Abstract
This article offers an informal, summary description of the Net of Jewels (NOJ) method, a guitar pedagogy specifically targeted to songwriters writing songs on guitar. The core of the NOJ approach is a progressive sequence of activities that incorporate shape-directed exploration of the guitar fingerboard as an integral aspect, supporting insights about harmony and theory, advancement of guitar skills and technique, and innovative creative work. The article outlines NOJ's core concepts and teaching principles, describes NOJ's pedagogical sequence of topics and supporting exercises and other activities, and provides background on the method's origin and evolution. This description reflects the author's perspective as the developer of NOJ, based on two decades of experience in teaching and refining the method, including the design of two levels of NOJ-based courses, incorporated into the songwriting curriculum at Berklee College of Music.
Recommended Citation
Simos, M. (2023). The Net of Jewels: An exploration and shape-based guitar pedagogy for songwriters. In R. Torres, A. Brandon, & J. Noble (Eds.), Proceedings of The 21st Century Guitar Conference 2019 & 2021 (pp. 79-127). https://digitalcommons.du.edu/twentyfirst-century-guitar/vol1/iss1/8