This course has concluded. To view the current list of courses offered, visit the Winter Online Course page.
Welcome to the Kenny Baker Tunes for Mandolin online course! This course focuses on the fiddle tunes of Kenny Baker, and gives the aspiring mandolin student a broad knowledge of tunes in various keys and also gives them insights into how to create variations on those tunes and improvise. Kenny Baker was one of the most influential fiddle players in the history of bluegrass music, and he played as a member of Bill Monroe’s Bluegrass Boys for more years than any other sideman, beginning in 1957. His versions of many fiddle tunes are considered definitive, and many of his own tunes are now bluegrass standards. We’ll be getting deep into the Baker repertoire to cover a lot of ground, and along the way we’ll also cover many aspects of technique, including picking exercises, double stops, fingering exercises, scales and arpeggios.
The course will run from April 5 to June 11. Classes take place on Tuesday evenings at 9 pm eastern time, and follow-up practice sessions take place Saturday mornings at 11 am eastern time. It is NOT imperative for students to attend all (or any) live sessions, as all sessions will be recorded and available to view at the students’ convenience (generally by the following day).
The course is intended for students at an intermediate to advanced ability level. Exercises will be given each week to accommodate intermediate level players as well as more advanced level players. Students will be able to decide which materials to focus on based on their ability level (or they can focus on all of the materials!).
To view other courses offered this spring, click here.
The course fee is $200. Sign up for any two courses and receive 20% off the second course. Use the discount code “blackbird” on the second course to receive $40 off.
Here is the Curriculum
Week 1 (4/5):
Getting started in A
Playing double stops and Drone Strings
Double Stop Exercise in A
A couple of positions in A
Ducks on the Millpond
Callahan
Week 2 (4/18):
Key of D
Incorporating “open style” double stops in your playing
Double Stop Exercise: Moving from Chord to Chord
Hickman County Breakdown
Cricket on the Hearth
Week 3 (4/26):
Waltzes
Moving between different types of double stops
Tremolo Exercises
Festival Waltz
Roxanna Waltz
Week 4 (5/4):
Key of G
Fingering Exercises on One String
Diatonic Double Stop Exercises
Washington County
Greenleaf Breakdown
Week 5 (5/10):
Key of C
C Double Stop Exercise
Two Positions in C
Denver Belle
Ashland Breakdown
Week 6 (5/24):
Some More Complicated Progressions
Following a Chord Progression with Chord Tones
Finding Diminished Chord Tones
Flopareno
Salty
Week 7 (5/31):
The Big Minor Tunes
Scales Used on Minor Tunes
Minor Double Stops in A and D
Octave Variations
Jerusalem Ridge
Bluegrass in the Backwoods
Week 8 (6/7):
Tying it All Together
Using Double Stops, Licks and Octave Variations to Create Solos
First Day in Town
Whitehorse Breakdown
Crosseyed Fiddler
Stoney Lonesome
Register here.
Go back to the spring classes info page here.
The View From Here
Walking on the Moon
Latitude
Music du jour
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