2011 Guitar Week Classes

THE TONAL TOOLKIT (Don Alder)
This class for all levels will focus on a variety of techniques that can be used to achieve endless tonal colours on the acoustic guitar. We will explore right-hand techniques including hybrid fingerpicking/frailing, percussive effects, tapping, soundhole wah wah, and various methods of creating harmonic overtones while focusing on string bends, slurs, hammer-ons and pull-offs with the left hand. Combining these right- and left-hand techniques in different ways creates a tonal toolkit that is at the player’s disposal when composing or arranging tunes. Using tools like sliding harmonics and body vibrato can set your sound apart from the crowd. The goal is to put all of these tools to work in a way that will result in a unique approach with each individual’s own touch and colour palette. We will work in DADGAD, DADFCE, and standard tunings.

CREATING MUSIC BY EAR (Don Alder)
Today’s acoustic players have a wide palette of tonal colours available to them. It’s important to avoid throwing everything-including-the-kitchen-sink into your compositions. The focus of this beginning/intermediate class will be on using techniques for the sake of the composition and not for the sake of the technique. Each student will use a sampling of the techniques described in the Tonal Toolkit course. We will discuss how some of these techniques are developed through necessity and are a big part of finding your own sound and touch. We’ll examine ways to make your compositions more interesting by shifting keys during a piece or using harmonic intervals that create more opportunities for movement within a chord as well as using tunings to solve problems. finally we’ll discuss how you put all of the various elements together to make your composition something that is not only fun to play, but is interesting enough to draw the listener in and keep them listening.

COMPETITIONS & LIVE PERFORMANCE (Don Alder)
What can competitions do for you? How do you best prepare? What is the difference between playing a concert, competing in a contest, or recording in the studio? This intermediate/advanced class is designed to help answer these questions. We’ll talk about the importance of delivery (great songs can go nowhere without the proper delivery,) tuning strategies, playing from the heart, creating some portable sections to put in your arsenal of tools and more. We’ll discuss pickup systems, separate outputs, blending pickups with internal microphones, and other technical issues that are important aspects to making a live performance work flawlessly. Finally, we’ll discuss the importance of endorsements and working in “the Biz.”

INTERMEDIATE FINGERSTYLE GUITAR (Doug Smith)
Take control of your picking hand! Doug will introduce more advanced fingerstyle concepts, including bass and melodic runs, Travis picking, counterpoint, and getting a fluid sound. Chord progressions, harmony and picking in alternate tunings will also be discussed. This is a hands-on playing class, with tab provided.

SIMPLE GIFTS: ARRANGING HYMNS FOR SOLO FINGERSTYLE GUITAR (Doug Smith)
The melodies and harmonies of traditional hymns sound beautiful on solo fingerstyle guitar. Whether you just love the melody of a particular hymn, or want an arrangement for church, or want to use a hymn to enhance an original song (think Paul Simon’s “American Tune”), we’ll journey from hymnal to fretboard, utilizing different fingerstyle patterns and chord theory. Tab will be provided, and we’ll use class suggestions to “start from scratch.”

COMPOSING FOR FINGERSTYLE GUITAR (Doug Smith)
If you’ve got some melodic ideas bouncing around your head, we’ll work on putting them into a cohesive piece of music. Doug will demonstrate concepts behind his popular tunes such as “Renewal” and “Order of Magnitude.” Chord progressions and substitutions, “vertical” and “linear” thinking and organizing ideas into compositions will also be discussed. For intermediate players.

ROOTS & BLUES FINGERSTYLE GUITAR (Steve James)
Intermediate guitarists wanting to add more syncopated, blues-inflected arrangement ideas to their repertoire will enjoy these sessions. Steve will present melodic song motifs in standard EADGBE and “dropped-D” (DADGBE) tunings, along with basic picking techniques, chord shapes and adaptable phrases in various keys. Bring a guitar and accessories, a notebook and pencil. Some tab and handouts supplied. Audio recorders OK.

OPEN TUNINGS & BOTTLENECK SLIDE GUITAR I (Steve James)
In these beginning/intermediate classes, Steve will demonstrate basic chord shapes, picking techniques and slide guitar licks in the open tunings most commonly used in country blues: “Vastopol” (DADF#D), and “Spanish” (DGDGBD). The emphasis will be on expanding and improving slide guitar technique in the context of familiar progressions and melodies. Bring a guitar and accessories (including a slide, of course), notebook and pencil and a portable sound recorder. Some tab/handouts supplied.

OPEN TUNINGS & BOTTLENECK SLIDE GUITAR II (Steve James)
Like the introductory class, these intermediate sessions will concentrate on rhythmic fingerpicking and good pitch and tone control with the slide in the context of adaptable progressions and songs in “Vastopol” and “Spanish” (and possibly the mysterious “cross minor”) tunings. In addition, the class will explore some “up-the-neck” chord ideas, harmonics, tapping techniques and more advanced ways of using the slide. Bring a guitar, accessories, slide, notebook and pencil and a sound recorder. Some tab/handouts supplied.

GYPSY JAZZ (Rolly Brown)
Django Reinhardt knew everything he needed to know about making music with virtually no traditional “theory” training. His music was based on his ear and his familiarity with the fingerboard. We’re not all this gifted, and some basic theory can go a long way in helping to understand Gypsy jazz, but it’s not a bad idea to consider a non-intellectual approach as well. In this intermediate/advanced class, we’ll examine both approaches, and look at the “pompe” rhythm style, an arpeggiated approach to melody, and some of the conventions unique to gypsy jazz, as well as studying the mysteries of right-hand plectrum technique. Bring a recording device!

FLATPICKING TRICKS & SURVIVAL TECHNIQUES (Rolly Brown)
We’ll focus on bluegrass/newgrass and fiddle tunes, exploring melodic mechanisms, which have become part of the style, as well as Rolly’s own tricks for keeping your head above water in a jam. We’ll also spend time on ways of refining your pick technique and on rhythm styles, and using flatpicking in a solo guitar mode. Precocious beginners might profit from this intermediate/advanced class as well. Bring a recording device!

WHERE BLUES MEETS JAZZ – FINGERSTYLE (Rolly Brown)
Come along with this intermediate/advanced class and explore that blurry line between blues and jazz, where the chords become “interesting” while the music retains the power of primal blues. This is the territory occupied by the likes of Billie Holiday, Ray Charles, Hoagy Carmichael, and Mose Allison, and rarely explored properly on the guitar. Bring a recording device!

CELTIC GUITAR I: BACKING UP TUNES IN ‘DROPPED-D’ (John Doyle)
This class is an extensive look at accompanying Celtic tunes, jigs, reels, hornpipes, polkas etc. in Dropped-D (DADGBE) tuning. Starting with basic strumming patterns and rhythms, Dropped-D chording, partial chords and how to negotiate tunes and their various structures, we’ll eventually work up to arrangements of sets of tunes, dampening, bass runs, harmonic runs and counter melodies under the tunes themselves. One should be an intermediate to advanced player and willing to let go of old styles of playing.

CELTIC GUITAR II: FLATPICKING TUNES (John Doyle)
The main theme of this class will be playing the melodies themselves, beginning with simple melodies and basic control of the pick. We’ll learn how to ‘pick up’ a tune by ear and remember it, then move on to more complex tunes -polkas, hornpipes, different types of jigs and reels. We’ll learn how to play triplets, moving triplets, rolls, cranns, slides and bends and incorporate them in the tunes for variety, authenticity and creativity. For intermediate to advanced players.

SONG ACCOMPANIMENT & ARRANGEMENT FOR GUITAR (John Doyle)
This class for intermediate players will focus on the role of the guitar in accompanying a vocalist on their journey through a song. Using various songs from the tradition as examples, we will learn how to create an atmosphere or mood by working with counter-melodies and creating breaks in the melody. We’ll use the guitar to add its own voice through rhythm, voicing, doubling, counter-melody and harmony. This class will be using a variety of different tunings for the guitar.

PERCUSSIVE TECHNIQUES, OPEN TUNINGS, NOW WHAT DO I DO??? (Vicki Genfan)
This class is for those intermediate/advanced players who have been working with percussive techniques and open tunings, and now want to apply them to actual song composition and arranging. We will start with the techniques explored in Vicki’s DVD, 3D Acoustic Guitar, including bass note slapping, harmonic tapping and body percussion, and will move quickly into the realm of composition and arrangements using these techniques (and others that you may already be working with). Focus will be divided into two major areas: solidifying your technique and using these techniques in arranging and composing original or cover tunes. Bring a song to work on - or an idea for a new composition. In order to get the most out of this class, plan on performing something and being open to feedback.

CHORD PROGRESSIONS EVERY SINGER/SONGWRITER SHOULD KNOW (Vicki Genfan)
Based on ‘Part 2’ of Vicki’s new instructional DVD, this class for intermediates and above will really dive into the creative realm of alternate tunings. The focus is on opening your ears and giving yourself permission to discover new sounds, new harmonic combinations, new melodic and rhythmic possibilities. (Don’t worry - you’ll be guided every step of the way!) Using Vicki’s ‘Open Tuning Reference Chart,’ you’ll see how easy it is to find common chord progressions and play familiar songs in ‘unfamiliar’ tunings. Bring a tuner, a capo and some extra strings!

RHYTHM FOR LIFE – AND GUITARISTS! (Vicki Genfan)
This class is for all levels, no experience necessary, and guitars are not required! Drawing from eastern and western traditions, we’ll sharpen our rhythmic awareness and expand our rhythmic vocabularies by combining inner (meditative) work with outer (walking, chanting, moving) rhythm exercises. Through group rhythm circles, we’ll explore pulsation, syncopation, beat, off-beats, sub-division and more – all with a sense of spontaneity, flow and FUN!!

APPALACHIAN FINGERSTYLE GUITAR IN DADGAD TUNING (Al Petteway)
DADGAD tuning is a modal tuning for guitar that works really well for most mountain music. In this class for all levels, we’ll explore arrangements of “Shady Grove,” “Wondrous Love,” “Wildwood Flower,” “Simple Gifts” and “Pretty Polly ” before taking a look at a sampling of my original Appalachian tunes like “Land of the Sky,” “Smoky Mountain Morning,” and “Craggy Pinnacle.” We’ll even have some fun with a DADGAD interpretation of Martin Simpson’s arrangement of “Long Steel Rail” which was originally a variation on the traditional tune “Reuben’s Train.” Right-hand techniques used to achieve the proper “groove” will be practiced in class. By playing the tunes, students will learn just how addicting Appalachian music can be when translated to guitar. Less advanced students will be given simpler parts to play while the more advanced students will be expected to play at a higher level of difficulty. Everyone can pick his or her own level and nobody will be left out. (Capos are required and audio recording devices recommended)

BOOGIE WOOGIE BOOT CAMP (Mike Dowling)
The fun is as infectious as the music in Mike’s hands-on, guitar band approach to this unique12-bar style. From the hillbilly boogies of the Delmore Brothers to the hip stylings of Louis Jordan, intermediate/advanced recruits will learn new tunes with cool licks, bass runs, and single-string soloing techniques guaranteed to “drill” that eight-to-the-bar boogie bounce into your music and your repertoire. Handouts provided. Bring enthusiasm and audio recorders. No video cameras please.

SWING GUITAR WORKSHOP (Mike Dowling)
Swing’s the thing and rhythm’s where it’s at. Starting with solid four-to-the-bar rhythm techniques and jump-style syncopations, we’ll learn the basics of playing 10th chords, diminished chords, and chord substitutions that will lay a foundation for improvisation. Mike likes to treat this class like a guitar ensemble with the more adventuresome players beginning to trade solos. This is for intermediate to advanced guitar students who feel ready to play “up the neck”. Tab reading will be helpful. Audio recorders encouraged; no video cameras please.

BOTTLENECK BASICS (Mike Dowling)
Mike will draw from the traditional Piedmont blues songbag as well as his own lush bottleneck compositions to get you started playing slide in open D and G tunings. You’ll learn licks, tricks, turnarounds, rhythm grooves and techniques that will add color and texture to your playing. Very hands on. All levels welcome. Handouts provided. Audio recorders encouraged; no video cameras please.

SONG ACCOMPANIMENT LAB: QUICK GUITAR FIXES (Scott Ainslie)
Guitar technique is easier to retain in the context of an existing accompaniment. In each class, multiple students will present solo song arrangements which will provide the context for teaching the entire class key-specific figures, chord forms and fragments, altered tunings, strategic use of the capo, bass runs, and other musical elements to strengthen your delivery and underline the emotions of the song. The goal of each class is to go a few steps further down a road you are already walking, not transplant you. Suitable for all levels, this is a perfect crossover class for singer-songwriters who play guitar, as well as for guitarists who sing.

ROBERT JOHNSON’S SOLO ACOUSTIC TECHNIQUES (Scott Ainslie)
Robert Johnson’s recordings reflected and extended commercially viable solo blues guitar styles that juggle bass, rhythm and lead parts – the three guitar ‘jobs’ of a rock or blues band. In this intermediate class celebrating the centennial year of the Delta Blues Legend’s birth, we’ll walk students through Johnson’s signature pieces with an eye to learning to juggle these elements as soloists. The accompaniments Johnson and other solo acoustic blues guitarists laid down provided a solid foundation for much of the guitar music that followed. If you have wanted to get a handle on blues chord forms, slide guitar, or to begin to move up the neck of the guitar and have figures and chords there to highlight a vocal line, create an instrumental break, or vary the accompaniment to shift the emotions of a verse or bridge, focusing on Johnson’s guitar work will help you down those roads. Familiarity with some finger-picking, slide guitar, open tunings and dropped-D will be helpful. For my notes on choosing and using a slide, go to the ‘for guitarists’ links at http://cattailmusic.com.

BLUES: GIVE ME YOUR RIGHT HAND (Scott Ainslie)
Making music is a very physical activity: what your fingers, your thumb, and your arm do impacts the sound you make. In this class for all levels, we will focus on developing a strong vocabulary for the picking (right) hand. Think of it as calisthenics. We will spend the week developing muscle patterns, power and freedom in right hand skills that will transform your playing. Once established, these muscle patterns will be with you for the rest of your life. If your thumb fails to play that bass note when you fingers get busy, or you feel like your arm is glued to the top of the guitar and unable to move, this class is for you.

EAR TRAINING (Richard Smith)
All-important ear training will enable the player to play what is in their head... instead of what is in their fingers. This will include a very minimal amount of theory. It is an absolutely essential class for all levels that will get the player to learn music by ear instead of relying on tablature or standard notation. This class will demonstrate the importance of having a good ear in order to create your own arrangements, improvise and learn music quickly.

TRAVIS-STYLE GUITAR (Richard Smith)
In this class for beginning/intermediate players, we will be concentrating on the basic “boom-chick” Travis style and gaining independence between the thumb and fingers. We’ll start with a very basic blues style (also the quintessential folk fingerpicking pattern) and make the transition to “Travis Picking.” We’ll concentrate on keeping the thumb alternating and learning how to train the fingers to become independent from the groove of the thumb. We will also talk about the importance of good, smart practice and getting things right from the start to get into good habits.

ADVANCED FINGERPICKING (Richard Smith)
In this class we’ll get into alternating harmonics, banjo-style rolls, chromatic-style rolls, walking bass lines, advanced harmony/jazz arrangements, and playing two tunes at once. We’ll also cover a little flatpicking with a thumbpick, some Django licks and more traditional fiddle tune licks, and we’ll learn how to incorporate these into fingerstyle guitar. We’ll talk about how to create original arrangements and the importance of good practice habits.

ARRANGING POPULAR TUNES FOR FINGERSTYLE GUITAR (Adam Rafferty)
Intermediates will learn how to take popular tunes such as Stevie Wonder’s “Superstition” and Michael Jackson’s “Billie Jean” and perform them on solo guitar. Topics covered will be - how to reduce a full band concept onto a single guitar and how to play bass lines and melodies on the guitar at the same time.

ADVANCED HARMONY FOR FINGERSTYLE GUITARISTS (Adam Rafferty)
Do you find yourself wanting to understand the “inner workings” of music more clearly? In this step by step approach, you’ll learn how to understand harmony from the bottom up and come up with music in a creative way that you may never have thought of! See how great songwriters and composers think. Topics will include building chords, voice leading, finding multiple ways to harmonize a melody and more. This course is intended for guitarists who can already play some fingerstyle guitar pieces and have a good working knowledge of the notes on the fingerboard. Knowledge of basic open and barre chord shapes is required, but reading standard notation is not.

GETTING “GROOVE” INTO YOUR SOLO GUITAR ARRANGEMENTS (Adam Rafferty)
Want to add more “pop,” “snap,” “percussion” and “groove” into your solo arrangements? In this class for intermediates, you’ll learn how get the groove inside you onto the guitar and how to play grooves that will get your family and friends tapping their toes. Topics covered will include: finding rhythm on your own, playing hand drums, making guitar fingering choices that fall in line with your rhythmic concepts and more.

CLASSICAL TECHNIQUE FOR STEEL-STRING GUITAR (Jordan McConnell)
This class for beginning/intermediate players is a look at incorporating classical guitar techniques in your steel-string playing. We’ll talk about both left- and right-hand techniques including hand position and plucking, tremolo, and tone colour. We’ll also run through some exercises that you can use daily to get warmed up and to improve your dexterity and precision.

DADGAD ACCOMPANIMENT (Jordan McConnell)
In this class for intermediates, we’ll explore DADGAD from a perspective of accompanying songs and tunes. With a focus more on chord scales and harmonic movement rather than melodic fingerstyle playing, this class will look at different techniques to create interesting foundations for your accompaniment style. We’ll also work on some of the different moods that can be created using a pick, or your fingers, or both at the same time.

ACOUSTIC GUITAR CRAZINESS AT A CELLULAR LEVEL (Jordan McConnell)
After 10 years of playing with the roots/world/soul band The Duhks, Jordan has developed a unique style of guitar playing. Part Celtic, part jazz, part punk rock, with bass lines thrown into the mix as well, this class for intermediate/advanced players will be a discussion of the techniques that Jordan has come up with to get the biggest sound possible. It will cover building chords around bass lines with discussion of right- and left-hand techniques to create separation in your sound. There will be an exploration of altered tunings with a thought to creating new possibilities in your bass lines, and finally some technical discussion of pickups and gear to create a huge sound on stage. This will be a fun class and input from the attendees is encouraged!

LAP SLIDE GUITAR: HAWAII MEETS THE DELTA (Mary Flower)
Casey Bill Weldon, the Black Ace and Oscar “Buddy” Woods all played slide guitar flat on the lap. This class for all levels will explore left-hand technique, playing in a few different tunings and playing solo verses in a group situation. Students should come prepared with Dobro-like instruments, fingerpicks and a steel bar.

BLUES GUITAR GEMS (Mary Flower)
Mary will bring some old and obscure gems to the class from the recordings of Tampa Red, Willie Brown and Scrapper Blackwell, to name a few. Previous fingerpicking knowledge is essential in this intermediate class as well as the ability to read tab. Recording devices encouraged and tab handouts will be available.

FINE FINGERSTYLE ARRANGEMENTS (Mary Flower)
In this class for intermediates, Mary will share her favorite tunes – some originals and some standards. Sometimes, it’s all about the guitar arrangements: how the melody plays out in different keys, how the bass lines connect the chord changes, how to keep the rhythm going during the solo, etc. Mary will present a number of tunes that will teach your hands how to be responsible members of the band.

BEGINNING SLACK KEY GUITAR (Patrick Landeza)
This class will be for the very beginner, focusing on technique and how to develop the slack key sound. We will primarily work on the open-G tuning (Taro Patch Tuning). We will touch on slack key scales, vamps and licks, which will lead to a song!

INT./ADV. SLACK KEY GUITAR (Patrick Landeza)
In this class we will primarily work on slack key songs and techniques. We will review the styles of the great slack key masters and teach a song from each style. We will be using the G tuning, Drop-G tuning, C tuning and possibly others. For all my past students, this is a perfect time to come back and learn more!

CELTIC FINGERSTYLE I (Robin Bullock)
This intermediate level class will explore the world of possibilities presented by traditional Irish, Scottish and Breton repertoire arranged for solo fingerstyle guitar. We’ll start with basic settings of relatively simple tunes and proceed from there, using alternate tunings such as DADGAD, CGCGCD and “Werewolf” tuning (CGDGAD), which will not only make playing this music easier, but open up magical sounds that you never knew your guitar had. Along the way we’ll also discuss fingerstyle playing technique and how to get the fullest, richest tone with the minimum of physical effort. A good time will be had by all. Audio recorders recommended.

CELTIC FINGERSTYLE II (Robin Bullock)
This intermediate/advanced level class will delve deeper into traditional Irish, Scottish and Breton music for solo fingerstyle guitar. Some tablature will be offered, but students will also create their own individual settings of airs, jigs, reels and the 18th-century harp music of Turlough O’Carolan, sharing arrangement ideas in an informal, hands-on environment. Alternate tunings such as DADGAD, CGCGCD and “Werewolf” tuning (CGDGAD) and more advanced techniques such as “harp-style” melody playing will be used extensively to open up the instrument’s full sonic potential. Audio recorders recommended.

CHRISTMAS IN JULY (Robin Bullock)
By popular request, this is an intermediate/advanced class dedicated to arranging Christmas carols for solo fingerstyle guitar. Drawing from Robin’s popular holiday CDs, A Guitar for Christmas and Christmas Eve is Here, this class will feature a different Christmas piece each day, incorporating altered tunings, harmonics and harp-style melody playing to bring out the guitar’s full potential as a voice for seasonal repertoire. Audio recorders recommended; Santa hats optional.

IRISH & SCOTTISH TUNES FROM AN OLD-TIME BACKGROUND (Duck Baker)
When British guitarists began looking for ways to adopt American fingerpicking techniques to their own music, they settled on using a drone bass under the melody line, often in conjunction with open tunings. Most players who perform Irish and Scottish music use this approach, but there’s no musical reason not to use the alternating bass, at least as an additional tool; after all, pianists in Ceili bands have always done just that, and for Appalachian tunes it’s only logical to employ the American style. This advanced class will look at some old-time tunes as well as some Irish ones played in an Appalachian style, and then look at some Irish and Scottish dance tunes, marches, and airs. Arranging ideas will be discussed, as well as how to use (and NOT to use) various tunings.

NEW APPROACHES TO BLUES & GOSPEL (Duck Baker)
Many blues players begin by studying the old masters, and this is how it should be. But often they wind up feeling like they’re in a rut, especially when it comes to working out new arrangements or new material in a blues vein. In this intermediate/advanced class, we’ll learn how to add many more licks to the arsenal, work on soloing, and introduce a minimal amount of applied theory to the process (the operative word being “minimal”), especially regarding blues turnarounds. We’ll also look at some gospel arrangements and discuss arranging ideas, with an emphasis on the voicings and progressions typical of this still-neglected branch of American music. Some familiarity with alternating bass plus melody fingerpicking is required.

FINGERPICKING JAZZ (Duck Baker)
This class is for advanced players who are comfortable playing melodies over alternating bass lines and have some experience with swing and jazz chording. Slightly less advanced players are welcome if they have a good grasp of theory and some knowledge of the subject. Most modern jazz styles don’t really work with alternating bass patterns so we have to wean ourselves from them, but the independence they teach is a valuable asset than can be applied to other kinds of bass lines. The main focus will be arrangements by such great modern composers as Thelonious Monk, Benny Golson, Sonny Rollins, and others. Approaches to improvisation and composition will also be discussed.

BLUEGRASS SONGBOOK (Ed Dodson)
This class for all levels focuses on how to play powerful bluegrass rhythm guitar. We will work on ‘alternating bass’ styles of playing as well as using bass runs and other motion within the chords to accent your vocals or the instrumentalists you’re playing with. In addition to these basic building-block techniques, we will learn one bluegrass song each day (all new for 2011). Lyrics will also be provided, so you can learn the words and add these songs to your jam sessions at home. The class will present songs that allow you to see the rhythm patterns conducive to most of the first position chord shapes. We will also discuss how to use a capo to get the song in a key to fit your voice. All levels of participants are welcome. Familiarity with guitar chords and knowledge of guitar tablature is helpful, but not required. Students are encouraged to bring audio recorders to class and also encouraged to participate in the Slow Jam that Ed leads every afternoon, following lunch, as a way to reinforce the techniques learned in class as well as learn additional songs/tunes.

DEEP BLUEGRASS GUITAR (Ed Dodson)
This course (as the name implies) is for the intermediate to advanced player who really wants to take it to the next level. During the week, we will cover a variety of techniques, including flatpicking leads and playing creative accompaniment behind singers and pickers, using the concept of playing licks around chord shapes, and building effective solos for bluegrass songs. These techniques will be learned using a specific bluegrass song or fiddle tune each day (all new for 2011). The class will build upon the techniques covered in previous years and as presented in my instructional book, Deep Bluegrass Guitar, but will be open and accessible for new participants, as well. Familiarity with guitar chords and knowledge of guitar tablature is highly recommended, but not absolutely required. Students are strongly encouraged to bring recording devices to class as a memory aid, as we will be covering some fairly challenging material.

GUITAR FOR BEGINNERS (Ed Dodson)
This class will cover the very basics of playing and enjoying guitar. Topics covered will include: tuning your guitar, basic chord shapes and patterns, basic rhythm patterns, basic right-hand technique (both flatpick and fingerpick), care and feeding of your guitar, and practice tips. By the end of the week, we will work-in a tune or two for you to work on back at home. Knowledge of guitar tablature is helpful, but not required. Students are encouraged to bring audio recorders to class.

SPECIAL EVENTS

GUITAR MAINTENANCE & REPAIR (Randy Hughes)
Come have your instrument checked out on Monday, Wednesday or Thursday and pick up a few ‘care & feeding’ tips.

LUTHIER'S EXHIBIT
Throughout the week we will have four of the finest luthiers in America on hand displaying some of their instruments: Gerald Sheppard, www.sheppardguitars.com, Mark Blanchard, www.blanchardguitars.com, John Slobod, www.circaguitars.com, and Bill Tippin, www.tippinguitars.com, as well as a display of some of the amazing inventory from Dream Guitars, www.dreamguitars.com, a local shop specializing in the finest high-end instruments.

SLOW JAMS (Ed Dodson)
Each day, after lunch, Ed will lead jam sessions of common tunes at a tempo slow enough for folks to learn the tunes as they play.

GUITAR WEEK LUAU
On Friday, come experience the spirit of aloha at the Guitar Week luau, catered by our own Hawaiian cultural ambassador, Patrick Landeza.