Guitar Basics in Care

Learn to use simple guitar and vocal activities to build engagement and community among older adults through inclusive, participatory music-making — all in a self-paced virtual course.

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Using the guitar as a tool to support connection and presence in care settings

Focus:
In this course you will explore how the guitar can be used as an accessible and relational tool within any care setting. Designed for complete beginners, this course guides you step by step through foundational guitar skills while centring music to support connection, presence, and quality of life. Through practical exercises, simple chords, and familiar songs, you will learn how to use the guitar intentionally in professional or personal care settings – you could even start your own guitar program!

Value:
Music is a fundamental human experience that supports wellbeing and deepens relationships. The guitar is a versatile and portable instrument that allows caregivers to bring music directly to the people they support. This course emphasizes that using guitar in care is not about performance, but about being responsive, relational, and person-centred.

What is Music Care and why guitar works in care settings
Understanding the guitar: mechanics, comfort, and basic technique
Naming strings and navigating the fretboard with confidence
Building comfort and dexterity through simple, supportive exercises
Using chromatic movement to develop strength and coordination
Learning foundational chords (G, D, C/C9)
Strumming patterns and rhythm using memory-based rhymes
Connecting chords to create songs and musical flow
Using familiar songs to support engagement, memory, and belonging
Facilitation strategies for using guitar within a Music Care framework

Target audience:
Care partners, personal support workers, recreation and activation staff, music therapists, educators, community musicians, family members, and anyone interested in using music more intentionally in care settings. No prior guitar experience is required.

Learning outcomes:

Develop confidence using the guitar as a tool in care
Identify and describe the basic parts and functions of the guitar
Demonstrate foundational guitar skills including chord shapes and strumming
Apply simple chord progressions to familiar, meaningful songs
Use guitar to support connection, engagement, and quality of life within care relationships


Your Instructor


Glenn Marais, Community Musician
Glenn Marais, Community Musician

Glenn Marais is a community musician, performer, producer, and songwriter with extensive experience using music as a tool for connection, learning, and social impact. He earned a Master of Arts in Community Music from Wilfrid Laurier University in 2017 and has worked in community music settings for over 17 years, including fly-in Indigenous communities in Canada’s far north. His work also includes keynote presentations and workshop facilitation, post-secondary teaching at the University of Toronto Scarborough and Seneca College, and program management with nonprofit organizations such as Thrive Youth Canada and Artscan Circle.

As a performer, Glenn has toured and recorded with his band, Glenn Marais and the Mojo Train, and as a solo artist and songwriter. His work has received national recognition, including a JUNO nomination for Best Songwriter. In addition to performing, Glenn is deeply committed to participatory music-making that prioritizes inclusion, relationship-building, and community well-being.

In the spring of 2019, while teaching at the University of Toronto Scarborough, Glenn collaborated with Professor Roger Mantie on a recreational sing-along program in three retirement homes in Scarborough. The initiative addressed isolation and loneliness among both university students and older adults by bringing them together to co-facilitate music activities and build meaningful intergenerational relationships through shared musical experiences.

You can learn more about Glenn’s work at www.glenmurray.ca and across his social media channels.


Course Curriculum


  Guitar Basics in Care
Available in days
days after you enroll

Frequently Asked Questions


When does the course start and finish?
The course starts now and never ends! It is a completely self-paced online course - you decide when you start and when you finish.
How long do I have access to the course?
How does lifetime access sound? After enrolling, you have unlimited access to this course for as long as you like - across any and all devices you own.

Get started now!