Mar 30 2024
Two Way Street Coffee House 5th Saturdays - Lee Murdock Celtic Guitar Workshop

Two Way Street Coffee House 5th Saturdays - Lee Murdock Celtic Guitar Workshop

Presented by Two Way Street Coffee House at Two Way Street Coffee House

Welcome to 5th Saturdays at the Two Way Street Coffee House!  Saturdays are special!  An extra Saturday in a month comes around only a few times a year, so we decided to commemorate each one with a special event.  5th Saturdays in 2024 occur in March, June, August and November.

For our first event, Two Way Street Coffee House, in partnership with the Plank Road Folk Music Society, is pleased to present a Celtic Guitar Workshop with Lee Murdock on March 30, 2024, from 2-4pm CT.

This event will be hybrid in that you can choose virtual or in-person attendance.  The admission price is $25 per participant and will be limited to 25 in-person attendees.

The registration deadline is March 25, 2024.

WORKSHOP DESCRIPTION: 

On March 17th every year, we celebrate St. Patrick’s Day with the music from the Emerald Ilse. Guitar players have strummed along with the ballads and drinking and rebel songs for many years. This workshop will cover how the guitar can adapt to the musical traditions from Ireland, Scotland and Wales. Through the use of tablature, alternate tunings, right and left hand technique, as well as voicing and phrasing, Lee will guide participants into the realm of ancient harp and fiddle tunes from the Celtic world that he has transcribed over the years. A basic knowledge of the guitar, chords and rhythm is helpful, but this workshop can be adapted to a wide range of ability on the instrument.

In the first hour, after a brief introduction, Lee will go over his fingerstyle approach to his guitar playing followed by a quick overview of how tablature works. Then a couple of tunes will be distributed to be studied and in the remainder of that first hour we will work on those pieces. Keep in mind, some personal guidance will be offered then to each participant as time allows.

After a fifteen minute break, Lee will focus on alternate ways of tuning the guitar and the way those changes affect the overall musicality of the tunes. A couple more pieces will be then handed out to hammer home that concept (pun intended). Then, there will be an opportunity for questions from the participants.  Lee will finish up the workshop performing a few of his favorite arrangements.

This workshop is designed for those looking for a new approach toward the guitar as well as continued enjoyment of the instrument.

After you register and purchase your tickets, we will email you the confirm information.

Virtual attendees will receive an unlisted YouTube link and any handouts with their confirmation email. In addition, you can submit any questions via the livestream chat.

Dates & Times

2024/03/30 - 2024/03/30

Location Info

Two Way Street Coffee House

1047 Curtiss Street, Downers Grove, IL 60515

Parking Info

There are several places for patrons to park including:
  • On-street parking
  • Downers Grove Parking Deck
  • Commuter parking lots are free after 11:00 a.m. on weekdays, as well as on weekends and major holidays
  • Handicapped accessible parking is available on Main Street, Rogers Street, Curtiss Street, Washington Street (by the Post Office), and on Warren Avenue
  • Accessible parking can also be found in Commuter Lot A and the Parking Deck