Guitar Workshop with Randy Roos

Instructor & Location: Randy Roos in the Yurt at 420 Holderness Road, Sandwich, NH
Date & Time: August 12th from 10:00 AM – 4:00 PM
Recommended Age: Teens (12+) and Adults
Experience Level: Elementary to Advanced Guitarists
Cost: $80

Register for this Class!

Course Description

Spend an immersive day studying with Grammy Award-winning guitarist Randy Roos in this intensive masterclass designed for serious guitarists looking to elevate both their musicianship and technical skills. This unique workshop combines advanced guitar instruction with hands-on experience in professional recording and sound production, giving students valuable insight into both performance and the recording process.

Whether your interests are jazz, rock, fusion, blues, folk, or contemporary music, you’ll leave with new techniques, creative ideas, and practical recording knowledge you can immediately apply to your own playing.

At the end of the session, a short concert will be held in the Yurt for the students and any one that wants to attend!

Morning Session (10:00 AM – 12:00 PM)

Guitar Masterclass

The morning focuses on developing musicianship and technical command through demonstrations, guided exercises, and interactive coaching.

Topics include:

  • Advanced picking and fretting techniques
  • Developing speed, accuracy, and fluidity
  • Scales and modal playing
  • Improvisation concepts and solo development
  • Harmonic understanding and chord vocabulary
  • Phrasing and musical expression
  • Rhythm, groove, and timing
  • Practice strategies for continued improvement
  • Live demonstrations and student performance coaching
  • Question & Answer session

Students will have opportunities to perform, receive individualized feedback, and explore concepts in a collaborative masterclass setting.

Lunch Break (12:00 PM – 1:00 PM)

Afternoon Session (1:00 PM – 4:00 PM)

Guitar Tone, Equipment & Recording Studio Workshop

The afternoon moves into a professional studio environment where students learn how great guitar sounds are created—from instrument setup to the finished recording.

Topics include:

  • Building a professional guitar signal chain
  • Electric and acoustic guitar tone
  • Effects pedals and processors
  • Amplifier selection and settings
  • Direct recording vs. microphone recording
  • Microphone placement techniques
  • Audio interfaces and recording workflow
  • Recording guitars in Logic Pro
  • EQ, compression, and basic mixing techniques
  • Layering rhythm and lead guitar tracks
  • Creating professional-quality recordings at home
  • Troubleshooting common recording and sound issues

Students will observe and participate in recording demonstrations while learning how engineering decisions affect the final musical product.

What to Bring

  • Guitar (electric or acoustic)
  • Picks and accessories
  • Instrument cable (electric guitar)
  • Notebook for taking notes
  • Questions about your own gear or recording setup
  • Bag Lunch

Learning Outcomes

By the end of this intensive, students will:

  • Strengthen technical guitar skills and musicianship.
  • Gain confidence improvising using scales and modes.
  • Develop a deeper understanding of tone production.
  • Learn professional recording techniques using Logic Pro.
  • Better understand guitar equipment, effects, and signal flow.
  • Leave with practical skills that improve both live performance and studio recording.

This intensive is designed to bridge the gap between performance and production, giving guitarists the tools to sound their best both on stage and in the studio.

About Randy Roos

Randy Roos is an award-winning guitarist, composer, producer, and educator whose career spans performance, recording, film scoring, and higher education. A professor of guitar at Berklee College of Music since 2003, he previously served on the faculty of the New England Conservatory of Music from 1986 to 2000, where he helped shape generations of aspiring musicians.

As a performer, Randy has led the acclaimed ensemble Urethane and has been a member of Club d’Elf and Hall of Mirrors. His versatile musicianship has led to collaborations with some of the world’s most respected artists, including Bill Frisell, Steve Swallow, Mick Goodrick, John Medeski, Bill Bruford, and Orchestra Luna.

His extensive discography includes Confluence – Guitar Duets (with Mick Goodrick), Hall of Mirrors, Morning Jewel (featuring Victor Bailey, Jun Saito, and Bill Frisell), Quartet Live, Vol. 1 (with Mick Goodrick, Steve Swallow, and Jun Saito), Primalvision, Liquid Smoke, Photogenic Memory, Mistral, and Orchestra Luna. His writing on music and technology has appeared in Guitar Player and Electronic Musician magazines.

Beyond the concert stage, Randy is an accomplished composer for film and television, creating music for the PBS series Scientific American Frontiers as well as several episodes of Nova. He is also the owner of Squam Sound Recording and Production, where he has produced and engineered recordings for artists across a wide range of musical genres.

In 2022, Randy received a Latin Grammy Award for Best Classical Album for recording, mixing, and mastering Legado by guitarist Berta Rojas. He also earned an Emmy Award nomination for his original score for the film A Celebration of Architecture, recognizing his outstanding contributions to music for visual media.

Through his work as a performer, composer, producer, and educator, Randy Roos continues to inspire audiences and musicians alike with his artistry, innovation, and commitment to musical excellence.

Career Highlights

  • Professor, guitar, Berklee College of Music, 2003-present
  • Faculty member, New England Conservatory of Music, 1986-2000
  • Leader of Urethane
  • Member of Club d’Elf, Hall of Mirrors
  • Performances with Orchestra Luna, Bill Frisell, Steve Swallow, Mick Goodrick, John Medeski, and Bill Bruford
  • Recordings include Confluence – Guitar Duets (with Mick Goodrick), “Hall of Mirrors” (with Mike Rossi and Tim Gilmore), “Morning Jewel” (with Victor Bailey, Jun Saito, and Bill Frisell), Quartet Live, Vol. 1 (with Mick Goodrick, Steve Swallow and Jun Saito), Primalvision and Liquid Smoke (Narada Productions), Photogenic Memory (Agharta Records), Mistral (Spoonfed Records); and Orchestra Luna (Epic Records)
  • Articles in Guitar Player and Electronic Musician magazines
  • Composer for the PBS series Scientific American Frontiers, and several in the Nova series
  • Owner, Squam Sound Recording and Production

Awards

  • Latin Grammy Award for Best Classical Album for recording, mixing and mastering Legado by Berta Rojas (2022)
  • Emmy nomination for musical score for the movie A Celebration of Architecture