Camp Tunefox 2020 Mandolin Curriculum

Here are the topics for Tristan Scroggins's and Casey Campbell's mandolin classes at Camp Tunefox 2020. Each day features a theme for the teacher to base their lessons on. Day 1 is Backup & Groove, Day 2 is Melody, and Day 3 is Creativity/Improvisation.

The deadline to sign up for camp is May 14 at midnight EST.

Learn more about camp and reserve your spot at https://www.tunefox.com/camp/.

Tristan Scroggins's Class Topics:

Friday (Backup & Groove):

• Beg/Int. Class – Exercise Bootcamp. We’ll learn as many left and right hand exercises (mostly left) as we can. Tab will be provided for almost everything covered but will be taught by ear first. It is not necessary to read tab to do well in class.
• Advanced Class – Advanced Techniques for Mandolin Take your playing to the next level! Topics to be covered include different ways to play backup, making a melody more musical, and ornamentations.

Saturday (Melody):

• Beg/Int. Class – Double Stops. We’ll learn how to find most of the major and minor double stops and discuss some of their applications in songs and tunes. Tab will be provided for almost everything covered but will be taught by ear first. It is not necessary to read tab to do well in class.
• Advanced Class – Building a Bluegrass Solo. We’ll use the Flatt and Scruggs recording of Your Love is Like a Flower to build a mandolin solo and learn how to add more expression and musicality without deviating from the melody. Tab will be provided for almost everything covered but will be taught by ear first. It is not necessary to read tab to do well in class.

Sunday (Creativity/Improv):

• Beg/Int. Class – Tremolo. Learn the basics of tremolo and how to use it to create more emotion in your playing. It’s more than just subdivisions!
• Advanced Class – Intro to Crosspicking. Learn to roll on the mandolin! At least half of this class will take place above the 7th fret so be warned! We’ll discuss the history and evolution of mandolin crosspicking and discuss topics such as pick direction, roll patterns, crosspicking applications, interpreting melody, and crosspicking as backup. Tab will be provided for almost everything covered but will be taught by ear first. It is not necessary to read tab to do well in class.

Casey Campbell's Class Topics:

Friday (Backup & Groove):

• Beg/Int. Class - Walk The Dog: Incorporating walking bass lines into your mandolin rhythm.
• Advanced Class – Less Is More: The mandolin’s role in band, trio, and duo settings.

Saturday (Melody):

• Beg/Int. Class – Up High, Down Low: Tips for learning tunes in different octaves.
• Advanced Class – Break It Down: You ever think about how many notes are in a song? Most of them aren’t necessary. Let’s see how many we can take out while maintaining the song's identity.

Sunday (Creativity/Improv):

• Beg/Int. Class - I Like The Sound of That: Stealing ideas from other instruments.
• Advanced Class – Interval Training: Learning the intervals between two notes is a key part to connecting the music in your head to your fingertips.