Guitar and Voice | Jefferson Hamer | All Levels | Period 3 | Week 4 (July 27-31, 2026)
This guitar class is open to all abilities, but participants should have a knowledge of and facility with open chords. We will examine the basics of pick-based and fingerstyle acoustic guitar, especially as an instrument for accompanying the voice, and build on the fundamental boom-chuck style. The goal here will be to make use of the down and back beats to create a more dynamic sound. We will also incorporate melodic basics such as bass walks, chord theory and substitution, drones, simple fills, alternate tunings, and creative left-hand positioning, as time permits.
About the Instructor
Jefferson Hamer is a guitarist, songwriter, traditional musician, and producer of studio recordings. He is best known for his collaborations with Anais Mitchell (Child Ballads, recipient of a BBC2 Folk Award), Sarah Jarosz (as guitarist and harmony singer on her Grammy-nominated Blue Heron Suite), Session Americana, and other solo artists including Kristin Andreassen, Reed Foehl, and Laura Cortese. His original songs are featured on his self-released albums and singles, including the full-length Alameda. Perhaps his most enduring collaboration is The Murphy Beds, a harmony-rich folk duo with Irish musician and songwriter Eamon O’Leary, featuring a self-titled LP and the follow-up Easy Way Down. He lives in Brooklyn, NY.