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Piedmont Guitar Practice Sessions
Gina DeSimone will be running the Barbershop’s one room schoolhouse of Piedmont Blues. These weekly practice sessions are geared for beginners through intermediate players.
| What |
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|---|---|
| When |
Mar 20, 2010 from time_format to time_format Every week until Jan 01, 2011 |
| Where | Archie Edwards Blues Heritage Foundation, 4701 Queensbury Road. Riverdale, MD |
| Add event to calendar |
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Piedmont Blues – a.k.a. east coast style – is a
style where the thumb alternates with the fingers. Among the local
masters of the style were John Jackson and John Cephas, as well as
Archie himself. The thumb picks out a rhythmic bass pattern and the
fingers play a syncopated melody on the treble strings. Done right, it
sounds like two guitars playing together. Strum a chord and, well, you
have a chord. Work that chord with your thumb and fingers and you have
the whole band playing.
The weekly sessions are for people who want to practice in a relaxed, friendly environment. These sessions will be great for people who need the structure of a weekly class to get them playing. Having experienced teachers at these sessions will help you avoid bad habits and will provide you some inspiration. This is an opportunity to learn new techniques through learning songs.
The sessions will emphasize creating a solid bass rhythm with the thumb. That is the heart of this music. Over the coming months, the sessions will touch on rhythms, alternate tunings, hammer-ons & pull-offs, right hand technique, more right hand technique, song structure, using humor, stories about the music and the musicians, and the music’s links to rags, swing, and old-time folk tunes. Ideally, students will come to class able to make basic chord shapes with the left hand. Prior fingerstyle experience is not necessary.
Gina DeSimone has been playing guitar since she was 9 and has studied with master guitarists like Al Petteway, Del Rey, Steve James and Mary Flower. As a professional leading her own band, playing solo sets and backing other musicians, she is fluent in a whole range of guitar styles, from finger-slapping funk to jazzy blues. She underlies all of her music with her signature “acoustic groove”. She has a long history of teaching guitar in this area. From time to time, expect to see Eleanor Ellis, Rick Franklin, Miles Spicer and others leading sessions, as well.
$5 charge per sessions -- free for kids and callege students. No need to make reservations and by all means, stay for the Saturday jam.
