Brittany Guitar Workshop Returns in 2023!

AUGUST 29 – SEPTEMBER 2, 2023

My regular Summer holiday for guitarists, in the beautiful French countryside. Four days of acoustic guitar workshops, punctuated by regularly imbibing and dining in coastal restaurants and evening jam sessions around a massive kitchen table. Sounds nice, eh? Spaces are limited to eight participants (non-participating guests are welcome – get in touch for accommodation options).

The final day concludes with an informal concert in the main room, with me + guest spots from willing participants!

Cost: £375 incl. 4 days’ tuition, course materials, lunches & refreshments, a welcome buffet on arrival day, and a meal on the last evening.

N.B. Travel and accommodation are extra, but please be in touch for advice on where to stay, and car-sharing from the ferry-port in Dieppe is highly recommended – we’ll do whatever we can to help / advise.

TICKETS & CONTACT

Who’s it for?

This course is aimed at steel-string acoustic guitarists of an intermediate level and above. We will cover a variety of topics such composing and arranging, Celtic tunes, altered tunings, traditional fingerstyle guitar, useful theory etc.

You are welcome to offer topic suggestions in advance, and I’ll see what I can do 🙂

For maximum benefit, you’ll need a solid grasp of the following topics:

  • All common open major and minor chords
  • Familiarity with one or two moveable barre chord shapes
  • Some fingerpicking experience
  • Solid rhythm in 4/4 time

Halsway Manor Guitar Week – Sept 19-23

Next week, I return to the national centre for folk arts, Halsway Manor, in the splendid Mendips in Somerset. It’s always a lovely event, with workshops, jam sessions and performances. I’ll be leading some workshops and performing a set on the final evening, along with my co-hosts, Vera Van Heeringen and Dave Malkin.

More information here.

Who’s it for?

“This course is aimed at acoustic guitarists (steel-strung) of an intermediate level and above, it’s not really suitable for beginners.

As a guide, to get the most from the course you’ll need a grasp of the following topics:

  • All common open major and minor chords
  • Familiarity with one or two moveable barre chord shapes
  • Some basic fingerpicking ability
  • Steady, even strumming rhythm in 4/4 time

Beyond this, enthusiasm is much more important than skill level; we only ask that you join in to the best of your ability. This week is all about helping you develop your playing, whatever your current level of ability, and sending you away with the inspiration and tools to continue to improve.”

I’m on Patreon!

I’ve wanted to do something like this for ages…

Click the button to take a closer look.

Over the years, I’ve created arrangements, transcribed music, written for guitar mags and led workshops. Along the way, I’ve been asked for specific pieces, arrangements etc., so I decided it was time I created a place to funnel all of that: a place for guitar learning, enrichment and sharing.

So, I finally decided to go for it! Watch the video to hear more, and click the button above to have a closer look…

Handpicked From the Eighties – New E.P. Out October 18!

I’m delighted to announce that my new E.P. is released on October 18 on all the major streaming platforms. Pre-orders are available NOW on Bandcamp.

What’s the story? Well, I’ve long admired this era of popular music, and while it’s always divided opinion, I believe a great song will stand up for itself.

The catalyst for this project was when I arranged and recorded These Dreams; a chain of connections led Nancy Wilson (lead vocalist on Heart’s original) to hear it and send me a beautiful message of thanks and support. Starstruck and motivated, I ran with the ball…

So, this E.P. is a collection of solo guitar arrangements of five 80’s classics from the likes of Talk Talk, The Bee Gees and Elton John, celebrating straight-up great songwriting.

And, if you happen to be a fellow child of the 80’s, I hope you’ll feel the gorgeous glow of nostalgia.

Here’s a taster…

Recorded, mixed & mastered by Nick Sowden at La Barca Sound

Artwork by Planet Frog

Interviewed in US magazine, Acoustic Guitar

Guitar Talk: Connecting with Leading UK Fingerstylist and Educator Tristan Seume

From the March/April 2021 issue of Acoustic Guitar | By Julie Bergman

“Tristan Seume has made his way into the top tier of acoustic guitar instrumentalists in the United Kingdom not only due to the extraordinary fingerstyle abilities demonstrated on his original and interpretative recordings, but also his penchant for sharing his skills. In addition to being in high demand to play on other musicians’ projects, he is one of the top educators in his field. Seume, who is in his early 40s, is a regular contributor to several UK music magazines and a workshop teacher at major guitar festivals. His concise video tutorials are now making their way into American guitarists’ feeds…”

Read the full article here.