Beginner:
You must have an instrument!...except for drumming workshops where drums are provided. Being able to practice after the workshop is crucial to getting that most out of it so you really do need an instrument - even if you have to beg, borrow or steal it...
You need not know anything about your instrument but I would always advise a bit a experimentation before you come. Don’t be frightened of your instrument. It won’t bite.
If you feel you are not really a beginner but want to benefit anyway from a beginners workshop, that’s absolutely fine. Obviously the true beginners will take priority.
Advancing Beginner: |
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As an Advancing Beginner you should be able to play a rough scale on your instrument with clean(ish) notes. With guitar you should know how to play at least 3 chords, if they’re not perfect that’s fine. |
The reason: If, for example you bring a fiddle – possibly the most challenging instrument of all, & have never held it or tried to play it, you’ll spend most of the time trying to get a listenable sound out of it. There’ll be no time or concentration left for learning to listen & you’ll hold the class back. Similarly, with brass / woodwind instruments you’ll need a basic level of embouchure & be able to play scale of clean(ish) notes. |
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| You should only need a few hours over a few days of practice to achieve this. It’s certainly achievable within a week. So if you wanna come & you have a week of time – get you’re instrument out & play it! With a touch of determination you’ll be surprised what you can teach yourself. |  |
If you struggle for any reason though, or can’t tune your instrument, please book a private lesson first.
Please make sure the instrument you wish to bring is complete, & ready to play. If it’s a bit out of tune that’s OK – we can tune it at the class. Do bring a spare set of strings, reeds, electronic tuner etc.
Intermediate
Rather Good?
Perhaps you’re actually rather good at your instrument… but just have never played it by ear. Excellent! Please come along. You’ll be far ahead technically from many others. You may though, have to learn not to attach the names of the notes to what you hear & what you play.
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It really doesn’t’ matter what they are called. You’ll need to develop a new way of thinking. Tearing your technical abilities away from the page can be disconcerting if you are a very good reader, but have faith! You Can play your instrument by ear. A seasoned driver will struggle to pass a driving test almost as much as a beginner. Having to un-learn the bad habits can be as hard as learning from scratch. Now one could never say that reading music is a bad habit! It’s a very useful skill. But it won’t help you play by ear & you may have to work quite hard on the new approach. |
| HOME | 3 Clinton Street |
email: dave mobile: 07970 744986 landline: 01337 841004 |
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