MUSIC PERFORMANCE
GUITAR
i Program Overview
The guitar program is the foundation of Musicians Institute. In 1977, the Guitar Institute of Technology was founded as the first school to teach contemporary music. With the addition of multiple instruments over the years, GIT became known as the Musicians Institute, but the passion for the guitar has remained.
Since then, MI’s guitar program continues to offer the best foundational instruction & skills necessary for a thriving and exciting music career. Guitar classes are taught by renowned, active professional players who train students in the fundamentals of guitar playing, including performance, advanced techniques, ear training, melodic soloing, and a variety of contemporary styles.
At MI, we believe that training in these diverse styles and professional environments allows students to be ready for any job after graduation, whether it’s as a studio session player, a guitar teacher, a touring musician, an artist, and beyond!
It is this firsthand, immersive experience in our classrooms and facilities that really set the stage for success in the music industry after MI.
CURRICULUM HIGHLIGHTS
GUIT-024 – Guitar Gear Mastery
GUIT-088E – Acid Jazz Guitar
GUIT-156E – Melodic Soloing
GUIT-062E – Metal Guitar
DEGREE BY THE NUMBERS
From 10 weeks to 4 years, there’s an option for you!
MASTER OF MUSIC – 4 Quarters
BACHELOR OF MUSIC – 12 Quarters
ASSOCIATE OF ARTS – 6 Quarters
CERTIFICATE – 4 Quarters
MI SELECT (Individual Courses) – 10 Weeks
i Program Overview
The guitar program is the foundation of Musicians Institute. In 1977, the Guitar Institute of Technology was founded as the first school to teach contemporary music. With the addition of multiple instruments over the years, GIT became known as the Musicians Institute, but the passion for the guitar has remained.
Since then, MI’s guitar program continues to offer the foundational skills necessary for a thriving and exciting music career. Guitar classes are taught by renowned, active professional players who train students in the fundamentals of guitar playing, including performance, advanced techniques, ear training, melodic soloing, and a variety of contemporary styles.
At MI, we believe that training in these diverse styles and professional environments allows students to be ready for any job after graduation, whether it’s as a studio session player, a guitar teacher, a touring musician, an artist, and beyond!
It is this firsthand, immersive experience in our classrooms and facilities that really set the stage for success in the music industry after MI.
CURRICULUM HIGHLIGHTS
GUIT-024 – Guitar Gear Mastery
GUIT-088E – Acid Jazz Guitar
GUIT-156E – Melodic Soloing
GUIT-062E – Metal Guitar
i The MI Difference
i The MI Difference
FULLY IMMERSIVE CURRICULUM
Guitar students will be taught contemporary guitar skills, with core classes including Guitar Technique, Guitar Performance, Guitar Reading, Harmony/Theory/Ear Training. They will also develop performing skills and guitar tricks in contemporary styles from blues, jazz, and fusion to country, rock, Afro-Cuban, Brazilian, reggae, funk, R&B, and hip hop.
Live Performance Workshops
MI is unique in its focus on the stage, and Guitar students are required to perform weekly in Live Performance Workshops (LPWs) as part of the curriculum. The song selections are changed weekly, allowing students to gain experience with diverse genres, making them stronger musicians for their careers beyond MI.
Equipment & Facilities
Students will have access to top of the line guitars, pedal boards and more, that can be rented from our MI Library and used in our practice and performance studios. MI’s library is stocked with Fender, PRS, Kiesel, Strandberg, Suhr, ESP, Takamine, and other top guitar brands. MI has 45 general purpose counseling
Private Lessons with Instructors
MI instructors are also successful musicians and working professionals, bringing their experience into the classroom every day. Students have the unique opportunity to have one-hour private lessons with instructors, who can offer more personalized instruction and advice on their classwork and beyond.
Hollywood Location
Our campus is located in the middle of the entertainment industry, including the worlds of music, film, television and beyond. Students will have access to the finest live music venues, along with opportunities and possibilities to visit, intern and work at the best studios and sought after music labels in the world.
Fully Immersive Curriculum
Guitar students will be taught by our industry-experienced instructors, where they’ll learn how to demonstrate stylistic depth, creative maturity and professional competence in preparation for careers in today’s music industry. Some highlights include:
- Contemporary guitar skills, with core classes including Guitar Technique, Guitar Performance, Guitar Reading, Harmony/Theory/Ear Training.
- Develop performing skills and guitar tricks in contemporary styles from blues, jazz, and fusion to country, rock, Afro-Cuban, Brazilian, reggae, funk, R&B, and hip hop.
Live Performance Workshops
MI is unique in its focus on the stage, and Guitar students are required to perform weekly in Live Performance Workshops (LPWs) as part of the curriculum. The song selections are changed weekly, allowing students to gain experience with diverse genres, making them stronger musicians for their careers beyond MI.
Equipment & Facilities
Students will have access to top of the line guitars, pedal boards and more, that can be rented from our MI Library and used in our practice and performance studios. MI’s library is stocked with Fender, PRS, Kiesel, Strandberg, Suhr, ESP, Takamine, and other top guitar brands. MI has 45 general purpose counseling/practice labs that are equipped with amps and various equipment to serve any needs for classwork and beyond.
Private Lessons with Instructors
MI instructors are also successful musicians and working professionals, bringing their experience into the classroom every day. Students have the unique opportunity to have one-hour private lessons with instructors, who can offer more personalized instruction and advice on their classwork and beyond.
Hollywood Location
Our campus is located in the middle of the entertainment industry, including the worlds of music, film, television and beyond. Students will have access to the finest live music venues, along with opportunities and possibilities to visit, intern and work at the best studios and sought after music labels in the world.
i Facilities
i Facilities
i Faculty
Musicians Institute hosts a highly skilled faculty with extensive experience in the world of contemporary music.
i Faculty
Musicians Institute hosts a highly skilled faculty with extensive experience in the world of contemporary music.
Scott Henderson
Tribal Tech / Joe Zawinul / Chick Corea
Dean Brown
Billy Cobham / Brecker Brothers / Marcus Miller
Dan Gilbert
Dan Siegel / Robben Ford / Larry Carlton
Artur Menezes
Joe Satriani / Buddy Guy / TEDx
Scott Henderson
Tribal Tech / Joe Zawinul / Chick Corea
Dean Brown
Billy Cobham / Brecker Brothers / Marcus Miller
Dan Gilbert
Dan Siegel / Robben Ford / Larry Carlton
Artur Menezes
Joe Satriani / Buddy Guy / TEDx
i Alumni Success Stories
i Alumni Success Stories
Nicole Row / Panic! At the Disco
BASS PROGRAM
“The most important thing I took from MI was what you do with what you’re given. I tried my best to absorb everything I heard, and took every gig I was offered.”
Nicole Row / Panic! At the Disco
BASS PROGRAM
“The most important thing I took from MI was what you do with what you’re given. I tried my best to absorb everything I heard, and took every gig I was offered.”
Derek Keota / Best Engineered Album Grammy Nomination
AUDIO ENGINEERIG PROGRAM
“To say MI has been a life-changing experience would be an understatement.”
Bishop Briggs / Singer/Songwriter
VOCAL PROGRAM
“I truly never saw myself doing anything other than music.”
JUSTIN DERRICO /
Pink, NBC’s The Voice
GUITAR PROGRAM
“I definitely wouldn’t be where I am today if it weren’t for MI.”
KELLY APPLETON /
Sam Smith, Tricky, Florence & The Machine
GUITAR PROGRAM
“I was fascinated by the L.A. music scene…all the big touring acts seem to recruit in L.A., it just seemed like the logical place to be and MI the best launching pad.”
MATEUS ASATO /
Silk Sonic, Tori Kelly
GUITAR PROGRAM
“I had a teacher [at MI] that changed my whole life, Dale Turner, and he had a class called Jimi Hendrix Rhythm Guitar. That changed the whole thing.”
DAVE ELLEFSON /
Megadeath
GUITAR PROGRAM
“I came here to Hollywood, specifically to the Musicians Institute because this was at the epicenter of everything cool.”
PAUL GILBERT /
Racer X, Mr. Big
GUITAR PROGRAM
“When I was 17, I went to G.I.T (MI)…That was really helpful for learning to apply music theory to the guitar fingerboard, and I was really inspired by all the great teachers and students.”
JUSTIN DERRICO /
Pink, NBC’s The Voice
GUITAR PROGRAM
“I definitely wouldn’t be where I am today if it weren’t for MI.”
International Students
International students make up nearly one-fourth of MI’s total student population, representing more than 50 countries throughout the world. The International Student Office is dedicated to making the transition from each student’s home country to MI’s Hollywood campus as smooth and easy as possible.
i CAREER OPTIONS
i CAREER OPTIONS
“What can I do with a degree in Guitar Performance?”
Following in the non-traditional spirit of MI, graduates with a degree in Guitar have found careers in diverse settings across the music industry. We strive to prepare graduates for any opportunities that arise in music, like:
> PERFORMER
As a guitar performer, you can perform as a solo artist or as part of a band.
> ACCOMPANIST (STUDIO OR LIVE)
Accompanists typically play instruments like piano or guitar and support and collaborate with vocalists, dancers, theater performers, and other creative artists.
> ARRANGER
An arranger takes compositions and alters the melody, harmony, and tempos to change the tone and style of the original piece.
> SONGWRITER
Songwriters specialize in writing the melodies, harmonies and lyrical elements for a specific instrument or part of a song. They can be the artist behind the song, or write for other artists to use.
> MUSIC SUPERVISOR
The music supervisor is the head of the music department on a film or television show, overseeing song placement and licensing music for the production.
> TRANSCRIBER
Transcribers might work with a composer to notate the notes, arrangement, and pitch of a previously unwritten song or score.
“What can I do with a degree in Guitar Performance?”
Following in the non-traditional spirit of MI, graduates with a degree in Guitar have found careers in diverse settings across the music industry. We strive to prepare graduates for any opportunities that arise in music, like:
> PERFORMER
As a guitar performer, you can perform as a solo artist or as part of a band.
> ACCOMPANIST (STUDIO OR LIVE)
Accompanists typically play instruments like piano or guitar and support and collaborate with vocalists, dancers, theater performers, and other creative artists.
> ARRANGER
An arranger takes compositions and alters the melody, harmony, and tempos to change the tone and style of the original piece.
> SONGWRITER
Songwriters specialize in writing the melodies, harmonies and lyrical elements for a specific instrument or part of a song. They can be the artist behind the song, or write for other artists to use.
> MUSIC SUPERVISOR
The music supervisor is the head of the music department on a film or television show, overseeing song placement and licensing music for the production.
> TRANSCRIBER
Transcribers might work with a composer to notate the notes, arrangement, and pitch of a previously unwritten song or score.
i Career Development
i CAREER DEVELOPMENT
Artist & Career Services
Artist & Career Services (ACS) is an extensive resource center designed to offer students and alumni active professional & personal development to succeed in today’s competitive entertainment industry.
ACS provides help in career development like resume building, workshops, industry mentors, discounted gear, internships and more.
INTERNSHIPS
The ACS Internship Program provides MI students with real-world experience in the music industry through internships in music-related companies. Students in the Music Business Program are required to complete an internship, while Common Course and Audio Engineering majors are able to sign up to be interviewed and considered for the elective program.
INTERNSHIPS
The ACS Internship Program provides MI students with real-world experience in the music industry through internships in music-related companies. Students in the Music Business Program are required to complete an internship, while Common Course and Audio Engineering majors are able to sign up to be interviewed and considered for the elective program.
i SCHOLARSHIPS & FINANCIAL AID
i FINANCIAL AID
Don’t let finances get in the way of your dreams. MI has a range of scholarships available for incoming students of all kinds. Scholarships available to Guitar students include:
MUSICIANSHIP SCHOLARSHIP
Musicianship Scholarships are available to new and current instrumental students enrolling in the Bachelor of Music, Bachelor of Composition, Associate of Arts, or Certificate in Performance Programs.
D’ADDARIO WOMEN IN GUITAR SCHOLARSHIP
D’Addario Music Foundation, was created to assist advanced, stylistically diverse female guitarists with their educational development.
Ready to start your Guitar journey?
Ready to start your Guitar journey?
The first step in applying to our on-ground or online program is to complete an Application for Admission, and get started with the best music college!
The first step in applying to our on-ground or online program is to complete an Application for Admission, and get started with the best music college!
Can’t make it to Hollywood? You can enroll in our Online Guitar program from anywhere in the world through MI Online!
i UPCOMING EVENTS
i Upcoming Events
VIRTUAL OPEN HOUSE
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Find out for yourself why thousands of musicians from all over the world have made MI the launching pad for their careers.
ON-CAMPUS OPEN HOUSE
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Find out for yourself why thousands of musicians from all over the world have made MI the launching pad for their careers.
MI ONLINE INFO SESSION
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Meet the MI Online team as they
guide you through the MIO
platform, the diverse program
offerings, and the steps needed to
apply.
Nicole Row / Panic! At the Disco
BASS PROGRAM
"The most important thing I took from MI was what you do with what you’re given. I tried my best to absorb everything I heard, and took every gig I was offered."
Nicole Row / Panic! At the Disco
BASS PROGRAM
"The most important thing I took from MI was what you do with what you’re given. I tried my best to absorb everything I heard, and took every gig I was offered."
Nicole Row / Panic! At the Disco
BASS PROGRAM
"The most important thing I took from MI was what you do with what you’re given. I tried my best to absorb everything I heard, and took every gig I was offered."
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