The Quelbe Method

Book excerpt: In the early 1700s, the Danish administration of the Virgin Islands suppressed African music. Undeterred, Virgin Island minstrels combined the African, European, and Taino music elements that created the eclectic genre quelbe. In The Quelbe Method, Dale Francis offers a comprehensive approach that demystifies music, develops artistry in tandem with fundamentals, and provides repertoire to build musicianship and individual performance skills. Francis shares his classical and jazz guitar skills, teaching practices, and performing artist perspective in an innovative approach to learning music. The three-part arrangements are open to interpretation and variation. Part two simulates the banjo, ukulele or guitar sound, and part three portrays a bass pattern that can be played on a one-string washtub bass. Students can learn cultural rhythmic, melodic, and harmonic concepts in addition to learning to play melodies and chord progressions by ear. The Quelbe Method provides a comprehensive approach to learning music through practical theory, ear training, rhythm, technique, and performance activities, enabling both adult and young musicians to further develop their abilities to read and write music, play by ear, and improvise.