo, Ontario. He currently teaches at Fleming College School of Art + Design and operates the Haliburton Guitar Studio, offering private instruction locally and internationally via Zoom.

Nick’s teaching style is engaging, empathetic, and deeply student-centered, creating a welcoming and supportive environment for learning. Whether in workshops, music clinics, or private lessons, he prioritizes open, conversational interactions that encourage students to feel comfortable expressing themselves. His approach combines clear, informative guidance with active listening, allowing him to tailor his instruction to each student’s unique needs, goals, and learning style. His teaching is infused with a lighthearted sense of humour, making the learning process both fun and enriching, while helping students stay relaxed and motivated.

His latest instrumental album, Archtop, is available on Bandcamp. Nicholas is proudly endorsed by Godin Guitars (Canada) and Keeley Electronics (USA).

Learn more at www.nicholasrussell.ca or connect on Instagram @nicholas.on.guitar.