1999 SESSION 2
Saturday, July 31st - Friday, August 6th
Classes listed by teacher (and subject to change without notice).
Crooked Tunes (2-4) - From the irreverent end of the fiddle spectrum, where the dance callers don't go, come some musical gems not evenly divisible by 32. Bring an instrument and an attitude, and we'll promote this repertoire.
Balkan Band (2-4) - Introductions and reacquaintances with a diversity of styles from all corners of the Balkan Peninsula, with loving attention to compound rhythms and some scales your music teacher might not have heard of. All instruments welcome.
Basic Bare-hands Guitar (1) - Actually for real beginners! Accompany over 100 songs by ear, with only 3 chords and a few strums. Plus learn how to hold and play the guitar to maximize tone and minimize risk of repetitive motion injury, and how to get the most from practice time.
Accompaniment Toolkit (2) - Accompany your singing on guitar, with no written materials! Learn the secrets of playing by ear, the F chord, and jamming with others. Customize your playing with fingerpicking patterns & strums. This class is for those who can already play EADG & C chords and keep a steady rhythm.
Camp Instrumentalist
Beginning Bass- (1-2) - We'll approach this instrument in its supportive role and focus on simple, clean rhythmic playing. While learning fingerboard patterns to get around in any key, we'll work on timing and technique, as well as tone, pitch, and tasteful playing.
Introduction to Flatpicking- (2) - Use the flatpick to your advantage. Using country/folk standards we'll work on rhythm, tone, and finding the bass notes, and progress to strumming and picking styles, bass runs, and chord voicings.
Songwriting (1-3) - Individual songwriting assignments form the basis of the week's work. This method makes everyone in class a beginner, a very good place from which to create songs no matter how long you've been doing it. The class may be scary, but it's safe. This year we'll try to reserve this class for those who have not studied with Bob previously.
Songwriting for Veterans (2-4) - Okay, some of you have gone through Bob Franke's songwriting class already. We skip the lecture and substitute some readings. Assignments will be negotiated, we'll all still be beginners; it will still be scary, but it will still be safe. We'll reserve this class for those who have taken Bob's songwriting classes previously.
Ear Training (2-4) - Hear what you play and play what you hear. Improve your cognitive music skills with fun, interesting exercises that help you to identify interval jumps, retain and reproduce a melodic sequence after one listening, and recognize chord changes and progressions. Ear training can be fun!
Beyond I-IV-V (3-4) - What makes a chord progression "interesting"? Find out how to bring the most out of a melody by supporting it with chord inversions, substitutions, and harmonic surprises! We'll cover tunes from a variety of styles. This class is open to anyone who wants to learn more about harmonic possibilities.
Songwriting (2-4) - An exploration of songwriting in the emotional realm -- how to keep it personal and universal, and straight from the heart. Topics include: finding your own voice, jump starting a new song, and fun & games with your angst.
Bluegrass Art History 101 (3-4) - We'll listen to and sing some favorite bluegrass classics, examine examples of different styles and stylists, and ponder what makes it bluegrass.
Bluegrass/Country rhythm styles (2-3) - This is a good class for students who want to learn that distinctive bluegrass and country sound created by using a flatpick. Timing, tone, bass runs, strumming patterns, chord ideas and chord progressions for bluegrass style guitar will be covered.
Intermediate Flatpicking (3-4) - A class for the player who wonders "is there life after my style of guitar playing?" We'll cover improvisation, cross picking, technique, speed, clarity, tone, timing, and jam etiquette.
Intro to Travis Style Thumbpicking (3) - Learn the things that are different in Travis style picking from other styles of fingerpicking. Work on developing a strong thumb lick, use of thumb-over-the-neck chords, and different types of rolls and drags.
More Merle Travis Style Thumbpicking (4) - This class is similar to the introductory class, but is more advanced and will include more rolls, more drags, more thumb-over-the-neck chords, and more elaborate arrangements.
Chart Reading & Writing (3-4) - Gain some insight in interpreting and creating chord charts. Using examples we'll discuss lead sheets, chord charts, note reading, chord symbols, rhythm reading, the road map, etc. Many more topics will be discussed in class, culminating with writing out your own charts by week's end.
Advanced Improvisation (4) - When you solo you don't play any wrong notes but you just don't hear those great notes the pros play. This class will delve into advanced concepts and techniques you can use to add that wonderful spice to your improvisations. Let's take what you now know to the next level.
Beginning Bluegrass Banjo (1-2) - We'll make sure your banjo is set up correctly and your fingerpicks fit. We'll cover some basic music theory and left and right hand positions and techniques, playing backup, simple rolls (incorporating melodies), some common banjo licks and some easy bluegrass standards, playing by ear.
Intermediate Bluegrass Banjo (3-4) - We'll cover different types of rolls, licks and cliches (including beginning and ending licks) that you can use to spice up your playing. We'll learn some bluegrass standards using Scruggs style as a foundation, but also exploring some melodic (Keith style), single string (Reno style), and Travis style (a la Eddie Adcock) picking.
Getting Rhythm (1-4) - This class is about time, about really getting your body's innate sense of rhythm hooked up to your hands and your head, so that any chord or note you play or sing will count more. In addition to our instruments, we'll use body percussion and voice to cultivate deeper time.
Introduction to Swing (3) - We'll look at what makes swing swing, the rhythm, the chords, the tunes. We'll apply chord theory to the guitar through the magic of moveable chords. Students should be comfortable with first position chords and have a longing to explore the upper reaches of the guitar neck.
Instigator
Joyful Noise (1-4) - Joyful Noise is a vocal class for all who want to breathe deeply, resonate vibrantly, and make powerful, musical vocal sounds. We'll cover the basics of relaxed vocal technique and sing songs from around the world and across the ages.
Spiffing Up Your Vocal Accompaniment (2-3) - This class will add interest to your accompaniment with some of the following: connecting bass lines, parallel thirds/sixths, chords "up the neck," intros, endings, interludes, alternate tunings, and finding melodic elements in the song that can be echoed on your instrument.
Beginning Fiddle (1-2) - We'll start by assuming nothing, and have you holding the fiddle comfortably, making pleasing sounds, and enthusiastically playing easy melodies by ear. If you have some playing experience and want to bone up on basics, you are welcome. I'll bring plenty of tunes for anyone wanting more to do.
Tune-A-Day World Fiddle (2-3) - We'll sample the amazing array of fiddle styles from diverse places by playing tunes easily accessible by intermediate players. We'll survey repertoire and show highlights of what makes a fiddle style sound like no other, and have fun playing together. Other instruments welcome.
Swing Lead (3-4) - Learn how to improvise single-note solos in the swinging style of the '30s and '40s. We'll use scales, arpeggios, rhythmic and melodic motifs, and shifting tonal centers as tools to play on all the fun tunes
Swing Comping (3-4) - Explore new ground with passing chords, chord substitutions, minimalizing, and bass lines to make our individual styles stand out. Make the tune yours by simplifying and complicating all at the same time in the same tune!
© 1999 Peter Langston & PSGW