Letters
From Guitar Educators, Directors & Students
Mr. Warde
I wanted to thank you so much for your resources! Our guitar ensemble is performing Bella and Habanera for our district guitar festival. It is the first year for guitar ensemble at our school (we have only had a general guitar class until I took over the program). Your arrangements, compositions, and curriculum are very well put together. My beginning kids really enjoy the curriculum, especially the “pop/rock” tunes included. Our district curriculum is more based on folk tunes and classical only. You have a very nice mix. Thank you so much. I will be spending quite a bit of time this summer digging through all of your material.
Dean Snavely, Music Educator, Foothill High School, NV, U.S.A.
Mr. Warde,
Greetings from South Carolina! I started teaching a high school guitar class (currently mixed level/ability), five years ago. It has definitely been a learning experience, & my teaching continues to evolve. I started off using the more “traditional” method books out there, but they never really held the attention of the students (especially those with playing experience). I found your website & curriculum yesterday, & tried a couple of your lessons today. Everyone was interested & engaged for the entire class period! I’m looking forward to reading over some of your arrangements with the class soon. Thank you very much for your time & this amazing resource!
Sincerely,
Jeremy F. Shaw , Rock Hill High School, SC, U.S.A.
Dear Sir,
I am a guitar player, teacher and educator. I teach individuals students (aged 9-70) and also groups (aged 10-12) in schools. I’ve taught for almost 20 years and have collected many, many method books and sheet music in all levels and styles, for solo and chamber music. I came across your site this week and perused all of it. I must say you did an amazing job!
In terms of etudes and repertoire, I like your choices. I chose many of these also for my students. I really liked your material for beginners and the "pop-rock" section. The best part for me is of course your material for two or more guitars. A very great job indeed! Lots of fresh material, fun to play and explore, great ideas, and most important, you don't need to be a "recitalist" in order to participate. No one has to play only the "boring" or "not attractive" stuff. Everyone gets a slice of the cake! I am looking forward to using this stuff with my students. Giving it all for teachers and students for free is really philanthropy! Good luck with all your projects!
Ziv katz, Israel
Mr. Warde,
I've been teaching guitar for about 7 years now in a High School class guitar setting. I have anywhere from 10-20 kids per class and have used a cobbled together curriculum taking bits of many different books because I like how one teaches chords but not melodies and vice versa. I started using your materials this year and have noticed a dramatic improvement in my students skills and the speed at which they develop! They are doing great so far! Thank you for making this available and free to us! The recordings on the website are very well done and really helpful. – John Mooney, Director of Bands-Ste. Genevieve High School, MO, U.S.A.
Mr. Warde,
I run a Guitar Ensemble in the UK for under 18’s, with players ranging from beginners through to Grade 8. We have performed all of your trio and quartet pieces and the children really enjoy playing them. We performed Long Road Home in a competition earlier in the year and our performance was described as ‘hypnotic beauty’. Thank you so much for the inspiration,
Richard Monks, U.K.
Dear Mr. Warde,
I come from Italy, northern part, near Turin. I've been teaching classical guitar for over thirty years. Recently, I discovered your website. Wonderful! Great job! A lot of useful and interesting resources. Original compositions and trascriptions are very appreciated by me and my students. Thanks!
Giovanni Freiria, Italy
Lou,
I just came across your website while trying to find some guitar ensemble music for my more advanced High School guitar class. It was number two in a list when I did a Google search. It looks good and you are so generous to put it out there for free. This is my second year teaching three high school guitar classes at two different schools and while I have had some success with the guitar methods that are already available I find it hard to keep everyone engaged/interested - especially when I have a class of complete beginners and not. Just taking a quick glance at your site and the song selections I can see that I will be using quite a few of them!
Thanks,
Christopher Jones, Davidson, NC, U.S.A.
Mr. Warde,
Here in my 21st year as a music teacher they finally let me start a guitar program. Your ensemble arrangements are fantastic and accessible - a tough combination! After arranging and composing pieces for my strings, band, vocal, and steel pan classes for the past couple decades, it was such a relief to find your site full of useful and fun teaching tools. Thank you so much for your contributions to my students!
You’ve inspired me to start posting my own work for other teachers to use. Keep your stick on the ice - we’re all in this together!
Tim Locke
Hello Mr. Warde,
I want to thank you and congratulate you on your wonderful compositions, arrangements, and guitar curriculum. My high school guitar ensemble have performed Tango, Moon Rising, and Long Road Home and your arrangement of In the Hall of the Mountain King. The pieces are appropriate for high school students, challenging, and musically fulfilling.
I plan on using your level 1 curriculum at the start of next school year and I am exciting to start the year fresh with a new approach, ideas, and delivered in a modern, easy to use website. Congratulations again!
Also - I appreciate how generous you are by allowing educators to use your work however, I will donate to your site. Is their a link for people like me to make donations for your work? Thank you.
Steven Sabet
Music Teacher, Thomas Jefferson Arts Academy
Dear Mister Lou Warde.
I am a musician from Naples and I often perform your music with my students. I wanted to congratulate you and thank you for the quality of your work. I send you videos of my last concert in which I added percussion. I hope you like them.
Thank you.
Dario Giordano, Naples, Italy
Hello Lou!
My name is Alan Orlandi and I am a music teacher in the Brazilian public school system. I have been rehearsing your ensemble pieces for about a month now with my advanced students in Rio de Janeiro, and we all love them! Therefore I wanted to express my profound gratitude for your work in arranging these pieces. Not only are they very well arranged, but they are also extremely didactic. Thank you so much and I hope to honor these pieces with great performances!
Regards,
Alan Orlandi, Brazil
Mr. Warde,
I can't thank you enough for your amazing resources. I wanted to offer a guitar program here at Juan Diego as it's never been offered (the school is 20 years old). It's only my 3rd year here, but I figured I'd try. I really didn't know where to begin and looked through many books and "ideas" from other educators. I stumbled across your website when searching for 'guitar ensemble music' and, wow, what a gem of a website! I will be using your beginning guitar curriculum and I'm excited to jump into playing music right away! I know that's what kids want. And what I want is for them to still gain music literacy which you provide in a perfect way.
Thank you again for your generosity in sharing your knowledge with the world. I love the guitar and am excited to bring the joy of guitar-playing to a whole new crowd of students here at Juan Diego.
Sincerely,
Denisse Vallecillos, Juan Diego Catholic High School, Salt Lake City, Utah
Lou,
I discovered your website with all of the beautiful arrangements, design and pedagogical ideas. I am sure you are a great teacher and musician. I am living in France and teaching in a conservatory. I was searching scores for guitar ensemble and am so happy to find your scores.
I will send you some records and videos with my students.
Best regards,
Mehrab Abdolkarimi, France
Hi Lou.
I just wanted to thank you for your incredible site. I’ve taught high school guitar classes in Houston for 20+ years and I recognize good content when I see it. Your materials are designed really well. I love, for example, how you introduce chords. Your simplified charts allow students to be successful early on. For example, the Chasing Cars song: whole note strum – whole rest – switch to the next chord. You give the students time to make that switch, which is crucial early on. I also like starting them with A, D and E.
I do a lot of ensemble work with my students so I look forward to trying some of your arrangements/compositions. We already played the Finale by Saint-Saens. Thank you for sharing!
Mark Moore, Bellaire High School, Houston, TX
Hi Mr. Warde,
You have created some really awesome curriculum for guitar! I am a super fan and you have helped me transform my guitar classes immensely by keeping students super engaged. I teach 9-12 grade and currently have two semester guitar classes (guitar I and guitar II). Thank you so much for creating and sharing your work.
Thanks again,
Kathleen Dolan, Collegiate Academy, Erie School District, Northwest Pennsylvania
Hi Mr. Warde,
I’m a High School music teacher and this is my second full year teaching a guitar courses. Guitar is not my primary instrument, but I’ve been an amateur player with an increasing interest over the last couple years. I just found your website with your free curriculum materials and book and I wish I had this all of last year. While there are many books out there covering the basics in a satisfactory way, you really account for the modern high school/jr. high students with your lessons and do it in a way that is cohesive and very well crafted.
The biggest and most frequent obstacle that most classroom method books don’t account for is engagement and interest of the average high school student with no background in classical music or classical guitar. I teach our advanced ensemble course and still many of my students I have inherited are self-taught rock and metal heads who can be persuaded to play classical guitar, but I have found this has to be done carefully. While I really just found this the other day, I will definitely be making use of it and have already scrapped several lesson plans and replaced them with your materials.
Thanks very much again!
Sean McQuinn, Loyola Academy, Illinois,
Hello
My name is Manos Miriagos and I am from Thessaloniki, Greece, I am a 35 year-old guitar teacher and and have taught for 10 years. My goal for my students is to have fun while they learn to play guitar.
I used to be very strict and taught only classical repertoire. But as time passed, I began to understand that this was my "problem" as teacher. I recall that my own teacher was too focused on practice-practice-practice, and I forgot about the joy of learning guitar. I used to cry a lot after the lessons. But I really thank him for the discipline and the great technique that he taught me. I am a big boy now (HaHa) and I appreciate all the lessons that life gives me each time.
My lessons with my students are going great, but the fact is, they all play alone. My dream was to teach to them to play as a group. I tried it once, but the pieces that I used were either too hard or too easy and uninteresting...that is, until I found your work on the internet. I am so enthusiastic with your work! Your website is so organized with extremely nice music, arrangements, and of course, your compositions.
Soooooo, I tried to use some of them to see how it would work for my students ( ages between 10 to 16). My students were suddenly inspired by the new music! We started with Ode to Joy, In the Hall of the Mountain King, Finlandia, and of course, my favorite, Long Road Home. They've learned their parts, and this Saturday will be our first meeting. I can't wait! It will be a big music party! I'm not going to attempt to sell tickets at our concerts. My goal is not to try to make any money on this. I just want my students to find new friends and enjoy their music time.
Thank you so much for the flame that you put in my heart. If you are interested, I can send you some pictures, and when we are ready, a video performance of your music.
Best best regards,
Manos Miriagos, Greece
Hello Sir,
I've been using your curriculum with my Beginning & Advanced Guitar classes this year after many years trying different approaches, and it is working fantastically! Thank you so much for the work you've done to assemble the materials and sequence it all so carefully. The kids enjoy the song choices and there's enough variety to keep everyone engaged.
Hope you enjoy the holidays!
Aaron Kohen, Calabasas, High School, Las Virgenes USD, CA
Hello,
I started teaching at my current school 2 years ago. I have built the music program from the ground up. I did not know much about the guitar when I started (I am a pianist, vocalist, and clarinetist). I was and am so thankful for your curriculum! I use it with middle school and high school. The content is engaging for the students with the mixture of pop/classical music. Not only that, but your online e-book makes distance learning during this pandemic much more feasible!
Thank you!
Sincerely,
Joseph Ulibarri, Explore Academy, Albuquerque, NM
Hi Lou,
This is Trey from St. Augustine High in Florida. I would first like to thank you so much for your incredible resources. You materials are outstanding! I have been writing my own curriculum for years but really never had the resources to put it in an organized book like you have done. Now there is no need to do so. Yours is fantastic! How do you have time to do all of this for free (just a personal question)? I am really excited to use your materials again this year.
What a wonderful outlook and contribution to young people and their teachers. I am truly impressed by your generosity and philanthropy. Most people are so consumed with money it is rare to find someone like yourself that has outstanding resources and not interested in profits.
I can tell you that your materials will be well used this year as they were last year. In fact, they will be my only textbooks for all levels...I cannot thank you enough for sharing your materials, it has been especially helpful with the distance learning.
Your friend,
Trey Brewer, Director of Guitar
St. Johns County Center For The Arts, St. Augustine High School
Hello Lou,
I would like to thank you for such a great, amazing and helpful website. I'm Italian and I'm teaching guitar ensemble in Shiraz, Iran, I came across your material, there's so much you offer and so good, so useful with the students. When I see this kind of generosity, I remember why internet is a beautiful tool. Thanks, do know that people appreciate your work.
Best!
Riccardo Battaglia, Shiraz, Iran
Dear Lou,
I just wanted to send you a brief note to let you know that your website and resources have been invaluable for me as a non-guitarist teaching MYP and DP music in the International Baccalaureate Program. I’ve been able to suggest repertoire for my guitar students, and just this year I started a guitar quartet at my school. None of that would have gone very smoothly without the resources you’ve so kindly made available with your website. So thank you very much!
Kind Regards,
Karin Lee
MYP/DP Music
Franconian International School, Germany
Dear Mr Warde,
I am an emergency PreK-8th grade music teacher in a public school. I am using your materials for my middle school classes. I want to thank you most sincerely:
Guitar is my main instrument; I have taught guitar and ukulele to individuals and small groups for years, but never large classes. My largest classes now have 21 & 23 students. I have not yet acquired the skills or tools to create tech friendly materials for projecting such large groups. I am fairly well steeped in the way I have always approached teaching guitar. I always like to start students on the key of A using the index finger as a reference or anchor so they don’t have to look or lift to access the three major chords in a key. I searched the web and waded through countless curriculums and materials to find something that truly suited my needs. I was pleasantly surprised when I came upon your curriculum! Everything is perfect! …from the formation of the A chord to the particular songs you use, your materials are well developed, well organized, easily accessible and absolutely delightful! Everything I need is right there, step by step, page by page, lesson by lesson click by click!
I don’t know how you came to develop your curriculum but it strikes me as very intuitive and peaceful.
Namaste
Sarah D.
Mr. Warde:
I just wanted to take a moment to say bravo and thank you. You have created something quite magical. In providing your content as “a gift” for everyone to explore appropriately, you have shown the true nature and beauty of the guitar, and demonstrated a kind and generous spirit that the world needs now more than ever.
All the best,
Gerry Saulter
Guitarist, Serenade Duo
Mr. Warde,
I want to take a moment to say thank you for the expertise, thoughtfulness, and generosity you have shared with all music educators by publishing your curriculum online for free use. When I started teaching high school guitar as a choir teacher with limited guitar experience, I had a challenging time finding resources that matched my philosophy on guitar in the high school classroom. When I came across your curriculum, I was so grateful to have found a curriculum that matched what I viewed as my purpose - to enable kids to play the music they wanted to play in the most musical way possible.
Thank you for your holistic approach to guitar music education. The chord sheets and tabs you have provided are such a powerful tool in my classroom. My students are reading better than they've ever read, playing better than they've ever played, and enjoying music they never imagined they'd enjoy.
Your love for guitar and music education are so evident in the pages you've written. Thank you so much for sharing it with us.
Kelsey Snyder
Director of Choirs and Guitar
Maricopa High School
From Students
Mr. Warde,
Thank you, thank you, thank you! Not just for this tool but really for teaching music. When people ask me how I started my journey as a musician I always give credit to my high school guitar teacher (you). One lesson that has been ingrained would have to be the development of the ear, which was in the beginner book. Seriously Mr. Warde, thank you. Music is an escape for most young people. When I was in your class, I had recently lost my mom a couple months before my senior year. The guitar was that thing that I could get lost (and frustrated) into. Your class equipped me not only as a better guitar player but as a musician in general. I can honestly say, on behalf of all your students, thank you for what you do. Your impact extends beyond the walls of your class. I will be visiting your site more often. Can't say it enough- thanks! - Eli
Mr. Warde,
Any time I play classical guitar for my friends, it blows them away because many of them haven't seen that type of music performed first-hand. What shocks them even more is when they discover that I acquired those skills in the short span of four years within a public high school guitar program. In a way, playing guitar has allowed me to expand my social circle and I have you to thank for that! – Daniel D.
Hi Mr. Warde,
This is Hannah, a student of yours from 2 years ago. I just wanted to say I saw the videos of your guitar ensembles playing in the auditorium and they are absolutely incredible! I thought they were professionals at first coming to play for Wilson. I am jealous. I wish I was up there with them!
I think the last time I got into contact with you I told you I was minoring in music. However, I decided to go full throttle and become a music major! 😊 I also already know some of the audition requirements thanks to your guitar method book the students learn from. Some of the requirements are Sor, Bach, and Tarrega. I am choosing to perform Study in B minor, Bourée and Lágrima, all which you have taught.
I hope your students stay motivated and eager to learn the guitar and I hope they are not taking the program for granted, for it is such tremendous learning opportunity, especially with you as an instructor. Thank you for all the passion and dedication you have put towards teaching your students, I don't think I would have gone down this beautiful musical path without your influence. You are truly an amazing instructor. Tell your students to keep it up, they're doing excellent😊 – Hannah Gomez
Dear Mr. Warde
Thank you for supporting me within your music program with classical guitar. Your class made me realize what I want to do with my life. Because of your class, I aspire to become a classical guitar performer as well as a music composer. I appreciate everything you do and I hope the program continues to expand. – Ivan Parga-Renteria
Hey, shout out to you for being an inspirational musician! I'm deciding to continue to play guitar in college now because I discovered how really sick of an instrument it is! I wish I took the class freshman year! – Krystiana De la Cruz
Mr. Warde
I can't thank you enough for what you have taught me over the years. You have inspired me to always keep trying and that hard work does pay off. I have appreciated throughout each school year all that you've done for your students and me. From the bottom of my heart I thank you and can't wait to visit you next school year. – Lindsay W.
Dear Mr. Warde,
I want to thank you so much for all you’ve done and helped me with this year. You’re the first person who has truly believed in my music and myself; the first one to give me the chance to push myself farther/believe in myself. Lastly the first person who showed me that I can show all my true colors. Thank you for being the best teacher I’ve ever had in all my years of school. P.S. I will really miss both of your classes and you so much. Each of these have helped me positively grow....You're one of the most inspiring person/teacher/mentor I've ever met in my entire life. Thank you for always believing in me. It really changed my self esteem with my music. – Ava Bartlow
Mr. Warde
You put in so much of your time into the guitar program here. I have learned so much from you in the little amount of time I've been in the class. You have so much passion for this and it has made me very passionate about it as well. Thank you. – Reese Butorovich
Mr. Warde,
You have not only taught me guitar, which I have wanted to learn for years, but also taught me lessons in life I should know. Thank you for being an awesome teacher! – Kat Weller
Mr. Warde,
You have made an impact on me by bringing out the best in me in my guitar playing. You help me by pushing me to my goal of being an actual musician. – Marcelino Ramos
Mr. Warde,
Taking your class freshman year really opened up my eyes to music. However, that feeling wasn't as strong as this year (my junior year). For a long time, I have been undecided on what I should pursue after graduation. After taking this class for a second year, my love for music has grown a lot. This gave me a reassurance that I am most likely going to pursue music after high school. Thank you for opening up a door to a new world for me. – Angelina Tran
Mr. Warde,
I am thankful that you've taught me for the past three years. I have always enjoyed going to your class everyday. I appreciate how flexible and forgiving you have been to me. You have given me the gift of being able to play music, which I'll cherish forever. I like how I am comfortable enough with you to be able to discuss my problems and goals, but I like how you seem to genuinely care more. – Ellie O'Donnell
Dear Mr. Warde,
I hope this email finds you well and healthy. I took your three-year curriculum of guitar/songwriting class at Wilson (class of 09) and it changed my life. I still use the yellow cover advanced guitar spiral bound book to practice some pieces. (Leyenda, Classical Gas) I want to take a moment to thank you. You might not remember me but you were very impactful in my life. Thank you again for the gift of music at a time when I was going through depression and anxiety that I never shared with anyone. So much so I was flunking out of high school before your class. Hell, I even made my first group of real friends because I learned to play. Your classroom was a daily refuge. I would not have my degree, my social skills nor my business had I not taken your class. That’s not hyperbole at all. Playing guitar taught me to have confidence, discipline and seeing things through to the end. Skills that I never had before.
Best Regards and Merry Christmas,
William C. (class of 09’)
Hi Mr. Warde,
I don’t think you will remember me but I took your beginning guitar class four years ago when I was a senior at Wilson. When I was in your class, I fell in love with the guitar and I have enjoyed it ever since. Unfortunately, I did stop playing for a while and when I did pick it back up I started using tabs (I know I’m a sinner I apologize). I have been kicking myself for months now because I threw out my beginning guitar book years ago and need to refresh my reading skills. Thank you so much for posting everything on your website. You have no idea how helpful everything has been. I was amazed that the books were on there but the audio recordings too! I just wanted to let you know that your class had a huge impact on my life over the past four years and to say thank you. Having access to all of this music truly is a blessing and I really want you to know that I appreciate it.
Thank you so much,
Keaton
Dear Mr. Warde,
Being your student throughout my high school years, from freshman to senior, I something I'm thankful for. You've changed my simple curiosity for guitar to that of dedication and love. I genuinely enjoy your enthusiasm, your jokes, criticism and compliments. The environment you've created has been stressed-free and incredibly fun. And for sure, the things that you've taught us – the dedication to achieve greatness and the love for guitar – will remain. Thank you for being an incredible teacher to all of us and we wish you well.
Warm Regards,
Jonell Santiago ('22)
