Learn how to develop your blues and fusion guitar playing. Sound a pro without the hardest techniques or fancy playing. We’ll combine shell chords, triads, licks and show you how to choose the right notes to create both melodic solos and groovy rhythms.
For this course we are delighted to have British blues guitarist Nat Martin teaching the weekend. Our other tutor Andy Moore will also be on site to help anyone struggling.
This course is exhilarating, full of invaluable learning points and great fun in a relaxed environment.
Many students want to take their blues and funk playing to the next level but get stuck in typical areas. First position and barre chords, basic pentatonic patterns without a musical understanding of phrasing and note choices are all usual factors.
This weekend will show you how to lift your blues and fusion playing, utilising shell chords and triads combined with groovy finger picking and plectrum work. You’ll also look at how to build your vocabulary for soloing and lick creation.
Key points of your learning will include
The group is always supportive. We look at developing individual playing as well as performing alongside other guitarists or within a band.
FRIDAY EVENING
Our De Vere hotel location has changed its timings. We feel this also works well for us as a group as it will mean things are less rushed. We will have access to bedrooms from 4pm and access to set up in the teaching room from 5:30pm on the Friday evening. This first evening will be a relaxed time, with us getting know each other, jamming as group, working on core blues and funk techniques and playing together. After dinner the evening will open into get up and play evening. This is a relaxed affair and allows everyone to settle in. Our second tutor Andy Moore will lead us through a number of songs as well as playing pieces with Nat as an example of what is possible. Everyone will be able to join in.
SATURDAY
We are aiming to begin teaching at 10am (earlier if the group wish) working through until approximately 5pm. There will be two refreshment breaks, (although you are welcome to take a break at any point) plus a lunch break in the hotel restaurant. We will take an hours break at 5pm before heading for dinner. After dinner it will be group pieces and a chance to simply get up and perform without tutoring.
SUNDAY
We will start at 10am and work through till 4pm. This is an additional three hours tutoring plus a Sunday lunch. There will be a morning refreshment break plus Sunday lunch. Everyone will get the chance to perform solo pieces again as well as group performances from the work done on Saturday.
The room must be empty by 4:30pm. For those that may need to leave slightly earlier, you will get to perform first to ensure you get as much out of the time as possible.
The course is perfect for players of multiple levels but you don’t want to be a complete beginner. If you can master basic barre chords and can play a minor pentatonic scale then you will find it possible. A good lead into this course is Nat’s Blues Vocab Online Series.
We’ll take photos of any flip charts used or video/audio recordings taken but essentially you’ll be bringing your own music. So just a pen and paper for taking notes should be sufficient.
There are a number of ways of attending our courses: residential, non-residential and sharing with a spouse/partner.
Our price for players is all-inclusive:
Our prices for:
Check out the venue by clicking on the name in the sidebar above. If you have any specific requirements about staying at the venue click ENQUIRE and we’ll see if we can help.
At this stage you may choose to pay the full fee or the deposit only. If you choose deposit only, we will contact nearer the course to pay the remaining fee.
Unlike our online courses these weekend mini-breaks have limited numbers. We have to keep numbers limited on this course or people don’t get adequate time to perform. This is a very popular course – don’t miss out, book in early.