Workshops @ Strings Without Boundaries

January 07, 2021By Jeremy Kittel

Hey friends,

I sincerely hope you’re doing well, wherever you are. I wanted to send this message to my fellow string players out there:

I’m having a blast so far teaching online at Strings Without Boundaries, a wonderful online workshop which just started this morning and is continuing through Sunday! There’s still plenty of time to join; you can take just a couple classes, or you can take dozens of classes if you like, taught by myself and my fine fellow faculty. This morning was fun; I had a student from Germany, a student from Taiwan, and of course many students here in the US. I’ll be teaching a bunch of classes on a variety of topics and genres, so feel free to check out my teaching schedule below and to join us.

To sign up, just go to stringswithoutboundaries.com, where you can register for each and any class individually.

Cheers!

-Jeremy

THURSDAY, JANUARY 7TH

6:45-8:00 PM ET “The Creative Musician” (all levels)

In this class I’ll share some thoughts and philosophy on putting it all together as a 21st-century string player – thoughts on writing/composing, arranging, improvising, producing, and collaborating. I’ll share philosophies, mottos, and tidbits of advice that have helped me in my career as a creative string player; I’ll share ways to avoid “writer’s block,” and how to strive for your highest standards for your playing and your music, while also avoiding needlessly negative self-criticism. I’ll touch upon mindframes that have worked for me (and ones that haven’t!), and ways to search for balance while continuing to move towards your goals. And we’ll also discuss how it’s all related – how many of these different musical skills have so very much in common. Come join!

8:15-9:30PM ET “Learn a Scottish Air” (int/adv)

In this class, we’ll learn a gorgeous Scottish “slow air,” complete with traditional ornaments and flair, drones, ideas for variations / development, and more. We’ll learn most of it by ear, the traditional way (though rest assured, there will also be sheet music for reference). The “slow air” repertoire is one of the great aspects of Scottish fiddling; it’s rich and compelling for the player and listener alike. In fact, it’s so appreciated that many Scottish airs have been adopted by other fiddling styles around the world. In this class, we’ll learn at least one tune very well, and we’ll also touch upon some other Scottish slow air “greatest hits,” so that you can continue your journey after class if you like. Join us!

FRIDAY, JANUARY 8TH:

10:30AM-11:45PM ET “Improvising the Blues” (all levels)

In this fun and creative class, we’ll dig into the basics of improvisation in general, and improvising with the blues in particular. We‘ll discover how easy it is to begin improvising (and also, how easy it can be to teach improvisation to your friends and students as well! :-). We’ll learn how to become fluent in the blues scale, and we’ll gain an understanding of how the blues is much more than just a scale – it’s a complete sonic/resonant mode of expression that, in this day and age, now lives in much of music around the world! By learning to improvise with the blues you are learning musical vocabulary that can be applied to jazz, swing, bluegrass, pop music, and countless other styles. There’s no limit to how far you can take it. Join us!

1:00-2:15PM ET “How to Play Over Chord Changes I” (all levels)

Ah, playing over chord changes! Whether you’re playing jazz, folk, funk, rock, bluegrass, or most any style of music, this is an important skill to hone for the creative musician. We’ll learn some simple ways to get started playing over chord changes, and we’ll learn some great ways to practice. Eventually, by using these techniques in your practice sessions, it will translate into better solos, better fills, and better music overall! =-)

2:30-3:45PM ET “Odd-meter Balkan Fiddle Tune” (int/adv)

As an admirer from afar, I’ve been fascinated by Balkan folk music for many years! In this class, we’ll learn one of the coolest Balkan tunes I know, and it’ll be in a meter that you probably don’t play every day (for example, 11/8 or 15/8… let’s see what you’ve won!). And if it’s your first time learning a Balkan tune like this, you might be surprised at how natural it will feel once we get into it. We’ll learn most of it by ear (though rest assured, there will also be sheet music for reference). And in addition to learning the melody, we’ll also explore how you could accompany such a tune in a string band by using appropriate chop and shuffle patterns. Come join us!

4-5:15PM ET “How to Play Over Chord Changes II” (int/adv)

Ah, playing over chord changes! Whether you’re playing jazz, folk, funk, rock, bluegrass, or most any style of music, this is an important skill to hone for the creative musician. In this class we’ll dive deeper into ways of playing over chord changes, ways to practice, and slightly more advanced progressions. Eventually, by using these techniques in your practice sessions, it will translate into better solos, better fills, and better music overall! =-)

SATURDAY, JANUARY 9TH:

9:00-10:15AM ET “Jazz and Swing” (int/adv)

Interested in jazz and swing? Want to learn the licks, the rhythms, the stylings, the building blocks of great jazz solos? Look no further, my friends. In this class, we’ll get started with some relatively simple licks that can be applied to all sorts of jazz and swing tunes (think “Sunny Side of the Street” or “All of Me”). Jazz is a language, a vocabulary, just like any other; we’ll get you started learning it, and show you how to continue the journey! Dialect is also an important aspect of any language, of course, and in jazz, that can be found in accents, inflections, vibrato (or lack thereof), and bowing patterns that have worked well for jazz string players ranging from Stephane Grappelli, to Stuff Smith, to Paul Chambers.

10:30AM-11:45PM ET “Learn a Scottish Reel” (int/adv)

We’ll learn an exciting “reel” (the most common type of dance tune) from the great Scottish fiddle tradition. We’ll learn most of it by ear, the traditional way (though rest assured, there will also be sheet music for reference). We’ll break down all of the details that make Scottish fiddling what it is – everything from the exact ornaments and “cuts” to bowing patterns, accents, melodic variations, and much more. We’ll also discuss what Scottish fiddling has in common with other styles of fiddling, and what sets it apart. Join us!

4-5:15PM ET “Jazz and Swing” (advanced)

Interested in jazz and swing? Want to learn the licks, the rhythms, the stylings, the building blocks of great jazz solos? Look no further, my friends. In this class, we’ll go deeper into jazz licks, rhythms, stylings, etc – everything that makes jazz music work, and jazz string playing in particular! Jazz is a language, a vocabulary, just like any other; we’ll endeavor to cover a lot in this class, and show you the ways to continue your journey! Dialect is also an important aspect of any language, of course, and in jazz, that can be found in accents, inflections, vibrato (or lack thereof), and bowing patterns that have worked well for jazz string players ranging from Stephane Grappelli, to Stuff Smith, to Paul Chambers.

8:15-9:30PM ET “How to Play Over Chord Changes I” (all levels)

SUNDAY, JANUARY 10TH:

9:00-10:15AM ET “All About Chopping I” (all levels)

Ah, chopping! In this class, we’ll go over lots of details regarding this extremely effective and modern technique. We’ll cover some of the mechanics, and we’ll learn various patterns (there are so many patterns to use for different meters, styles, and contexts!). We’ll also see how shuffle patterns relate closely to chop patterns, and how to employ both for maximum effectiveness. Ultimately, chopping is usually most effective when used “just right” in an ensemble context, and we’ll learn how that can change a lot depending on the ensemble. Come join!

10:30AM-11:45PM ET “All About Chopping II” (int/adv)

2:30-3:45PM ET “How to Play Over Chord Changes” (int/adv)

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