Current Issue | Home | Back Issues | Other Mel Bay Sites | Purchase Mandolin Products
Jazz Mandology | Attending Your First Workshop | What's In Your Case?
Interview with Bill Bussmann of Old Wave Mandolins | Somebody Touched Me in "B"
Stolen Klezmer Mandolin

Attending Your First Workshop

by Steve Smith

As musicians, we all want to improve our skills and get better on our respective instruments in general Attending a workshop can be a great aid in progressing towards our musical goals. No matter if you are a beginner, intermediate, or an advanced player, there is something for everyone.

There are a number of reasons for attending a workshop which include (1 getting instruction from a professional musician/teacher who can both help correct problems and build on strengths, (2 exposure to new musical ideas and techniques, 3) help getting used to playing in a noncompetitive way in front of others and (4 getting to meet more like minded players such as yourself.

One of the age old questions for workshop and music camp attendees is "how do I decide what level I'm on"? If you are taking private lessons, your instructor should be of help here. For example, if you've only been playing a year or so or even a few months maybe you should consider a beginner workshop. Here you can learn basic right hand technique, chords, getting started on tunes, playing rhythm and developing the ear.

For those who have been playing a few years and are playing with others (or not) but have a foundation in tunes, chords and are bridging the gap towards all around playing, an intermediate level workshop may be the ticket. Here one can learn to solidify their playing both lead and rhythm by working on additional chord voice application within tunes, using scales to build solos, learning to use recordings to learn licks, applying backup and working on transition between lead and rhythm. These can be great survival skills in jams and leading up to performances.

Advanced workshops can address a number ideas and may include learning music from different sources, improvisation and may consider building solos in one's own style, more use of chords and understanding progressions, more use of scales and arpeggios and writing or making up tunes and transcribing recordings.

Workshop sizes may vary on all levels from a few to a dozen or more. Sessions may last from a few hours at smaller workshops to a week at some of the larger music camps. One should bring recorders, note pads and lots of questions. After all, this is your time and money spent so don't be shy. (Often times many of the best ideas and Work themes come from the students questions themselves as the workshops evolve.) Many musicians on all levels may get a bit nervous when in workshop/lesson situations, so come comfortable, prepared, open minded and above all have fun. You'll learn a lot and make new friends.

Steve Smith
Las Cruces NM
www.desertnite.com

The G Mixolydian scale is simply a major scale with a lowered seventh tone. In our case an F# lowered one half step(one fret) to an F natural . The scale sound is often associated with Bluegrass, Blues, Jazz, Rock etc. and can be used over a number of different chords especially G7/G9.

The G Blues scale incorporates root, b3rd, 4th, b5th, natural 5th, and flat 7th to make a scale sound very different from the major oriented Mixolydian. The Blues scale is heard throughout the music world in all sorts of configurations and styles. When you combine the two scales you end up with Root, 2nd, b3rd, nat. 3rd, 4th, b5, nat.5 flat 7th. This expanded sound is heard throughout Bluegrass music from early Bill Monroe recordings (listen to those fiddles too!) right up to the present on all instruments. The combination of the Blues and Mixolydian sounds create a powerful basis for building solos and improvising.

Beans Blues is a combination of the mixolydian and blues scales and is a tune I made up for one of my students as an ear training exercise. To capture the true feel of Beans Blues play the entire tune with hard driving downstrokes and keep a funky attitude with your rhythm.