Hornby Island Blues Workshop

Marc Atkinson

Major: Blues With a Twist of the Jazz: Learn hip, user friendly and fun Blues tunes for jamming by Duke Ellington, Charlie Parker, Charlie Mingus, Eddie Lang and Django. Learn the rhythms of these legends, their styles and some soloing tips too!

Tuesday Minor: Strumming Patterns and Ideas: There are a million different ways and styles for rhythm guitar and we will check some out. From shuffle to funky, rag time to New Orleans. All these rhythmic feels are found in the blues. Let's explore them.

Wednesday Minor: Finger Pickin' Madness: Let’s talk about finger picking, how to play through a blues song with bass line and melody and how to start with the basics and build upon them.

Thursday Minor: Pickin’ the Guitar: Flat picking. Chicken picking. Ripping it up on the Blues with a Country twang flavour.

Paul Deslauriers

Major: Acoustic vs. Electric Rhythm and Lead Guitar: Total Guitar! Wanna learn to burn on both electric and acoustic guitars? From your house party to your garage band, your coffeehouse to your local blues jam and from your concert hall to your arena, learn what it takes to be a master at both. They’re two very different beasts, yet the complete guitarist needs to know how shine on both. We'll be looking at Blues, Rock and Folk styles and how to transfer your playing abilities to both instruments. Tons of fun!Total Guitar! Wanna learn to burn on both electric and acoustic guitars? From your house party to your garage band, your coffeehouse to your local blues jam and from your concert hall to your arena, learn what it takes to be a master at both. They’re two very different beasts, yet the complete guitarist needs to know how shine on both. We'll be looking at Blues, Rock and Folk styles and how to transfer your playing abilities to both instruments. Tons of fun!Total Guitar! Wanna learn to burn on both electric and acoustic guitars? From your house party to your garage band, your coffeehouse to your local blues jam and from your concert hall to your arena, learn what it takes to be a master at both. They’re two very different beasts, yet the complete guitarist needs to know how shine on both. We'll be looking at Blues, Rock and Folk styles and how to transfer your playing abilities to both instruments. Tons of fun!Total Guitar! Wanna learn to burn on both electric and acoustic guitars? From your house party to your garage band, your coffeehouse to your local blues jam and from your concert hall to your arena, learn what it takes to be a master at both. They’re two very different beasts, yet the complete guitarist needs to know how shine on both. We'll be looking at Blues, Rock and Folk styles and how to transfer your playing abilities to both instruments. Tons of fun!

Tuesday Minor: Solo Acoustic Guitar (Intermediate to Advanced): So, you think solo acoustic guitar is just strumming some chords and singing along with yourself? Think again! We’ll look at how to play, sing, comp and solo in the same song, how the old delta blues and the modern guys do it and how you can do it too!

Wednesday Minor: British Electric Blues Guitar (Intermediate to Advanced): Clapton, Page, Beck, Peter Green or even Kossoff ring a bell? Learn how those guys got their magic tones and phrasing. How to incorporate those styles into your own playing without sounding like a clone!

Thursday Minor: Off the Cuff (The art of jamming and sitting in): How do you get together with other people you don't know and make music right away? It’s no mystery. Find out the tricks to finding common ground and material to play with others, how to lead the band and how to listen and have a blast doing it! All musicians and singers are welcome!

Julian Fauth

Major: How to Make Up a Piano Blues: In this class, I will do my humble darndest to give students some ideas on how to make up their own piano blues songs. By the end of the class, students will have created their very own ditties. Depending on class size, several students may collaborate. If you were to make up your own blues song, what would you need? Well, first some lyrics. You can use some “free-floating” traditional verses, but it will be better to write your own. Not too many: you don’t need a 30-minute epic. The lyrics should have some story to them, and could be about some grand theme everyone can relate to (love, death, money etc.) Next, you need some kind of skeleton that fits the lyrics. We’ll cover some traditional blues chord progressions, some “passing chords” you can use to embellish them, and some unorthodox chord progressions I’ve made up. Feel free to make up your own. There’s no point in making things complicated and contrived, but you don’t have to stick to the standard 3-chord 12-bar pattern to make a blues. Then, you need a melody and, possibly, a “hook” or riff that identifies your blues (hooks are not essential in blues, and we must beware of pop cheesiness, but they do exist – witness Cow Cow Blues, Sweet Home Chicago or Messin’ With The Kid). We’ll explore some ideas for melodies and some riffs you can use that support your lyrics and make your song interesting. We’ll look at ways to make it bluesy. As piano players, we’re expected to play bass lines, too, and we’ll talk about some ways you can use your left hand, from repetitive boogie patterns to more impressionistic chording and counterpoint. Not least, you need a rhythm. This can be your standard 4/4 shuffle, but it doesn’t need to be. We’ll try out some interesting rhythms, including rhumba and waltz, and some points relating to rhythmic feel: how to make it swing, differences between feels that emphasize the downbeat and those that emphasize the backbeat, etc. If you’re one of those geniuses who can read and write music, you can write all this down; if you’re like me, you’ll have to keep it in your head. If you like, bring some sort of recording device so you can take away a record of your accomplishments. But we’re playing blues: beware of over-arranging. We’ll cover some ideas for improvising, keeping it loose and expressive. Finally, you put it all together, go out in front of a live audience and pray. I mean, play.

Tuesday minor: Songs of the Piano Men (and Women): We’ll cover songs by some of the great piano blues musicians: people like Leroy Carr, Roosevelt Sykes, Big Maceo, Memphis Slim, etc. I will bring in some audio samples for us to listen to, play you my interpretations of some of the songs if you like, and let you try your hand at covering songs you like.

Wednesday minor: God and the Devil: Satan and the good Lord have made an appearance in many blues songs. In this class, we’ll encounter some examples of gospel songs that are very bluesy (songs by Sister Rosetta Tharpe, Blind Wille Johnson and others). We’ll also encounter some blues in which the Devil is the hero (songs by Robert Johnson, Peetie Wheatstraw and others). We’ll talk about the metaphysical and socio-cultural aspects of these songs - but not in a pompous or boring way.

Thursday minor: How to Jam and Not
We’ll talk about, and try out, some ways of playing with others so that the experience is satisfying for all: how to support another player without getting in the way (comping, accents, accompaniments), how to build an interesting solo without hogging too much time or torpedoing the song, etc. Playing together should be a kind of communing, not an ego-driven competition.

Rick Fines

Major- All-Week Acoustic Blues Jam
We will take a few progressions and play them every day. We'll be working on ensemble playing - dynamics, complimentary guitar parts, riffs and solos and making it all fit together. (Acoustic guitars only... we can take one bass player and an advanced harmonica player if one wants to join in. Instruction for the guitars and bass, direction for the harp player - max 8 total)

Tuesday Minor: Death Letter/Walking Blues
We'll take this classic Delta Blues form and put all the pieces together. Bring an acoustic guitar in G tuning and a slide.

Wednesday Minor: Slide Guitar in Standard Tuning
Bring an acoustic guitar and a slide and let's find how to play slide without changing tunings or guitars.

Thursday Minor: No Picks Allowed!
Acoustic guitar playing fingerstyle. We'll look at some right-hand patterns as well as riffs that work best without a pick.

David Gogo

Major: Electric Blues Guitar Soloing and Rocking Out: Intermediate. We'll learn to solo blues rock style throughout the ages from T-Bone Walker to B.B., Freddie and Albert King, to Buddy Guy, the sixties British guys like Clapton, Jeff Beck and Mick Taylor and onwards to Hendrix and Stevie Ray Vaughan. We'll apply what we learn to a song that we'll perform at the student concert. Bring your amp and some attitude!

Tuesday Minor: Beginner Slide Guitar in Open Tuning: It doesn't matter if you've never played slide before. You can walk in a novice and walk out the next Hound Dog Taylor! Bring a slide, wig not included!

Wednesday Minor: Lead Rhythm Guitar: Learn the R&B lead rhythm style made famous in Muscle Shoals and Memphis. Think Curtis Mayfield and Jimi Hendrix in a " Little Wing " mode. It’ll be fun and easier than you think. Impress your friends - both of them!

Poor And Infamous: Follow the Leader: Billie Hicks (drummer) and I will demonstrate how to communicate between musicians onstage. This could be helpful knowledge for the student concert. We will show how to follow a soloist dynamically, how to communicate changes, feel, endings, etc. Use your ears and eyes to avoid the train wreck!!

Dave Harris

Major: Urban Electric Blues Guitar: This class will explore the somewhat forgotten blues guitar styles of Robert Nighthawk (some standard tuned slide), Lonnie Johnson, Tampa Red and Big Bill Broonzy. If people want we can also touch on Lightnin' Hopkins, Muddy Waters, Jimmy Reed (and Eddie Taylor), Robert Lockwood and Elmore James. The emphasis will be on ensemble playing and both rhythm and lead playing. Some finger picking, some flat-picking. A handout with brief bios and key recordings will be available.

Tuesday minor: Intro to/Beginning Blues Harp: I’ll give you a bit of history, some of the greats and their different styles. How the harp fits into the blues, and other musical genres. A bit of basic technique, what key to use, basic rhythm harp (train), 12 bar blues basics, maybe a boogie-woogie riff. You will need a C harp for this class. A handout with some licks and a good primer on the subject will be available. An instructional DVD will also be available at a discount.

Wednesday minor: Blues Fiddle and Mandolin: This will be an introductory to intermediate class on the fiddle and mandolin in blues, emphasis on improvising over blues progressions in 4 regular keys - G, D, A and E. A bit of jamming will be encouraged. Some discussion of blues fiddle and mandolin players and cross-over from other music genres (old timey, country and bluegrass).

Thursday minor: Busking: We had a lot of fun with this last year, even with so-so weather. Dress accordingly. Will take place at the Co-op and everyone will be encouraged to sing something. The 'do's and don'ts' of busking will be discussed and a handout available. I may video-record this if there are no objections.

Billie Hicks

Major: Drumming Styles: Each class will focus on different styles of drumming. We will begin with listening to some drumming masters, break down their grooves, discuss what is being achieved and explore how to bring some of their feels and subtleties into your own personal drumming. We will touch on: Blues Shuffle, Jump swing and Jazz drumming, R and B, Bluegrass and Chuck Berry straight 8th feels, Funk, Bo Diddley and New Orleans grooves.

Tuesday and Wednesday minors: Rhythm Section: Combined with Gary Kendall. This workshop will explore the teamwork of the bassist and drummer and how they can create a solid foundation for the vocalist and soloists. The "engine room" as I`ve heard it described, needs to lock together and create the rhythm and timing of the song. They can play the same groove or a counter groove that still becomes essentially one part. The best drummer/bassists don't have to discuss their job, they should be able to become a team naturally. This part of the workshop will demonstrate the different ways to make a good drum/bass rhythm section team.

Thursday minor: Follow The Leader: David Gogo (electric guitar) and I will demonstrate how to communicate between musicians onstage. This could be helpful knowledge for the student concert. We will show how to follow a soloist dynamically, how to communicate changes, feel, endings, etc. Use your ears and eyes to avoid the train wreck!!

Little Miss Higgins

Major: Songwriting - Writing From the Roots: Writing contemporary music that draws upon the foundation of blues, roots, country blues, folk and early jazz. Examining the roots of a song, writing from your own experiences and making the song your own.

Tuesday Minor: Vocals/Performance: A combination of vocal technique and using your voice in performance. Taking care of your voice, breath control, voice projection, singing into a microphone.

Wednesday Minor: Stage Presence - Your Voice and the Stage: A class combining vocal technique and putting it to use on the stage. Taking care of your voice, breath control, projection and singing into a microphone.

Thursday Minor: Country Blues Style Guitar: Country Blues Guitar with Little Miss Higgins and Foy Taylor. Examining guitar styles of Memphis Minnie and Kansas Joe McCoy. Rhythms, melodies and more.

Tina Jones

Major: Vocal Workshop with Tina Jones: Join me for a workshop that will inspire you to get down and dirty finding your voice. From breathing techniques to projection, all the basics will be covered allowing us to get to the real fun; applying technique to vocalize, explore and express our music.

Tuesday Minor: Introduction to Blues Improvisation for Horn Players: Study the basic blues progression, blues scale and how to construct basic solos. Using these techniques, horn players can sit in at blues jams and take their solos to the next level of expression. A great start for instrumentalists who would like to explore other styles with the foundation of blues, i.e. funk, swing and jazz..

Wednesday Minor: Stage Presence to Behind the Scenes: Making the move from hobby to pro - onstage and behind the scenes. We'll explore stage dynamics, ways to build confidence, and tools to overcome performance anxiety (aka stage fright), and mic technique. If time permits, we'll also take a look at booking gigs, using the web as a promotion tool, and how to get people out to your shows.

Thursday Minor: Back-Up Singing; Singing in Harmony: Discover how empowering and expressive it is to be a back-up singer! Introducing basic harmony and how it applies to singing within a section of back-up singers and/or singing vocal harmonies along with main melodies in blues and gospel styles.

Gary Kendall

Major: The Blues & The Bass - For electric and acoustic bassists
1) 12 Bars, 8 Bars, Turnarounds & Sitting On The One - A complete look at the most common blues song structures
2) The Shuffle, The Walk, The Peddle, The Funky Blues & The 1/5 - The blues grooves…………
3) The Engine Room (Being part of the rhythm section) - Working with the drummer. Working with the piano player. Working with the rhythm guitar
4) Laying The Foundation - Supporting the vocalist. Supporting the soloist
5) Winging It - The Blues & The Common Language, Improvisation
**If time permits the following subjects will also be discussed**
6) Soloing
7) Tone - It’s in our hands
8) Instruments & amplification - How to obtain the best instrumentation to suit your needs
9) Performing - Feelin` good, lookin` good & playin` good
10) Composition - Writing a song using the bass line as the starting point

Tuesday and Wednesday Minors: Rhythm Section: Combined with Billie Hicks. This workshop will explore the teamwork of the bassist and drummer and how they can create a solid foundation for the vocalist and soloists. The "engine room" as I`ve heard it described, needs to lock together and create the rhythm and timing of the song. They can play the same groove or a counter groove that still becomes essentially one part. The best drummer/bassists don`t have to discuss their job, they should be able to become a team naturally. This part of the workshop will demonstrate the different ways to make a good drum/bass rhythm section team.

Thursday minor: Bass and Keyboard Licks: Gary Kendall on bass with a guest sitting in on keyboard. The piano more so then the organ can be part of the rhythm section adding a strong support to the bass and drums with the left hand part while the right hand solos, play chords or a melody. The bassist and piano player`s left hand can play identical parts locked in sequence or they can play counter parts that mesh together to become one. This workshop will demonstrate how the bass/drums/keys can lay down the foundation and make a band strong.

Big Dave McLean

Major: Cross Harp and First Position Harmonica: We will explore and practice the old school styles of Junior Wells and James Cotton as well as the Chicago Blues Harp style of Jimmy Reed and Slim Harpo.

Tuesday Minor: Mississippi Delta Finger Picking Styles: This class will focus on rhythm styles with thumb as per Mississippi John Hart, Robert Johnson, and Sleepy John Estes.

Wednesday Minor: Chicago Blues Shuffle: We will nail some shuffle riffs regularly used by Muddy Waters, Jimmy Rodgers, and Jimmy Reed.

Thursday Minor: Slide Guitar with Big Dave in Open D and G: We will talk about the many types of slides... glass, tubes, and sockets, as well as working in the open tunings of D and G. Music of Muddy Waters, Robert Johnson, Johnny Shines, and Elmore James.

Paul Pigat

Major: Fingerstyle - From the Back Porch to Chet: This course will look at the evolution of fingerstyle guitar. We'll start with some rural blues (maybe even some ragtime) and get all the way to Chet Atkins and Merle Travis!

Tuesday minor: Classic Rockabilly: Get your echo pedals out! This class will focus on classic solos of the rockabilly era, including excerpts from Scotty Moore, Cliff Gallup and Franny Beacher among others. Grease recommended but not required.

Wednesday minor: G Tuning: We'll look at some of the simple ways of getting around this tuning. how to play scales, simple solos and a smidge of acoustic fingerstyle.

Thursday minor: Question Period. Let’s Talk Theory: Lets chew the fat about Theory. Ever wanted to know how the circle of 5th work? how chords are made? how song forms work? You ask the questions and I'll do my best to answer 'em!