Development project turns into free guitar lessons

Assistant Professor Rasmus Birk, who teaches guitar and ensemble playing at RAMA in Aalborg, has just completed a pedagogical development project, which has resulted in a number of teaching videos that are now publicly and freely available to all guitarists – and to other interested parties.

In collaboration with colleagues from the Saint Louis College of Music in Rome, Birk has written eight tracks in different jazz/pop genres with a special focus on the guitar parts and on an educational outcome. Each track is available as a live performance video – and as a video tutorial specifically for guitarists. The pedagogical videos provide insight into many aspects of (guitar) technique, sound, aesthetics, etc. Birk has included feedback from students in the process, to optimize the dissemination in the pedagogical videos.

The guitar parts are carefully transcribed and can also be freely downloaded as a pdf. The level is intermediate to advanced. The material is suitable both for self-study and as material for guitar teachers who are looking for new, challenging material for their students.

International cooperation

Alongside the pedagogical purpose, the performance videos show artistic practice at an international level. The partners in Rome and Aalborg have visited each other several times, and Rasmus Birk has participated in conferences and concerts and has held workshops in Rome and thereby expanded his international network.

A previous development project has also been made with musicians from the same institution in Rome, so it is a long-term collaboration. Furthermore, Birk together with head of studies Esben W. Elvstrøm has participated in the recording of 10 songs for a large “Brazil” project, which The Saint Louis College of Music is responsible for. The project was recorded in Aalborg in 2019 but has not yet been published.

Furthermore, the performance video “When I think of you” is produced in collaboration with strings from Aalborg Symphony Orchestra.

All material can be freely accessed from Rasmus Birk’s website:
https://www.rasmusbirk.com/foku/#foku2