Classes being offered in 2019:
MONDAY:
Class Title: Clawhammer Banjo – Day 1
Instructor Name: Kyle Peterson
Instructor Name: Kyle Peterson
Class Description: This is an introductory class in how to play banjo in Drop-Thumb Frailing style, otherwise known as Clawhammer Banjo. Instructor will provide sample material, but learning will be done through ear and repetition. Students will need to have patience, a five-string banjo, tuner, a thumb and index finger and at least one other finger on both hands. Intent of the course is to demonstrate the mechanics of achieving the unique sound of the banjo – if students master the technique, we can move on to simple songs, but the intent is to achieve good technique; then increase your knowledge of the different ways you can pursue the Clawhammer sound.
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Class Title: Old-Time Slow Jam – Day 1
Instructor Names: Doug and Romy Coppinger
Instructor Names: Doug and Romy Coppinger
Class Description: Do you know a handful of standard fiddle tunes, but are hesitant to join a jam? Have you shown up to a jam, but became frustrated because the pace was too fast or the tunes obscure? Uncomfortable starting a tune? Then this is the jam for you. Not so much a class, but an actual Old-Time slow jam. We’ll play a selection of common fiddle tunes at a slow to moderate tempo. The first session, we’ll pick and start all of the tunes. The second session, we are open to tune suggestions (fiddle tunes only), but prefer to start them to keep control of the tempo. We’ll try to provide assistance with chord progressions for those playing backup. All instruments are welcome.
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Class Title: Beginning Ukulele I
Instructor Name: Christie Easter
Instructor Name: Christie Easter
Class Description: Beginning Ukulele I is for everybody! Come have some fun and learn the basics of Ukulele playing. We will cover the different Uke types and sizes as well as tuning,a basic strumming pattern or two and chords in the key of C and maybe G. There will be handouts for GCEA ukes (soprano, concert, tenor and banjolele) as well as for Baritone ukeulele. By the end of class we will be playing and singing a simple tune like ‘You Are My Sunshine’ or ‘Oh Susanna’.
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TUESDAY:
Class Title: Clawhammer Banjo – Day 2
Instructor Name: Kyle Peterson
Instructor Name: Kyle Peterson
Class Description: Who’s got it? Students will have a chance to demonstrate their technique and practice some variations (hammer-ons, slide, percussive effects). We can talk about alternative tunings, but time is too short to experiment. If everyone seems to be seized by the virus, then we may be able to do a song or two, like “Skip To My Lou” or the beautiful “Nellie Gray.” As I remember, it took me about three months to figure out how to do a basic frailing technique, but I didn’t have anyone to teach me and had to figure it out from a recording. Hopefully, this class will decrease the time necessary for the students to master the technique. I want everyone to have fun and learn something, whether you decide to head for Appalachia or not.
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Class Title: Old-Time Slow Jam – Day 2
Instructor Names: Doug and Romy Coppinger
Class Description: Do you know a handful of standard fiddle tunes, but are hesitant to join a jam? Have you shown up to a jam, but became frustrated because the pace was too fast or the tunes obscure? Uncomfortable starting a tune? Then this is the jam for you. Not so much a class, but an actual Old-Time slow jam. We’ll play a selection of common fiddle tunes at a slow to moderate tempo. The first session, we’ll pick and start all of the tunes. The second session, we are open to tune suggestions (fiddle tunes only), but prefer to start them to keep control of the tempo. We’ll try to provide assistance with chord progressions for those playing backup. All instruments are welcome. You can still join Day 2 even if you missed Day 1.
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Class Title: Reading Musical Notation for Flat and Sharp Beginners
Instructor Name: Terry Sawyer
Instructor Name: Terry Sawyer
Class Description: Introduction to music notation. We will examine middle C as an anchor point for thinking about the staff and expand that concept to reading musical phrases.
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Class Title: Beginning Ukulele II
Instructor Name: Christie Easter
Instructor Name: Christie Easter
Class Description: For day 2 Uke class we will be covering chords in the keys of D, A and E as well as some of the relative minor chords that are frequently used in Old Time Fiddling and one or two more strumming patterns that are most useful when playing for waltzes and hoedowns. There will be handouts for GCEA as well as baritone Ukes and we will practice backing the fiddle in a simple hoedown like ‘The Woodchoppers Reel’ (two chords) and ‘Spanish Waltz’ or ‘Tennessee Waltz’. We will take it slow so that everybody has a chance to strum along with some basic fiddle tunes from beginning to end. Our basic song to learn will be ‘Edelweiss’ in the key of D.
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WEDNESDAY:
Class Title: Introduction to Swing Guitar
Instructor Name: Pam Borso
Instructor Name: Pam Borso
Class Description: A short 1 hour introduction to swing guitar (or any instrument) back up with an emphasis on circle of fifths theory.
_________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________Class Title: Learn How to Play the “Orange Blossom Special”
Instructor Name: Roberta Pearce
Class Description: Just like the title says, learn how to play the show stopping tune “Orange Blossom Special”.
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THURSDAY:
Class Title: Singing while fiddling
Instructor Name: Barry A Cole
Instructor Name: Barry A Cole
Class Description: I will talk about and demonstrate some of the difficulties and tips & tricks of playing fiddle and singing. This will be the occasional chorus in a dance tune, and also full songs. I will show options for holding the fiddle, doing fingering, bowing, and singing together, adjusting singing and playing volume, and how to learn songs. I do a style with mostly unison & harmony notes, where the fiddle does not stop as vocals are sung. We will learn a song together.
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Mini Class Title: Bygone era songs for ukulele
Instructor Name: Ed Goldstick
Instructor Name: Ed Goldstick
Mini Class Description: This workshop will be some songs of my grandparents time played on ukulele with singing. I’m an old guy now, so that era is long past, but not forgotten.
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