“Paul has always made me feel as if I was the only student he had." R. Krieger
"Paul has not only taught me to play guitar, he has taught me to understand music." R. Dzioba
Private Lessons:
Spend 30-45 minutes each week from September - June in private lessons tailored to your needs and desires.
All levels - from campfire to stage - are welcomed.
Monday throughThursday at South Island Studio
1905 Davie Street, Victoria (near the Jubilee Hospital)
Contact Lonny Koch, 250-592-3501 info@southislandstudio.com to book lessons.
Spend 30-45 minutes each week from September - June in private lessons tailored to your needs and desires.
All levels - from campfire to stage - are welcomed.
Monday throughThursday at South Island Studio
1905 Davie Street, Victoria (near the Jubilee Hospital)
Contact Lonny Koch, 250-592-3501 info@southislandstudio.com to book lessons.
Student Songs: (click song title to listen)
The End Leo and Paul exchange licks on this Beatles Classic, thanks Ringo and Paul Mc. for the cool backup.
Sidney to Arial Love this tune Nate wrote and performs all by his lonesome. Copyright, all rights reserved.
Gimme Sympathy Jen singing and playing with a little metronome help from me and Metric.
Heart in Hand Peter wrote this at one of the songwriting workshops and I think he was using all the chords he knew at the time. Great job Peter, all rights reserved.
Sidney to Arial Love this tune Nate wrote and performs all by his lonesome. Copyright, all rights reserved.
Gimme Sympathy Jen singing and playing with a little metronome help from me and Metric.
Heart in Hand Peter wrote this at one of the songwriting workshops and I think he was using all the chords he knew at the time. Great job Peter, all rights reserved.
Workshops - schedule and detail listed below:
2-4 hours in length, workshops are a focussed musical blast on a specific topic, and a fun way to shake up the brain cells, or get over a musical plateau. Workshops fall under two main categories: acoustic guitar technique, and songwriting studies. My goal with the workshops is to engage, inspire, and provide you with material and practices that will significantly move you ahead in your playing and/or writing.
They're fun too.
2-4 hours in length, workshops are a focussed musical blast on a specific topic, and a fun way to shake up the brain cells, or get over a musical plateau. Workshops fall under two main categories: acoustic guitar technique, and songwriting studies. My goal with the workshops is to engage, inspire, and provide you with material and practices that will significantly move you ahead in your playing and/or writing.
They're fun too.
Workshop Schedule:
GUITAR STYLE WORKSHOPS:
Delta Blues Fingerpicking - Four Song, Four Masters
Click To Hear Sample
Four great songs are studied to get an overview of the techniques of Delta Blues Fingerpicking. Instruction is given for easy, intermediate and expert ways to perform the songs. You take home a CD of me playing the guitar parts clearly at manageable speeds, and complete accurate tabs of the music.
Delta Blues Fingerpicking - Four Song, Four Masters
Click To Hear Sample
Four great songs are studied to get an overview of the techniques of Delta Blues Fingerpicking. Instruction is given for easy, intermediate and expert ways to perform the songs. You take home a CD of me playing the guitar parts clearly at manageable speeds, and complete accurate tabs of the music.
Introduction to Slide Guitar in Open Tunings
Click to Hear Sample
We learn to play riffs, fills and accompaniment for several Delta Blues classics. The focus is on understanding the new tunings and how to use the slide effectively. Take home complete tabs and "how to play" recordings of the main parts for four songs.
Click to Hear Sample
We learn to play riffs, fills and accompaniment for several Delta Blues classics. The focus is on understanding the new tunings and how to use the slide effectively. Take home complete tabs and "how to play" recordings of the main parts for four songs.
Guitar Fingerstyle Essentials
Click to Hear Sample
A focused look at the main fingerpicking styles used to play popular music: arpeggio style, alternate bass (Travis), chord melody, and "Ma Carter". We also look at the percussive techniques of modern players. You get a 25 page book of graduated exercises designed to lead you through the fundamentals of each style. Plus, take home tabs with recorded examples (played slowly) of songs that illustrate the styles.
Click to Hear Sample
A focused look at the main fingerpicking styles used to play popular music: arpeggio style, alternate bass (Travis), chord melody, and "Ma Carter". We also look at the percussive techniques of modern players. You get a 25 page book of graduated exercises designed to lead you through the fundamentals of each style. Plus, take home tabs with recorded examples (played slowly) of songs that illustrate the styles.
Bruce Cockburn: Acoustic
The workshop’s main focus will be: how Bruce plays the songs solo, the nuts and bolts of how he does it. I’ve selected 10 songs as representative of his acoustic music: Sunwheel Dance, Pacing the Cage, Wondering Where the Lions Are, Momma Just Wants to Barrelhouse, Last Night of the World, Lovers in a Dangerous Time, Tokyo, Tie Me at the Crossroads, Going to the Country, World of Wonders, and How I Spent My Fall Vacation. Ok, that’s 11.
As usual, lots of tab provided to take home for future study and lots of hands on playing and assistance at the workshop. Bruce is a great player, but don’t be intimidated! He has some four chord songs and I always strive to give a version of the songs you can play while you build your skills.
The workshop’s main focus will be: how Bruce plays the songs solo, the nuts and bolts of how he does it. I’ve selected 10 songs as representative of his acoustic music: Sunwheel Dance, Pacing the Cage, Wondering Where the Lions Are, Momma Just Wants to Barrelhouse, Last Night of the World, Lovers in a Dangerous Time, Tokyo, Tie Me at the Crossroads, Going to the Country, World of Wonders, and How I Spent My Fall Vacation. Ok, that’s 11.
As usual, lots of tab provided to take home for future study and lots of hands on playing and assistance at the workshop. Bruce is a great player, but don’t be intimidated! He has some four chord songs and I always strive to give a version of the songs you can play while you build your skills.
Neil Young: Acoustic
This workshop is a survey of Neil Young's acoustic guitar style (and a few electric tunes). You get tabs, tips, chord progressions, and recordings. My main study has been recordings of Neil playing these tunes solo. We look at his great hammer-on techniques, simple but effective rhythmic variety, modal chords, alternate tunings and great acoustic guitar riffs.
Song List: Long May You Run, Harvest Moon, Out on the Weekend, Sugar Mountain, Comes a Time, Old Man, Heart of Gold, Needle and the Damage Done, Tell Me Why, Helpless, Don't Let It Bring You Down, Out of the Blue, Cinnamon Girl, The Old Laughing Lady. Open to other song suggestions if you get 'em in to me in advance.
This workshop is a survey of Neil Young's acoustic guitar style (and a few electric tunes). You get tabs, tips, chord progressions, and recordings. My main study has been recordings of Neil playing these tunes solo. We look at his great hammer-on techniques, simple but effective rhythmic variety, modal chords, alternate tunings and great acoustic guitar riffs.
Song List: Long May You Run, Harvest Moon, Out on the Weekend, Sugar Mountain, Comes a Time, Old Man, Heart of Gold, Needle and the Damage Done, Tell Me Why, Helpless, Don't Let It Bring You Down, Out of the Blue, Cinnamon Girl, The Old Laughing Lady. Open to other song suggestions if you get 'em in to me in advance.
Beatles: Acoustic
Acoustic guitar is the foundation for many of the Beatles great recordings. It is also the instrument of choice in the demos they used to introduce new songs. John, Paul, and George were great acoustic guitar players. Check out Lennon’s flat-picking on “Hide Your Love Away” and his alternate bass fingerpicking on “Julia” and “Dear Prudence”; McCartney’s “Try to See it My Way” verse flat-picking and his unique fingerpicking style on “Mother Nature’s Son” and “Blackbird”; and Harrison’s demo of “While My Guitar Gently Weeps” and his “Here Comes the Sun”. Guitar in hand we learn how to play these songs and more. Lots of material provided for take home study.
Acoustic guitar is the foundation for many of the Beatles great recordings. It is also the instrument of choice in the demos they used to introduce new songs. John, Paul, and George were great acoustic guitar players. Check out Lennon’s flat-picking on “Hide Your Love Away” and his alternate bass fingerpicking on “Julia” and “Dear Prudence”; McCartney’s “Try to See it My Way” verse flat-picking and his unique fingerpicking style on “Mother Nature’s Son” and “Blackbird”; and Harrison’s demo of “While My Guitar Gently Weeps” and his “Here Comes the Sun”. Guitar in hand we learn how to play these songs and more. Lots of material provided for take home study.
Saturday Afternoon Jam
Whenever we can manage it Lonny (owner of South Island Studios) and I like to host a Saturday afternoon jam session. Our goal for these sessions is lots and lots of opportunity to learn to improvise in a supportive and fun environment. We encourage participants to present songs and we also provide tips and things to try in the jamming. Our combined 40 odd years of experience as professional musicians and teachers is available to you. But we aren't there to lecture, we're there to play music!
Whenever we can manage it Lonny (owner of South Island Studios) and I like to host a Saturday afternoon jam session. Our goal for these sessions is lots and lots of opportunity to learn to improvise in a supportive and fun environment. We encourage participants to present songs and we also provide tips and things to try in the jamming. Our combined 40 odd years of experience as professional musicians and teachers is available to you. But we aren't there to lecture, we're there to play music!
SONGWRITER WORKSHOPS:
Early Beatles - A Songwriter's Study
Click to Hear Sample
From the first EMI studio visit on June 6, 1962 to the first million seller released on Aug. 23, 1963 we see (hear) a quick mastery of pop songwriting. We study the main songs written on this path. I will provide an overview of this period of the Beatles' songwriting. Yeah, Yeah, Yeah.
Early Beatles - A Songwriter's Study
Click to Hear Sample
From the first EMI studio visit on June 6, 1962 to the first million seller released on Aug. 23, 1963 we see (hear) a quick mastery of pop songwriting. We study the main songs written on this path. I will provide an overview of this period of the Beatles' songwriting. Yeah, Yeah, Yeah.
Leonard Cohen: A Songwriter's Study
Click to Hear Sample
"Stick with a song long enough and it will yield", says Leonard Cohen. Well he practiced what he preached. I present an overview of Leonard's writing with revealing information about his chord progressions, melodies and forms. To keep the study of his songs real we keep guitars (or pianos) in hand throughout. You get guitar tabs and lyric/chord info for important Leonard Cohen songs.
Click to Hear Sample
"Stick with a song long enough and it will yield", says Leonard Cohen. Well he practiced what he preached. I present an overview of Leonard's writing with revealing information about his chord progressions, melodies and forms. To keep the study of his songs real we keep guitars (or pianos) in hand throughout. You get guitar tabs and lyric/chord info for important Leonard Cohen songs.