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Music Theory for the Singer-Songwriter with Chris Brenne

Presented by Passim Folk Music & Cultural Center at Passim School of Music

May 6-June 10, 2010

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Writing your own songs is one of the most rewarding modes of expression. Sometimes, however, we don’t know what to write next. A great melody doesn’t fall into place, a super chorus can’t be matched by good verses or vice versa. This is when a firm understanding of music theory can be a very handy tool. This course will address that. We’ll lay the foundation by explaining scales, keys, chords, and how they all relate. We will analyze famous chord progressions - sing the songs, too, and find out what exactly made each of them tick. Most importantly, we’ll do all this in relation to your own song writing. Through assignments you will apply each new bit of knowledge to your own music. And if you’re a guitarist, then we shall discuss how it all relates to your fretboard. Oh, and, we will also have loads of fun! Chris Brenne has been a singer/ songwriter for almost as long as he can remember. He originally learned to play so he could sing protest songs. John Lennon was the inspiration, and pretty soon, music had taken over his life.

Teaching guitar lessons from an early age, Chris decided to go all out and went to Berklee College of Music, an adventure for a boy from Sweden. Afterwards teaching came calling again, first as a Rock School teacher in Sweden , then back to America and various assignments in music store basements and evening adult classes, eventually at Cambridge Center for Adult Education. Over time, he developed new material and wrote books, mostly for guitar but with a nice dash of theory. In between teaching songwriting and theory classes, Chris has continued to have a healthy output of originally music, most recently a couple of finger style guitar musings that work for yoga. Chris has a recording studio and helps other musicians record their own music. With his experience, Chris could cover the whole process – teaching you to play, write songs and then record you doing what you love. www.chrisbrenne.com