Curriculum from 2024

THURSDAY 

7:30 - 8:30 Instructor Led Jams 

Pete Wernick, with Jason Homey assisting - introductory/beginner: a teaching session for those who need help in learning jamming; instruction on jam skills

Bennett Sullivan- advanced beginner/low intermediate

FRIDAY

9-10:15     Block 1

Jason  - Performing solo (including playing and singing at the same time) (All levels)

Bennett - Efficient & Effective Practice 101: The Metronome & a Plan (All levels)

Pete - Rolls that work for backup and lead (Beg/Int)

10:45-noon   Block 2

Jason - Playing fiddle tunes in melodic, single-string, and Scruggs style with focus on timing, dynamics, tempo, tone, and 'danceability'. (High Int/Adv)

Bennett - Learning by Ear using One Scale (Beg/Int) 

Pete - Extremely useful licks, chord positions (Beg/Int)

1:30- 2:45  Block 3

Jason - Complete Scruggs arr. of a song ('We'll Meet Again Sweetheart'), note for note (High Int/Adv) 

Pete, with Bennett assisting — jam instruction for all …. Q&A then small group jams, other teachers assist if available to help. (All levels, all instruments)

3:15 - 4:45  Block 4 (The Elective Block)

Jason - Jam Skills (e.g., anticipating chord changes, what to listen and watch for), and useful theoretical knowledge related to jam skills. (All levels, all instruments)

Bennett - Composition/Writing Tunes (All levels, all instruments)

Pete - Playing under pressure “stage fright” but not only on stage (All levels, all instruments)

7:30 - 8:30 Instructor Led Jams 

Pete Wernick, with Jason Homey assisting - introductory/beginner: a teaching session for those who need help in learning jamming; instruction on jam skills Bennett Sullivan- advanced beginner, low intermediate

SATURDAY

9-10:15     Block 5

Bennett - Tony Rice’s Bluesy Guitar Style on the Banjo (Adv)

Pete, with Jason assisting -  slow and mid-tempo backup fundamentals  (Beg/Int)

10:45-noon   Block 6

Jason - Carrying the melody in alternating-thumb roll (Beg/Low Int) 

Bennett - Forward Roll as Foundation (Beg/Int)

Pete - Chord shapes and ways to use them (not voicing or inversions)  (Int/Adv)

1:30- 2:45  Block 7 

Jason - Office Hours: 1-on-1s with others allowed/encouraged to observe (Beg/Int)

Bennett - Office Hours: 1-on-1s with others allowed/encouraged to observe (Int/Adv)

Pete - Playing in D and other keys (C,) no capo (All levels)

3:15-4:30 

Pete willing to offer:  Being in a band, some Hot Rize solos/backup 

SUNDAY 

9-10:15     Block 8

Jason - Basic backup for common chord progressions (Beg)

Bennett - Blending Melodic, Scruggs, and Single String (Int/Adv)

Pete - Finding a melody and making a basic solo  (Beg/Int)

10:45-noon   Block 9

Jason - Recurring melodic patterns in songs, with focus on ear-training and using melody-carrying licks. (Beg/Int)

Bennett - Listening & Transcribing (All levels)

Pete - Constructing interesting breaks using melody and fun licks that fit. (Int/Adv) 

Note to Students
I’m looking forward to working with you at camp. This is a tentative plan for our classes. Since there is only one clawhammer track at this camp, it’s hard for me to plan with certainty what I’ll be teaching. This could change a bit as I get a sense for the level and interests of the class.   

Friday

Class 1

Understanding Your Clawhammer Tools – Part 1 – Basic Strum and Left-Hand Ornaments

There are a total of 6 right and left hand techniques that make up most anything you’ll play in the clawhammer style. In this “clawhammer tune-up” We'll look at what they are, how to execute them with good economy of motion, and what each of them allows you to do insofar as making music. 

Class 2

Understanding Your Clawhammer Tools – Part 2 – Double-Thumbing

There are a total of 6 right and left hand techniques that make up most anything you’ll play in the clawhammer style. In this “clawhammer tune-up” We'll look at what they are, how to execute them with good economy of motion, and what each of them allows you to do insofar as making music. 

Class 3

Understanding Your Clawhammer Tools – Part 3 – Drop-Thumbing 

There are a total of 6 right and left hand techniques that make up most anything you’ll play in the clawhammer style. In this “clawhammer tune-up” We'll look at what they are, how to execute them with good economy of motion, and what each of them allows you to do insofar as making music. 

Class 4

Using Your Tools to Learn a Tune by Ear, in Layers

We’ll use our understanding of the clawhammer tools in the previous three classes to build our own arrangement of a tune by ear. 

Saturday 

Class 1

Singing with the Banjo. 

When you sing with the banjo (or any other instrument for that matter) you are playing 3 roles at the same time – you’re the singer, you’re the banjo player, and you’re the storyteller. We’ll look at how considering the hierarchy of these three roles can help decide what you should be playing and when you should play it while you’re singing a song. 

Class 2

The Wonderful World of Banjo Tunings

We’ll look at why and how we use banjo tunings and explore some alternate (less common) tuning approaches that I find myself using all the time. 

Class 3
Skip, Stop, and Alternate (upper int/adv)

Leaving space in clawhammer is actually sort of tricky. We'll look at how to add rests to your clawhammer playing and how that allows you to create some very cool alternate rhythms, not to mention some weird-sounding techniques such as “The Basic Thumb”, “Ghost Thumbing” and “THULBAS”.

Sunday

Class 1

Introduction to Two-Finger (thumb lead) Up-picking for the Clawhammer Players (int/adv)

If you can play clawhammer, it's not much of a jump to playing some sweet two-finger old-time banjo. In this workshop, we'll see how it works, and how it relates to what you already know how to do in the clawhammer style. 

Class 2

Playing and Practicing for Tone, Timing, and Touch (all levels)

Get off the treadmill of learning tune after tune, and start to focus on making what you already play sound better. We'll look at developing the practice techniques, and attention to detail that will nurture these three key elements of every note you play! 

All guitar students can expect to spend equal time with each instructor, Chris Jones and Andy Hatfield.

A note on curriculum from Chris Jones:

For the guitar class, we'll be reviewing some basic bluegrass rhythm (something we all need from time to time) and also learning some more advanced rhythm techniques, like learning some new bass runs, adding more dynamics to our playing, and learning to play the traditional G-run and its variations.

We'll also learn some basic lead guitar, with an emphasis on learning breaks to songs, beginning with simple turn-arounds to a variety of songs, then moving on to some full-length solos if it seems like the class is ready.

There will be some tablature provided, but knowledge of tab is not  necessary for the class; I'll be stressing learning by ear. Audio recording of the class is fine with me. Other than that, bring a guitar, pick and a capo. A guitar strap would be good too, in case someone steals our chairs in the middle of the night.  See you soon!

Comment:  I’ll tailor this to the group that we have to some extent (more lead if the ability and desire is there, more rhythm if not. 

A note from Andy Hatfield:

When I work with a class at a camp, I usually do the following:

    • Teach a few fundamental techniques we will use in songs, and keep coming back to over the weekend

    • quickly gauge the ability of who is in the class

    • We use simple vocal and instrumental songs, and “scale the lessons” up to the level of the students in the class.  Even professionals play “simple” vocal tunes, and then do amazing things with them. So we start with relatively simple versions of songs, and then the beginners can play them, and I can help the intermediate and advanced players find more interesting ways to play them.

    • In my classes, I try to get students playing together as much as possible.

All fiddle students can expect to spend equal time with each instructor, Megan Lynch Chowning and Ellie Hakanson. A more detailed curriculum will be decided at camp after an initial assessment of the group. General topics covered will include general fiddle technique, playing without injury, ear training, and working on improvisation skills. 

A note on curriculum from Sharon Gilchrist and Maddie Witler:

Of the 8 sessions with the mandolin students, we’d like to do the first and last two sessions as a group. The remaining four sessions, Maddie and I will split apart and alternate to take different levels.

Topics to be included in group classes will include: Right & Left-Hand Technique, Rhythmic Back Up, A listening session, Improvisation.

Depending on group, topics covered during smaller group sessions could include:

Right hand warm up (all levels), right hand technique exercises (all levels), tremolo (all levels), L-shape descending (beg/int), L-shape with double stops & arpeggios (beg/int), Double stop series (int/adv), individual advanced breaks of Sam Bush and Ricky Skaggs.

To facilitate learning as a group and by ear, handouts will be given at the conclusion of the camp in printed or electronic form.