Mar 6: Getting Started in Open Tunings with Jamie Stillway

Saturday, March 6, 2027

11am – 1pm

Dusty Strings 3406 Fremont Ave N

Maximum Enrollment: 16

Registration & Refund Deadline: Wednesday, March 3, 2027

If you’ve spent most of your guitar time in standard tuning, the notion of switching to an open tuning might seem like a daunting task. It may feel like you have to relearn everything you know! Keeping that in mind, this workshop will provide a gentle introduction to the sonic possibilities of altered tunings. Starting with the gateway tuning of dropped D, we’ll ease our way into open G and continue to open D tuning. We’ll discuss how to think about the fretboard when the intervals between the strings change from standard tuning, and how to integrate what you already know about chords and scales to any tuning.

Skills Needed: For guitarists at the intermediate level or above who have some familiarity with fingerstyle guitar.

What to Bring: Your guitar and a recording device.

Teacher: Jamie Stillway has been quietly making her mark on the guitar world for over 25 years. Hailed by Fretboard Journal as “One of the top fingerstyle guitarists of her generation,” Stillway is widely regarded as a master of her craft who plays like a woman with nothing to prove. She has released nine albums to widespread critical acclaim, including five solo albums of original compositions. Her album, “City Static” was named by Paste magazine as one of the best albums of the year, and her most recent album “Lullaby for a Stranger” was released in late 2022 on Portland’s Fluff + Gravy Records. Her unique, minimalist compositions and elegant guitar style have inspired players all over the globe. Stillway is also an in-demand instructor and clinician, teaching at guitar camps and workshops across the country, including Puget Sound Guitar Workshop and the Swannanoa Gathering. She’s a regular contributor to Acoustic Guitar magazine and is also the host of the Fretboard Journal’s Guitar for Introverts podcast.

*Most classes and workshops are geared towards late-teens and adults. Younger learners will benefit most starting with private lessons.

If you have any questions about group classes, or the school in general, don’t hesitate to contact us at (206) 634-1662 or music@dustystrings.com.