2020 Virtual
Acoustic Music Workshop
October 16 - 18
It will be different... it will be great.
Let's stay connected
Alan Bibey
MONROE MANDOLIN
Saturday
2019 IBMA Mandolin Player of the Year
We will cover a few different Monroe tunes and more importantaly work on the technique and signature licks he used to make his style the most recognizable in Bluebgrass Music. While I don't play strictly that style, knowing that style is a necessity to give Bluegrass songs that authentic sound. We will be doing a lot of pickin'. If you want to prepare, just spend some time listening to his playing. Listening is one of our most powerful tools. It's gonna be a mighty powerful class (said in my best Bill Monroe voice)!
Saturday
2019 IBMA Mandolin Player of the Year
We will cover a few different Monroe tunes and more importantaly work on the technique and signature licks he used to make his style the most recognizable in Bluebgrass Music. While I don't play strictly that style, knowing that style is a necessity to give Bluegrass songs that authentic sound. We will be doing a lot of pickin'. If you want to prepare, just spend some time listening to his playing. Listening is one of our most powerful tools. It's gonna be a mighty powerful class (said in my best Bill Monroe voice)!
Claire Lynch
SONGWRITING
Saturday
Highways to Hyperjump - Paths to Upgrade Your Songwriting Skills
We all have an initial moment when a song's inspiration comes. But as you travel down the path of invention, have you experienced being "jolted" into a higher, more descriptive plane? How did it come to you and how can you make it happen again? In this short course, we'll discover "gears" which can nudge your songwriting into the next realm.
Saturday
Highways to Hyperjump - Paths to Upgrade Your Songwriting Skills
We all have an initial moment when a song's inspiration comes. But as you travel down the path of invention, have you experienced being "jolted" into a higher, more descriptive plane? How did it come to you and how can you make it happen again? In this short course, we'll discover "gears" which can nudge your songwriting into the next realm.
Tim Stafford
SONGWRITING
Sunday
Distill The Essence Of A Song
Songwriting is one of the most subjective and fluid topics possible---there are a lot of ways to make a good song and even more ideas about what makes one. We will distill the essence of a good song in 45 minutes, focusing on craft and process. What is just the right combination of melody, rhythm, harmony, lyric and spirit that makes a great song? Tips will be given, questions answered. Although our time will be limited, I'll make my extensive print resources from last years Acoustic Music Workshop available for everyone.
Session material will be distributed by the workshop organizer.
Sunday
Distill The Essence Of A Song
Songwriting is one of the most subjective and fluid topics possible---there are a lot of ways to make a good song and even more ideas about what makes one. We will distill the essence of a good song in 45 minutes, focusing on craft and process. What is just the right combination of melody, rhythm, harmony, lyric and spirit that makes a great song? Tips will be given, questions answered. Although our time will be limited, I'll make my extensive print resources from last years Acoustic Music Workshop available for everyone.
Session material will be distributed by the workshop organizer.
Jim Hurst
GUITAR
Saturday
How To Play Melodies Smooth, and Personalized
Let's work on really playing a simple melody, just the melody, with good timing and tone. That is the heart of the song. Then we'll try some ideas to add notes to embellish just enough to make it more like us. Like you. It all starts with the song.
To prepare, I request you begin playing two songs:
I'll Fly Away in the key of G
You Are My Sunshine in the key of C
Speed is not the goal nor are fancy notes. Let's work on finding YOUR melodic style and sensibilities. This will be fun, bring your energy and patience. Make some notes and know that you can refer back to the recorded session once the workshop weekend is over.
Let's have some fun catching up Live on Zoom!
Saturday
How To Play Melodies Smooth, and Personalized
Let's work on really playing a simple melody, just the melody, with good timing and tone. That is the heart of the song. Then we'll try some ideas to add notes to embellish just enough to make it more like us. Like you. It all starts with the song.
To prepare, I request you begin playing two songs:
I'll Fly Away in the key of G
You Are My Sunshine in the key of C
Speed is not the goal nor are fancy notes. Let's work on finding YOUR melodic style and sensibilities. This will be fun, bring your energy and patience. Make some notes and know that you can refer back to the recorded session once the workshop weekend is over.
Let's have some fun catching up Live on Zoom!
Scott Nygaard
GUITAR
Sunday
Intermediate/ Advanced Bluegrass Guitar
In this workshop, Scott will use a simple fiddle tune to talk about some of the techinical problems that keeps guitarists from progressing and show you ways to vary the phrases of melody to create your own version of a fiddle tune or break to a bluegrass song.
Sunday
Intermediate/ Advanced Bluegrass Guitar
In this workshop, Scott will use a simple fiddle tune to talk about some of the techinical problems that keeps guitarists from progressing and show you ways to vary the phrases of melody to create your own version of a fiddle tune or break to a bluegrass song.
Calvin Vollrath
FIDDLE
Friday
Cal Tips on Fiddle
Learn a tune or two and get some Cal tips on how to sound better.
Friday
Cal Tips on Fiddle
Learn a tune or two and get some Cal tips on how to sound better.
Joe Walsh
DAWG MANDOLIN
Saturday
DAWG MANDOLIN
David "Dawg" Grisman is a musical hero to nearly every mandolin player, and his tunes/ensembles/soloing have influenced the string band world for decades. Here we will learn a Grisman tune or two, and will examine some of the key aspects of his soloing style.
Saturday
DAWG MANDOLIN
David "Dawg" Grisman is a musical hero to nearly every mandolin player, and his tunes/ensembles/soloing have influenced the string band world for decades. Here we will learn a Grisman tune or two, and will examine some of the key aspects of his soloing style.
Jeff Scroggins
BANJO
Sunday
Everyone On The Banjo
We are going to learn a couple of tunes and play them together. You will receive the tablature handouts for the class when you register, so that (if you wish) you can work on them ahead of time and be prepared to play along with the class and ask lots of good questions! The first is a Don Reno classic, "I Know Your Married (But I Love You Still). We will learn Don's classic intro, one of the craziest 'rock and roll breaks that were a huge part of Don's unique approach to banjo. The other song is my Scruggs style, Alan Munde influenced arrangements of the great Norman Blake tune, Billy Gray," in the key of F (which is where Norman played and sang it).
Sunday
Everyone On The Banjo
We are going to learn a couple of tunes and play them together. You will receive the tablature handouts for the class when you register, so that (if you wish) you can work on them ahead of time and be prepared to play along with the class and ask lots of good questions! The first is a Don Reno classic, "I Know Your Married (But I Love You Still). We will learn Don's classic intro, one of the craziest 'rock and roll breaks that were a huge part of Don's unique approach to banjo. The other song is my Scruggs style, Alan Munde influenced arrangements of the great Norman Blake tune, Billy Gray," in the key of F (which is where Norman played and sang it).
Mike Witcher
DOBRO
Sunday
In this workshop I'll walk you through a common scale shape and show you how to turn it into a handful of useful licks that we will learn through call and response. Once we have the licks down we'll play along to a backing track to experience how they sound over a basic I IV V chord structure. If time allows we'll play along to a song with vocals and experience how these licks can be used as fills to back up a singer.
Sunday
In this workshop I'll walk you through a common scale shape and show you how to turn it into a handful of useful licks that we will learn through call and response. Once we have the licks down we'll play along to a backing track to experience how they sound over a basic I IV V chord structure. If time allows we'll play along to a song with vocals and experience how these licks can be used as fills to back up a singer.
Jeremy & Corrina
Traditional Brother-Style and Bluegrass Duet Singing
The way artisits approach harmony singing has changed over time. The workshop will explore the foundations of duet singing in old time and early bluegrass music. We will discuss where the styles came from, how they eveolved, and how they function today. The styles and harmony structure of such artists as the Delmore Brothers, the Blue Sky Boys, the Louvin Brothers, Don Reno & Smiley, Jim & Jesse and others will be discussed and demonstrated. Tips on how to hear and execute harmony will be offerred.
The way artisits approach harmony singing has changed over time. The workshop will explore the foundations of duet singing in old time and early bluegrass music. We will discuss where the styles came from, how they eveolved, and how they function today. The styles and harmony structure of such artists as the Delmore Brothers, the Blue Sky Boys, the Louvin Brothers, Don Reno & Smiley, Jim & Jesse and others will be discussed and demonstrated. Tips on how to hear and execute harmony will be offerred.
Bruce Molsky
CLAWHAMMER
Saturday
Listening And Playing
Bruce will take participants through some of the elements of clawhammer banjo including the basics of frailing, double thumbing, rolls, pull-offs and hammer-ons and use them to build a couple of great old time tunes.
The workshop is as much about developing aural skills as it is about music. There will be no handouts for this workshop.
Saturday
Listening And Playing
Bruce will take participants through some of the elements of clawhammer banjo including the basics of frailing, double thumbing, rolls, pull-offs and hammer-ons and use them to build a couple of great old time tunes.
The workshop is as much about developing aural skills as it is about music. There will be no handouts for this workshop.
Annie Savage
FIDDLE
Saturday
Free The Strings!
World Tunes With Annie Savage
Have you been looking for some catchy new fiddle tunes?
Annie will guide you through a series of tips designed to help you connect more directly to chords and create your own breaks from melodies. There are 10 great tunes to cover. To get the most out of this 45 minute workshop you can prepare by reviewing the tunes at www.free-strings.com. The website makes it easy to read and play along.
Go learn those tunes and be ready! Free The Strings.
go the main menu and click on REQUEST WORKSHOP MATERIAL. scroll down to Annie's tab. You will be taken to the web page where the tunes are listed. Press, it plays and you learn.
Saturday
Free The Strings!
World Tunes With Annie Savage
Have you been looking for some catchy new fiddle tunes?
Annie will guide you through a series of tips designed to help you connect more directly to chords and create your own breaks from melodies. There are 10 great tunes to cover. To get the most out of this 45 minute workshop you can prepare by reviewing the tunes at www.free-strings.com. The website makes it easy to read and play along.
Go learn those tunes and be ready! Free The Strings.
go the main menu and click on REQUEST WORKSHOP MATERIAL. scroll down to Annie's tab. You will be taken to the web page where the tunes are listed. Press, it plays and you learn.
Tim Stafford
GUITAR
Sunday
Tips, Tricks, Fast Tracks
We have 45 minutes to learn new things about the guitar, so I'll be talking about my approach: tips, tricks, fast tracks (there are none), The "Ts" - timing, tuning, technique, tone and taste, taking your questions and demonstrating lead and rhythm techniques in Bluegrass. Although our time will be limited, I'll make my extensive print resources, including exercises and tabs, avavilable for everyone.
(go to "Request Workshop Material" from the workshop website menu.)
Sunday
Tips, Tricks, Fast Tracks
We have 45 minutes to learn new things about the guitar, so I'll be talking about my approach: tips, tricks, fast tracks (there are none), The "Ts" - timing, tuning, technique, tone and taste, taking your questions and demonstrating lead and rhythm techniques in Bluegrass. Although our time will be limited, I'll make my extensive print resources, including exercises and tabs, avavilable for everyone.
(go to "Request Workshop Material" from the workshop website menu.)
Calvin Vollrath
GUITAR BACKING UP FIDDLE
Sunday
Enhancing What The Fiddler Does
Learn how at add more chords to three chord fiddle tunes.
Sunday
Enhancing What The Fiddler Does
Learn how at add more chords to three chord fiddle tunes.
Jenny Lester
INTRODUCTION TO JAMMING
Saturday
A traditional bluegrass jam will often go in a circle...when it comes around to your turn are you ready? Here is a chance to learn how to prepare for leading a song in a jam while playing along. We will cover the basics of music theory, prepare an arragement for jamming, discover some harmony lines and have fun playing traditional bluegrass songs.
Saturday
A traditional bluegrass jam will often go in a circle...when it comes around to your turn are you ready? Here is a chance to learn how to prepare for leading a song in a jam while playing along. We will cover the basics of music theory, prepare an arragement for jamming, discover some harmony lines and have fun playing traditional bluegrass songs.
Joe & Scott
SOLOING & IMPROVISING Saturday
Joe and Scott will talk about their approaches to playing solos on bluegrass songs and tunes and answer questions from students on the subject. Topics will include varying a melody, soloing on chord changes, creating dynamics within a solo, and more.
Joe and Scott will talk about their approaches to playing solos on bluegrass songs and tunes and answer questions from students on the subject. Topics will include varying a melody, soloing on chord changes, creating dynamics within a solo, and more.