Guitar Classes

GUITAR (three levels, please choose one)

Beginning – For guitarists with little or no experience, this class will concentrate on pick direction, hand position, basic chord changes, rhythm patterns and Carter style lead playing.

Intermediate – Flatpicking lead guitar is one focus of this class. Topics include scale fingerings, passing chords, improvisation and special effects. Advanced rhythm guitar skills are also stressed.

Advanced – A continuation of the intermediate topics with emphasis on getting a professional sound, solo development and other special topics.

 

Tim’s skills and topics covered in his flatpicking class. 

In the flatpicking guitar class we will focus on the tools you need to be a complete guitar player from rhythm to soloing. We will look at bass runs, alternating bass ideas, and how to effectively use dynamics to create a variety of moods for any song from breakdowns to waltzes. We will explore the mysterious world of improvisation and how to implement a simple approach to playing any song by looking at the chords and playing the chord itself (arpeggios) and a major scale (seven notes). Blues found its way into bluegrass, and we’ll look at how to incorporate major and minor blues, with examples from our heroes like Tony Rice and Doc Watson. In an attempt to be successful like banjo players, we will look at how crosspicking (mimicking a three-note banjo roll) can enhance a song and will dive into how players like George Shuffler, Norman Blake and Clarence White approached it. We’ll also introduce techniques for creating and enhancing solos for any song/tune we might encounter: tremolo, harmonized scales, ‘neighbor notes’, folded scales and more: lots of fun to be had, lots of playing time!