Stewart Hardy

Fiddle Techniques with Stewart Hardy
Fully Booked

Tunes are carefully selected to work as exercises demonstrating particular techniques, whilst at the same time providing a melodic stimulus. Exercises are extracted from the tunes to facilitate applying the technique to other tunes. Many of the tunes are suitable for multi-level workshops, with the teaching of a variety of techniques, requiring greater or lesser technical experience, applied to them. Subject matter includes: bowing technique, left hand technique and general fiddle well-being. In the choice of repertoire emphasis is given to stylistic aspects of the music. A number of considerations are given to the selection of tunes, including their interest to Stewart in his studies, their interest to the general musical community, their demonstration of particular stylistic nuances, and as being representative of a composer’s style.

All sheet music and mp3 files of all the tunes covered are provided and included in the price. Plus recordings of exercises from the course where these are helpful.

The workshops typically take between 7 & 10 people for three days of instruction. The cost covers all food, tuition, refreshments and overnight accommodation.The course cost for the weekend (Friday Lunchtime through to Sunday evening) includes everything by way of meals and refreshments, so no need to spend another penny on anything once you are there. Vegan and vegetarian diets are catered for, as are lactose and gluten intolerance.

Over the weekend there are 10 * 75 minute workshops. Dinner is followed each evening by an informal session led by Stewart. These help reinforce the techniques learned during the day, give you a chance to hear and learn new tunes and teach others some of your own favourites.

Your tutor is available to you from breakfast until bed-time for questions and advice.

Advanced Style & Repertoire (Mixed Instruments)

12th – 14th July 2019.
Ushaw College, Durham, DH7 9RH

Join Stewart in the beautiful surroundings of Ushaw College in Durham, for a weekend of intensive tuition. This workshop will focus on compositions by Stewart himself, with a chance to learn some of his traditional style tunes, their groove and nuances. Advanced Courses are open to proficient players of any instrument (including transposing instruments) who possess good to high technical competence. Participants may have some of the following experience and skills:

• – playing folk tunes at dance tempo
• – attending folk music sessions and joining in or leading sets of tunes
• – playing for dancing and/or in concert bands
• – teaching music
• – attending other advanced tutorials/workshops

The workshop will typically take between 8 and 12 people from Friday evening until Sunday afternoon. 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.

Places on Advanced courses are available on application. For further information or to express your interest in this course, please email Ali (jsarts@stewarthardy.co.uk)