2.5 hour private lesson with Jorma Kaukonen - What would YOU do with it?

Hi guys,

I signed up for a private 2.5 hour lesson with Jorma. Pretty excited but I'm thinking hard about what to focus on. So here's the question:

Given the undivided attention of Grammy winner, RnRHoFamer and respected educator Jorma Kaukonen, what would YOU do with 2.5 hours?

P.S. I will make up my own mind so leave me out of it.

[SpruceTop]

Doug, I'm sure it can seem intimidating! I'd ask Jorma to show me how he would go about acoustifying (a non-word) songs like "Good Shepherd" and White Rabbit," and "Volunteers." Ask for tips on playing "Embryonic Journey." After that, if things get slow, ask him about Grace Slick's gun collection--just choking, er um joking!

[Methos1979]

If it's an online lesson then I'd record it as I doubt I could absorb everything he would teach in 2.5 hours!

[dnf777]

Money well spent! Not only for musical instruction, but great lessons in history and life. Been to Fur Peace twice, and hopefully more when they re-open!

[6L6]

I'd just ask HIM to play, sit back, and watch closely.

[Nymuso]

Dunno. Depends on what he wants to learn.

[TBman]

If I were to take an online lesson it would be on learning to use chord progressions to build finger style pieces and how to make the listener want to listen to more - how to use tension and release effectively.

If I was looking for blues/ragtime instruction a course on building turn-arounds would be really cool.

[DCCougar]

I've already taken a lesson from him -- I watched him play Embryonic Journey on youtube. "Oh, that's how you do it!" As an intermediate beginner, it took me about six months to get to a place where I figured I could record my version of it.....

[blue]

I'd play him something and let him decide what I needed...

[pickinray]

That's awesome. Jorma has been a favorite of mine for many years. I'd ask him to teach me "Police Dog Blues" and "I am the Light of This World".

[srick]

Doug-

I've been pondering this since you first posted. It's a real interesting question as it's impossible to learn "that much" in two hours. Plus, it depends on where you are right now. But if he can light a spark for you to pursue...

I would be curious about several things: The first would be his musical journey. He was really close to a fellow named Ian Buchanan (at Antioch College) who was a student of Rev. Gary Davis. So I would want to know how that early experience (learning the RGD songs) led to rock and roll, and eventually Hot Tuna. I'd be more interested in what he retained from the original material and how he incorporated it in. And I'd love to ask him how his technique evolved from that, as he was exposed to an incredible amount of music, but likely never took a lesson.

Another thing I would love to work with him on would be to take a song and then embellish it. So, say you start with "Hesitation Blues" - what are the embellishments that you add and what are the turnarounds that you rely on to get you back to home base.

Having seen Jorma several times in person, listened to folks who who know him well and having watched him regularly through the pandemic. I can confidently say that, "What you see is what you've got." He's an authentic guy. So I'd also ask him, "What do you think I should be working on?"

Bottom line - have fun! One lesson may lead to another!

best,

Rick

P.S. - If you haven't already, you should check out his autobiography. You'll learn a lot about the man.

Thanks for your opinions guys. What I was hoping for. I should add that I have been a repeat offender at Fur Peace since 2013, have taken 2 group classes with Jorma and have enjoyed many chats with him over the years.

[Dave Hicks]

Originally Posted by srick

... Another thing I would love to work with him on would be to take a song and then embellish it. So, say you start with "Hesitation Blues" - what are the embellishments that you add and what are the turnarounds that you rely on to get you back to home base. ...

I saw Hot Tuna acoustic in Fall 2019, and they did Hesitation. Jorma's clearly worked it over pretty good since the first Tuna record. It would definitely be interesting to ask him about how he changed his interpretation.

D.H.

[SprintBob]

Have a plan for the lesson session, send the plan and any material to Jorma a week before the lesson, and make sure you schedule breaks into the session. Your brain won’t be able to soak it all in for 2.5 hours straight. I’m sure Jorma will appreciate the breaks also to recharge.

I take 45 minute Skype lessons bi-weekly from a world class player/teacher and I find 45 minutes can be a lot to soak in when we are “on it”.

Good luck and have fun!