Bob Altschuler

CLASS LIST BCN-FE 2011

BOB ALTSCHULER

Bluegrass beginner track, 5 sessions.

Comprehensive introduction to BG banjo in five concentrated sessions, spaced throughout the weekend so you will have time to also take other classes. You will receive extensive handouts for the sessions, including additional material to work on at home. (N-B)

1. Getting Started Part 1: foundations of playing bluegrass banjo, including banjo anatomy, tuning, using picks, correct playing and hand positions, reading tablature, basic chords and playing rolls and a slide.

2. Getting Started Part 2: review of Part 1, more basic rolls, essential left-hand techniques including slides, hammer-ons and pull-offs, a basic two chord song and practice exercises.

3. Review of the Foundations of Bluegrass Picking - Putting It All Together: review of Parts 1 and 2 plus additional playing techniques, timing, practice exercises, a three chord song and an overview of bluegrass banjo styles.

4. Bluegrass Rolls and Left-Hand Techniques for Beginners: explore the most useful rolls and left-hand techniques that create licks. Bob will guide you in playing slides, hammer-ons, pull-offs and chokes added to basic rolls to begin to create the licks and patterns that form the basis of Scruggs-style playing.

5. Basic Backup and Chord Shapes: foundation and theory of backup, from simple techniques using barre chords and basic rolls to an overview of moveable "F" and "D" chord shapes, vamping, hand position and tone. This session will provide the tools to start playing effective backup right away

Moveable Chord Shapes, Positions and Licks - A Fretboard Roadmap - using a comprehensive handout and hands-on practice, Bob will teach basic chord theory and take you through practical rules to find and link moveable chords, positions and progressions all over the neck. Seeing the neck as a whole and chord and lick positions as moveable repeating patterns will give you tools for increasing your knowledge of the neck and creating breaks and backup. (AB)

STEVE ARKIN

"Authenticity" and the Old-Time Banjo Player – Old-time music comes down to hand-me-down tunes usually learned from recordings of long-dead musicians who played in traditional styles. We cover where to find these tunes, sources, and styles, and how you can find your own voice without forsaking the heart and soul of the music (I).

The Key Ingredients of Clawhammer to Back Up a Fiddle or to Play Strong Solo Tunes - How to lock in with a fiddler and make great music by paying attention to the five key ingredients of clawhammer banjo-- rhythm, tone, melody, texture, and ornament (I-A).

OT and BG Fiddle and Banjo Duets – Banjo and fiddle is a match made in heaven! What does it sound like for BG and for OT? How are they different? What do they have in common? What are some ideas to help you out? With Kaufman, Herrmann (Demo)

Harnessing the Full Power of “The Double D / Double C Tuning” – There are so many more possibilities than most old-time players can imagine in this old-time tuning (I-A)

Quirky Bluegrass Licks to Spice Up Your Rhythm and Boost Your Drive—a grab bag of short, punchy and little-known Scruggs-style licks from Allen Shelton, J.D. Crowe, Lamar Grier, Bill Keith, Steve, and others (I).

Same Tune, Different Worlds – Many, many old-time banjo tunes have been adapted to bluegrass, while some bluegrass tunes have gone the other way. Two veteran pickers with credentials in both worlds compare and contrast bluegrass and old-time versions of the same tunes (with 3-finger and clawhammer approaches to both) and unlock the key distinctions in rhythm, phrasing, ornament, and "feel" that distinguish an old-time rendition from it's rambunctious younger brother. with Kiphuth (All)

RILEY BAUGUS

Round Peak Style Basics - In this workshop, we'll cover and overview of many of the techniques used in the Round Peak Style of banjo playing, while learning a tune. We'll study right hand techniques including basic rhythms and drop thumb and also left hand techniques that go far beyond basic hammer-ons. (I)

Dock Boggs Fingerstyle - Learn to play Country Blues, a favorite of nearly every Dock Boggs fan, while grasping many of the right hand picking patterns most often used by Dock in his tunes. (I-A)

Roustabout - We'll work on two versions of this tune that are well known among Round Peak players. We'll discuss their possible origins and history of these tunes while we work them out. They are in two different tunings and require that we learn a few techniques that you might not consider normal. (A)

Teach Your Ears To Hear - Tips for helping your ears to hear the tune that you want to play. Ever hear a tune and think, "I don't even know where to start trying to learn that tune?", well that is part of what we'll explore in this class. We'll teach your ears to hear and your hands to play. This workshop will help you learn to play tunes on the fly. The techniques will help you go beyond learning a tune and repeating it. We'll work on playing the tunes as they are played in real time, without learning them beforehand. (All)

Fretless Banjo - This class will demonstrate the method of playing fretless banjo in its most basic clawhammer form. We'll learn to use the left hand to get the best tone, just the way the old timers used to. If you've ever wondered how a fretless banjo works, then this is the class for you. (AB)

DICK BOWDEN

Entertaining as a Banjoist and Songster - Clawhammer or picked, how to make people smile when you play and sing, "Stage patter", too. Samples from repertoires of Uncle Dave Macon, Stringbean, Grandpa Jones and Brother Oswald. More about presentation than details of playing. (I)

Playing Songs You Already Can Sing - Simple folk songs many of us learned as school kids, that are laying right there under your left hand with just chord shapes and 2 to 4 finger movements. "This Land is Your Land", "Gold Watch & Chain", etc. If you can sing 'em, you can pick 'em. Lyrics provided. Clawhammer or picks. (AB)

Playing in 3 Common Bluegrass Tunings (G-C-D). How and when to tune, and the basic licks in the 3 most common bluegrass tunings. (AB)

Bluegrass Without a Capo (therefore, less tuning!) How Earl and his followers play in E, F, D and C without capo or use of Scruggs tuners, to avoid as much tuning as possible. (We will tune or capo the 5th string a bit.) "I Wonder Where You Are Tonite-E", "Why Don't You Tell Me So-F", "Steel Guitar Rag-D", "Nashville Skyline Rag-C", etc. (A)

Simple Mandolin Tunes By Ear - Simple old tunes learned by ear/rote (no tab) in a group setting played mostly on open strings with one or two fingers but no double stops. Songs such as "Golden Slippers", "Bile Them Cabbage Down", "Pistol Packin' Mama", "Old Joe Clark", "Will the Circle Be Unbroken", etc. Learn learn how the same tune "works" when you change keys -- the relationships between the common keys. (AB)

Mandolin Licks, Kick-Offs and Fills - You can chop rhythm, you know your keys and chord relationships and you can pick a number of tunes. What about accompanying a bluegrass vocal that you don't necessarily know? You will learn generic kick-offs (song introductions), and licks and fills (flourishes and riffs played at the end of a sung line or verse/chorus). Both straight time and waltz time will be taught. You are GUARANTEED to be ready to kick off The Stanley Brothers' "Rank Strangers" in the key of F after you take this class! (And in any jam, the mandolin player is EXPECTED to know how to do this!) No tab. (I)

BILL EVANS

Systematic Approach to Melodic Banjo - Explore the inner workings of melodic banjo, both up and down the neck. Scale exercises, descending cascade licks, approaches to fiddle tunes and more. Tab examples provided. (I-A)

Down The Neck Forward Roll Backup - Create more driving, bona fide bluegrass sounding backup by using one- and two-measure forward rolls and connect one chord to the next with leading and target tones. Based on Bill's popular BNL column, with tab examples. (AB)

Strategies for Improvising - Ways to think about improvising and loosening up the ties that bind you to one way of playing a tune. With Trischka, Stillman (All)

Analyzing Scruggs Style Solos - Earl's solos to vocal tunes reveal the inner workings of his style. We'll take a look at tabbed out breaks to four tunes, examining Earl's choices of rolls, left hand techniques and licks, in order to come with up strategies where we can play our own great sounding Scruggs style solos. (I-A)

J. D. Crowe Style Banjo - Learn J.D.'s coolest signature licks and take a look at his solos to "You Don't Know My Mind," "Blue Ridge Cabin Home" and "Nine Pound Hammer." (I)

Up The Neck Backup: Combining Basic Techniques - Combining the "In The Mood," D shaped licks and fancy fill-in licks to create the great backup you hear on classic Flatt and Scruggs & Bluegrass Album Band recordings. Includes tab and analysis of J. D. Crowe's backup to "Your Love Is Like A Flower." (I-A)

MARTIN GROSSWENDT

Clawhammer Advancing Beginner/fresh start track (five sessions) - Here’s the chance to play old-time banjo for the first time, or dust off the case that was at the back of the closet, take out that lonely banjo, and start fresh. We’ll be frailing in no time and moving on to chords and melodies.

Black Mandolin Classics - An introduction to some of the great mandolin pieces recorded by African-American artists in the1920s. These classic instrumentals combine blues, ragtime and other influences to create some of the most fun-to play mandolin ever captured on disk. (I)

LORRAINE HAMMOND

Clawhammer Beginner/fresh start track (five sessions) - Here’s the chance to play old-time banjo for the first time, or dust off the case that was at the back of the closet, take out that lonely banjo, and start fresh. We’ll be frailing in no time and moving on to chords and melodies.

Been All Around This World: Women Who Play the Banjo - a survey of banjo-picking women, past and present, bluegrass and old-time. With Henry (All)

MURPHY HENRY

Been All Around This World: Women Who Play the Banjo - a survey of banjo-picking women, past and present, bluegrass and old-time. With Hammond (All)

Salty Dog - Learn an Up-The-Neck Break By Ear (I)

Playing in 3/4 Time (I)

Bill Monroe's Rawhide - Learn a Break By Ear (A)
Learning to Trade Breaks - Moving To the Lead From the Vamp (AB)

Improvising: The First Stage (I)

JOHN HERRMANN

Making the Leap - How do you get from being able to play tunes you know to being able to sit in a session and play with a fiddler who plays tunes you haven't heard before? There is no magic formula, but here is some practical advice. (I)

Round Peak Style - John learned from Round Peak players Fred Cockerham, Kyle Creed, and David Winston, and plays his own synthesis of Round Peak styles. In this class, John demonstrates his style and its sources. (A)

Zen Practice and Banjo Playing - How to extend the music groove to the rest of your life. (All)

Old Time Fiddle - The elements of OT fiddle, including solo fiddle tunes, fiddle/banjo duets, and the fiddle’s place in an OT string band. (Demo)

Essentials of Drop-Thumb – Getting your thumb off the 5^th string (AB)

ALAN KAUFMAN

Beginners’ Track, Mandolin - Here’s the chance to make music on your mandolin for the first time, or dust off the case that was at the back of the closet, take out that lonely mando, and start fresh. All the basics – holding and using the pick, simple melodies, simple chords, simple strategies for playing and loving it!

Old Time Fiddle and 3 Finger Bluegrass Banjo Duet Style - This is the place where Old Time and Bluegrass Fiddle and Banjo met in the 1950’s. Early bluegrass bands included many tunes from the old time repertoire. The synergy of the banjo accompanying the fiddle in a Scruggs based roll style will be emphasized. Both banjo lead and accompaniment will be presented. Join us for this hands-on class. With Kropp (I-A)

PETE KELLY

Music Theory Basics for Bluegrass - A little understanding of music theory can help you learn songs faster and have more fun at jam sessions. We'll cover several basic topics (and look at the practical uses of each one) including: What is a key and how do I figure out the key of a song? What is the form of a song? How do I refer to chords by numbers and why should I care? (B)

Improve Your Left Hand Accuracy and Dexterity - In this hands-on workshop we'll review the principles of good left-hand technique, then spend the majority of the session working through a set of exercises (tablature and standard notation provided) that you can incorporate into your practice routine at home. (AB)

Getting Better On Your Own - Whether you have a teacher or not, most of your improvement takes place while you are practicing on your own. In this workshop we'll cover methods and tips for scrutinizing your own playing and putting together a plan to get better at the things you want to get better at. (AB)

Using the Amazing Slow-Downer - The Amazing Slow Downer software (www.ronimusic.com) is an incredible tool for learning new material and practicing. We'll look at its capabilities in general and a few tricks for banjo players. This demo is for those who have not used this software before. (All)

The Style of Jimmy Martin's Banjo Players - From Sonny Osborne to Tom Adams, many of the great bluegrass banjo players went through Jimmy Martin's boot camp, The Sunny Mountain Boys. We'll cover the main aspects of "Jimmy Martin style" banjo including the accented forward roll, the distinctive bluesy backup licks from "Ocean of Diamonds," and, the single-string licks on "Hold Whatcha Got." (I)

The Organized Sideperson - As sidemen and sidewomen, we're often called to fill in at the last minute. We'll cover practical tips that will help you learn new material quickly, play your best at each show, and contribute to a fun and successful show. (A)

DAVE KIPHUTH

The Golden Ladder - A dynamic and easy way of learning the neck. We will learn 3 repeating patterns all the way up the neck. We’ll also do a bit of introductory exploration of Scruggs-based back up in those 'upper reaches' (I-A)

Ornamenting Well-Known Tunes and Songs in Clawhammer Style - We will evolve simple versions of well known tunes into more decorated arrangements (I)

Seeking The Melody, Scruggs Style - Finding the melody with notes and chords and building rolls around it. The first real key to playing breaks. (AB)

Up-the-Neck Breaks - Exploration of the 'unknown territory'. Breaking through the 'wall' of the 5th fret. (I-A)

Interpreting Fiddle Tunes in Pre-Melodic Style - Using straight-ahead 3-finger Scruggs rolls to play fiddle tunes (I-A)

Same Tune, Different Worlds – Many, many old time banjo tunes have been adapted to bluegrass, while some bluegrass tunes have gone the other way. Two veteran pickers with credentials in both worlds compare and contrast bluegrass and old-time versions of the same tunes (with 3-finger and clawhammer approaches to both) and unlock the key distinctions in rhythm, phrasing, ornament, and "feel" that distinguish an old-time rendition from it's rambunctious younger brother. with Arkin (All)

MIKE KROPP

Chords, Chord Theory and Rolls - Mike will show you the pathways for learning up-the-neck playing by utilizing closed position moveable chords. Basic chord theory will be presented for a full understanding of full fingerboard chord shapes. Learn how to use chords with the rolls you know to find interesting new sounds on the entire fingerboard. Mike will also teach some more advanced rolls and picking techniques to improve your right hand approach to playing. Some of the basic licks essential to bluegrass playing will also be presented. This class will be your roadmap for assuring your future ability to play with others. (AB)

Doug Dillard’s Tunes and Style - Doug Dillard was a profoundly influential banjoist during the 1960’s and 70’s while he performed and recorded with The Dillards. Several tunes will be presented from Doug Dillard’s repertoire of original compositions. His important solos in “Dooley”, “Ground Hog”, “Polly Vaughn” others will be presented. Many of Doug’s tunes have become benchmark standards for bluegrass banjo and lightening fast playing. Discussion of Doug’s style with demonstrations, as well as tablatures for some of his signature tunes and licks will be taught. Learn his famous instrumentals, “Hickory Hollow”, “Banjo in the Hollow” and “Doug’s Tune”. Doug’s style is a great place to jump off to enhance your playing! (I-A)

Folk Banjo Styles, the Pete Seeger Way - Mike will demonstrate and teach the essential folk styles fostered by Pete Seeger and other giants of the Folk Era of the 1950’s and 1960’s. Demonstration of the long neck Pete Seeger banjo and the various landmark styles from Pete’s book will be taught, including up-picking, double-thumbing, and various strums. If you have the “How to Play the Five String Banjo” book by Pete Seeger, bring it with you! (I-A)

Intro to Clawhammer and Old Time Finger Style for Bluegrass Players - The basics of Clawhammer style and tunings will be presented. Mike will also teach popular tunes from the OT repertoire in 2 and 3 finger old time style. These tunes are common in clawhammer and OT fingerstyle. This class will bridge the gap and open the door to a rhythmic and syncopated format that will enhance your approach to playing fiddle tunes both in OT and Bluegrass style. Tunes included are “Over The Waterfall”, “Angeline The Baker”, “Arkansas Traveler”, “Pretty Polly”, “Ground Hog”, Cripple Creek”, etc. (I-A)

Tunes from Tug Hollow - Of interest to Old Timey and Bluegrass players, Mike will teach 4 tunes from his popular Banjo Newsletter column Tunes from Tug Hollow. We’ll learn the old-time clawhammer tune “Salt River” in three-finger style plus we’ll explore D-minor tuning through Mike’s own tune “Odessa.” From the classic parlor style era of the turn of the 29^th century, Mike will teach the San Jacinto Clog” and a waltz (Chiming Bells). Explanation of technique and alternate fingerings..Tablature and standard notation for all tunes. (I-A)

GLENN NELSON

Banjo Care and Feeding: How to get the most out of Your banjo - We will discuss banjo setup, maintenance and modifiable factors that affect its tone and playability. Bring your banjo! (All)

The Great Bluegrass Lick Lexicon - The great signature licks used for fills and tags will be presented. Learn the right way to play them a la Earl, J.D., Sonny, et al. Here’s your chance to learn the licks of the pros. We’ll find ways of moving licks and ideas to different areas of the fingerboard and using what you know to make new licks from old ones! (I)

Beginning Single-String Style - Get off to a good start playing single string style banjo. Beginning scales, arpeggios, good technique, appropriate tone, chords, etc. will be discussed. Single-string style, also known as Reno style banjo is a great way to augment your playing and to help you improvise melodically in all keys. (I-A)

MIKE RIVERS

Getting the Most From Your Hand-held Recorder - These handy recorders are now in their fourth generation, so it's definitely time to get one or upgrade your old one. In this workshop we'll look at a range of sizes, shapes, and capabilities, discuss some fundamentals of recording, trade tips for making better recordings, and using and managing your recordings. (Demo)

Working with a PA System - It's hard to play a gig these days without some sort of sound system, whether it's your own or one at the venue. We'll discuss various system configurations (individual components, powered mixers, powered speakers) and how they're connected, and what all of those knobs and buttons do. Tips on setup, microphone choices positioning, and techniques, and keeping the stage neat and organized (Demo)

Everything Audio - Got a new recorder or are you looking for one? Need a new microphone or a new sound system? Do you know what all the knobs do? Got feedback? Everybody has questions about sound and recording so here's your chance to get answers. Ask me anything, and share your woes and solutions. (All)

RICH STILLMAN

Preparing For Your First Jam Session - Everybody remembers their first time. Usually, along with the exhilaration of playing with other people, there's the feeling of panic that happens that first time the jam leader looks over to let you know it's your turn to take a break. This class introduces practice techniques to prepare you for the moment, when it comes. (AB)
Strategies for Improvising - Ways to think about improvising and loosening up the ties that bind you to one way of playing a tune. With Evans, Trischka (All)
Better Playing Through Exercises - Most of us learned to play banjo by working note-for-note with tunes from books or DVDs. Tunes can teach some important banjo technique, but there are some skills that can be learned best (or only) through targeted exercises. I'll show you exercises to help develop dynamics, speed control and volume, and to help understand how to find notes on the neck. (All)
Playing Down-the-Neck Breaks by Ear - If you want to take a step beyond just playing rolls with chords for your breaks, if you want to play your own breaks instead of what you learned from tablature, you'll want to come to this session. Learn how to use the chords as a guide to find the melody, and turn that into a break of your own that really sounds like the tune. (AB)
The Humble Vamp - No, there'll be no exotic dancers in this class, only a bunch of people playing chords on their banjos. Can we really spend 75 minutes discussing the humble bluegrass vamp? Yes! There's much more to vamping than just keeping the beat. This class will start by polishing your basic vamp, and move on to all kinds of rhythmic variations. (AB-I)
Unlocking the Power and Versatility of TablEdit - TablEdit and the free tablature viewer/player TabView are the most popular tools for the creation, sharing and playback of banjo tablature. It's possible to use TablEdit to write down almost anything that can be played on a banjo, including Scruggs tuner notes and odd tunings and capo positions. The program's ability to create practice loops can even turn it into a song-specific metronome. But TablEdit is not the easiest program to use. This class will reveal some of the secrets to using TablEdit to create your own tabs and get the best use of downloaded tabs, including special tunings, banjo effects, accompaniment and playback control. This class will focus on bluegrass banjo. (All)

TONY TRISCHKA

How to Get a Professional Sound - metronome work, achieving separation of notes, proper string guages, how to avoid hitting the head and other strategies (B).

Advanced Improvisational Techniques - descending and ascending scale patterns, wed chord knowledge to a simple roll to open up your playing, arpeggios, Bela arpeggio technique, etc. (A)

Developing Your Own Solos - how to start with a simple melody and expand it with rolls to create effective bluegrass solos. Discussion of "playing the syllables", playing in different keys without a capo. (AB)

Classic Style Banjo - Turn of the Century "parlor" style banjo featuring marches, rags and light classical music for fingerpickers ((I)

Strategies for Improvising - Ways to think about improvising and loosening up the ties that bind you to one way of playing a tune. With Evans, Stillman (All)

Intermediate Back-Up - What do you play after you've learned how to chunk off-beats. Going deeper with Earl and JD. (I)

PHIL ZIMMERMAN

Mandolin Basics: Woody’s Rag - Woody Guthrie's ingeniously simple tune reinforces basic technique and illustrates the coolness of tuning the mandolin in fifths. (N-B)