DANMAN'S CURRICULUM

Our Personalized Approach

At Danman’s Music School, we believe every student learns differently. That’s why we customize each lesson based on age, goals, skill level, and musical interests — whether you're 3 or 83, learning piano, guitar, or voice. Our goal is simple: keep you inspired, progressing, and having fun.

The 4 Pillars of Musical Knowledge

🎵 Songs – Learn real music right away to stay motivated

📚 Theory – Understand the “why” behind the music

🎯 Technique – Build confidence and control on your instrument

👁️ Reading – Develop long-term skills with music literacy

Smart Tools. Real Results.

60 Song Method – A signature curriculum that introduces songs in increasing complexity to build confidence

Skills Tracker – A clear roadmap of what you’re learning and where you're headed

Finale SmartMusic – Interactive technology that helps with play-alongs, rhythm, and sight-reading (great for tech-savvy students or band prep)

Matching Students With the Right Teacher

With over 20 instructors on staff — each with different strengths, specialties, and personalities — we carefully match each student with a teacher who fits their learning style and musical taste.

Whether you're learning:

Guitar, Piano, Drums, Bass, Ukulele, Violin, Flute, Cello, Voice, or something else…

We’ll find a great fit for your journey.

Age 3 to Adult – It’s Never Too Early (or Too Late)

We meet students where they are — whether they're just learning finger placement or preparing for college auditions. Lessons can be fun and playful, focused and technical, or exploratory and creative depending on the student’s age and goals.

Flexible, Comfortable, and Consistent

Private, one-on-one instruction

Available in-store or via Zoom

30- or 60-minute weekly sessions

Optional recital opportunities to perform and grow

🎵 How We Tailor Music Lessons to You

We tailor your lessons based on the instrument you’re learning — with step-by-step goals, songs, and skill-building techniques.

Whether you're learning guitar, piano, voice, or violin, we break the process into clear, achievable steps that match your pace and interest. Every instrument at Danman’s has its own pathway — so no two students learn the same way, even if they’re playing the same notes.

🎯 What You Can Expect:

🎵 A song-first approach — learn fun, recognizable tunes from the beginning

🧠 Foundational skill building — technique, note names, posture, and tuning

📈 Structured progress tracking with our custom Skill Tracker

📚 Bonus items & ticket rewards — for added motivation

🎶 Scales, riffs, chords, and real songs appropriate to each student’s level

🎥 Video materials and play-along tracks available online

📝 Example: Bass Guitar Starter Curriculum

Our Bass students begin with a step-by-step roadmap like this:

How to hold the bass and use your pick or fingers

Learn all 4 string names and parts of the instrument

Tuning and first finger placements using “finger-per-fret” technique

Read TAB and play riffs like Smoke on the Water, 7 Nation Army, or Ode to Joy

Learn basic chords (E, A, B7) and progressions (I-IV-V)

Power chords, walk-ups, and walk-downs

Explore hammer-ons, pull-offs, pentatonic scales, and more!

What Beginner Guitar Students Learn:

How to hold the guitar properly

How to hold your pick

Names of all 6 guitar strings

Understanding parts of the guitar

Tuning each string (sharper & flatter)

Placing fingers on the fretboard

"Finger per fret" method (1st position)

How to read guitar tablature (TAB)

First riffs: Smoke on the Water, Seven Nation Army, Ode to Joy

Reading and understanding chord charts

First chord: E major

First strumming pattern: D_ DU DU DU

First finger picking pattern: T-M-I-R

Continued Development Includes:

Learning the notes on each string

Mastering A major, B7, and full I-IV-V progressions

Playing 2-chord and 3-chord songs

Introducing techniques like hammer-ons, pull-offs, barre chords, and power chords

Exploring E minor pentatonic and major scale shapes

Playing songs with real-world applications like Horse with No Name, Back in Black, and Star Spangled Banner

🎯 Student progress is tracked and rewarded with tickets and bonuses — making each step exciting and goal-oriented.

What Beginner Bass Students Learn:

How to hold the bass properly

How to hold your pick or use fingerstyle technique

Names of the 4 bass strings

Understanding the parts of the bass

Tuning individual strings (sharper and flatter)

Tuning all 4 strings

Proper finger placement on the fretboard

“Finger per fret” method in 1st position

How to read bass tablature (TAB)

First riffs: Smoke on the Water, Seven Nation Army, Ode to Joy

Reading chord charts

First chord: E major

First strumming pattern: D_ DU DU DU

First finger picking pattern: T-M-I-R

Continued Development Includes:

Learning notes on each string (E, A, D, G)

Mastering A major, B7, and other chord shapes

Playing popular riffs and chord progressions

Techniques like hammer-ons, pull-offs, walk-ups, and walk-downs

Exploring 2-note and 3-note power chords

Learning barre chord shapes, scales, and I–IV–V progressions

Playing basslines for real-world songs like Funky Music, Back in Black, Horse with No Name, and more

🎯 Student progress is tracked and rewarded with tickets and bonuses — making each step exciting and goal-oriented.

What Beginner Drum Students Learn:

How to hold drumsticks with proper grip

Basic hand coordination and posture

Playing with a metronome and internalizing rhythm

Introduction to the 40 essential drum rudiments

Mastering the Single Stroke Roll and Double Stroke Roll

Reading basic drum notation

Building patterns with paradiddles, flams, and drags

Developing muscle memory and wrist control

Practicing timing, consistency, and dynamic range

Learning to keep steady tempo across basic beats and fills

Applying rudiments to drum set grooves and fills

Continued Development Includes:

Learning advanced rudiments like flam taps, ratamacues, and drag paradiddles

Transitioning from pad to full drum set

Playing along with real songs and backing tracks

Exploring musical styles: rock, pop, jazz, funk, reggae, and more

Structuring fills, accents, and solos

Developing coordination between hands and feet

Performance readiness and jam session experience

🎯 Student progress is tracked and rewarded with tickets and bonuses — making each step exciting and goal-oriented.

What Beginner Flute Students Learn:

Identifying the parts of the flute (headjoint, middle, footjoint)

How to assemble and align the flute properly

Proper posture and how to hold the instrument

How to form an embouchure and blow over the embouchure hole

Fingering and playing your first notes (C, B, A, G, F, E, D)

Combining notes into short melodies and scale fragments

Introduction to harmonics, overblowing, and octave control

Playing full note combinations and stepwise patterns

Understanding and performing C, G, D, A, E, F, Bb Major scales

Playing a full chromatic scale from C to C

Continued Development Includes:

Learning rhythm through whole, half, quarter, eighth, triplet, and 16th notes

Developing articulation using TA, TA-KA, and slurring patterns

Practicing tone, breath support, and vibrato

Combining scales with articulation for expressive phrasing

Learning how to play basic chords and harmonies

Working toward complete scale mastery and ensemble readiness

🎯 Student progress is tracked and rewarded with tickets and bonuses — making each step exciting and goal-oriented.

What Beginner Piano Students Learn:

How to play Middle C

How to place right and left hands in C position

Understanding finger numbers (Thumb = 1, Pinky = 5)

What is an interval and how to play 2nds through octaves

Your first chord: C major (LH & RH, rock and classical fingerings)

How to play 5-finger patterns in both hands

Introduction to the major scale formula

Playing ascending and descending scales in C position

Harmony basics: 3rds, 6ths, triads (harmonic & melodic)

How to play broken chords in both hands

Your first classical songs: Ode to Joy and Canon in C

Continued Development Includes:

Mastering chords and inversions in all positions

Playing chord progressions like C–F–G7–C using inversions

Developing hand independence (melody in RH, chords or bassline in LH)

Learning popular songs like Happy Birthday, Canon, and more

Playing Root, 1st, and 2nd inversion chords with fluidity

Using Hanon exercises to build finger strength and dexterity

Combining melody and harmony for full arrangements

🎯 Student progress is tracked and rewarded with tickets and bonuses — making each step exciting and goal-oriented.

What Beginner Ukulele Students Learn:

How to hold the ukulele and your pick

Names and tuning of all 4 ukulele strings

Identifying the parts of the ukulele

Understanding half steps and whole steps

How to place fingers correctly on the fretboard

Using the “finger per fret” method in first position

How to read ukulele TAB and chord charts

First riff: Ode to Joy

First chord: C major

First strum: D_ DU DU DU (4/4 time)

First finger pick: T - I - M - I

Continued Development Includes:

Learning notes on each string (G, C, E, A)

Chords: G, Am, F, D, and 2-/3-string barre chords

Additional strumming and fingerpicking patterns

Playing real songs like Happy Birthday, Canon in C, and reggae-style rhythms

Full major scale (C ascending & descending)

Progressions: I–IV–V and I–V–vi–IV

Advanced skills: hammer-ons, pull-offs, slides, reggae strums

Learning iconic tunes like Somewhere Over the Rainbow and What a Wonderful World (Izzy version)

🎯 Student progress is tracked and rewarded with tickets and bonuses — making each step exciting and goal-oriented.

What Beginner Violin Students Learn:

Identifying the parts of the violin and bow

How to hold the violin and bow correctly

Adjusting and using the shoulder rest

Names of the four violin strings (G, D, A, E)

Tuning using pegs and fine tuners

Playing downstrokes and upstrokes on each string

First rhythms: quarter notes and eighth notes in 4/4 time

Playing open string exercises and double stops

Introduction to reading staff notation (lines: E-G-B-D-F, spaces: F-A-C-E)

Playing simple melodies: Hot Cross Buns, Mary Had a Little Lamb, Smoke on the Water

Continued Development Includes:

Understanding and playing intervals (half steps, whole steps, octaves)

Learning C major, G major, and D major scales

Building chords using the every-other-note method

Playing major arpeggios and learning chord shapes

Techniques like staccato, slurs, and vibrato

Learning full songs such as Ode to Joy (Beethoven) and Minuet in G (Bach)

🎯 Student progress is tracked and rewarded with tickets and bonuses — making each step exciting and goal-oriented.

DANMAN'S CURRICULUM

Our Personalized Approach

The 4 Pillars of Musical Knowledge

Smart Tools. Real Results.

Matching Students With the Right Teacher

Age 3 to Adult – It’s Never Too Early (or Too Late)

Flexible, Comfortable, and Consistent

🎵 How We Tailor Music Lessons to You

🎯 What You Can Expect:

​

📝 Example: Bass Guitar Starter Curriculum

​

What Beginner Guitar Students Learn:

Continued Development Includes:

What Beginner Bass Students Learn:

Continued Development Includes:

What Beginner Drum Students Learn:

Continued Development Includes:

What Beginner Flute Students Learn:

Continued Development Includes:

What Beginner Piano Students Learn:

Continued Development Includes:

What Beginner Ukulele Students Learn:

Continued Development Includes:

What Beginner Violin Students Learn:

Continued Development Includes: