Bob MacLean

COACHING & WORKSHOPS

          Coming up Feb 3,   7 pm start @ 

    Fixed Gear Brewing – Canteen and Restaurant

              Acoustic Guitar Coaching in a Pub! 

I have done a lot of lessons/workshops/coaching over the years and am up for trying something new.  I’m inviting acoustic guitar players to meet up at Fixed Gear Canteen in an open group format to work on acoustic guitar issues YOU may have. Your issue(s) is/are likely shared by others so, as we address each issue, I hope others will enjoy and benefit from the group dynamic approach. 

  • Do you want to know more about altered tunings
    • DADGAD, Drop D, Double Drop D, Open D, Open G? 
  • Need to understand capos better? 
  • Fingerpicking?  Cross picking?   Strumming is getting boring? 
  • Exploring different riffs, fills, middle eights?
  • Right hand techniques need help?
  • Playing in duos – Do’s and Don’ts… 
  • Have a song needing a different approach?
  • How to make a song your own …
  • Your issue goes HERE…..

No need to sign up… Just come….                                                         I’ll be at Fixed Gear Canteen for a 7 pm start on:                                                          Tuesday Feb 3  - 7 pm  

More dates pending.                            

Mark your calendar, bring your guitar (you’re going to need it), bring your issues, order up a beer, and together we’ll see where this goes.  Pay What You Can - suggested $10-20, (lessons in town start at $30-40 for a half hour.) 

Fixed Gear Canteen – 5 Edinburgh Road in Guelph

Bob MacLean
Folksinger/Guitarist
Acoustic Guitar Coach/Workshop Leader 
.... | Cell: 519-835-7111 
.... | Email: argyle@sympatico.ca
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Welcome to my Workshops tab.

I’ve had LOTS of students in the past who came with a collection of songs they want to do but:

1/ Are stuck on how to play them beyond basic strum patterns

 OR 

2/ They want to do something different with them to make the songs their own.  

Riffing, fills, intros, bridges, middle 8s, arranging, playing in duos/trios, fingerstyle vs picking vs strumming, altered tunings, capo-ing, arranging songs….

We can address these in a number of ways:

OPTIONS

1/  I can offer one-on-one coaching to address your specific need/desire:

This could be a one-hour session, this could be multiple sessions.  We do what it takes to meet your need.

2/  I can put on workshops in your community to address common challenges. 

  • PICKING & STRUMMING Workshop - 1.5 - 2 hours x 3

Three Night Workshop on Right Hand Techniques for Acoustic Pickers

This is for guitar players who want to take their playing up a notch & do something new.   

We’ll cover:

  • A fresh look at using a guitar pick 
  • Strumming styles – review basics and move on
  • Travis/Piedmont picking & beyond 
  • Right hand techniques  
  • Palm mute
  • Hybrid picking/frailing
  • Back Beat strumming 
  • Intro to blue-grass crosspicking style

 

  • ALTERED STATES  Workshop – 1.5 - 2 hours x 3

If you are comfortable with standard chords and want to know more about altered tunings – this workshop is for you. Knowledge of music theory not needed.  Over 3 nights we’ll explore 

- Drop D, 

- Double Drop D, and 

- DADGAD 

 

  • ACCOMPANYING OTHERS -1.5 - 2 hours

We explore the guitar in new & different ways.  Many of us know what it is like to work out chords to songs to accompany ourselves. Accompanying others builds on this and pushes us to:

  • Move beyond traditional strumming and fingering chords & patterns 
  • Break song down into sections and review what to play in each section. 
  • Know when to play, when not to play
  • Develop arrangements beyond verse/chorus/campfire strumming

For the purposes of this workshop, we will explore 

  • Accompanying a solo singer, and 
  • Accompanying a singer/guitarist or singer/pianist

I also offer workshops on

  • Accompanying in celtic/trad sessions
  • Celtic Guitar basics
  • Making a song your own
  • How to best use a capo
  • Song arranging

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