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Fiddling for Violinists A cordial introduction the fiddle, February 28 to May 23 2006 7 meetings starting Fiddling for Violinists is open to violinists Enrollment is limited to 25 people Please contact Singingwood Music by phone before enrolling to ensure that the course is good fit for you, and to get the address for sending payment. Call John Blasquez: 925-935-9295 • Want to have more fun with your violin? • Interested in joining campfire jams at bluegrass and folk festivals or playing in Irish sessions at a local pub? • Want fiddle at contradances or square dances, or just looking to meet violinists headed in these directions? • Think outside the Bachs! As a violinist you'll find most fiddling skills already at your fingertips. With an introduction to the various styles, and an exploration of essential subtleties such as bowings, accents, drones, variations and timing, the remaining details are easily learned. Rest assured, you needn't alter your violin in any way ... nor hold the fiddle at your waist! What to Expect We meet in a large room for music presentations, full group rehearsals, performances ... and occasionally for appearances by guest artists. Most nights we break out into four additional rooms for rehearsing in small groups and come back together to perform for each other. Notation & Materials Music ntation is provided for each piece. You'll also receive a CD that contains fast and slow recordings of some of the tunes we'll learn. What to Bring Tape recorders, Minidisc recorders, and other recording devices are welcome and recommended! Please bring a music stand to class. Guitarists should bring a capo. Horizon Workshop Once you're underway, consider joining the Horizon Workshop. . This workshop provides an opportunity to rehearse and perform bluegrass, old-time and Celtic music with coaching from John Blasquez and his two assistants, Mitch Polzac and Chris Smith. It's perfect for people just stating to play with others, and it's great for those new to these styles of music. Location All classes are in Walnut Creek at: Mt. Diablo Unitarian Church Directions to the Mt. Diablo Unitarian Church The Gilmartin Building is the first building as you walk from the parking lot toward the new church hall. The cross street is Walnut Blvd. near Homestead. On Eckley, go up the hill and turn left into the parking lot. (There are two churches and a Synagogue on Eckley, so don't just pull into any ol' parking lot with a house of worship!) * Other Instruments Although Fiddling for Violinists will focus mainly on fiddle technique, mandolinists will easily fit in and receive important pointers along the way. We also welcome other instrumentalists who want to practice and rehearse with us: John successfully teaches mixed instrument classes at the Horizon Workshop and Acoustic Instruments 101. Advice is given for all instruments. Participants benefit in hearing about the role and technique of various instruments ... and sometimes a new bit of understanding motivates members to try a another instrument! *** Flat-picking guitarists or clawhammer (frailing) banjo players should be able to learn by ear or read tablature notation. |
Course Description We may not cover all the topics listed in this description, but you can see there is no shortage of material. Explore popular styles: We'll learn music from each of the following genres, particularly bluegrass, old-time and Celtic ... and we'll explore the different styles of rehearsing, jamming, and performing specific to each:
Develop an authentic sound by attending to:
Understand the basic structures of fiddle tunes:
Explore various styles of learning & sharing tunes:
Participate in various types of jam sessions
Notation
Creativity
Understand the role of other instruments:
Oddball stuff
John Blasquez is an award winning fiddler with 29 years experience teaching private lessons and workshops. Click to get a printer friendly Fiddling for Violinists flier (in PDF format) —————— |
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Singingwood Music Singingwood Home Page | Singingwood Calendar Music Lessons: Violin • Fiddle • Guitar • Mandolin • Bodhran • Horizon Workshops Printable Fliers – Click here to downloada poster-style PDF with tear-off tags – |
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Private Music Lessons Fiddle, Guitar, Violin, Mandolin & Bodhran |
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