Our Classes
Rising Fiddle
This is an exciting fiddle class for those who would like to delve into the nuance and detail of playing Old Time fiddle tunes with nuance and authenticity. We dig into right hand bow techniques, left hand variations, more obscure tunings, pulsing, creative droning, and other sophisticated elements of the style. Players enrolling in this class do not need to have significant experience playing Old Time music, but should already have the basic elements of technique, a knowledge of the notes in first position, and some level of comfort with eat learning. (And if your ear is already pretty developed, you might not even need that note knowledge so much)! All lessons are supplemented with complementary video and written materials.
Saturdays 9:30 10weeks $180
april 20, 27 :: may 4, 11, 18 :: june 1, 8, 15, 22, 29
Youth Piano/Keyboards
Not your traditional piano class! This is an introduction to piano & keyboard family instruments Southcoast Lessons-style. Which is to say… keys with an emphasis on playing with others, centered in the styles you're most interested in, and presented with an emphasis on fun. Students get the basics of how to play along socially to rock, folk, blues, contradance & other popular music styles within a single session of class in addition to the building blocks to explore beyond.
Saturdays 10:30 10weeks $180
april 20, 27 :: may 4, 11, 18 :: june 1, 8, 15, 22, 29
Youth String Band
(Audition or invite only). Not for strings only, youth string band is an ensemble that plays traditional dance tunes and folk songs. And, we do some composing in the style as well. Open to a wide variety of acoustic and folk instruments. All tunes and techniques are taught in class by ear and supplemented with written, audio, and video materials by dropbox. Digital attendance is available for this class.
Sundays 9:30am 10weeks $180
april 21, 28 :: may 5, 12, 19 :: june 2, 9, 16, 23, 30
Youth Rock Band
Summer marked the return of one of my oldest group offerings and we’re going strong into Fall! In SC Lessons rock band class students not only learn how to play covers of fun rock songs… they also write new songs as a band. And, at the end of the session, when they have their material rehearsed they record those songs using professional recording equipment & software. Every student gets a high quality recording of their music that can be shared freely with friends & family! Rock band class is capped with a smaller number of participants than most ensembles and a limit on the number of players on each instrument. Open to guitar, bass, drums, keys, ukulele, vocals, horns.
Mondays 5:00pm 10weeks $180
april 15, 22, 29 :: may 6, 13, 20 :: june 3, 10, 17, 24
Growing Tradition!!!
One of the Southcoast Lessons flagship programs returns. Growing tradition is a super fun class for kids up to age 11 that incorporates a complete system of music learning. All students will learn to play fiddle (violin), and ukulele, sing and recognize the contour of melodies, create beats with traditional hambone body percussion, and dance traditional squares, play parties, and contras. This class teaches ear learning, contour singing, how to keep a beat, making instrumental music with others, and real living traditional musics still played in our area today that have deep sociological and historical significance to our culture. Also, it’s crazy fun. Did I mention that? This is class is based 100% in what playing music should be: Joy! Play! Friends! Community!
Tuesdays 4pm 10weeks $180
april 23, 30 :: may 7, 14, 21, 28 :: june 4, 11, 18, 25
Intermediate
Youth Guitar & Ukulele
Young guitarists & ukulele players who know their first dozen or so chords & have some solid rhythm technique will love this class focused on playing songs together. Every week we’ll spend about half the time learning new material, & the other half playing songs we know. What songs do we play? Well, the material is sourced directly from the students in 3 different ways. 1st off, I ask them for song suggestions that make up part of our repertoire. Also, I bring song suggestions to them & we decide by popular vote which ones to add to our cannon. And finally, we actually do write some songs together! And, of course, we’ll be building technique, adding on rhythms, picking up new chords, & working on bits of melody as well while having fun playing together!
Tuesdays 5pm 10weeks $180
april 23, 30 :: may 7, 14, 21, 28 :: june 4, 11, 18, 25
Clawhammer Banjo
Here’s a class for those who’ve already begun clawhammering, and want to explore possibilities. This class will encourage students to look at common tunes as an opportunity to explore variations and nuance while also adding a few less common pieces as well. We’ll be dropping thumbs, plucking, missing brushes, batting chords, and just generally having all the fun a body can have on four strings plus a drone. Available in person or digital.
Tuesdays 6pm 10weeks $180
april 23, 30 :: may 7, 14, 21, 28 :: june 4, 11, 18, 25
Rising String Band
Play as a big fun social group, learn new tunes and techniques. Get jam ready on fiddle, banjo, mando, guitar, or bass. In the analog we make a big sound. We build the elements needed to play jam ready songs. Kicks, tags, walks, tip offs… we’ll cover all of that. We play follow the leader, just like any tight group does in any playing setting. And, we learn the ways our instruments communicate in a group setting. In person as well as a digital options available.
Tuesdays 7pm 10weeks $180
april 23, 30 :: may 7, 14, 21, 28 :: june 4, 11, 18, 25
Not Strictly Bluegrass
(formerly “Rock&Roots
Guitar&Mandolin”)
A class for exploring riffs, rhythm, improvisation and beyond on guitar, mandolin, or banjo. All lessons will be built around the practical idea of playing familiar songs together. And- all songs will be presented in a way that makes new ideas and techniques achievable and able to be put into immediate use! Our material? Bluegrass standards, acoustic rock covers, neighboring areas of folk, and the tangential places just past the border of those genres, all explored in a fun social setting.
Tuesdays 8pm 10weeks $180
april 23, 30 :: may 7, 14, 21, 28 :: june 4, 11, 18, 25
Intermediate String Band
Do you know a tune or two but need to build repertoire? Have you been studying on your own but want to learn to play with others? Have you played a different style but now want to branch out? Do you have some of the fundamentals of your instrument, but want to learn to use them in a group setting? Here’s a class for people at the beginning and early intermediate stage of their journey towards playing string band music. Come help us build something together and be a part of a living tradition! Open to fiddle, banjo, guitar, bass, mandolin, ukulele, and other traditional lead instruments.
Thursdays 10am 10weeks $180
april 25 :: may 2, 9, 16, 23, 30 :: june 6, 13, 20, 27
Ear Learning Strategies & Applied Theory
Open to all instruments. Here’s a class designed to demystify the process of learning melodies by ear and hear the chord changes to a song without a lengthy and strenuous trial and error process. And make no mistake about it, if you play a predominantly or exclusively melody instrument, chords are important for you too because they shape the melody and predict where it’s going! And strummers- it’s the same situation, the melody will tell you what’s happening both now… and next. In addition to a range of ear techniques, we’ll learn the necessary bits of practical and directly applied theory that will get you where you want to be. Ear learning, “hearing the changes,” and the ability to communicate ideas in the language of other musicians opens all the doors to social music. And these are the skills needed to find your next level of playing in every common genre. That said, though, we’ll be focused primarily on traditional melodies & folk songs in this class. They’re the roots of all else, and the very best place to start!
Thursdays 9am 10weeks $180
april 25 :: may 2, 9, 16, 23, 30 :: june 6, 13, 20, 27
Rising Ukulele
A mixed ability group exploring the ukulele's capabilities. Whether it's some really advanced moves or just a few more chords you're after, this is where you want to be! Playing and learning ukulele in a large group is equal parts social activity, brain builder, and outlet for creative expression. Maybe you’ve been playing for a bit and you already know that. Come join me to find out what else there is to know on those four strings. Available in person or digital.
Thursdays 11am 10weeks $180
april 25 :: may 2, 9, 16, 23, 30 :: june 6, 13, 20, 27
Play Party Kids
(age 2-6) Beginning uke for kids and their attending caretakers, group singing, traditional dance, weekly visits to the “instrument petting zoo”, & weekly art and song composition projects… O me o my o do we have a whole lot of fun in Play Party Kids!
Thursdays 3:30pm 10weeks $180
april 25 :: may 2, 9, 16, 23, 30 :: june 6, 13, 20, 27
The Youngest Ukulele Players…
play fiddle and piano too!
Learn to play not one, but several different instruments! And that would be cool enough, but there’s so much more. This is the bridge program between my Play Party class and the Growing Tradition class, and as such it has all of the same super fun elements of both. Traditional dancing, singing, hambone body percussion, songwriting… we do them all! And this session we’re adding in a brand new visual art element too. All students will be making moving panoramas that play like an old fashioned movie tell the story of a tune they love.
Thursdays 5:30pm 10weeks $180
april 25 :: may 2, 9, 16, 23, 30 :: june 6, 13, 20, 27
Beginning String Band
Open to early fiddlers, banjo players, guitars, bassists, and mandolin. This is the intro level to my most popular class and a great place to begin your social music journey! Together we build repertoire and more importantly a comfort and ease with playing in a group with others. This is music simultaneously at its most fun and most essential. Be a part of music that goes beyond pure sound and builds connection alongside the tunes.
Thursdays 6:30pm 10weeks $180
april 25 :: may 2, 9, 16, 23, 30 :: june 6, 13, 20, 27
Beginning Fiddle
1st offering in a year! One of my first ever group offerings, & I’ve run this class intermittently ever since. Green beginners & folks with a little bit of past experience will learn to play complete fiddle tunes by the end of the session. And, what’s more, they’ll have their 1st few moves to give those tunes nuance, dimensionality, & authenticity. Whether you’re learning to play as a solo creative outlet or learning to be part of an active living tradition that comes with a warm social community, this is the place to start!
Thursdays 7:30pm 10weeks $180
april 25 :: may 2, 9, 16, 23, 30 :: june 6, 13, 20, 27
Book a Class
We’re happy to get you scheduled or answer any questions you may have about our classes, individual lessons, and events. You can reach us directly at (508)207-7357 or at southcoastlessons@gmail.com