Acoustic Blues Weekend of Workshops, Jams and Performance
District Community Centre, Didcot OX11 6GR from Friday 13th to Sunday 1st November 2026.

The Program
The program will offer classes starting on Friday from 1pm to 5pm followed by a staff concert at 8pm. On Saturday, classes will run from 10am to 5pm followed by an evening jam session from 8pm to midnight for ‘participants only’. On Sunday, classes will run from 10am to 3pm. The classes will cater for all levels of ability and we recommend you bring along a portable recorder for future reference. The tutors for the ‘Acoustic Blues Weekend’ are Will Wilde (Harmonica), Ashley Dow (Bottleneck Slide Guitar), Sonny Black (Fingerstyle Blues Guitar), Michael Roach and Abi Budgen (Country Blues Guitar).

The Classes
Friday 1 to 5 followed by an evening staff concert. Concert will start at 8pm
Saturday 10 to 5 followed by an evening jam session. Jam session will start at 8pm
Sunday 10 to 3

Registration Fee 
The weekend fee is £240. A single day rate is £80 for Friday and includes the evening concert. Saturday is £100 and includes the private jam session for ‘participants only’. The rate for Sunday is £75. Advance booking is required. To reserve a place, you must book directly with Euroblues Promotions. For bank transfers, our account name is Euroblues Promotions Limited, our sort code is 20-20-15 and our account number is 60473928. Once you have made your transfer, can you please notify us with an email so we can reply with a receipt for the payment.

Regarding accommodation, we made an arrangement with the Courtyard By Marriott Hotel, Oxford South OX14 4FP. They have agreed to charge us £82 per night and it includes breakfast and free parking. We have 30 rooms under this agreement and they will keep them available up to 28 days prior to arrival. The cut off is 17th October and all rooms not taken by then will be released and charged at their best available rate. To book, here is the email address for the reservation manager: claudia.dias@courtyardoxfordsouth.com. Please include in your email that you are with the Euroblues Group to get the discounted rate.

Class Description

Will Wilde will focus on Chicago and Country style blues harmonica. He will break down examples from the likes of Sonny Terry and Sonny Boy Williamson. The class will cover 1st, 2nd and 3rd Position blues playing over the course of the weekend. First position is also called straight harp. If you use a C harmonica, first position puts you in the key of C. It relies heavily on exhaling (blow notes) and creates a clean, bright, major-scale sound. Second position is called cross harp. Playing a C harmonica in second position puts you in the key of G. It relies heavily on draw (inhale) notes and bending. Third position is a method of playing in a key one whole step (two semitones) above the home key. The home or root notes are centred on the 1 draw, 4 draw, and 8 draw notes. The musical scale is a minor sound. Will’s class will be tailored to suit all levels of ability.

Ashley Dow will be exploring the slide guitar with an emphasis on basic slide techniques, string damping, vibrato, and developing independence between the right hand thumb and fingers. The class will cover the tunings, open G and open D, the relationship between the 2 of them, and why if you play in open G, how the note sequences and chords can be easily transposed to D tuning or vice versa. We will also be learning how to play in the key of D in G tuning. Ashley will cover the basic major scale and discover which notes give the blues its distinctive sound. He will look at where these notes are situated on the neck of the guitar, and how to use them to play and improvise in the styles of the classic players of the 20th century.

Sonny Black's title for the weekend is ‘Blues and Beyond’. He will start with the song ‘Careless Love’ and look at how you can put in fills between the vocals and make up a melodic solo in the middle. For beginners, the chords are relatively easy to play/strum and it’s a great song to have in your repertoire. Additionally, Sonny will look at different guitar tunings and incorporate a little bit of slide playing which can be used over many blues songs and tunes. For guitarists who may not have been playing very long, the class will look at increasing your chord knowledge and how to play chords up the neck. The lessons will hopefully benefit all players and help you move up to your next level.

Michael Roach and Abi Budgen will focus on ‘Good Songs For Learning To Pick’. All of the songs will demonstrate the fundamentals needed to play an alternating bass line with your thumb with your fingers picking the melody lines at the same time. Here is a selection of artists and cover songs that students can choose from: Mississippi John Hurt (Stack O Lee), Bessie Smith (Nobody Knows You When You’re Down and Out’), Blind Boy Fuller (Weeping Willow), Luke Jordan (Cocaine Blues), Jim Jackson (Kansas City Blues), William Moore (One Way Gal), Ma Rainey (See, See Rider), Canon Jug Stompers (Walk Right In), Leroy Carr (Blues Before Sunrise), Memphis Minnie (Nothing In Rambling), Willie Brown (Future Blues), William Harris (Bullfrog Blues) and Skip James (Crow Jane). Michael and Abi will give practice tips to develop the techniques needed to play in the style of the featured artists. All songs will be demonstrated on a level (beginner, intermediate, advanced) so that each student will have the ability to play it.

 

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