Fiddle Technique
13th – 15th November 2020
Shepherd’s Dene, Riding Mill, Northumberland NE44 6AF
Join Stewart in the beautiful Northumbrian setting of Shepherd’s Dene near Riding Mill, for a weekend of intensive fiddle tuition. The workshop will typically take between 10 and 15 people from Friday evening until Sunday afternoon.This course can accommodate a broad range of experience and ability, ranging from competent beginner to upper intermediate, but is not suitable for absolute or early beginners. All tuition, resources, accommodation, food and daytime refreshments are included. Sheet music and mp3 files of the tunes covered are sent out in advance, and recordings of exercises from the course are sent on to you afterwards.
These courses are centred around the technical issues that come with playing fiddle music, with as much emphasis on the how as there is on the what. Focusing on left-hand and bowing technique, with stylistic interpretation of the music a key feature, these workshops delve deep into the tunes, extracting exercises to improve technique and allow its application to a wider repertoire. Tunes are carefully selected for their technical or stylistic content whilst also baring in mind practical considerations such as their usefulness in folk music sessions or as dance repertoire. The tunes are taught ‘as if by ear’, meaning they are taught phrase by phrase at a tempo and with sufficient repetition to enable learning without recourse to reading notation, but with notation available at any point should that be desired or necessary. This encourages the development of aural pattern recognition and general musicality, enhancing musicianship and the enjoyment of playing music in social settings.
For further information or to express your interest in this course, please email Ali (jsarts@stewarthardy.co.uk)
- – playing simple dance tunes at steady to mid tempo (e.g. reels and jigs at 50-80 beats per minute)
- – able to clap in time to a tune
- – have basic control of the bow on the string
- – able to slur notes together
- – comfortable in the keys of G,D and A major and familiar with their note names
- – familiarity with C major
- – able to play basic scales without notation
- – able to play at least 2 tunes without notation
- – attend other fiddle workshops
- – play with a community folk music group
- – join in folk music sessions
- – receive tuition on the fiddle/violin
December Workshops
Play-along Session in Harmony for Mixed Instruments
This will be a Zoom call open to intermediate players (and above) of any instrument. Notation will be provided in advance for all the tunes, together with suggestions for basic chords and a harmony line but feel free to join in by ear! You can play the tune along with Stewart, play an accompaniment with a bass line, chords or a harmony (your own or follow the suggestions) or enjoy playing the tune whilst Stewart plays a harmony. Spoiler alert – Stewart is a fiddle player! The harmonies may extend beyond the range of your instrument so if you have specific requirements, please get in touch.
Zoom Workshop
Friday 4th December 19:00 – 21:00
For full details, please see the December Workshops page.
A single workshop is £20, attend two for £35 or all three for £50.
Book your place by purchasing through the Shop.
If you haven’t attended a music workshop on Zoom before, here is a page of Zoom Workshop Tips to get the most out of your experience. A strong and reliable internet connection, plus headphones or an external speaker are recommended. A recording of the live call will be available for those who experience technical difficulties, or who find themselves unable to attend the live Zoom call.
December Workshops
Fiddle Workshop 1
This workshop will provide a warm-up, technical session and will teach a tune which illustrates the use of the technique explored. Suitable for players from competent beginners to upper intermediates. Full worksheets will be provided, with the tune, bowing and ornamentation, along with audio files of the tune, in advance. A recording of the live call will be available for those who experience technical difficulties, or who find themselves unable to attend the live Zoom call.
Zoom Workshop
Saturday 4th December: 10:00 – 12:00
For full details, please see the December Workshops page.
A single workshop is £20, attend two for £35 or all three for £50.
Book your place by purchasing through the Shop.
If you haven’t attended a music workshop on Zoom before, here is a page of Zoom Workshop Tips to get the most out of your experience. A strong and reliable internet connection, plus headphones or an external speaker are recommended.
December Workshops
Fiddle Workshop 2
This workshop will provide a warm-up, technical session and will teach a tune which illustrates the use of the technique explored. Aimed at intermediate to advanced level fiddle players. Full worksheets will be provided, with the tune, bowing and ornamentation, along with audio files of the tune, in advance. A recording of the live call will be available for those who experience technical difficulties, or who find themselves unable to attend the live Zoom call.
Zoom Workshop
Saturday 5th December: 14:00 – 16:00
For full details, please see the December Workshops page.
A single workshop is £20, attend two for £35 or all three for £50.
Book your place by purchasing through the Shop.
If you haven’t attended a music workshop on Zoom before, here is a page of Zoom Workshop Tips to get the most out of your experience. A strong and reliable internet connection, plus headphones or an external speaker are recommended.
North East Fiddle School returns with a new block of fully online materials.
Technique and tunes are taught through video tutorials which are added to weekly and can be accessed indefinitely after that so you can work at your own pace.
For those who enjoy the live environment, there are weekly Fiddle Practice sessions and tunes taught live on Zoom each Wednesday evening for the five weeks of the block. These are great fun, and a good way to keep up with playing your fiddle regularly, whilst improving your technique and learning some core repertoire tunes.
Check out the NEFS website for full details, see which tunes are being taught this block by myself and Melissa Whitehead, and you can book online through the website: http://www.northeastfiddleschool.org.uk/
North East Fiddle School returns with a new block of fully online materials.
Technique and tunes are taught through video tutorials which are added to weekly and can be accessed indefinitely after that so you can work at your own pace.
For those who enjoy the live environment, there are weekly Fiddle Practice sessions and tunes taught live on Zoom each Wednesday evening for the five weeks of the block. These are great fun, and a good way to keep up with playing your fiddle regularly, whilst improving your technique and learning some core repertoire tunes.
Check out the NEFS website for full details, see which tunes are being taught this block by myself and Melissa Whitehead, and you can book online through the website: http://www.northeastfiddleschool.org.uk/
North East Fiddle School returns with a new block of fully online materials.
Technique and tunes are taught through video tutorials which are added to weekly and can be accessed indefinitely after that so you can work at your own pace.
For those who enjoy the live environment, there are weekly Fiddle Practice sessions and tunes taught live on Zoom each Wednesday evening for the five weeks of the block. These are great fun, and a good way to keep up with playing your fiddle regularly, whilst improving your technique and learning some core repertoire tunes.
Check out the NEFS website for full details, see which tunes are being taught this block by myself and Melissa Whitehead, and you can book online through the website: http://www.northeastfiddleschool.org.uk/
January 2021 Workshops
Play-along Session in Harmony for Mixed Instruments
This will be a Zoom call open to intermediate players (and above) of any instrument. Notation will be provided in advance for all the tunes, together with suggestions for basic chords and a harmony line, but feel free to join in by ear! You can play the tune along with Stewart, play an accompaniment with a bass line, chords or a harmony (your own or follow the suggestions) or enjoy playing the tune whilst Stewart plays a harmony. If you wish to join in on an instrument with a different range from the fiddle, or with specfic key requirements, please get in touch before booking.
Zoom Workshop
Friday 29th January, 19:00 – 21:00
For full details, please see the January Workshops page.
A single workshop is £20, attend two for £35 or all three for £50.
Book your place by purchasing through the Shop.
If you haven’t attended a music workshop on Zoom before, here is a page of Zoom Workshop Tips to get the most out of your experience. A strong and reliable internet connection, plus headphones or an external speaker are recommended. A recording of the live call will be available for those who experience technical difficulties, or who find themselves unable to attend the live Zoom call.
January 2021 Workshops
Fiddle Workshop 1
This workshop will provide a warm-up, technical session and will teach a tune which illustrates the use of the technique explored. Suitable for players from competent beginners to upper intermediates. Full worksheets will be provided, with the tune, bowing and ornamentation, along with audio files of the tune, in advance. A recording of the live call will be available for those who experience technical difficulties, or who find themselves unable to attend the live Zoom call.
Zoom Workshop
Saturday 30th January: 10:00 am – 12:00 noon
For full details, please see the Janauary Workshops page.
A single workshop is £20, attend two for £35 or all three for £50.
Book your place by purchasing through the Shop.
If you haven’t attended a music workshop on Zoom before, here is a page of Zoom Workshop Tips to get the most out of your experience. A strong and reliable internet connection, plus headphones or an external speaker are recommended.
January 2021 Workshops
Fiddle Workshop 2
This workshop will provide a warm-up, technical session and will teach a tune which illustrates the use of the technique explored. Aimed at intermediate to advanced level fiddle players. Full worksheets will be provided, with the tune, bowing and ornamentation, along with audio files of the tune, in advance. A recording of the live call will be available for those who experience technical difficulties, or who find themselves unable to attend the live Zoom call.
Zoom Workshop
Saturday 30th January: 14:00 – 16:00
For full details, please see the January Workshops page.
A single workshop is £20, attend two for £35 or all three for £50.
Book your place by purchasing through the Shop.
If you haven’t attended a music workshop on Zoom before, here is a page of Zoom Workshop Tips to get the most out of your experience. A strong and reliable internet connection, plus headphones or an external speaker are recommended.
Recordings
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Gearing up for a new block at North East Fiddle School!
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A new year, a new block of online fiddle tuition!
We begin again at NEFS on Weds 13th Jan and bookings are now open. There will be five weeks of material - video tutorials to teach techniques and tunes, and live Zoom workshops for Fiddle Practice techniques and learning core repertoire tunes. Recordings of the workshops will be available afterwards too, so you can access all of the materials at any time you choose!
Full details are on the website linked in the event information below. (Sadly the course isn't free as the event shows 🙁 I can't get the FB event to show the price unless it's a Paid FB event! There are also 5 weeks of video tutorials and Zoom workshops, but I couldn't find the event scheduling feature - is it just me today?!?!?!)
We hope you can join our friendly community of fiddle players!
www.northeastfiddleschool.org.uk/classes/Another year of The Holly and Ivy road show is complete! Thanks to the schools who hosted our smaller shows this year. Wassail!
Support local folk musicians this Christmas! So many brilliant musicians to choose from - buy direct for CDs, books, workshops and lessons!
Here's one for starters.... 😆
www.stewarthardy.co.uk/shop/
Plus Chloe & Sophy at The Violin Company for all your violin accessories and set up needs, and for the little ones in you life, the lovely Laura has a new shop for Little & Loud - jingle bells all the way!
#FolkForChristmasShop through #FolkForChristmas this Black Friday. Check out our previous video recommendations, and those from other artists. Give a meaningful present to a young person this Christmas.
Our offerings are here: www.shackletontrio.co.uk/store But why not get 'em something by one of these fine fiddlers from our Isles:
The English Fiddle Ensemble
Jim Boyle & Dave Gray
Ross Couper
Sam Sweeney
Kinnaris Quintet
Nick Wyke & Becki Driscoll
Thomas Kitchen
Kate in the Kettle
Bryony Griffith and Will Hampson
Alden, Patterson and Dashwood
John Dipper
Nancy Kerr and James Fagan
Intarsia
Jon Boden
Eliza Carthy
Blazin' Fiddles
Bruce MacGregor
Stewart Hardy Music
String Sisters
Tom McConville
Aly Bain and Phil Cunningham
#folk #fiddle #blackfriday #christmas #shopping #presents #music #newmusic #introducenewmusic #folkmusic