Private Lessons and Classes I am teaching private and group guitar lessons through Musicworks Northwest, in Bellevue, Washington and through Dusty Strings, in Fremont, the Center of the Universe, in Seattle. Feel free to contact me for more information. My Fall, 2012 schedule of classes include the following: DUSTY STRINGS ACOUSTIC GUITAR ORCHESTRA Session 1: Spring 2012 Eight Saturdays, March 10, 17 24, 31, April 7, 14, 21, 28, 4:00-5:30 p.m., $160. An ongoing ensemble for intermediate and stronger players of all acoustic guitars and styles. Staff, tab, and mp3 practice tracks provided. Repertoire includes classical and jazz standards as well as Latin, Spanish, Asian, and American folk and popular music: Bach, Ellington, Sam Cooke, Piazzolla, Miles Davis, the Beatles, and more. This year we've added arrangements of Lean on Me, I Feel Good (I Got You), Blue Monk, Under Paris Skies, Third Man Theme, Mercy, Mercy, Mercy and Hide Away. Please visit the orchestra page for more information, sample scores and FAQs. SECOND TIME BEGINNER GUITAR AT DUSTY STRINGS Evening Session: Five Wednesdays, February 29, March 7, 14, 21, 28, 7:45-8:45 p.m., $100. This class is for people who have taken my "First Time Beginner Guitar" and who want to continue exploring and learning good guitar skills. It is also open to anyone who once started the guitar and who would like to take a "second shot" at the instrument. We will learn more best practices for chording, strumming and picking with reference to many styles: folk, blues, country, rock and maybe some jazz and classical. All examples will be in professionally printed staff and TAB notation with mp3 practice tracks made available to students. SOLO BRAZILIAN GUITAR STYLES AND ARRANGING We will learn the basic Bossa Nova, Samba, Choros and Maxixe rhythms on the guitar and their typical chord progressions and voicings on the guitar. We will then apply these rhythms and chords to create solo guitar arrangements of popular Brazilian songs: Girl From Ipanima, Black Orpheus or Blue Bossa. We will also look at how to jazz up non-Latin melodies using Brazilian rhythms and chord voicing with examples from both popular and classical repertoire. This workshop is primarily for finger style guitarists who are comfortable playing barre chords. Staff, TAB and mp3s of all material will be available. Date and Time TBA COMPLETE MASTERY OF THE GUITAR NECK WORKSHOP AT DUSTY STRINGS Explore a complete, practical and organized approach to learning notes, scales, licks, and chords any place on the guitar neck, using examples from folk, blues, bluegrass, pop, rock and jazz styles. Leave this class with new musical intelligence and guitar knowledge, and new ideas to apply to your playing. Date and Time TBA ARRANGING FOR FINGERSTYLE GUITAR WORKSHOP AT DUSTY STRINGS Learn to create a variety of arrangements for fingerstyle guitar. Start with a simple melody ("Ode to Joy") and add bass lines and harmonies. Next, apply chord voicings and chord substitutions to a more advanced tune ("Georgia on My Mind"). Tab and music notation provided; MP3s of materials sent to students' emails. Date and Time TBA BLUES GUITAR BAND CLASS AT DUSTY STRINGS Funky Blues. Country Blues. Jazz Blues. Latin Blues. Acoustic Blues. Rock Blues. This is a class for intermediate and stronger blues guitar enthusiasts. We will have well-defined parts to play - rhythm guitar, backing riffs, bass riffs, lead riffs and melodies. You'll learn how to work together as a band by listening to each other and creating complementary parts. We will also experiment with creating solos based on melodies, riffs, and chord progressions. Electric guitars are welcome if they can play at acoustic guitar levels. Staff and TAB notation and mp3 files of all pieces will be provided. No experience playing in bands required, but you should know how to play barre chords. Date and Time TBA