Inter / Adv OT Fiddle - waitlist
Whether you are playing with a band, working on tunes and songs by yourself or looking for new techniques to add to your playing and practice, you will find something in this class! This class will focus on timing, tone, and groove to help bring more energy into your old-time fiddle tunes and help the music come to life.
John will give you lots of tips and techniques for the bowing arm and left hand work in harmony to make your playing feel, and sound, more natural. The first section of the class will look at specific old-time tunes that will teach and fine tune core bowing patterns and techniques of the style. This will help students set their own learning goals for the week and beyond. The class will then turn its attention to groove and feel, which will help students set a rhythmic mood and tone in their playing from the onset of the tune. Throughout the course of the week, John will demonstrate easy exercises and practice workouts that will help students to master the instrument and make playing these tunes and techniques more effective.
John Showman
Classically trained in violin since childhood, Toronto-based John Showman has folded the sheet music and emerged as one of the most dynamic, original, and exciting fiddlers in bluegrass music today. John also has the rare ability to understand the subtleties of old-time fiddle as well: to wit, he won 1st place in the 2011 Fiddle Contest in Clifftop, West Virginia.
He has been instrumental in the Canadian roots and bluegrass scene, notably for his involvement in three stylistically-contrasting, Toronto-based bands𝄖The Foggy Hogtown Boys, Creaking Tree String Quartet, and his brainchild, the alternative country band New Country Rehab. John is here with us this week as a member of his awesome old-time and folk group The Lonesome Ace Stringband with Chris Coole and Max Malone. We're excited to have John back at NimbleFingers!
