NEW! Eric is teaching an online guitar class: Flatpicking Fundamentals. Eric says: "It illustrates the way I developed my bluegrass guitar chops back 60 years ago. I'll share the runs, licks, breaks, and technique exercises that I worked on (obsessively) in my teens. Breaking things down, we'll drill at slow and moderate speeds. It will be on Zoom, so I'll be able to answer questions and make clarifications."
The first series will be on Wednesdays, May 5, 12, 19, 26, 2:00 - 2:30 PM PDT. Tuition is $75, which includes the four sessions, plus a bonus: a CD reissue of Eric's 1978 “Bluegrass Guitar” LP, which features David Grisman, Tony Rice, and Jody Stecher with two added bonus cuts.
For more details, email Eric.
The first series will be on Wednesdays, May 5, 12, 19, 26, 2:00 - 2:30 PM PDT. Tuition is $75, which includes the four sessions, plus a bonus: a CD reissue of Eric's 1978 “Bluegrass Guitar” LP, which features David Grisman, Tony Rice, and Jody Stecher with two added bonus cuts.
For more details, email Eric.
MAY 2021 -- Old Time Fiddling from Mississippi II
Fiddles at Four: twice-weekly 30 minute classes on Zoom
Fiddles at Four: twice-weekly 30 minute classes on Zoom
Following our very fun April session which focused on Mississippi tunes, we are doing a second month of our "deep dive" into the quirky fiddle music of Mississippi. May's repertoire will include music from Hoyt Ming's Pep Steppers, Freeny's Barn Dance Band, the Mississippi Sheiks, the Nations Brothers, and from field recordings of fiddlers like Enos Canoy, John Hatcher, Stephen B. Tucker, etc. We may explore some tunes with connections to Mississippi John Hurt's playing.
Class meets twice weekly on Zoom for half-hour lessons, at 5:30 pm Pacific Time (8:30 pm East Coast time). We'll have a review session in the middle and for our last meeting, we’ll have a review/jam session, in which we’ll be joined by Eric Thompson on guitar. Tuition for the 4 week session (9 class meetings including the jam) is $180 - payable either via check (preferred) or PayPal.
If the 4:00 PDT time doesn’t work for you, you can still sign up and attend the session after the fact, since I’ll post a video recording of each Zoom session in the Drop Box. First session is on Mon. May 3.
Class size is limited to 25 people (that is the maximum that will fit on my laptop screen at one time). All material will be taught by ear, no written music. Geared towards intermediate-advanced players, this class offers a chance not only to learn some wonderful new repertoire (or to dig deeper into Mississippi tunes that you may already know) but also to build up your ear-training skills.
Source material will be provided in advance; we’ll stick closely to the source, including learning the bowings and some of the variations used on the original recordings. All learning will be done by ear, no written music. After each lesson, I’ll make a short video going through the tune once at a slow tempo, and then once at a more lively tempo. Source material, short videos and a video of the full class (useful if you have to miss a class) will be in a Drop Box folder, available for download to participants.
For May, the dates will be:
May 3, 5, 10, 12 (review), 16, 19, 24, 26 and 31 (review and jam)
For more info, questions, or to sign up, send an email: suzy@ericandsuzy.com
Here is what participants have to say about Suzy's online half-hour "Fiddles at Four" classes:
"Playing regularly and with instruction has certainly improved my playing and I’ve been able to get a number of tunes under my fingers at a decent speed.”
"Thanks again for doing this, it has been such a positive constant during this shelter in place time. It has really helped to have something challenging to focus on. And its a nice little community of fiddlers, albeit virtual.”
“Your class has been manna from heaven. It restored my spirit and soul when I was just about paralyzed with anguish and frustration at the (partially avoidable!) tragedy our world began to experience this past spring. Fiddling along with you has been a deep pleasure, education, and respite from the world's turmoil.”
"This is fun and keeps me picking up my fiddle."
“These classes have both helped me learn tunes, improved my ability to follow by ear, improved my bowing. The social aspect has also been very helpful.”
"I’m so glad you are inspired to continue teaching next year. It has been an important part of coping for me during this crazy year. It also has helped me improve on the fiddle!!!”
"Thanks so much for doing this. This year has been so challenging for me and my family, and your class has become a bright spot in my week. I also realize that this class has been an opportunity for learning that otherwise would not have happened, so there’s a silver lining to this pandemic.”
" I’ve learned a lot in your class and want to continue the learning."
"I am filled with appreciation for the structure and inspiration that your fiddle classes have offered during these times of isolation."
Class meets twice weekly on Zoom for half-hour lessons, at 5:30 pm Pacific Time (8:30 pm East Coast time). We'll have a review session in the middle and for our last meeting, we’ll have a review/jam session, in which we’ll be joined by Eric Thompson on guitar. Tuition for the 4 week session (9 class meetings including the jam) is $180 - payable either via check (preferred) or PayPal.
If the 4:00 PDT time doesn’t work for you, you can still sign up and attend the session after the fact, since I’ll post a video recording of each Zoom session in the Drop Box. First session is on Mon. May 3.
Class size is limited to 25 people (that is the maximum that will fit on my laptop screen at one time). All material will be taught by ear, no written music. Geared towards intermediate-advanced players, this class offers a chance not only to learn some wonderful new repertoire (or to dig deeper into Mississippi tunes that you may already know) but also to build up your ear-training skills.
Source material will be provided in advance; we’ll stick closely to the source, including learning the bowings and some of the variations used on the original recordings. All learning will be done by ear, no written music. After each lesson, I’ll make a short video going through the tune once at a slow tempo, and then once at a more lively tempo. Source material, short videos and a video of the full class (useful if you have to miss a class) will be in a Drop Box folder, available for download to participants.
For May, the dates will be:
May 3, 5, 10, 12 (review), 16, 19, 24, 26 and 31 (review and jam)
For more info, questions, or to sign up, send an email: suzy@ericandsuzy.com
Here is what participants have to say about Suzy's online half-hour "Fiddles at Four" classes:
"Playing regularly and with instruction has certainly improved my playing and I’ve been able to get a number of tunes under my fingers at a decent speed.”
"Thanks again for doing this, it has been such a positive constant during this shelter in place time. It has really helped to have something challenging to focus on. And its a nice little community of fiddlers, albeit virtual.”
“Your class has been manna from heaven. It restored my spirit and soul when I was just about paralyzed with anguish and frustration at the (partially avoidable!) tragedy our world began to experience this past spring. Fiddling along with you has been a deep pleasure, education, and respite from the world's turmoil.”
"This is fun and keeps me picking up my fiddle."
“These classes have both helped me learn tunes, improved my ability to follow by ear, improved my bowing. The social aspect has also been very helpful.”
"I’m so glad you are inspired to continue teaching next year. It has been an important part of coping for me during this crazy year. It also has helped me improve on the fiddle!!!”
"Thanks so much for doing this. This year has been so challenging for me and my family, and your class has become a bright spot in my week. I also realize that this class has been an opportunity for learning that otherwise would not have happened, so there’s a silver lining to this pandemic.”
" I’ve learned a lot in your class and want to continue the learning."
"I am filled with appreciation for the structure and inspiration that your fiddle classes have offered during these times of isolation."
CORONAVIRUS update:
Our in-person classes and lessons are cancelled, but Eric is available for guitar and mandolin lessons on Zoom. He is a very patient and experienced instructor. Email Eric for more info. Suzy is not giving private lessons at this time.
About Suzy's String Band Blues Workshop - please note that this workshop is on hiatus during the pandemic. Not sure when it will start up again.
We’ll learn and arrange vocal songs and a few instrumentals, with the repertoire drawn from the jug band, black country blues and hillbilly blues artists of the 1920’s and 1930s, like the Memphis Jug Band, the Mississippi Sheiks, Bessie Smith, East Texas Serenaders, and lesser known (but equally wonderful) artists. We work directly from the source material, (provided in advance, along with lyric sheets.) Suzy chooses the material based on the instruments in the class, and will consider all requests, either for specific songs or artists. This music is a lot of fun to play as a group, and there’s almost no limit to the number of musicians that can play it together!
Any instrument is welcome - guitar, fiddle, ukulele, mandolin, bass, harmonica, etc. at an intermediate-ish level. You should have some facility on your instrument - be able to change chords easily (if you play a chord instrument) and be open to learning by ear. Advanced beginners who are game to try something new, or want to explore the world of blues and rags on the fiddle or mandolin, are also welcome. Suzy will adapt the material according to the levels of the players. We do a lot of singing so if you don’t play an instrument but want to join the class, bring your kazoo!
Summer 2021 - CAMPS
It looks like the camps that one or the other (or both) of us were going to be teaching at in summer 2021 are CANCELLED due to Coronavirus. The good news is that in 2022, we will be at all of those camps, which include Kamp Kaufman, Montana Fiddle Camp, Fiddlekids, Voice Works, Festival of American Fiddle Tunes, Port Townsend Acoustic Blues Week and Puget Sound Guitar Workshop.
Our in-person classes and lessons are cancelled, but Eric is available for guitar and mandolin lessons on Zoom. He is a very patient and experienced instructor. Email Eric for more info. Suzy is not giving private lessons at this time.
About Suzy's String Band Blues Workshop - please note that this workshop is on hiatus during the pandemic. Not sure when it will start up again.
We’ll learn and arrange vocal songs and a few instrumentals, with the repertoire drawn from the jug band, black country blues and hillbilly blues artists of the 1920’s and 1930s, like the Memphis Jug Band, the Mississippi Sheiks, Bessie Smith, East Texas Serenaders, and lesser known (but equally wonderful) artists. We work directly from the source material, (provided in advance, along with lyric sheets.) Suzy chooses the material based on the instruments in the class, and will consider all requests, either for specific songs or artists. This music is a lot of fun to play as a group, and there’s almost no limit to the number of musicians that can play it together!
Any instrument is welcome - guitar, fiddle, ukulele, mandolin, bass, harmonica, etc. at an intermediate-ish level. You should have some facility on your instrument - be able to change chords easily (if you play a chord instrument) and be open to learning by ear. Advanced beginners who are game to try something new, or want to explore the world of blues and rags on the fiddle or mandolin, are also welcome. Suzy will adapt the material according to the levels of the players. We do a lot of singing so if you don’t play an instrument but want to join the class, bring your kazoo!
Summer 2021 - CAMPS
It looks like the camps that one or the other (or both) of us were going to be teaching at in summer 2021 are CANCELLED due to Coronavirus. The good news is that in 2022, we will be at all of those camps, which include Kamp Kaufman, Montana Fiddle Camp, Fiddlekids, Voice Works, Festival of American Fiddle Tunes, Port Townsend Acoustic Blues Week and Puget Sound Guitar Workshop.