Lauren Passarelli Artist Series

Artist Series Guitar Course from Lauren Passarelli

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Lauren Passarelli is an accomplished musician, songwriter and teacher. She is currently a full professor at the Berklee College of Music.

41 Lessons

Complete course with step-by-step lessons and practice examples.

Multi-Camera

Course filmed with 6 cameras for the perfect angles.

96% Appoval

210 of 214 of our members have given this their approval.

Tabs & Info

Download tabs, helpers, JamTracks and docs included with lessons.

Included

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Full Course Breakdown

In this series Lauren will cover a wide variety of material including a few necessary basics and a whole slew of lessons on songwriting using her original songs as examples.

Begin the Course
1

Lauren Passarelli Interview

This interview covers topics such as music theory, reading sheet music, songwriting, and music technology.

37:34 Runtime

0.5 Difficulty

2

Guitar Purchase and Care

Lauren Passarelli offers up her wisdom on purchasing a guitar. She also includes information regarding proper setup and care.

19:55 Runtime

0.5 Difficulty

View this Lesson
3

Guitar Thoughts

Lauren Passarelli gives her thoughts on several important aspects of the guitar including holding the guitar, holding the pick, playing chords, string skipping, practicing, learning techniques and even a discussion on why the guitar is so versatile.

20:17 Runtime

1.0 Difficulty

4

Time and Space

Lauren talks about the importance of rhythm and proper practice habits.

12:56 Runtime

1.5 Difficulty

5

Reading Music, Chord Spelling and Arpeggios

Lauren Passarelli is back with a behemoth of a lesson. In this lesson, she gives tips on reading music and provides a wealth of music theory knowledge including chord spellings and arpeggios.

39:26 Runtime

2.5 Difficulty

6

Pick Tricks, Learning Tips and Ear Protection

In this lesson, Lauren offers her thoughts on guitar picks, learning efficiently, and the important of protecting your hearing.

5:15 Runtime

1.0 Difficulty

7

Vocal Tips

Lauren Passarelli gives a few potent tips to improve vocal performance and longevity.

3:56 Runtime

1.0 Difficulty

8

Slide Guitar Tips

Lauren Passarelli discusses slide guitar and dishes out several quality tips.

4:58 Runtime

3.0 Difficulty

9

Songwriting Ideas

Lauren begins discussing the topic of songwriting. In this lesson, she talks about how one simple chord can be a foundation for an entire song.

13:03 Runtime

3.0 Difficulty

10

Chords and Rhythm

Lauren Passarelli gives some tips on playing chords and maintaining rhythm while doing so.

4:48 Runtime

2.0 Difficulty

11

Songwriting Ideas Part 2

Lauren starts off by talking about RAS (Retinal Activation Syndrome) and then moves on to talk about the inspiration that goes into creating a song and its lyrics. She also talks about indirect lines and demonstrates her song entitled "Sweetest Thing."

16:56 Runtime

2.5 Difficulty

12

Songwriting Ideas Part 3

Lauren Passarelli returns with more ideas on songwriting. This time around she talks about chords and chord naming, writing lyrics and uses her own song "Playing With the Pieces" as an example.

11:09 Runtime

3.0 Difficulty

13

Simplicity and Songwriting

Lauren talks about how sometimes simple chords, progressions or licks can be used to create some of the most powerful songs. She uses two of her own original songs to illustrate this point.

17:12 Runtime

2.5 Difficulty

14

Using Song Ideas

Lauren Passarelli talks about the process of whittling down massive pools of songwriting inspiration into a single, focused and usable song.

10:04 Runtime

2.0 Difficulty

15

All the Words

Lauren showcases her original song "All the Words" as a way of demonstrating how powerful an extremely "simple" song can truly be.

5:52 Runtime

3.0 Difficulty

16

Writing Lyrics

Lauren Passarelli talks about the process of writing song lyrics and gives insight as to where both lyrics and song names can come from.

8:11 Runtime

2.5 Difficulty

17

Writing Lyrics Part 2

Lauren returns to the topic of lyric writing with several more potent tips.

3:33 Runtime

2.5 Difficulty

18

Alternate Tunings and Songwriting

Lauren Passarelli discusses how alternate tunings can be used in the songwriting process and demonstrates her original song entitled "From the Water."

10:34 Runtime

3.0 Difficulty

19

Rhythms of the Sun

Lauren introduces her original song "Rhythms of the Sun" and uses it as a springboard to demonstrate how songs can come from nothing into fruition.

9:12 Runtime

2.5 Difficulty

20

Alternate Tunings Part 2

Lauren Passarelli further explorers the world of open tunings. In this lesson, she talks about DACGAD tuning and demonstrates two of her original songs.

11:09 Runtime

3.0 Difficulty

21

Two Original Songs

Lauren Passarelli demonstrates two of her original songs and uses them as examples to show how songs can be written.

10:44 Runtime

3.0 Difficulty

22

Sometimes

Lauren Passarelli introduces her original song entitled "Sometimes." She uses this song as a wonderful jumping off point to discuss how songs can be written.

8:54 Runtime

2.5 Difficulty

23

The Dreams I'm Living For

Lauren Passarelli demonstrates her original song called "The Dreams I'm Living For" and uses it to discuss different songwriting techniques.

7:18 Runtime

2.5 Difficulty

24

New Tunings

Lauren Passarelli introduces two new tunings. She plays two of her original songs to demonstrate how they can be used.

13:20 Runtime

3.0 Difficulty

25

D to C Tuning

Lauren Passarelli introduces a new tuning in which the D string is tuned down to C. She performs her original songs to demonstrate how this tuning can be used.

13:04 Runtime

3.0 Difficulty

26

Nail Care

Lauren takes a short break from her songwriting lessons to discuss nail care, an often overlooked yet crucial subject.

4:25 Runtime

2.5 Difficulty

27

Mainly Distance

Lauren Passarelli demonstrates her original song called "Mainly Distance." Lauren uses this fingerpicking tune as a vehicle to talk about songwriting.

8:31 Runtime

3.0 Difficulty

28

In the Style of Songwriting

Lauren first introduces one of her original tunes and talks about how it was written. Then, she moves on to talk about writing songs in the style of your favorite artist.

19:21 Runtime

0.0 Difficulty

29

Lyrical Inspiration from Poems

In this lesson, Lauren talks about how classic poems and your original poems can be a fountain of lyrical ideas.

17:36 Runtime

3.0 Difficulty

30

I Carry On

In this lesson, Lauren Passarelli talks about playing chords in random positions to find interesting sounds. She also discusses pinch harmonics and the effectiveness of palm muting. She demonstrates her song "I Carry On" to demonstrate these points.

7:38 Runtime

3.0 Difficulty

31

Warming up and Triplets

Lauren teaches a few chromatic scale fingerings that can be used as warm-ups. She proceeds to talk about interesting ways to conceptualize and count triplets.

13:20 Runtime

2.5 Difficulty

32

Warming up Muscles

In this lesson, Lauren talks about the importance of making sure the muscles in your wrist and forearms are properly warmed up before playing. She also talks about remedies for muscle soreness.

4:54 Runtime

3.0 Difficulty

33

Tuner Thoughts

Lauren Passarelli takes a brief pause from her songwriting lessons to talk about guitar tuners, which kind she prefers, and why.

3:12 Runtime

2.5 Difficulty

34

Song Imitations

Lauren Passarelli explains how a riff, lick, tuning or even chords from a song you like can be used as inspiration when suffering from writer's block.

34:23 Runtime

3.0 Difficulty

35

Song Inspiration

Lauren talks about some of the interesting places song inspiration can come from, including things as simple as refrigerator magnets.

16:54 Runtime

2.5 Difficulty

36

Song Demonstrations

In this lesson, Lauren demonstrates several of her original songs and describes the process she went through while writing each one. This lesson is perfect for songwriters looking for inspiration!

23:14 Runtime

3.0 Difficulty

37

Instrumental Songs

Lauren talks about the process of writing instrumental songs and demonstrates a few of her originals.

23:14 Runtime

3.0 Difficulty

38

Instrumentals Part 2

Lauren returns to the world of instrumental songwriting. In this lesson, she demonstrates three of her originals and talks about how they were crafted.

12:07 Runtime

2.5 Difficulty

39

Book and Movie List

Lauren Passarelli shares a list of books and movies that she thinks are valuable for any guitarist. She covers books and movies not only on the topic of guitar but also everyday living.

4:00 Runtime

2.5 Difficulty

40

Growing as a Musician

In this lesson Lauren Passarelli gives her recommendations on good ways to grow as not only a guitarist, but also as an all around musician.

10:37 Runtime

3.0 Difficulty

41

Tips on Performing

Lauren Passarelli gives a few tips on performing and then closes out her artist series with an original tune.

19:14 Runtime

3.0 Difficulty

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Lauren Passarelli

210
  • Boston, Massachusetts
  • Playing since 1969
  • 65 lessons at JamPlay
Begin Course
Lauren Passarelli is an award winning teacher & distinguished alumni from Berklee College of Music where she has been a guitar Professor since 1984.

Originally from Paramus, NJ, Lauren received a fantastic guitar foundation using the Alfred’s, Mel Bay, Harry Shearer & William G. Leavitt guitar books from her first guitar teacher, Lou Sabini. Graduating in 1982 as the first woman to finish the guitar performance program, Lauren also became the first woman to join Berklee’s guitar faculty & first to be promoted to full Professor.

She’s a multi instrumentalist, vocalist, arranger, recording engineer & record producer & has worked with Cindy Brown, Sarah Burrill, Thaddeus Hogarth, Kate Chadbourne, Danny Morris, Pat Metheny, Elizabeth Lorrey, Nancy Beaudette, Melissa Etheridge, Jane Miller, Louis Arnold & many others.

Her students include Derek Sivers, founder of cdbaby, Panos Panay, founder of sonic bids; Will Knox; Kyle Patrick, of Click 5; Jesse Ruben & Rob Harkness, founder of Barn Productions.

Lauren specializes in creativity, composing, sight reading, the ability to groove, the music of The Beatles, alternate guitar tunings, song writing, recording, producing, arranging & Artist survival skills. She writes in standard & alternate tunings, plays slide & fretless guitar, and approaches the guitar as a mini orchestra. She has the ability to play funky riffs and sing counter melodies at the same time.

She endorses, Line 6, Wechter, Guild, Fender, Taylor, Godin, Washburn, Yamaha, Martin, Rane, Electro Voice, Crowley & Tripp, AKG, Audio Technica, Groove Tubes, Bose, DR Handmade Strings, D’Addario, Planet Waves, IK Multimedia, East West, Apple, Studiomaster, ADA Amplification, Marshall, Vox, ART & more.

There are hundreds of performances, clinics & interview videos on youtube featuring Lauren & her original music as well as Beatle covers while she was touring as the sound-a-like George Harrison.

She is the co-founder of Feather Records, Cotton Moon Music, Wizard & Feather Brown Productions & PassaBrown Studios.

Lauren’s music is available world wide on cdbaby, iTunes, Rhapsody, Pandora & many other sites. Her CDs include: “Among The Ruins” & “Shadow Language” under her band name Two Tru, “Back to the Bone”, New CDs coming soon ~ “Playing With the Pieces” & “Blast of Love.”

"Lauren Passarelli is a great guitar player" Pat Metheny.
Reviews & Feedback 96/100 with 214 ratings
Gov5rt

She's a very good teacher and knows what you need to know instead of -again- play the minor pentatonic...

BuffyLOL

An inspiration of a person. Now I understand her much better. Could have used her live chats much better. Sad she is not here. Hope she will be back :-)

transheen

Actually, it is all of three. Explanation was clear. Songs not very difficult, but with some sophistication. It is just what I needed.

AlexaGuitar

You're cool, I enjoyed your videos!

JPK

great personality and ability to relate information in an easy to understand manner.

Strumbo_

A very fine teacher. Articulate, informative, knowledgeable, enjoyable, she is one of JPs best. I hope to see more from Lauren.

mixedink4

You make it sound easy, flow to it.

rudolf_kis

Great tips and advice that I would have not heard/learned anywhere else!

ronnie13

she is awesome

TonySlashT

Exceptionally talented lady, very passionate about music and people, thanks for all the advice x

MNicholson74

AWESOME TEACHER AND GUITAR TIPS

Gold713

Very insightful on chord voicing possibilities

mprzekop

Best instructor I have had. Already have so many great ideas to vary my practices, to play with intention and focus, to proceed slowly so as not to rush and create bad habits. Now I know the root of my previous frustrations. Completely reson

05vette

Beautiful voice!

kailiedee

Full of integrity and plain truth's, minus ego

EclecticElectricTele

Thanks for all the details. Learned a few things I didn't know.

Jason777

I really liked you song

burst58

Lauren Passarelli is so cool and positively a gem in JamPlay's faculty: she's a great teacher, guitarist and musician. Bravo!

tercelink

Bravo again! Very motivating...

RubenGarayar22

Excelente! Sin palabras!

gvoran123

Very impressed with the dialog!

jeanette1

She's a women electric songwriter, a blaze trailer

SAMUEL01

Very Cool!

fgbeatles1

Excellent way to present the material in an easy to follow methodology.

famousamosbeatz1

At first, I was a little upset that Jam Play only had one songwriting instructor, but after watching a few lessons, Lauren is an amazing teacher. Def my fav teacher on Jam Play so far. Very knowledgeable and explains concepts in simple terms un

RyanPlusGuitar

The tip on finding the number of flats and sharps in a key will be useful. Also, it is amazing to see a number of possibilities with playing chords.