Bluegrass Guitar: From Learning the Language to Jumping into a Jam

Learn the essential rhythm, runs, and flatpicking skills that bring bluegrass guitar to life.

 

Group Lessons For  Advanced Beginner to Intermediate Guitarists 

 

Tuesdays

September 15th –  November 3rd 

6pm – 7:15pm

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At Philly Music Factory, 2100 Chestnut Street

Led by Gabriel Furtado

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Registration deadline: September 11th

Only 12 spots available

 

About the Class:

Ready to take your guitar playing out of the practice room and into a bluegrass jam?

 

This eight-week group class will introduce you to the language of bluegrass guitar—from driving “boom-chuck” rhythm and classic bass runs to song accompaniment, jam etiquette, and your first flatpicked melodies.

 

We’ll learn a shared repertoire of bluegrass standards and practice playing them together in a relaxed, supportive setting. Along the way, you’ll develop the timing, listening skills, and confidence needed to make music with other people.

 

No previous bluegrass experience is required, but we’ll be splitting the class up between beginner and intermediate levels.

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What You’ll Learn:

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Over the eight-week series, we’ll work on:

•  Creating a strong bluegrass rhythm with bass notes and strums

• Playing foundational bass runs, including the classic G-run

• Using a capo to play comfortably in different keys

• Recognizing common bluegrass song forms and chord progressions

• Starting, ending, and transitioning between sections of a song

• Accompanying singers and other instruments

• Playing simple melodies and introductory flatpicking patterns

• Following jam etiquette and communicating with other musicians

• Building a repertoire of bluegrass songs you can play with others

 

By the end of the course, you’ll have the tools and repertoire to feel more at home at a welcoming beginner-friendly bluegrass jam.

 

Instruments and What to Bring:

 

Students are encouraged to bring their own steel-string acoustic guitar and pick.

 

A limited number of guitars may be available to use at the studio. Please contact Philly Music Factory in advance if you need an instrument by emailing vincelemuel@gmail.com.  There is an additional fee of $40 to reserve a guitar to use on our premises during classes through the session. 

 

Logistical Information:

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The class meets every Tuesday for eight weeks, from Tuesday September 15 through Tuesday, November 3rd, from 6 – 7:15 pm, at Philly Music Factory: 2100 Chestnut Street, 2nd Floor, Philadelphia, PA 19103

 

The entrance is on 21st Street between Chestnut and Sansom, between Damo and Monde Market. Go upstairs, turn left, and enter through the first red door on your left.

 

Because this is an ensemble-based class, each week builds on the material and repertoire from the previous sessions. If you expect to miss more than two classes or cannot arrive consistently on time, we encourage you to register for a future session when your schedule allows.

 

Tuition and Registration:

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The cost of the complete eight-week series is $176.

 

Students may pay:

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In full: $176

In two installments: $88

 

Choosing the installment option is a commitment to the complete eight-week series; it does not divide the course into two separate sessions. All payments are nonrefundable and subject to Philly Music Factory’s cancellation policy.

 

For all participants, payments are non-refundable; there is a 30-day cancellation policy and a $50 cancellation fee.

 

Register and pay in full:

https://clients.mindbodyonline.com/classic/ws?studioid=678538&stype=41&sTG=49&prodId=109057

 

Register with two payments:

https://clients.mindbodyonline.com/classic/ws?studioid=678538&stype=41&sTG=49&prodId=109058

 

Come learn the sound, feel, and vocabulary of bluegrass guitar—and discover how much more fun the instrument becomes when you play it with other people.