Banjo instruction: Workshops by Fingerstyle Productions, Nambour, Queensland, Australia

Calendar of Fingerstyle Workshop and Events for 2008

Registration by a minimum of 7 days prior to the workshop.

March - Sat 29th	Beginners Workshop 1.00pm - 3.30pm including afternoon tea	NAMBOUR

April - Sat 5th	Bluegrass Jam - Intermediates to Advanced 12.00 - 4.00pm including lunch	IPSWICH

April - Sat 26th	What All the Bits Do 1.00pm - 3.30pm including afternoon tea - images of workshop now available here.	NAMBOUR

May - Sat 17th	Bluegrass Jam - Big Benefit Bash! Sat 17th May 1.00pm - 4.00pm to be held in the Brass Band Hall, Daniel St, (off Arundel Ave) Nambour. Plenty of parking, entry, $5.00 - all proceeds to go to the Sunshine Coast Music Students Exchange Visit to China in June this year. Even if you can't play yet, come and cheer us on and help with the choruses! (more info, 07) 5476 1955, Wendy)	NAMBOUR Slideshow and Music of this workshop now available.

June - Sat 21st	Computer Skills for Musicians 1.00pm - 3.30pm including afternoon tea. All about getting the most out of your computer as a budding musician. I'll have several computers set up and you'll be working in small teams - hands on the mouse about 30% of the time. We'll be going over things like ripping tracks from CDs into mp3 format then slowing the tracks down so you can hear specific instruments. Creating folders and managing music files. Attaching large numbers of mp3's to emails to share with friends, and burning them onto sampler cds. Using a downloaded reader, how to hear the notes that appear on the tablature so you know how the tune goes before starting to play. Transcribing words from CDs using 2 progams at once, putting in chords and printing out the songsheet, and, finally, using software that creates a backing band to make music when there's no-one else to play with! (Big incentive to practice!)	NAMBOUR

July - 11th - 13th	Redlands Festival	See Annual Calendar for links and more info

Next Workshop! July - Sat 26th	Beginners Workshop 1.00pm - 3.30pm including afternoon tea	NAMBOUR

August - Sat 2nd	Bluegrass Jam 12.00 - 4.00pm including lunch	NAMBOUR

August - Sat 23rd	Practice for Pleasure Workshop 1.00pm - 3.30pm including afternoon tea	NAMBOUR

September - 19th - 22nd	Guildford Banjo Jambouree Guildford, Victoria	See Annual Calendar for links and more info

October - Sat 25th	Beginners Workshop 1.00pm - 3.30pm including afternoon tea	NAMBOUR

October 31st - November 2nd	Imbil Festival, Imbil, Queensland	See Annual Calendar for links and more info

New workshops are being added all the time. Some examples of Fingerstyle workshop topics:

Mountain Singalong For beginners of Mountain banjo. Using the basic pick, brush and follow over chords to make music NOW! 2.5 hours. Includes song sheets and afternoon tea. Cost $30.	Just Rolling Along For beginners of Bluegrass banjo. A singalong using the rolls over chords to make music NOW! 2.5 hours. Includes song sheets and afternoon tea. Cost $30.	Vamping in Keys Other Than G For intermediates of either Mountain or Bluegrass banjo. A quick review of banjo chord theory, lots of vamping up the neck using capos and spikes. 3.5 hours. Includes song sheets and lunch. Cost $30. (Optional follow-up study - 2 x 1 hour 'play-along' DVDs - cost $25.

Creating your own solos For intermediates of either Mountain or Bluegrass banjo. How to put together licks and rolls and make your own solo. Includes tab paper and afternoon tea. Cost $30.00.	Back-Up and Push! For intermediates of either Mountain or Bluegrass banjo. Testdrive your newly honed vamping skills in a jam with instruments other than banjo. There's opportunity to push - you can nominate and showcase your solos within a 'safe' and supportive group of fellow battlers! 3.5 hours. Includes song sheets and lunch. Cost $30.	The Protocols of Bluegrass Banjo For Bluegrass banjo pickers of any level. Why we do what we do, and when we do it!' 4 hours. Features a scratch band drawn from local acoustic talent playing 6 songs to illustrate essential techniques used by professional bluegrass banjo players. Includes lunch and jam session.. Numbers strictly limited. Forward booking and payment essential to secure your place. Cost $40 (Optional follow-up DVD, $12.)

Demystifying the banjo - what all the bits do For banjo pickers of any level. We start with a banjo in bits, name the parts and put it back together. We then set it up ready to play. A perfect workshop for understanding the banjo, construction techniques and tweaking the sound of your banjo. Cost $30 including lunch.	Song accompaniment using G, C and D For all pickers of 5-string banjo - "Quick Start Vamping". Using the vamping/damping style of picking just like the professionals use. A practical primer to speed your progress. Don't get stuck just playing the solo! 2.5 hours including afternoon tea. Cost $30.	Banjo Jamboree For all banjo pickers of any level. With the help of select professional acoustic musicians Wendy presenst a short concert followed by lunch and a jam session. BYO banjo. Cost $30 including lunch.
A Pleasure to Practice - Level 1 For all acoustic musicians. Learning to operate some simple software. Level 1 includes the five essentials of Band in a Box to get you started immediately. Turn your practice into pleasure!	A Pleasure to Practice - Level 2 For any musicians who'd like to get technology on side! Turn technology into music pleasure. Recording and sharing your music, managing mp3 files, slowing down CD tracks to grab licks and lyrics. How to use more than one program at once. Crammed full of practical ways to use software for creative results you can share.

In addition, Wendy can provide 'Short Courses' DVDs - special interest extracts from the established Fingerstyle Banjo Courses. "Most pickers enjoy using DVDs - they're a fast, effective way to learn. If you want a specific topic, solo, or technique why buy a whole course?" Short course DVDs are great value for money at only 2 for $15 each

When workshop topics are very factual they are filmed.

See Short Course DVDs

"You can't be expected to take it all in on the day. Participants tell me the follow-up dvds really help

now for more information on the Workshops or to obtain a copy of the Short Course DVD's

Intermediate level workshops include delicious lunches with a choice of 2 main courses.

Beginner level workshops include afternoon tea with luscious local fruits, cheeses and cakes.

The Fingerstyle workshops are different from the type offered at most festivals.

"These workshops are not a 'meet the celebrity' situation. It's about you, the picker, with a banjo in your hand playing."

Wendy said, "I wanted to make it entertaining. I phoned the musicians, gave them the song titles and they arrived on the day and we did it.

"The workshop had a party atmosphere, lots of fun.

"The musicians stuck around afterwards to jam with the students and were very generous with their advice."

Wendy's comments on the Fingerstyle workshop: 'Protocols of Bluegrass Banjo' held February 2006.

"When I was first learning banjo I couldn't work out why a picker would play rolls down the neck then swap to up the neck vamping in the same song. Why did the banjo player do something different under the fiddle solo? I thought my students would understand what we do, why we do it and when we do it more easily by using a live band." Along with talented acoustic pickers drawn from local bands, Wendy formed a scratch band to demonstrate 'The Protocols of Bluegrass Banjo'."