March / April 2021 Course offerings

Good day to everyone!

Time, pardon the pun, marches on and so do my group classes and workshops. Here is the schedule for the next two months, beginning Monday, March 1.

Having spent pretty much all of 2020 (since March) teaching group classes on Zoom, I think we’ve gotten most of the bugs out of the system. The classes are in three distinct formats: 

1) Straight lectures. Time is devoted to questions and specific demonstrations in regard to technique or concepts in question

2) “Typical” group classes. “Typical,” for Zoom, is that we start out with questions and demonstration, but during the playing part, participants must mute themselves as not to disrupt the sound

3) “Showcase” classes. Here, a student gets the “stage” to perform a piece while the rest of the class listens and then, after the performance, takes part in the discussion to help the performer target specific changes that can bring about a better arrangement, performance, or song. 

Even if you’ve not taken one of these classes before, you’re more than welcome to come and experience it. Everyone is capable of helping each other out. That’s been the beauty of these classes – No matter how bad things got in 2020, people learned and improved in my classes during the past year. This is what has me psyched going into 2021.

Here is the slate of classes. If you’re interested, just drop me a line at dhodgeguitar@aol.com or call me directly at (413)717-1996.

Arranging Songs for Performance (Mondays 5:30 – 7:00)

(nine total classes – classes end April 26)
$150 ($75.00 per month) 

In this class, we work on arranging songs for single-player performance (unless you’re fortunate enough to share residence with another musician!). One of the (very) cool side-effects of this particular class has been the introduction of artists that are unknown to the other members of the class. To me, this in and of itself has been worth hosting the class! 

Both covers and originals are fair game.

During the first class, we’ll lay out our individual goals and work our way through ideas. Sometimes, we manage to decide on a single song that everyone can do her or his own arrangement. Sometimes we simply see what has moved people to create. It’s always fascinating. 

Songwriting Workshop (Mondays 7:00 – 8:30)

(nine total classes – classes end April 26)
$150 ($75.00 per month) 

Incredibly pleased how this class has come together in the Zoom format. We discuss what songs are and how they’re made up, but the vast majority of the time is spent listening to the songs themselves and offering critiques of how they may be improved upon. 

Basic Rhythm Fundamentals Workshop (Tuesdays 5:15 – 5:55)

(nine total classes – classes end April 27)
$80 ($40.00 per month)

We’ll address different ways of strumming, picking, and (most importantly) combining basic strumming with picking in order to create wonderful rhythm parts. My plan is to use songs that everyone knows and to explore how to add more parts to them. As always, I’ll make a point to help you grow based on where you are. Every week we’ll also have exercises specifically designed to help you be a better player. 

This course is good for ukulele players as well as guitar players.

Continuing Guitar (Tuesdays 6:00 – 7:00)

(nine total classes – classes end April 27)
$100 ($50.00 per month) 

Essentially, this class is much like the group class we had at the BCC, except that you won’t be able to hear everyone in the group play. It takes a little getting used to at first, but it will worth your while. Every week, we’ll look at one or two songs (and I’m open to requests) and explore the various ways of playing it. 

Introduction to Classical / Spanish Guitar (Tuesdays 7:15 – 8:00)

(nine total classes – classes end April 27)
$100 ($50.00 per month) 

The cool thing about classical / Spanish guitar is that even the simplest exercises make very nice songs to impress both yourself and anyone who’s listening. You can also use the techniques you learn in your “every day” guitar playing.

If you can read guitar tablature (and / or music notation) you can take this course. We’ll start out extremely basic and work our way up to more complicated pieces. As mentioned earlier, even if you’ve taken this course before, there will be new pieces to learn.

Music Theory Workshop – Making use of Jazz Chords (Wednesdays 5:15 – 5:55)

(four total classes – classes end March 23) $40

A continuation of the February Music theory classs. We will focus on three aspects: (1) the use of chords from “pop” songs from the 1920s through the 1990s (songs like “Ain’t She Sweet,” “Autumn Leaves,” “We’ll Meet Again,” “As Time Goes By,” etc.,). 

(2) How to make the best fingering choices for such progressions

(3) How to incorporate these voicings into “regular” songs in order to give them a decidedly different flavor. 

Making Practice Work for You (Wednesdays 5:15 – 5:55)

(five total classes – classes start March 30 and end April 28) 
$40

Everybody knows that practice is important. Yet coming up with a practice routine can make or break how much (and how effectively) you learn. In these five classes, we’ll discover how to create a personal practice regimen suited to your needs. More importantly, we’ll develop ways to help you stick to it faithfully after the class is over. 

Basic Fingerstyle Guitar Workshop (Wednesdays 6:00 – 6:55)

(nine total classes – classes end April 28) 

$110 ($55.00 per month) 

Playing fingerstyle guitar is high on most folks’ list when they start playing guitar, but it tends to become less a priority compared to strumming and chord changing. 

In this class, we’ll start with very basic exercises and work our way up through basic Travis-style picking. Should there be enough interest in this course, my hope is that we can continue to develop our fingerpicking and focus on blues and ragtime in May and June. 

Beatles in the Berkshires (Wednesdays 7:00 – 8:00)

(nine total classes – classes end April 28)
$110 ($55.00 per month)

Exactly what it sounds like. We’ll explore songs by the Beatles – the structure, the chords, the arrangements – and we’ll work up single-instrument versions to play in class. 

“Kind of Absolute Beginners’ Guitar” 2021 (Thursdays 5:15 – 6:15)

(eight total classes – classes end February 25)
$100 ($50.00 per month)

This class is not totally an absolute beginners’ class. If you know the basic chords and can change them reasonably well, you should do fine. 

As with “Continuing Guitar,” we work on expanding your existing knowledge to help you improve more quickly. Focus these up coming months will be on finger picking and learning new chord voicings up the fretboard. 

Jam Prep (for any instrument) (Thursdays 6:30 – 8:00)

(eight total classes – classes end February 25)
$150 ($75.00 per month)

Let’s be honest – we’re all ready to get back to playing with others. This class will be very much like the old “Jam Classes” we’ve had at the BCC and Crissey Farm. My plan is to use songs that everyone knows and to explore how to add more parts to them. As always, I’ll make a point to help you grow based on where you are. 

Just how much you get out of this class will be up to you, as you won’t be able to hear anyone besides me when we play “as a group.” If you’d like to improve your group playing by working out parts that are different than what someone typically plays (and we’ve all been in groups where six or more guitarists are all playing the same thing!), you are more than welcome to do so. You can play an instrument that you “kind of” know without being embarrassed. 

You can also work on developing harmony vocal lines… 

Hopefully, this class will be an excellent way to prepare yourself for playing for real when the occasions arise (hopefully) in the near future.

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Do let me know what you think about these, especially if you’re interested. Class size initially will be limited to eight, but the cool thing about this is that we can start a second class should one get filled.

As always, I’m more than willing to answer any questions or entertain any suggestions you may have. Email me directly or call me on my cell (413 – 717 – 1996).

Looking forward to hearing your thoughts on this matter.

As always, I am taking on new students (only online – no one-on-one lessons for the immediate future) should you be interested. Just email or call and we can discuss what your objectives are.

Also, please feel free to share this with anyone you think may be interested.

I look forward to sharing music with you all once more. And to learning all sorts of cool things to play in 2021!

Stay well.

Peace

David