The Childbloom Company is a leader in the production of effective child-centered curriculum focusing on the instruction of high-skill guitar technique, literacy and musicality. No one knows how children grow skill and artistry better than Childbloom.

The uniqueness of the materials allows a teacher to instruct children in groups. The Childbloom curriculum is notably successful with children five and up. There is an ensemble component that runs through the material from the very beginning. This allows the context for total musical development – from building the cognitive musical skills needed for artistry to integrating the adolescent’s social needs.
 

"FUN"DAMENTAL TECHNIQUE AND MUSICALITY

The first level of curriculum is a pre-literate program. The music is arranged in parts so that the ensemble component is introduced to the student. The parts introduce a hierarchy of technical skill, so as the child learns the material, he or she is also developing left and right hand guitar skills. We provide each student with audio materials and easy-to-read transcription of the music so parents can help at home. This is the level at which the student is introduced to the proper playing posture, positions of the left and right hand, rest stroke, free stroke motion with dyads and chords, arpeggio motion, thumb use, use of all left hand fingers in a static and moving posture.

"FUN"DAMENTAL LITERACY

All reading-ready Childbloom students undergo a consistent literacy program. First position notes are learned with short solo and ensemble tunes. Some of the tunes are common to the cultural literacy of the Americas. Fingering notation and rhythmic notation down to sixteenth notes and dotted rhythms are presented. In this program, more technical issues are introduced once the student is reading on multiple strings in a unified manner. The book culminates with learning simultaneous multi-voice texture.

EXPANDED TECHNIQUES

Once a student has learned basic literacy skills, the challenge is to develop more technical and advanced literacy knowledge. This part of the system builds the student’s solo repertoire with music from the 16th century to the present. Unfortunately young students have nowhere to go to listen to the music that they can actually play, since concert music is beyond reach. Thus we provide a CD of the music they can play, beautifully performed by Frank Wallace, to accompany the Tunes You Can Play 1 book.
 

EXPANDED LITERACY THROUGH ENSEMBLE

In order to reinforce the students’ literacy skills and to provide ensemble experience, expansion ensemble music is presented. This step has music in 2,3 and 4 parts. All the music is constructed to reinforce literacy and technical skill. This collection contains some of the most beautiful folk songs of the world and is perfect for recitals and public performances.
 

MAINSTREAM TECHNIQUE

This is an advanced collection of tunes for the student. Works from the Medieval to contemporary composers are included. The Tunes You Can Play 2 CD is another beautiful production by Frank Wallace. Students encounter more advanced techniques, literacy and higher-position reading.
 

INTERMEDIATE ENSEMBLE

This is an advanced collection of ensemble pieces for Childbloom students who have played for several years.
 

PERFORMANCE MUSIC
 

Many Childbloom Instructors form their own performing ensembles (often called “Bella Corda”tm groups). Besides the music from the Ensemble books, there is also a collection of music specially composed and arranged for 3, 4 and 5 guitars. Much of this music can be heard on www.youtube.com/childbloom.
 

RHYTHMIC LITERACY

This is a system of reading rhythm. It presents a developmental process for playing and understanding rhythmic notation for the student in one AND two parts. From the simplest whole/half/quarter notation to mixed meter in two parts and syncopation, this book is the best work of its kind ever produced for developing guitarists.
 

THEORY

The Childbloom Company’s theory material is specially geared toward younger minds. Information on fundamental language of music is presented in the literacy material and fundamental rhythmic understanding in the Rhythm manual. There is also material dealing with the understanding of harmony (Tonic/dominant) and the use of chords. Our Blues/Rock theory Unit is also popular.
 

SPECIALTY MUSIC

The Childbloom Company continues to add to their catalogue: Christmas music, Hymn music, patriotic music in a “one-size-fits-all” arrangements from an easy version to a 2 or 3 part version. This music is available only to certified Childbloom Instructors.