Caterina Lichtenberg's Artistwork's Course

Hi, all. I'm wondering if I don't read music (or read it at a very rudimentary level) whether I'll get anything out of Lichtenberg's course. My overall level, at least in folk idioms, is pretty high, but I'm hoping to learn to read music, and develop classical skills.

Does Lichtenberg cover reading music in the Beginner's lessons of her Artistwork's course, or does she assume a level of sight reading even at that level that would render the lessons not very useful for someone who to this point has only played popular and folk music?

I haven’t perused it but go to her page at ArtistWorks.com https://artistworks.com/classical-ma...na-lichtenberg and below her bio on that page you’ll see an outline of what’s in the course. Tap on a + to expand that section for details of what’s being taught.

I signed up for a beginner course with Katerina at one of the Swannanoa Gatherings. She had a lot of the materials laid out for us to pick up. All of them were in standard notation. She told me she did not provide tablature. That was several years ago though so may have a different look now. I dropped the course so someone on wait list could get in. An intensive 5 day session is not the place learn!!
She is an outstanding musician. I'm not sure her take on tablature fits with a camp/gathering type of situation.

I went back and looked!

She does indeed teach reading. (As an accomplished reader, I skipped over most of it.) The reading exercises are simple, naturally, likely designed for a person who is learning how to hold a mandolin and pick as well as learning to read. While you will have a lot to learn in her class, including new ways of holding the pick and mandolin, it might make sense to get the reading part of it out of the way before you start, as you play well.

To get familiar with standard notation, you could start with a beginning violin book—Essential Elements is good. It teaches reading right away, unlike the Suzuki method books, and does it in a logical way. You don't have to be an expert, and the reading will progress as you go, but don't let the notation hold you back on what you want from the course.

She's a gifted teacher!

I am enrolled in the Artistworks class right now. I think it would be challenging, but not impossible, if you did not read music, specifically treble clef. The first few pieces are confined to a single string, so again, it’s not impossible, just more challenging. The thing is, reading is such an unbelievably useful skill in music, I believe that the benefits of learning far outweigh the initial difficulty. To put a finer point on it, reading is, in my opinion, essential if you wish to progress beyond a very rudimentary level of classical music (and by classical, I big tent classical, everything from renaissance to baroque to romantic to modern).

Serious question about the course...

I was a classical violinist as a youth and used to read music. Although I hung up my bow during my professional career, I came back to violin after retirement and found an excellent teacher. I should note that many decades ago, my vision completely failed and I now play by ear. I have excellent relative pitch, switched to mandolin about five years ago, and am intrigued with this course, but am unsure if it would be useful without any visual feedback.

For the most part, I can play anything on the mandolin that I could play on my violins. I primarily play melodies in folk, country, rock, and pop music and like to play along with first violin parts in classical pieces. Although I appreciate the usefulness of chords, I generally only play single notes or double stops. So, opinions requested, would this course be worth the investment without being able to see what Katarina Lichtenburg is doing or displaying?

Thanks for any feedback.

Honestly, if you can play along with the first violins, I don’t think you really need lessons. You are really looking to build repertoire, and there are probably better ways to do that.

Years ago, someone pointed out to me that in treble clef, the notes of the open strings are every other space, with the low G below the second line below the staff. Then, the line, space, and line above those notes are played by your 1st, 2nd, and 3rd fingers, respectively. That approach doesn’t always work, but it usually does.

For example, the note for the open D string is the space right below the staff; the lowest line on the staff is E, which you play on that string with your first finger; the space above that is F, which you play with your second finger,; and then the next line is G, which you play with your third finger. The space above that is A, which is your open A string, so the cycle then repeats.

GMorgan, the class could be worth it. She spends a lot of time on pick angle. Do you have someone who could make sure you have your pick at the same angle? It wouldn't take too much time, but having a translator would probably be the way to go for certain skills.

If your vision failed a long time ago, you likely have the aural skills to learn the repertoire she presents.