Taught by Ray Wood’s protege, Kate, this workshop will teach you to play and understand basic harmony. We’ll break down a standard jazz tune into 2-5-1s and outline role of each chord in building and resolving the tension of a phrase. What good is understanding if you can’t play it? Don’t worry, the main point is to get these ideas under your fingers and in your ears. These concepts laid the foundation for all of Kate’s musical understanding. Kate will have handouts!

Are you curious about the washtub bass? Does the bass line appeal to you? Interested in an unusual alternative? Michael Gifford has been playing WTB since 1965. He’s the guy who will get you going, if you want a teacher. “I know it looks simple, and it really is. But every note is a challenge.”

Suggested prerequisites:

1. The ability to hear & sing the bass line;

2. A love of the bass line;

3. The ability to stand on one leg.

If you’re curious and up to the challenge, and you don’t want to spend a lot of money for a string bass, maybe it’s time to give it a try. Just show up and let Michael (Gut Bucket Giff) change your life. It really is a lot of fun! No instrument required for the workshop. Hope to see you there!

Learn a rhythm guitar arrangement, using a considerable number of moveable four note chord shapes followed by an introductory survey of tools for arranging in the chord melody style.

All instruments, playing tunes by ear, accompaniment, etiquette, fun and hands on.

Come and learn Sue and Don’s proven method for finding harmony parts naturally and intuitively by ear. You’ll get essential skills for singing harmony above and below the melody, plus at-home practice techniques to share with your bandmates and singing pals. This is not just a demonstration, be prepared to sing!

This workshop is all about rhythm: What makes music swing...or not? We’ll listen to some samples of different swing bands, from Count Basie to Bob Wills. Then we’ll get our instruments out, learn a riff tune, analyze the intricacies of swing feel, and see if we can swing like Basie. If there’s time and there’s enough of us, we’ll break into small groups and keep playing until we can lay down the groove.

Have you been curious about swing and jazz guitar? Have you taken a class or two but still don’t feel you can play swing fluently? We’ll play six very easy jazz and western swing classics. The same chord shapes (only four) will be used in all the songs, although they will occur in different places on the fretboard. You will familiarize yourself with these few movable shapes and get comfortable playing them up and down the neck. Once you do that, you’ve got your ticket to Swing Town! Soon you’ll be learning more challenging songs and growing your chord vocabulary. Handouts with lyrics and chords will be provided. Bring your guitar and a music stand.

Applied Music Class offers an opportunity for musicians of all ages, styles, and skill levels to collaborate with others while working on real-world skills such as practical music theory, ensemble playing, improvising, and listening/ear training. The workshop will provide a supportive environment in which participants can explore and build on their innate musicality. Participants will spend time strengthening their knowledge of the fundamentals of music, and apply them directly to their playing. All instruments are welcome and each class will be tailored to the group.

Cross tuning is a quintessential part of many styles of old time fiddling, used to place melodies in a key nicely under your fingers while offering opportunities for droning against the open strings. In this workshop, we’ll take a look at a two different cross tunings and learn a tune in each. We’ll use these tunes as a vehicle to discuss strategies for getting comfortable with your fingering in each tuning, bowings and variations that accentuate the character of the tuning, taking advantage of the open strings, and how this all interplays with the rhythm and groove of the tune.

Calling all Choro players - join us for this fun session, or Roda, where we can all connect, network and share this wonderful genre of music. If you have not previously played Choro music but want to join the Roda, please make sure to familiarize yourself with the genre ahead of time and look through some of the music, if you are a music reader (available online in advance). If you want to just come listen, there are plenty of seats in the Auditorium for listeners.

Choro Music is an instrumental Brazilian music form. It is characterized by virtuosity, improvisation, subtle modulations and is full of syncopation and counterpoint.

Typically, Choro has three parts, played in Rondo form, often structured as AABBACCA, with each section typically in a different key.

If you want to make your bass playing more enjoyable and effective, bring your challenges and questions to this workshop!

We’ll present some ideas to help you learn to play more supportively, effortlessly, accurately, intentionally, spontaneously, and dynamically, in a variety of styles.

A few possible themes:

• Efficient Technique

• Beyond Roots and Fifths

• Swing Feel

• Walking Bass

• Courageous Improvisation

• Active Listening in Ensembles

• Practical Theory for Bass

Master mandolinists know that a few essential fundamental techniques lie at the core of tone, timing, speed — even the ability to improve. Accommodating all skill levels and style preferences, this mandolin workshop does more than offer a take-home list of ideal techniques. Engaging participants through hands-on learning, Matt helps you teach your own fingers the nuances of essential techniques to ensure they will never forget. Expect to double your tone and find new harmonies to delight your ears.

Montana State Twin Fiddle Champions since 2017