Classes

Share your remembrances of your first concerts, the first record you ever bought, or best musical memory of a performance you gave or were part of. One or two more sentences of a description needed. We are storytellers and we all have stories to tell. It is as natural as sitting with a group of…

Open G slide riffs and right-hand technique. Learn the styles of prominent slide players. Play various slide grooves and basic fingerings of chords when not utilizing the slide. Son House, Robert Johnson, and Mississippi Fred McDowell.

From John Hurt to Scrapper Blackwell, Robert Johnson, and the master, Rev. Gary Davis, vernacular guitarists came up with chord shapes that are sometimes wildly unorthodox, but fitted their hands and gave their styles distinct sounds. This class will explore some of those chords, and how we can use them in our own playing.

Work on tone, articulation, breathing and ear training exercises. Tips on getting the most out of your practice sessions. Learn how 1st position melodies can be a useful tool for practicing technique on your harmonica. These exercises will help you improve your tone, tongue blocking, bending, ear training, rhythm, cadence & phrasing. We’ll also take…

From minstrelsy to jazz, the rhythm bones were integral to early American music. Hubby will give you the basic tools to get started with the bones. Sit in with any band with percussion you can carry in your pocket!

Get into to the heads of master harmonica players like Little Walter Jacobs, Big Walter Horton, Sonny Boy Williamson and lots more. In this class we’ll learn where some classic riffs originated from & how to play them! Bring multiple keys of harmonicas with the minimum being A, C, D, E, Bb. The use of…

Learn how to fit into an ensemble, how listen to others, how to find your own unique ensemble voice with your instrument. Think Son House’s 1942 Library of Congress version of “Walking Blues.” https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ge5j_86znJQ  

Most blues guitar is rooted in improvisation, but Van Ronk was a careful arranger, shaping guitar parts that would act as foundations for his singing. Rather than being a technical virtuoso, he created unique and classic arrangements that are also easy to play.

Bawdy blues with their double entendres, sexual depictions, and commonplace drug use were very popular during the golden age of recording. Come get low down and dirty with Hubby as we pick a couple of his favorite bawdy blues.

In the 30’s Gus Cannon headed the most popular jugband on Beale St.Their recordings give us a glimpse of the blues banjo style of the era. Join Hubby as we break down a couple of his tunes and the techniques that make them great.

Learn how to control your breath by breathing through the harmonica. Work on getting single notes, articulation, introduction to bending and tongue blocking. All of the basics! It is strongly suggested that students invest in and bring to class a Hohner Special 20 in the key of C.

As a singer, I often listen to find places where I don’t hear and note and try to fill that space. We will explore the voice as an improvisational instrument. Through vocal exercises and chant inspired soundscapes, we’ll provide an under layering of sound to support melodies and lyrics that lend themselves to group singing/creating.

Hurt’s guitar arrangements often seem simple at first glance, but he was a very quirky and intricate player, and this class will explore how he got the effects that made his playing unique.

Learn four techniques from four players from four different regions. Styles: Piedmont (keys G,C, or E), Delta (keys A and E), Ragtime (keys C and D), and Texas (keys G and/or C). Outcome: Playing alternating bass lines and developing right hand technique.

Let’s write a blues song from a personal and vulnerable place of truth. That’s where it has to begin. The workshop will include useful songwriting tips, tools, and exercises that will expand your songwriting skills. The workshop will focus on the roots and blues style of songwriting and all are welcome.

We use the chapel concert stage and sound system to practice our songs, while going over best practices for sound checks, mic technique, instrument amplification and performance tips. Learn a bit more about audio connections, avoiding rings and “bad sound”, how the gear works, and bringing your best game when getting on stage.

Let’s get together and pick some guitar and stomp our feet to some homespun blues. We’ll discover and play in the style of the North Mississippi hill country blues, or hypnotic blues. Bring your guitar and your best blues spirit!

Learn how to loosen up your vocals and sing like the true howler you are! We will explore singing in the delta blues and gospel style, while focusing on techniques to strengthen and improve your vocals.

A vocal repertoire class. We’ll utilize “call and response” explorations while singing traditional more current songs, singing in the round, and jamming on familiar tunes that we can easily sing together. Participants who play instruments are encouraged to bring them and suggest songs as well.