Why do you go to a guitar camp?

[TBman]

Just curious. Is it really a just a vacation with a guitar theme?

I know that for me to learn a finger style song I have to practice my fingers off for hours, days and many times weeks and months unless it is something very basic.

So what do you learn in a week, other than you need more practice? I mean, they can't teach you dexterity or muscle memory, you have to actually do it.

[muscmp]

ideas that you can take further.

play music!

[tonyo]

Good question. I was skeptical about going to a guitar camp because much of what I learn takes me weeks to incorporate into my playing. So I was concerned I'd get information overload and be unable to take it all in.

Turns out that was true but what was also true was I learned heaps of things I never expected to. And the socializing with other players was very good and that's helped me recently as I was evaluating new amps and asked my friends on fb if they had any likes / dislikes about the model I was looking at. Turns out 2 guys from the camp owned the amp and were able to give me really good info on it.

We were fortunate to have a luthier giving presentations at the camp as well and I learned lots about guitars I didn't expect to.

The camp also pushed me from being resistant to learning theory to embracing it. The camp was an experience I'm very glad I undertook and I plan to do one again maybe in another year or so.

[Earl49]

I've been to a bunch of week long camps (16 at last count). The reasons I go are:
- learning directly from some big name musicians in small classes
- hanging out for a week away from life
- hobnobbing with 60-80 of my newest, bestest guitar buddies
- all guitar, all the time for a week (hard to do in "real" life)
- late night jams around the campfire
- seeing all the various cool guitars that people bring
- the food (never had bad meals for a week of camp)
- learning things from fellow campers
- learning new songs (I always came back with 5-10 songs needed for next year's camp fire)

A week of camp is like a year of lessons -- drinking from a fire hose. You cannot get it all right then, but it plants seeds that spring forth months later in unexpected ways. I've had experiences like turning to Laurence Juber at the camp fire and saying, "Take a solo, LJ", or watching David Wilcox play from six feet away, or having Keola Beamer open his eyes after listening to me play under a palm tree and say, "You really get it man, You get slack-key". Or having Pete Huttlinger show me how to get a certain part of Deep River Blues under my fingers after dinner. Or any of literally dozens of similar memories from camps.

Yeah, I'm a fan...... best vacations I've ever had, and I usually come away with at least three new finger style tunes. They need more polishing before they are stage-ready, to be sure, but the skeleton is there.

[guitargabor]

You will get exposure to different techniques that you have not been exposed to before.
If you and the instruction “click” you may advance beyond what you can do alone.
I attended a lesson which formed a solid base for me to really become proficient in lead playing.
Even though the pace can be intensive you always come away with a certain element that was lacking before.

I think the best thing is that you will gain insight into your overall musicianship.

[SprintBob]

And you can even talk about non-guitar things with the instructors. I have a fond memory of a conversation with Tommy Emmanuel at the breakfast table talking about real estate, and he started it! It’s cool that he (and others like Frank Vignola, John Knowles, Vinny Ramiolo, Richard Smith, etc) is a real genuine person around us mere mortals.

[Gcunplugged]

I wasn’t sure myself, but last year decided to bite the bullet for the first time. We went to George Kahumoku Jr’s Slack Key Guitar and Ukulele workshop. We honestly thought it would be a once-n-done kinda thing so we could say “been there and done that”.

As it turns out, we enjoyed it so much that we signed up to go back the day that registration opened.
- great instruction by big time players
- open mic night with one of them backing me up (Jeff Peterson)
- private lessons in addition to group sessions
- being allowed to record anything you want so you can go home and digest it in the future
- hanging with really cool, like-minded people

I could go on...
Gary

[Big Band Guitar]

Spending a week with 150 people with the same mental defect.........priceless.

I have been going to Ashokan Western and Swing Week for many years.

My wife talked me into going to the Johnny Gimble camp many years ago and I have been hooked ever since.

[Pitar]

I think the social aspect would be the draw. Birds of a feather...

[merlin666]

What kind of skill level are these camps usually designed for?

[BluesyRob]

All of the above. I will be attending Ashokan guitar camp this year for the 3rd time. The last 2 years I got to study with Del Rey. In 2016 also learned from Mike Dowling and Beppe Gambetta.
This upcoming summer will be special for me. Happy Traum will be there. My old landlord gave me a Homespun finger picking blues DVD by Happy and it changed my life! I just want to shake the guy's hand and say thanks. Mary Flower will also be there. I took some of her lessons from JamPlay. Beppe will also be there again this year.
I think one of the most cathartic experiences is on the last day there's a jam session and Jay Ungar plays Ashokan Farewell and then we all join in. The only downside to that is it means it's time to say goodbye for another year.

[Big Band Guitar]

Originally Posted by merlin666

What kind of skill level are these camps usually designed for?

I can only speak for Ashokan Western and Swing.

It has something for all levels. The bands that are put together are worth it even if it's the only thing you do.

Check out some of these videos on this channel.

https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCz8...HdXFMvimT5eCNg

[waldrgd]

Is there a site that lists the camps? Or a way to find out where they are? Thanks

[Big Band Guitar]

Originally Posted by waldrgd

Is there a site that lists the camps? Or a way to find out where they are? Thanks

https://ashokan.org/camps/

[jaymarsch]

I like being able to immerse myself in music and guitar for a week. I always come back inspired and with material to work on and the motivation to keep going.

Best,
Jayne