This workshop is for anyone who would like to improve their ability to play both rhythm and lead on swing and jazz tunes on the guitar or mandolin. In this workshop, we address topics like reharmonizing the chord progressions with various chord substitutions, we provide ideas about soloing on these tunes and soloing over standard swing progressions and turn-arounds, and then we spend a good bit of time working on ideas for improvising on these tunes using scale and arpeggio patterns.
For this workshop, in order to help facilitate us rolling up our sleeves and jumping right in, we send out a packet in advance of the workshop date to everyone who is attending. This packet will include the chords and melody to six standard swing tunes. Plus we also send some scale and arpeggio patterns to practice. That way, we can make sure that everyone has some familiarity with the tunes that we will be working with so no one will be trying to learn the tune and chord progression from scratch on that weekend. Anytime class is not scheduled, jamming is encouraged.