Bass
Bass, level 1—This class will cover beginning and intermediate bluegrass upright bass. The class will be tailored to the students, but will include: the role of the bass player in a bluegrass band; proper bass playing technique – how to play with less effort, no injuries; playing in jams – we want to get you jamming right away!; bass runs – connecting chords in various keys; keeping the band together – playing bass lines that drive the chord progression and keep the rhythm together; practice techniques and practice material to take home.
Prerequisites: Bring an acoustic upright bass to camp. If this poses a problem, contact us and we should be able to make arrangements for you to borrow one (with thanks to bass dealer Steve Swan). Bring ideas of things you would like the class to cover. Bring songs you are working on to share with the class. Practice jamming with your friends before you get to camp so you are ready to have fun!
Lisa Burns has been playing and singing for as long as she can remember. She took up the guitar at age 12 but when she started studying upright bass in 1994 she found her true calling. Lisa performs regularly with several bands, including Sidesaddle & Co. She has been seen on stages throughout the West, including Wintergrass, Strawberry, Summergrass and the Rawhide Bluegrass Festival in Arizona. Her recordings include projects with Sherry Austin (Santa Cruz), Last Transit (San Diego), Mary McCaslin (Santa Cruz), Frank Wakefield (Washington, DC), and of course, Sidesaddle & Co. Sidesaddle & Co. was recently named Band of the Year, and Lisa herself named Bass Player of the Year for 2008 by the Northern California Bluegrass Society.
Lisa taught at the American River Acoustic Music Camp in 2007 and will be returning to teach there in 2008. She has conducted bass workshops at many California festivals including the Father’s Day festival at Grass Valley. Lisa teaches private students as well. Her students say:
“She is a fantastic teacher--a great mix of enthusiasm, and practicality!”
“The handout (folder with CD) and all the info they contain was my favorite tangible thing.”
“I appreciated all the preparation that you did to make the class meaningful, comprehensive, and lasting.”
We’re pleased to welcome Lisa to her first year as an instructor at our camp.
www.lisaonbass.com
Bass, level 2—In this class we will launch from the fundamentals of timing and tone into technique, rhythmic variations, leading tones and beyond. The goal will be to understand and accurately play the musical variations that distinguish the sound of a more experienced bassist from a novice. We will focus on the bassist’s primary role in a bluegrass band—listening, and supporting the rhythmic foundation, while making it sound musical and interesting.
Prerequisites: Students will need to have a good understanding of playing in a variety of keys and the location of the notes on the fingerboard. Have a good start at playing with other musicians and playing for extended periods of time. Start strenghthening up at least several weeks before camp starts to avoid injury. Most importantly, come prepared with a playable bass, and a desire to learn how to further your journey as a bluegrass bassist others will want to play with. (If you can’t get your bass to camp, contact us to see about getting a loaner to use--many thanks to bass dealer Steve Swan for this service!)
Trisha Gagnon is a highly respected bass player and singer from the not-so-traditional bluegrass land of British Columbia, Canada. A founding member of British Columbia's award winning bluegrass band Tumbleweed, Trisha has recorded multiple albums, with many of the songs penned by her. She is currently performing with John Reischman and The Jaybirds, and while anchoring the band with her solid bass playing, she also contributes the unique sound of her masterful singing voice.
Trisha is a gifted instructor, teaching and inspiring musicians and singers in workshops throughout North America and Europe with her very down-to-earth approach. She taught the level 1 bass class at our camp last year and got rave reviews, so we’re happy to bring her back. Some comments from last year’s students:
“She is an incredible teacher. She gave each of us a folder with several sheets of invaluable information, plus 4 CDs and how to listen and play with them. She was sensitive to each student’s level of expertise and made each of us feel like we were her most important student. She was very encouraging and spent some individual time with each of us.”
“Excellent class! Trisha was focused, clear, firm, and very well-prepared—she taught us a LOT! I was very impressed, and had a lot of fun, too!”
“Loved it—she’s awesome!”
www.thejaybirds.com
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