Wednesdays, 5:30-6:45 pm, beginning September 11
$120.00 advance / $130.00 after September 2
Register online

This class is for rhythm guitarists who want to start picking melodic breaks to songs and instrumentals. We'll build on the style of Maybelle Carter, utilizing comfortable fingering positions where it's easy to find the tune. You'll come away with the solid building blocks for developing into a lead player.

Eric took up the guitar as a teenager in Palo Alto, California in the early 1960's. Among his earliest bands were the Black Mountain Boys and Mother McCree's Uptown Jug Champions (both with Jerry Garcia). He quickly became nationally known as an exceptional lead flatpicker, winning the World Championship Cup at Union Grove, North Carolina with the New York Ramblers (which also included David Grisman) and flying to Nashville to record Beatle Country with the Charles River Valley Boys. Eric currently performs with his wife Suzy Thompson, and as a member of several Bay Area bands, including the Bluegrass Intentions, the Blue Flame String Band, the Todalo Shakers, and the Aux Cajunals. His BRAND NEW CD is Kleptograss, in which he "steals" from other musical genres, including Blues, Old-time, Caribbean, and Greek, as well as Swing (both French & Western!).

Eric is a knowledgeable and patient teacher, who gives lessons privately and has also been a staff member at Augusta Heritage Festival, Puget Sound Guitar Workshop, Port Townsend Festival of American Fiddle Tunes, Ashokan Fiddle & Dance Camp, and Lark In the Morning. His three guitar instructional videos are distributed by Stefan Grossman's Guitar Workshop. Eric also has several book/lesson CD publications with Mel Bay, and writes columns for Flatpicking Guitar and Acoustic Guitar magazines. He co-authored "Bluegrass Guitar - Know The Players, Play The Music" published by Backbeat Books.

www.bluegrassintentions.com/eric.htm