Conceived in 1989 by Jorma & Vanessa Kaukonen, The Fur Peace Ranch is nestled in the rolling foothills of southeast Ohio. It is a place where both budding and seasoned musicians can immerse themselves and emerge with renewed inspiration and tangible progress in their music. Workshops are held throughout the Summer and into the Fall. Upcoming bass workshops are taught by master musicians Kai Eckardt and Bobby Vega.
Couples Weekend, July 29 - August 1 | Kai Eckardt, Universal Bass – The Next Frontier
Kai Eckardt's background in music as in life has been bi-racial and multi-cultural. The combination of being raised in my father’s native Liberia/West-Africa and my mother’s Germany have forced me to find the common denominators in very opposing worlds.
Kai share some of these discoveries with you in his workshop with fun exercises, listening examples and interactive studies. They will include how to build solid bass lines from scratch and various meters and feels, how rhythm and harmony works and how you can navigate through a song with confidence. We will also look at how to approach a solo over chord-changes and how to set up your own practice drills so you can evolve autonomously with enthusiasm and healthy self-motivation.
Going back to the “why and how” of things, we will be addressing not only the physical aspects of playing the bass, but also the psychological dimensions which ultimately decide over whether you stagnate or advance along your musical path. For beginners and masters alike – the path remains eternal. (http://bit.ly/1T8Yw51)
Pick n Putt, September 23-26 (includes motorcycle rides through the countryside) | Bobby Vega, Bass - All About the Groove
Bobby will take his 43 years of playing experiences and use that as a starting point to expand on your knowledge of the bass guitar. He has been blessed to accompany some great artists over the years; starting with my experience playing with Sly Stone as a teenager and then going on to play with such greats as Paul Butterfield, Billy Preston, Etta James, Bob Weir, Joan Baez, Tower of Power, Kitaro, Santana and Jerry Garcia......and of course my long term collaborations with Steve Kimock/Zero/KVHW. What I have found to be the most important part in my playing, through all styles of music, is the groove and this workshop will be ALL ABOUT THE GROOVE!
We will explore how to get a better pocket.....groove.....that will make your band mates smile. He believes one of the many jobs of the bass player is to accompany your fellow musician or musicians with a sensitivity for how to best help them tell their story. So, you will look at the importance of accompaniment.
In studying the groove you will look at chords, licks and harmonics. You will study tonal techniques and tonal qualities to add some feel to your playing. Other elements such as volume control and the importance of dynamics will be studied.
What Bobby usually tell folks is "I practice by playing.....running through major and minor scales and taking off from there. This workshop will give us plenty of time to play together and learn together and above all.... have some fun!" (http://bit.ly/1TFp0F7)
