The Yosemite Jazz Guitar & Bass Workshop
Letting Jazz Lovers Live the Dream Since 1999
5 Days in the Mountains... No Distractions, Just Guitar & Bass
June 22 to June 27, 2025
ECCO Conference Center, Oakhurst, CA
AFFORDABLE ALL INCLUSIVE PRICING
Includes all meals, classes, workshops & lodging for one low price
Watch This Video For The Full Workshop Experience
Buy Your Pass And Start Learning Now!
Registration To The Yosemite Jazz Guitar & Bass Workshop Includes
a 1-Year Membership To The Guitar College Library Which Has 600+ Great Instructional Videos
The Workshop Teachers
Past Guest Instructors Include Bruce Forman, Pat Kelley, Ron Eschete, Tim May, Mitch Holder, Barry Zweig, Frank Potenza,
Robert Conti, John Stowell, Brad Rabuchin, Steve Trovato, & David Becker
(2025 Special Guest Teacher Will Be Announced By Jan 31st)
The Workshop Venue
ECCO Conference Center - Oakhurst, CA
Think Mountains! ECCO is located in the beautiful mountain town of Oakhurst. This is in the amazing Sierra Nevada Mountains in eastern central California just a few miles south of Yosemite National Park. The air is clear and clean, the streams and lakes sparkle in the sun, and the towering pine trees sway in the light mountain breezes. Is it any wonder, with this atmosphere, that we have been holding our workshop here for the past 23 years? ECCO brings the peace and quiet you desire to achieve a successful focus on learning jazz guitar
There's A Reason We Have Repeat Customers...
Watch These!
Bass Player Testimonials
How The Workshop Works
Our workshop is song-oriented, we use popular jazz tunes to teach jazz guitar concepts and styles. The guitar players are divided into 3 groups determined by playing, reading, and improvisation ability as well as past workshop participation. Group C is for those with a novice skill level. Group B is for intermediate plays, and Group A is the most advanced. Bass players work together as one group.
Workshop Songs
Each guitar group is given 3 songs to work on a few months before the workshop starts. Rich provides charts, practice tracks, and links to song lessons at Guitar College Library. After getting familiar with the songs at home, you'll come to the workshop prepared to focus on one of the predetermined songs Monday, Tuesday, & Wednesday.
One of the songs will cross over between groups for those who may want to go up or down in groups. The songs may help decide which group you are in. Choose the tunes that you feel are within your skill level and that you're comfortable playing at the workshop. If you stretch too far out of your comfort zone you will be spending more effort on the tune than the teaching. We always have a few players between levels, that’s why we have one crossover tune.
Songs For The 2025 Will Be Posted by 2-15-25
Classes & Live Playing Sessions
Monday, Tuesday, and Wednesday start out with a morning workout session run by each teacher. That is followed by 3 intensive classes each day. The first session focuses on the melody of the song, the two later sessions center around comping and improv soloing. Teachers rotate between groups so you will see all 3 teachers each day.
Each night there is a live playing session where you will team up with other guitar students and a bass student to play the tune you worked on all day in front of all the students and teachers. Your group of 2 or 3 will team up with a bass student. Gary Newmark is the workshop drummer and plays with every group each night.
Final Night Concert
On Thursday you will break into performance groups to woodshed a tune of your choice and rehearse for the final night concert held in public at a local venue. Performances in the concert and the live playing workshops are encouraged but not mandatory.
Meals
Your tuition includes all your meals during the workshop. Buffet style meals begin with
dinner on Sunday, breakfast, lunch and dinner Mon-Thurs, and breakfast on Friday morning prior to departure. Meals are served at specific times and you must be in the dining hall during that time to get your meal or it is forfeited.
If you have any special dietary needs please contact us by May 15, so we can accommodate them.
Workshop Schedule
(Sample Schedule - Subject To Change)
Sunday June 22nd
3:00 - Check In begins
4:00 - Welcome Reception
5:00 - Teacher/Student Introductions
6:00 - Dinner
7:00 - 9:00 - Teacher Concert
9:30 to 12:00a - Nightly Hang Out
Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday
8:00 - Breakfast
9:00 - Morning Workouts
10:30 - Song Melody Class
11:30 – Break
12:00 - Lunch
1:00 - Song Comping Class
2:00 - Break
2:30 - Song Improv Class
3:30 - Break
4:00 - Live Workshop Rehearsal
5:30 - Break
6:00 - 7:00 Dinner
7:00 - 9:00 Live Playing Workshop
9:30 to 12:00a - Nightly Hang Out
Thursday June 26th
8:00 - Breakfast
9:00 - Teacher Q&A Session
10:00 - Group Concert Practice
12:00 - Lunch
1:00 - Group Concert Practice
3:00 - Teachers Review Group Songs
4:00 - Break
4:30 - Pack Up For Final Night Concert
5:30 - Dinner
6:00 - Leave for Concert
7:00 - 9:00 - Final Night Concert
9:30 to 12:00a - Nightly Hang Out
Friday June 27th
8:00 - Breakfast
9:00 - Pack up/Room Check Out
10:00 - Camp Ends
Workshop Prerequisites
Group C:
This group is for players who are new to jazz, struggling to play through songs, or only know 1 to 3 standards. Let’s get down to business and get you playing and thinking like a real jazz player
Group B:
This group is for players who can typically play through 10+ jazz/standard style songs but need to work on improv soloing, chord comping, and substitutions
Group A:
This group is for players who can typically play through 20+ jazz/standard style songs and improvise through chord changes. It's for players looking for new improv and comping ideas, techniques and strategies
The Yosemite Jazz Guitar & Bass Workshop is environment of support, encouragement, and camaraderie among students and teachers. Leave your ego at the door and ditch the attitude that you're not good enough to be here.
THE COMMON THREAD BETWEEN ATTENDEES AT ALL LEVELS IS THAT THEY COME TO WORKSHOP TO:
Improve their playing
Learn new ideas and concepts
Jam with others
Hear the teachers and other attendees play
Be encouraged and inspired
Encourage others
Make new guitar playing friends