Intro to Bluegrass Jamming
- Americana
- Bluegrass
- Country
- Folk
- In-Person Classes
- Instrumental
- Roots
**THIS IS AN IN-PERSON CLASS**
Plug yourself into the local roots music community with Intro to Bluegrass Jamming! This 4-week course provides budding bluegrass musicians with an overview of the format and “rules” of playing in a bluegrass jam session. The primary goal is to break down the various aspects of bluegrass jamming – playing rhythm, taking leads, verbal and non-verbal cues – and give folks the skills and confidence to join their local sessions, ensembles, band scrambles, and festival jams. Open to all acoustic musicians – voice, fiddle, mandolin, guitar, banjo, bass, dobro, harmonica, etc.
Pre-requisites:
comfortable playing open chords, moving between chords, and strumming basic rhythms
note: familiarity with your instrument is necessary for this class, familiarity with bluegrass is not!
Please bring a notebook, pencil, and recording device – your phone works great! Guitar and banjo players please bring a capo. For this style of jamming, guitar players should expect to use a flat pick, and banjo players to play 3-finger, or “Scruggs”, style.
This class will be held from 8:00-9:15pm ET on Tuesdays, July 29, Aug 5, 12, 19
Please note: The class will be held at The Passim School of Music which is located at 26 Church St. Cambridge, MA. Classrooms are located on the third floor and, unfortunately, we do not have an elevator.
Limited to 12 students (18 yrs of age or older); Pre-sales are highly encouraged! Online sale ends 1 hour before the class begins. Tickets can be purchased at the door. before the class begins. 4 students are required for this class to meet. If a class is cancelled due to low enrollment, you will be notified and receive a full refund.
Maxfield Anderson
- Bluegrass
- Roots
Maxfield Anderson is an American roots multi-instrumentalist, teacher, writer and music director, currently living in Somerville, MA. As an artist, Maxfield aims to bring new light to honored traditions and to share the joy of making music with others.
Growing up in Tulsa, Oklahoma, Maxfield’s home was filled with an array of musical styles. After years of playing violin, his attention was taken hold by bluegrass and western swing fiddle, quickly leading him to discover the mandolin. He moved to Boston to study mandolin and American roots music at Berklee College of Music. Additionally, Max is a proficient guitar player, and after a year of isolation, finally broke down and added clawhammer banjo to the repertoire.
Teaching music has always been a big part of Max’s artistry. He believes that traditional music is an excellent vessel for understanding an instrument and finding your own voice as a musician. Teaching at Club Passim since 2020, Max has taught group courses in Beginner & Intermediate Mandolin, Bluegrass Ensemble (co-taught with Trevin Nelson), and Intro to Tune Writing. He also offers private instruction on mandolin, fiddle, guitar, music theory, and tune writing out of his home studio.
In addition to performing and teaching, Maxfield recently wrote and music directed the ‘Homegrown Stringband’ roots trio at Cedar Point Amusement Park in Sandusky, OH. The trio performed authentic bluegrass, folk, and old time string band music throughout the summer season of 2022.
Maxfield graduated from Berklee College of Music with a BFA in Music Performance. He is an active gigging musician in the Boston music scene, and has toured throughout the Northeast playing listening rooms, ball rooms, bar rooms, back rooms, front porches and festival stages.
