Modes Course FAQ

Q. Are there scheduled meeting times during the course?

A. No. The course is built to function outside the Space/Time Continuum.
We usually have one or two informal ZOOM sessions during the nine-week period. But these won’t be for presenting new material. This will be for us to get to know each other and forum together with everyone’s experiences.

Q. I have a busy work/life schedule. Can I still participate?

A. Absolutely. The course is specifically designed to integrate with anyone’s work/life schedule.

Q. How does the course work?

A. Every week I send out a PDF packet of material with a specific theme and a group of practices. These practices are organized at three different challenge levels. You pick the practices that suit you. You spend the week working and the next week builds from there.

There will be audio files available to download starting around week three.
Additionally, I am available for questions throughout the course.

Q. How much practice time should I put in during the course?

A. Extended practicing time is not recommended. Multiple short sessions a day is far better than a longer session. In the ideal world, 5-10 minutes at a pop several times a day. This produces far better results than a single hour session. Also, anything once a day is more productive than one or two sessions a week. This is about coaching our ears into the material. Which is best done gradually and consistently.

You can do much of this work away from the instrument. In the car, bus, subway, airplane, horseback riding, hang gliding, walking, etc…

Q. What if I get behind during the course?

A. The material in the course is circular. So, there really isn’t any “getting behind”. You could potentially jump in anywhere and start up.

That said, there is built in a catch-up period in the middle of the course. No new material is presented during week five. This is so you can review or explore outside the course materials before we kick into overdrive for the final period.

Also, almost everyone continues working through the material long after the course is over. All of us are unique in our approach and how we absorb new material. So, if you feel like you are moving slower than the group you can just keep on working at your own pace in perpetuity.

Q. I don’t play guitar. Can I still participate in the course?

A. Yes. This is for all instruments and singers. This course is not about learning fingerings on an instrument. In fact, you can do the whole course without an instrument.

Q. I don’t read music. Can I still participate in the course?

A. Yes. We will not be using standard music notation for this course. All the practices are presented so that anyone can work with them, regardless of their musical experience or level.

Q. I took the course in 2018 and it was awesome. Is there a benefit to taking it again?

A. Absolutely. I have been working with this particular material for about 15 years now, and this will be my seventh go-around with this specific course. I do all the practices alongside everyone else and each time I approach this work something deeper happens for me.

FYI, there are special discounts for past participants who want to run through it again.