American Roots Ensemble Course

Learn a variety of new skills and music in a group setting with this music course in Seattle! This course covers a breadth of American roots music styles through hands-on ensemble activity. All strings welcome! With playing and learning by ear strongly encouraged (written music will also be provided), you will learn to communicate with and support other musicians in a variety of roots music styles, including how to back up a vocalist in an acoustic folk or blues style.This course will touch on elements of string band jazz, bluegrass music, klezmer music, classic country, swamp pop, folk music from Louisiana and Texas, as well as regional northern and southern fiddle styles. You will explore elements that distinguish each style and work to refine the precision of timing, harmony, dynamics, and approaches to improvisation for rhythm and lead players when applicable. This Seattle music course is open to all levels of players who are comfortable playing basic song structures (1-4-5, G-C-D, etc...) on stringed instruments, including violin, viola, cello, bass, guitar, and tenor guitar, banjo family instruments, lap guitar, instruments of the mandolin family, and other rhythmic instruments such as piano. Special requests regarding other instrumentation will be considered on a case-by-case basis.Learning Outcomes:

• Practice tuning by ear, internalize melodies, harmonies, and common chord progressions.
• Collaborate with others in many styles through precision timing and rhythmic variation.
• Gain a hands-on understanding of distinct music forms through the study of repertoire.
• Skillfully back up singer-songwriters and vocalists within distinct folk and roots styles.
• Elevate your improvisations to a higher level with creative, simple approaches.
• Lead songs and tunes with confidence whether in a jam session or live performance.
• Learn to collaborate in real-time with spontaneity through harmonized orchestration, ensemble hits, melodic fills, and other embellishments, intros, outros, vamps, and endings.
• Tips and techniques for playing in dance bands in a variety of roots music styles.

This course is open to all levels of players who are comfortable playing basic song structures (1-4-5, G-C-D, etc…) on stringed instruments.
  Instrument required. No other supplies needed.
 

This class series runs over 8 consecutive sessions, at the same time every week.