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sage Awards

The SAGE Awards program exists to give recognition to students achieving certain progressive benchmarks in the beginning stages of learning guitar. Click here or tap the image for study guides! (SDML Membership required.)

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Embrace your guitar journey with the SAGE (Synthesis Achievement in Guitar Education) Awards, featuring a systematic sash recognition system based on our detailed SAGE criteria. Our program is designed to objectively track your progress and celebrate your commitment to mastering the guitar.

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Embark on the Path to Mastery with the SAGE Sash Awards:

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White Sash - Principles of Guitar Award:


Begin with the fundamentals as you receive your White Sash while learning to demonstrate control in finger exercises and familiarizing yourself with pick patterns, reading basic tablature and chord frames, and recalling major chords from memory. 

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Green Sash - Guitar Developmental Award:


Advance to the Green Sash by mastering open major and minor chords, playing melodies like “Mary Had a Little Lamb” from memory, executing harmonics, and engaging in call-and-response exercises. You'll also learn foundational riffs and develop smooth chord transitions within song structures.

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Blue Sash - Guitar Performer Award:


As you progress, the Blue Sash is awarded upon mastering more intricate skills. This includes playing strum songs with and without vocal accompaniment, navigating blues progressions, and performing melodic pieces like “Malagueña” and “Spanish Romance.” Additionally, you will develop proficiency with the A-minor pentatonic and C-major scales to a metronome, a testament to your growing rhythmic and melodic capabilities.

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Red Sash - Advanced Guitarist Recognition:


Attain the Red Sash by exhibiting a comprehensive understanding and application of advanced guitar techniques and theoretical knowledge, preparing you for complex performances and professional musicianship.

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Our sash system isn’t just about earning accolades; it’s a structured approach to learning that recognizes and motivates students through every chord and scale. With the SAGE Awards, you have clear milestones to aspire to, and each level you achieve unlocks new areas of our Premium Content, enhancing your learning experience.

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Begin Your SAGE Journey:

 

With the SAGE Awards, you’re not just learning guitar; you’re living a musical adventure that celebrates every step of your progress. Strap on your sash, tune up your strings, and let’s make music that resonates with your soul. Each level you conquer builds upon the last, ensuring a holistic development of your guitar skills.

 

For further guidance and to gauge your readiness for each stage, find an instructor and get started today!

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