Sunday March 30, 2025, 10:00 am – 3:00 pm.

As part of the Les Paul Legacy Series, the Mahwah Museum is pleased to host a guitar day-long workshop with Master of the Telecaster, George Naha. George is a highly regarded guitarist who has gigged with Aretha Franklin, Donald Fagen, Steve Cropper among others.

The workshop is open to guitar enthusiasts of all levels.  Topics covered will include:

• Scale Studies – An introduction to/study of diatonic, pentatonic, whole tone, diminished, etc. scales and their application.
• Chord Voicings – Some of the many ways to play various chords, from two note voicings to five and/or six note voicings. We will see how different voicings are common to different styles, including Jazz, Rock, Rhythm & Blues/Blues, Motown, Folk, Chord Melody style, etc.
• Basic Chord Progressions and Common Chord Substitutions – This area of study can greatly add color to your chordal playing, be it playing solo guitar or as an accompanist in a band.
• Ear Training – A “must do” study for improvising musicians! The better your ear, the better your playing.
• Music Theory – This goes hand in hand with ear training. A solid understanding of theory will help you learn songs much more quickly and make soloing over them easier.
• Playing in a Rhythm Section – Understanding your role in a band, developing your listening skills, and the use of space, dynamics, sound, textures, etc.
• Visualizing the Fingerboard – The guitar fingerboard can be quite puzzling. We’ll begin the process of unraveling some of its mysteries.
• Phrasing – Make your guitar sing! The use of space, playing in/with time, left hand articulation, the many ways to finger any phrase, etc.
• Soloing Over Chord Changes – This is a very big area of study; we’ll take a look into it, examining basic voice leading concepts, studying chord/scale relationships, etc.
• Applying All of the Above to a Standard – We’ll take an old standard, study its melody and chords, and look at various approaches to soloing over the chords.
• Chord Melody Playing – A quick look at simple chord melody arrangement.

About George Naha: George Naha has gigged with Aretha Franklin, Donald Fagen, Steve Cropper Duck Dunn, Steve Forbert, Roy Orbison, Melissa Manchester, Willie Dixon, Wilson Pickett, Junior Walker, Sam & Dave, Fathead Newman, Charlie Rouse, Larry Ridley, Cedar Walton and countless others. He has recorded with Bill Deggett, Allen Toussaint, Livingston Taylor, Bernard Purdie, John DeJohnette, Hank Crawford, Gerald Albright, Cornell Dupree, etc. George worked for 3 years as house guitarist at Harlem’s Apollo Theatre for its Wednesday’s Amateur Show. He has done jingles, television and movie work, played Broadway and off Broadway shows, toured nationally and internationally, produced records, arranged for live dates and recordings and worked as a musical director for many artists.
George has kept up a teaching practice for 50 years, both privately and in academia, teaching at Livingston College for 4 years and Fairfield University for 18.
George earned a B.A. in Jazz Performance from Livingston College in 1976 and studied privately with Harry Leahey and Ted Dunbar.

Registration is now open. Tickets can be purchased through the form below, or by clicking here.

Any necessary information will be sent to the email you provide.

No physical ticket will be required or distributed.

Enrollment is limited. 
Participants are encouraged to bring an acoustic guitar and a music stand. Participants will have an opportunity to play Les Paul’s guitars on display at the museum. 

At the end of the workshop, George will be joined by bassist Hal Salpin and drummer John Vourtis to give a short performance.

Non-Members: $149 per player | Members: $119
Not sure you’re a member? Contact us at mahwahmuseum@gmail.com