Steve covers essential picking techniques, chord shapes, runs and harmonization devices in the context of melodic song arrangements in standard and open tunings. These include country blues and bluesy country from the repertoire of early American roots guitar icons and Steve's own song bag.

The workshop is geared toward the "intermediate" level player. Ambitious beginners with some knowledge of chord shapes and basic playing techniques are welcome.

This is a hands-on workshop program. Bring a guitar and accessories, a notebook/folder and a pencil. Some tab is supplied, but the emphasis is on learning by ear, so Steve suggests you bring your own sound recorder (not video).

You can expect to learn a few new songs/arrangements while fine-tuning your understanding of blues inflected harmony and syncopated rhythmic interpretation.

Recognized internationally as an outstanding performing and recording artist, a charismatic educator, and a transcriber and editor of both taste and intelligence, David Tanenbaum is one of the most admired classical guitarists of his generation. He is also that rare classical guitarist who happily leaves his “comfort zone” to perform on steel string guitar in orchestral and chamber music settings, and to create a unique collaboration with acclaimed steel string performer Peppino D’Agostino.

In special this lecture/workshop, you can discover how steel string guitarists can experience the timeless beauty of Bach and other classical music. You also explore trending in the opposite direction: How prominent living composers like John Adams and Terry Riley have incorporated steel string guitars into their works. Be prepared to play, listen and discover new musical worlds.

Begin by listening to recordings of prominent steel string guitar writing in two of John Adam's major orchestral pieces, El Nino and Naive and Sentimental Music, and discuss why the composer used steel instead of the much more common classical guitar. Explore that trend further in works by Yu Dun and National Steel pieces by Lou Harrison and Terry Riley.

Next, discuss the process of a steel string player exploring classical music, and do hands-on exercises in rhythm, counterpoint, and ensemble playing. David Tanenbaum also discusses his duo with Peppino D'Agostino and how they merged our musical worlds, and students will be given classical pieces to play commensurate with their level. Sources for further study and collaboration are included.

This workshop is for every open minded guitar player, especially one who wants to expand his or her musical horizons, who has at least some basic fingerstyle proficiency.

Leave this workshop with an appreciation of the classical world, music to play, and sources for further discovery.

Using examples from bluegrass, jazz, folk, and pop music, we cover the basics of good picking-hand technique, with an emphasis on picking-hand posture. Techniques covered include alternate picking, rest stroke, efficient picking, sweep picking, and strumming.

Scott discusses flatpicking technique with musical examples in a few styles. Participants have the opportunity to try out the examples in class and get advice and criticism on their own technique.

Participants in this workshop should be interested in acquiring a good basic flatpick technique that will allow them to eventually play and explore any music they want. You should be comfortable with basic first-position chords and first-position major scales (C, G, D) and have attempted to play some melodies up the neck.

You will leave the workshop with a grounding in good flatpick technique and an idea of what you need to work on to improve your own technique.

Have your guitar at the ready as Mark conducts this lecture/demonstration, followed by a hands-on master class.

Mark covers the arranging concepts from his DVD, "How to Arrange Fingerstyle Guitar Solos," beginning with choice of key, tuning, and style to best supplement an already existing melody, leading to variations and techniques available for developing an interesting 3-4 minute guitar solo.

All fingerstyle players from advanced beginners to advanced players are welcome. The workshop starts with the fundamentals necessary to create an easy - yet rich - arrangement, then develops to more advanced information. Reading music is not necessary, but helpful.

Students leave the workshop with the tools to undertake their own arrangements appropriate to their technical level, and the ability to decipher and understand what they are hearing in others' arrangements. Tablature from the workshop content is available.

Bay Area bluegrass legend Eric Thompson shares the secrets of his approach to flatpicked lead guitar, drawing on licks, breaks, and tunes from Don Reno, Doc Watson and Clarence White, all of whom inspired his own playing. You'll learn about right and left hand technique, position shifts, and cross-picking patterns. Eric also shows you how to build solos, ways you can embellish the melody and give you some new ideas about improvisation. You'll do a lot of hands-on playing, repeating phrases together, then stringing them together. While aimed for the intermediate to advanced player, beginners learn a lot (even if they feel they aren’t keeping up). An audio recording device is encouraged, but no video please.

This in-depth workshop will help you leap to the next step on your learning curve. You'll learn effective ways to improve your picking abilities, tone, and rhythm ... expand your knowledge of open tunings and slide guitar techniques ... explore the concept of finger substitutions ... and rediscover the joy of playing guitar.

Students will have opportunities (as individuals and in a group setting) for critique, comment, and direction. Students will be propelled into the next level and challenged to refine their techniques in order to release their hidden musicianship. The ability to have fun and laugh is required.

In each of three hours, you will focus on a select area, allowing you to concentrate on separate components, using printed exercises and pieces:

1. Exploration of the language of fingerpicking patterns and their effective use with multiple chords and attention to rhythmic qualities while using a metronome.

2. Simplification of open tunings, how to create a tune in this new landscape of the finger board, and an introduction to slide guitar technique with a study of damping, rattle, shimmer, glides, accents, adjustable speeds and grace notes.

3. The art of mapping a tune with finger substitution and position shifts for the picking hand using classical, folk, and ragtime pieces as examples.

The workshop is opn to players at any level, from beginner through advanced. Requirements include a positive attitude, at least a minimum level of fingerpicking capabilities, some basic chord knowledge, and an open mind. Bring a guitar, notebook, capo, tuner, slide, and pencil.

This is a completely hands on workshop, with participants playing from the beginning.

You'll learn movable four note chords and voice leading concepts along with the right hand techniques that allow the compact propulsive style that exemplifies swing music.

You should have facility with learning new chord shapes, and a level of technique that includes the ability to play barre chords (barre chords won't be used, but the chord shapes that we'll learn are of a similar level of difficulty).

Having taken this workshop, you'll be able to use the materials provided to play rhythm on pretty much any swing tune in any key.

Fingerstyle virtuoso Peppino D’Agostino is a global citizen who has absorbed many musical influences. In this workshop, Peppino guides you in both arranging and composing for steel-string guitar by exploring styles, techniques, and rhythms from Latin America, Italy, and elsewhere. Inspired by these beautiful melodies, you learn to support them with intelligent harmonies and powerful grooves, incorporating practical guitar techniques such as string bending, percussion and slide, open tunings, and bent harmonics. Peppino also examines some of his original material closely, providing you with insights on the creative process of composing and arranging.

Born and raised in Italy, Peppino D’Agostino has lived and recorded in the United States since 1985, while continuing to tour and perform frequently in Europe. He won Guitar Player magazine’s 2007 Reader Poll as Best Acoustic Guitarist and Acoustic Guitar magazine’s 2008 Bronze Players’ Choice Award for Best Acoustic Guitar Album of All Time (Every Step of the Way, 2002, Favored Nations Acoustic).

Quite often when confronted with chord symbols, guitarists revert to the one or two ‘grip shapes’ they know, rather than explore the multitude of beautiful chord voicings available with some understanding of the fretboard and different approaches to voice-leading. This workshop offers several approaches applied to songs in different styles to help you greatly expand upon what you already know, . All materials are prepared in advance and written out using standard notation, chord box diagrams, and guitar tab.

This is a hands-on workshop. No one is put on the spot to perform individually; the class works through all material together and through demonstration by the instructor.

As chord theory is not restricted to any one particular genre, guitarists of all styles can benefit from this workshop. It may be of particular interest to jazz guitarists looking for new approaches to comping, solo fingerstylists looking for new voicings and approaches to arranging and even composition, and to singer-songwriters who wish to augment their chord vocabulary to better express their songs and lyrics. Participants should have a basic understanding of diatonic theory, construction of triads and 7^th chords, and a basic awareness of notes on the fretboard by name.

By attending this workshop, you'll gain a new perspective and understanding of how chords are built, and how they move throughout a song. In addition to learning many new chords, you'll learn simple strategies - based on particular concepts - to continue to further your knowledge of chords and develop your chord palette for years to come.

Explore the unconventional use of clawhammer banjo picking techniques on the six-string guitar.

German guitar virtuoso Peter Finger has developed a unique approach to the steel-string guitar and a world-wide reputation for his playing, his compositions, and his tireless advocacy of the acoustic guitar as a concert instrument.

In this special workshop, Peter Finger explores three topics of vital interest to every instrumentalist: Finding your own musical language, interpreting and performing your music, and practicing and daily exercises.

Peter begins with a demonstration and discussion on composing for acoustic guitar: How to work out ideas in a personal way and find your own musical language. He explains compositions and guitar techniques in two different tunings, EBEGAD and DAEGAD, and explores ways to develop a composition.

Peter next turns to the question of how to give interest to your playing and keep the attention of the listener, focusing on expression, dynamics, tone, and ornamention.

Finally, Peter covers guitar techniques like single line playing for fingerstyle guitarists, how to improve right and left hand dexterity, how to improve coordination, and how to maintain concentration while practicing, working with a variety of different exercises in different tunings

This workshop is open to both guitarists and observers. Guitarists should have a basic knowledge of the instrument and be open to learning about theory as well as playing in an alternate tuning.

You'll leave this workshop inspired and full of ideas about how to develop a piece of music from the initial idea to the final composition, as well as motivated to practice the guitar and become a better player.

Jeff teaches voice-and-guitar arrangements of two Grateful Dead songs, starting with the basic chords and rhythm patterns and adding in embellishments and lead breaks inspired by the Dead’s live and studio performances. Students receive complete printed transcriptions of the songs covered.

The workshop is based on the material in Jeff's Homespun DVD, Learn Seven Grateful Dead Classics for Acoustic Guitar. Jeff teaches the basics of dropped-D tuning as an introduction to his arrangement of “New Speedway Boogie,” plus one other arrangement. The song list may be adjusted according to participants’ interest.

The workshop is specially designed for intermediate pick players (though fingerstyle players are also welcome) and anyone who accompanies singing. Participants should know basic chord positions and rhythm patterns, and be able to read tab and chord diagrams.

Expect to go home knowing how to play two classic Grateful Dead songs, as well as many accompaniment ideas you can use in other arrangements or in your own songs.

This will be a hands-on workshop with class participation. Doug demonstrates concepts and techniques and participants have ample opportunities to try them and explore applications as a group.

You'll learn how to find your way around the neck in DADGAD tuning, using not only chords and scale patterns, but also the logic behind them. Topics include leveraging your standard tuning knowledge in DADGAD, exploring DADGAD's unique characteristics and potential, moveable and open-string chords, harp-like scale patterns, using intervals (3rds, 6ths, and 10ths), and more. You'll look at musical examples and tunes that use these techniques. Tablature will be provided.

The workshop is meant for intermediate fingerstyle guitarists who would like to learn about DADGAD or expand their understanding. Basic comfort with fingerpicking technique is assumed. Ability to read tablature would be helpful, and understanding of basic chord shapes in standard tuning is also useful.

You'll leave with some new tools to explore DADGAD on your own and apply the tuning to your own arrangements and compositions.