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The Blues and Rags of Gary Davis and the Piedmont Tradition

Level 2/3

Although he was a unique voice, Rev Davis was clearly part of a larger tradition. It formed him as he reformed it. In these classes, Ernie will will talk about the Piedmont style as a whole, talking about some important players and showing students some of great songs that come out of this history. Libba Cotton, Sylvester Weaver, Blind Blake and Blind Boy Fuller tunes will be worked on, all with an ear tuned to Rev. Davis’ style with an emphasis on his secular repertoire. On the one hand, the Rev was an ace at imitating other guitarists while at the same time he was a great teacher, deeply influencing players like Fuller. This in mind, his style was further deepened by listening to piano players, popular songs and even jazz bands.

This is a workshop for diehard acoustic blues fans. Beginning with introductions, Ernie will tailor his presentation for the specific interests of the participants, but feature style, repertoire and theory. The examples are drawn from the accessible models of Texas blues and East coast ragtime-blues fingerpicking, particularly the style of Rev. Gary Davis. We will also touch upon the CAGED system which decodes the fingerboard. As a followup, this session can be supplemented by Ernie's instructional DVDs.

• 10/26/12 - 10/29/12
• Tribute to the Rev. Gary Davis
• Apply Now!

Acoustic Guitar: CAGED System

Level 2/3

Ever watch a blues or jazz guitarist running effortlessly all over the neck and wonder how it is done? The CAGED System provides the answer. Called the "logic of the fretboard", this is an accessible, easy method that brings theory into your fingers and into musical action. You will learn how blues may be played in any position along the neck, in any key. This system associates all the chord inversions with the passing chords that connect them. Thus It enables transposition of any chord, chord progression, scale, arpeggio, or riff. This is the kind of knowledge that sets you free!

About Ernie Hawkins

In his early teens, Ernie Hawkins was already a budding Piedmont-style guitarist when he first heard Rev Gary Davis' Harlem Street Singer. Since that moment he has remained permanently gobsmacked. At the age of eighteen, in 1965, he moved to New York City expressly to find the already legendary Rev. He spent years absorbing the Rev's brilliant style in hopes of making it his own, and even dreaming it on. Over 45 years later, he's still working it out. Starting with The Gospel Guitar of RGD, he has recorded acclaimed instructional DVDs covering the Rev's wide repertoire of gospel, blues, rags, minstrel tunes, country tunes, popular songs and originals. He has devoted decades to playing and teaching this music all over the world.

Ernie Hawkins plays with a blend of personal experience of the acoustic blues that was passed on to him directly from some of the original masters (Rev. Gary Davis, Son House and Mississippi Fred McDowell, for examples.) It is inspiring to hear him as he weaves so cleanly the bass, middle and treble voices of the guitar into a fabric of time gone by. Ernie is a disciple of a form of Blues nearly lost in our times, that of the Piedmont style of guitar. Its complexity and beauty has a direct African link that speaks directly from and to the soul. Every Hawkins performance, live or recorded, achieves perfection balancing his passionate love of pre-war acoustic blues and honest songwriting. The genuine musical soul of Blind Willie McTell, Rev. Gary Davis and others are revived with every strum and pick. www.erniehawkins.com

Multimedia

Coming Soon!!