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Welcome to the Fiddle Shack

Bluegrass, Oldtime & Swing Fiddle · Berkeley, California
A space for Chad’s students

This is the online home for Chad’s students. Find info on Monday jams, private lessons, and band coaching. Book, cancel, or reschedule your lessons, grab the link to Friday Zoomgrass, and more.

The next singing experience with Scott Gates will be on Monday Aug 3rd at 1pm
~ ways to play ~
Jams, lessons & coaching

Monday Gatherings

All levels welcome! Below is a list of tunes we tend to draw from and you don't need to know all of them.

JULY — Upcoming Mondays ▶
  • 6
  • 23
  • 20
  • 27
Oldtime Morning Groove — 9am ▶

D-DAD

  • Midnight on the Water
  • Dry and Dusty
  • Bonaparte's Retreat
  • Washington's March

High-Bass: ADAE

  • Swannanoa Waltz
  • Cumberland Gap
  • Lazy John
  • Duck River

Standard Cross: AEAE or GDGD

  • Old Joe Clark
  • Cluck Ol' Hen
  • Blackeyed Suzie
  • Tippin' Back the Corn

Calico: AEAC#

  • Drunken Hiccups
  • Happy Hollow

Key of G: Standard Tuning: GDAE

  • Sail Away Ladies
  • Seneca Square Dance
  • Shove the Pig's Foot
  • Lost Girl
Swing Time — 10am ▶
  • Ain't Mis Behavin' (C)
  • Dinah (G)
  • Lady Be Good (G)
  • Honeysuckle Rose (F)
  • Minor Swing (Am)
  • Limehouse Blues (G)
  • All of Me (C)
  • Summertime (Em)
  • Blue Skies (Bb)
  • I'm Confessin' (F)
  • After You've Gone (F)
  • Take the 'A' Train (C)
  • Ain't Misbehavin' (D)
  • Sugar Moon (A)
  • Milk Cow Blues (A)
  • Maiden's Prayer (A)
Bluegrass Vocabulary Practice — 11am ▶

Default

Bluegrass Singing Songs — Noon ▶
  • We'll go around the room, giving everyone a chance to sing a song of their choosing.
Bluegrass and Country Singing with Scott Gates — 1pm–2pm ▶
The class will dig into the nuances of feel and phrasing in bluegrass and country singing. Class is $25 drop in. Please pay Scott directly with cash or Venmo -- @Lysurgical
🪵 The Woodshed

Weekday Lessons

Days not Teaching ▶

August

    May

      June

        July

        • Friday July 3

        If your regular time falls on a listed date, we'll skip or reschedule.

        Friday Zoomgrass (11am on Zoom) ▶

        This class meets on Zoom every Friday at 11am to explore all things bluegrass.

        Join the Zoom session

        Monday Class Payments ▶
        • All Day: $100
        • 9am–1pm Classes: $25 each
        • Bluegrass Singing Songs (1–2:30pm): $35

        Use the Payment Portal below to pay.

        One-on-One Lessons with Chad ▶

        $95 for a 55‑minute lesson.

        Please settle the month's lessons on the 1st of each month.

        Payment Portal ▶

        Zelle: chadmanning@gmail.com

        Venmo: @chad-manning-18

        🎻 View My Lessons 📅 My Calendar

        Band Coaching

        Bring your band or jam group for focused coaching with Chad — arrangement, timing, tone, and how to listen to each other on stage.

        pricing coming soon
        ~ for the students ~
        The Bulletin Board
        📌 Student Bulletin Board

        A place for Chad’s students to post — gear for sale, jam partners, rides to festivals, and more.

        ~ coming soon ~
        ~ also from the shack ~

        Fiddle Ease — play with natural freedom

        Chad’s artisanal violin strap, handcrafted in Berkeley. Moves the fiddle’s support off chin and neck so your hands are free.

        See Fiddle Ease →