700 Get That Guitar* From Under the Bed... And Learn by Ear (*or fiddle/violin, mandolin, bass, uke)
Class | Registration opens 2/9/2026 11:00 AM
This course is for beginners who have played some but maybe not much recently. You need to be able to 1) sing “do re mi fa sol la ti do” and 2) play a scale or some chords on a stringed instrument (guitar, bass, violin family/fiddle, mandolin, ukulele) that you can bring to class. Bring a smart phone for several uses.
You can expect to:
- learn three to five songs or tunes by ear.
- sing, hum, and play in front of your classmates.
- learn a little music theory.
- discuss the challenges and advantages of learning by ear.
- discuss books on how people get really good at something (like music), and see why continuing to learn to play is not just for the young!
- help each other in small groups.
- explore what kinds of practice will be most effective for you.
Participants are expected to have an email account.The FIRST session of this course on Thursday, March 12 will be held as a meeting with the individual student at the Spring Run Conference Room, 115 Farley Circle, Lewisburg. The instructor, Carl Kirby, will be in contact with each participant to schedule this initial meeting. After that, the class will meet in six sessions, Thursday, March 19-April 23.
REQUIRED TEXTS/MATERIALS:
- Turknett, Josh. The Immutable Laws of Brainjo (2020).
If you can’t find the paperback, try https://clawhammerbanjo.net/the-immutable-laws-of-brainjo-the-art-and-science-of-effective-practice/ for a free copy.
- A stringed instrument.
- A smart phone if possible.
Also recommended, but not required, as an additional resource for students is Peak: Secrets from the New Science of Expertise, by Anders Ericsson and Robert Pool (2017).
Carl Kirby
CARL KIRBY taught geology and geochemistry at Bucknell for 29 years. He also had another life. Starting in school as a trombonist, he moved into several genres of acoustic music on guitar, acoustic bass, fiddle and mandolin. He has been in about a dozen bands and many jam sessions featuring folky stuff, old country, Appalachian old-time, bluegrass, swing, Celtic, and jazz. Carl loves to share ideas and practices with other musicians.