This page is devoted to the Level 1 classes being offered at 10 and 1:30pm. To find links to other time periods or classes at other levels, please see the Schedule Overview page.
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Jack Soref — Duckett 101
Sound & Chords (Dark Eyes)
In this class we will start to build our rhythm foundation by exploring the right & left hand technique and chord shapes that will help you get “the sound”.
Andrew Brown — Duckett 103
Coquette
Learn to play la pompe from square one: chord shapes, technique, and swing.
Jack Soref — Duckett 101
Building Your Vocabulary & Making the Changes (Dark Eyes)
In this class, we will develop some simple building blocks for soloing over chord changes, and learn some fun idiomatic licks, to get you started (or continuing to grow) as a soloist.
Andrew Brown — Duckett 103
Coquette
Melody, basic arpeggio shapes, licks, and no pressure improvisation exercises!
Jack Soref — Duckett 101
Swing 39: Chord Shapes Big and Small & More Sound
In this class, we will continue to develop our vocabulary of chord voicings so you can move through chord progressions with relative ease. We will also review how to get a good rhythm sound.
Andrew Brown — Duckett 103
Daphne
Continuing our rhythm studies on a rhythm changes song with different approaches and tips for brighter tempos.
Jack Soref — Duckett 101
Swing 39: Soloing Melodically
In this class we will learn how to use choice parts of the melodies of lots of different tunes, as well as fun hummable phrases from Django’s solos, to build easy-to-play melodic solos of our own
Andrew Brown — Duckett 103
Daphne
Learn the melody and basic lines and improv using the ‘call – call – respond’ grammatical pattern of phrasing on rhythm changes.
Jack Soref — Duckett 101
Bossa Dorado/Troublant Bolero: Rhythms Beyond Swing
In this class, we will explore the rhythmic figures and techniques we use when we play Bossas, Sambas, Rhumbas, Funk/R&B, and Boleros in a Django-style context.
Andrew Brown — Duckett Dining Room
Bossa Dorado
Break up the swing and learn a completely different style: gypsy bossa!
Jack Soref — Duckett 101
Honeysuckle Rose: Playing with Expression & More Django Style Vocab
In this class we will work on our vibrato, how we get different sounds out of the guitar, and we will continue to build our Django-style vocabulary.
Andrew Brown — Duckett Dining Room
Bossa Dorado
Learn the melody and basic improvisation shapes of this famous tune, and figure out how to phrase over the bossa feel.
Jack Soref — Duckett 101
Je Suis Seul ce Soir and Requests: Ballads and Putting It All Together
In this class, we will revisit the topics from the rest of the week, talk about what and how to practice going forward and explore the wonderful world of ballad playing. If you have questions about a specific tune, please bring them up here.
Andrew Brown — Duckett Dining Room
Joseph Joseph
Work on playing at slightly higher tempos on this minor jam tune.
Jack Soref — Duckett 101
Je Suis Seul ce Soir/Joseph Joseph: Putting it All Together & International One Note Solo Day
In this class we will review, and build on our Django Style Vocabulary, how to use our licks when it’s actually time to solo, how to build your sound, and we’ll play an improvisation game that never fails to be a little bit magical.
Andrew Brown — Duckett Dining Room
Joseph Joseph
Learn the melody, triads, and underlying scale to use to make music of your own, as well as tips for improvisation on faster tempos.