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For Fiddles at Four info, please scroll down.
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Learn guitar from a master! Check back here for 2023 info on Eric's online/zoom lesson series, FLATPICKING TUNES, TIPS & TALES. If you have questions, email Eric
FIDDLES AT FOUR - April 2023
April 2023 will be a half session (only 4 meetings) I’ll teach two more tunes learned from recordings by John Dykes, a fiddler who recorded 14 sides with Dykes Magic City Trio back in 1927 (Magic City refers to Kingsport TN, where the musicians were from). Hub Mahaffee was the guitarist, and the wonderfully named Myrtle Vermillion (who was kin to the Carter Family) played autoharp, though you can't hear it very clearly on the recordings. Probably the tunes will be Shortening Bread and Free Little Bird.
We'll meet twice weekly on Zoom for half-hour lessons, at 4:00 pm Pacific Daylight Time (7:00 pm East Coast time). On Mondays, I teach a new tune, with some attention to the bowing in addition to the melody; on Weds. we go deeper into the tune, focusing on bowing, groove, ornaments, variations, etc. Tuition for the April 2023 session (4 class meetings) is $85 if paying by PayPal, $80 if you pay via check.
The dates of the next session are:
April 17, 19, 24, and 26. For the last meeting, on April 26, Eric Thompson will join us on guitar and we may go a bit longer — so that we can play through both of the tunes that we’ll be learning and hopefully we can play the ones from March too!
If the 4:00 PDT time doesn’t work for you, you are welcome to sign up and attend the session after the fact, since I’ll post a video recording of each Zoom session in the Drop Box.
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 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 Monday 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.
To sign up, or if you have questions, 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."
April 2023 will be a half session (only 4 meetings) I’ll teach two more tunes learned from recordings by John Dykes, a fiddler who recorded 14 sides with Dykes Magic City Trio back in 1927 (Magic City refers to Kingsport TN, where the musicians were from). Hub Mahaffee was the guitarist, and the wonderfully named Myrtle Vermillion (who was kin to the Carter Family) played autoharp, though you can't hear it very clearly on the recordings. Probably the tunes will be Shortening Bread and Free Little Bird.
We'll meet twice weekly on Zoom for half-hour lessons, at 4:00 pm Pacific Daylight Time (7:00 pm East Coast time). On Mondays, I teach a new tune, with some attention to the bowing in addition to the melody; on Weds. we go deeper into the tune, focusing on bowing, groove, ornaments, variations, etc. Tuition for the April 2023 session (4 class meetings) is $85 if paying by PayPal, $80 if you pay via check.
The dates of the next session are:
April 17, 19, 24, and 26. For the last meeting, on April 26, Eric Thompson will join us on guitar and we may go a bit longer — so that we can play through both of the tunes that we’ll be learning and hopefully we can play the ones from March too!
If the 4:00 PDT time doesn’t work for you, you are welcome to sign up and attend the session after the fact, since I’ll post a video recording of each Zoom session in the Drop Box.
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 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 Monday 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.
To sign up, or if you have questions, 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."
Zoom private guitar lessons from Eric! Mandolin too. He's a very patient and experienced instructor. Email him for more info.
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 2022 - CAMPS
July 29- Aug. 5 -- Suzy teaches easy blues guitar accompaniment and jug band class at Puget Sound Guitar Workshop. Registration has not yet opened.
Aug. 28 - Sept. 4 -- John C. Campbell Folk School, Brasstown, North Carolina. Eric and Suzy will both be teaching at this legendary folk school in the mountains of North Carolina. The Folkschool offers all kinds of classes, not just music but all kinds of crafts, cooking, and much more.