Bing Futch's Workshops

Bing Futch's Workshops

Mountain Dulcimer - Putting the FUN in Fundamental!

This workshop for all levels focuses on the basics of playing, from counting and strumming rhythms to playing scales and melodies over the drone.  It’s a great place to start, or a refresher for those that have been playing for a while.  We’ll learn a few exercises to develop memory, and we’ll play some tunes to try them out.

Mountain Dulcimer - Play the Most Popular Chords in the World in 3 Different Keys

In the jam, you may’ve heard the term “1-4-5 chords” and wondered what that meant, or you may be somewhat familiar with scale degrees, but are still not sure how to work with them.  This workshop presents a simple method of playing these chords in the three keys most likely to turn up in the jam: D, G, and A.  All skill levels welcome to sit in!

Mountain Dulcimer - How to Make Stuff Up (and Never Be Wrong)

Improvisation is a fancy word for “flying by the seat of your pants”, and believe it or not, this is not some kind of superpower that is only given to specific musicians.  Anyone can improvise, and I’ll show you an easy way to begin making it up as you go.  This will empower you to not only play along with any song confidently, but you’ll hold the keys to creating your own original music for fun!

Mountain Dulcimer - Buffett Tunes

This intermediate to advanced workshop is still open to all levels, but we’ll be taking on a couple of my arrangements of tunes from the late great Jimmy Buffett.  Those who didn’t attend the Florida Gulf Coast Dulcimer Retreat can still learn “Margaritaville”, and I’ll also be teaching “A Pirate Looks at 40”, which will require the 1+ fret.  I’ll also show you quick-and-easy riffs on some of his classic tunes.

Ukulele - What’s Up, Chuck?

The chuck is a powerful rhythmic tool that brings solid groove and dynamics to your playing, yet it is an elusive skill to bring into your toolbox.  I’ve developed a method for getting the chuck into your hands and your music in just one lesson!  We’ll work on the technique for the first half of the class, and then we’ll apply it to a number of groovy tunes that showcase its versatility.