Paul Silveria is a musician who has connection at the heart of his work. Originally from Portland Oregon, and now living in Vancouver BC, Paul has been performing, teaching, and calling dances across the west for more than 20 years.
Paul plays old-time banjo and has spent years developing his repertoire of folk songs, instrumentals, jug-band tunes, country blues, and vintage-styled originals. He likes to interact directly with his audience – sharing the stories behind the music, facilitating call-and-response, and even getting people dancing (Paul is a regionally renowned square dance caller who specializes in calling for beginners and people of all ages!)
Paul has performed at numerous festivals, pubs, dance halls, and community venues up and down the West Coast, including the Vancouver Folk Festival, the Mission Folk Festival, the Cowichan Valley Bluegrass Festival, and the Portland Old Time Music Gathering, just to name a few!
Old-time Clawhammer Banjo
Beginners will learn the basics and experienced players will build on their skills in this fun, organic, and rhythmic banjo style. After introducing the basic techniques, we will practice and refine them by learning a few great old-time tunes. Beginners will work on the basic melody, and experienced players will learn variations to add more complexity to the tunes.
During the classes we will touch on:
*Right hand technique (the “bum-ditty”)
*Chord shapes and left hand techniques (hammer-ons, pull-offs, and slides)
*Right hand variations (drop-thumb and double-thumb)
*Repertoire
No experience necessary – but you will get more out of the class if you have at least tried out the basic “bum-ditty” playing pattern: https://youtu.be/z-skUUskbEM
