Welcome to Bluegrass Hawai`i! If you're looking for bluegrass and traditional music in the Hawaiian Islands, you've come to the right place. Our little community of music lovers from all over Hawai`i and the rest of the world is growing bigger every day. We're now offering paid memberships for only $10/year! Use your PayPal account or mail a check. Become a member today and support bluegrass and traditional music in the Aloha State! Or add yourself to our mailing list - it's FREE. CLICK HERE.

NEWS

First Beginner Guitar Class a Success!

January 5th, 2012

On January 5th, Bluegrass Hawaii sponsored its first free beginner guitar class, at Mike and Mayumi Spengel's home. Jeb Wiemer, a luthier by trade, organized and conducted the class. The class was specifically for students who had really never picked up or played a guitar before. Students brought or borrowed instruments for the class and those that couldn't were loaned instruments from Jeb and Mike. Jeb designed this class with one major goal to get students actually up and playing a 3-chord song in 30 minutes! Jeb began by getting everyone acquainted with the basic parts of the guitar, neck, frets, strings, bridge, and capo use. Jeb then had everyone grab a guitar tuner and he demonstrated its use and then had everyone re-tune their guitars from standard tuning to an open "G" tuning or what is commonly called in Hawaii "Taro Patch". This tuning is nothing new to bluegrass musicians as several commonly used bluegrass instruments use this tuning pattern such as the banjo and dobro or slide guitar.

After about 20 minutes of instruction and practice playing three chords, G, C, and D, the students' began following Jeb, who was assisted by Rick Foster, playing and singing "Will the Circle be Unbroken", a familiar and popular song made famous by many bluegrass artists. It only took a few verses and everyone was on time and track together! What a success!

The class was so widely appreciated by the students that Jeb decided to conduct another class the following Thursday evening which was attended by many of the same students along with some new students who had heard how great Jeb's first class was!

A big "Thanks" to Jeb and Mike Spengel for making this such a great success! Bluegrass Hawaii looks forward to seeing these new students playing along at our scheduled jam sessions!

THE NEXT BLUEGRASS IN THE KO'OLAUS DATE IS SET!!!

Mark your calendars!!! Our next Bluegrass in the Ko'oluas camping weekend at Ho'omaluhia will be the weekend of April 13 - 15. That's right folks, cheer yourself up after finally getting your taxes done and come join us for the best bluegrass jam around!

Keep checking back and we'll get more details up as soon as they become available!

DON'T MISS IT!

ALL ISLANDS

DON'T MISS THESE OTHER COOL EVENTS!

Don't miss these OTHER cool recurring events, with focus on traditional music, here and there all over the Hawaiian Islands! Some happen monthly or even quarterly. Others have gatherings several times per month! All are listed on our RECURRING EVENTS page.

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