reviews and endorsements •

Secrets of Jigs

Secrets of Jigs, Tips & Technique for Fiddle
Stewart Hardy
Kirk House Publishing ISBN 978-0-9562244-0-8
Book & CD - £15.00
Violin
Grade 4-8

For any player wishing to master folk technique, this is the first of a series of publications, & is a real gem. Stewart provided me with my first introduction to the folk world many years ago on a residential run by JSArts (look them up if you are interested). A classically trained player, his impeccable teaching technique is encapsulated in this book. The CD demonstrates each piece & appropriate technique, & Stewart encourages the reader to learn through listening to the CD whilst reading notation.

Divided into three parts, the book starts with basic rhythm & bowing, with 4 single & 2 double jigs. The first playing of each piece is slow & ‘as written’, the second incorporates bowing to give the required groove & rhythmic nuance essential for authentic folk performance. The second part features case studies of a further 8 jigs, to each of which can be applied different techniques – ringing strings (double stops), ornamentation – flicks, cuts & slides, rolls, mordents, broken thirds & melodic substitution (improvising around the melody). By the time we get to ‘Out on the Ocean’, all manner of exciting techniques have been explained, demonstrated, & are now written out so you can play authentically & take a step into the folk world!

This book is beautifully presented, gives all you need to step over from the classical world into folk music proper (even if it’s only a temporary visit), gives as much academic detail as anyone could ask for, & incorporates all the outstanding teaching technique for which Stewart is now well-renowned. One of the best publications I have seen in this genre, this is a must for anyone interested in the playing &/or teaching of folk music.

Sue Rivett

Secrets of Jigs, Tips & Technique for Fiddle
Stewart Hardy

I’ve always rated Stewart Hardy the best fiddle teacher I’ve met so I anticipated his first book, Secrets of Jigs, eagerly. I wasn’t disappointed.

Limiting itself to single and double jigs, the book’s divided into three parts. The first is a discussion of basic rhythm and bowing followed by six tunes by way of illustration. Each tune is given twice, unadorned, then marked up with a suggested bowing. If, like me, you’re phobic about bowing patterns and dyslexic when it comes to up versus down bows, it comes as a pleasant surprise how easily the suggested bowing enlivens the tune.

Part two consists of case studies of 8 more tunes. These again appear in their plain and marked-up forms but added to this are discussion of various techniques that might be used - cross-bowing, melodic substitution, syncopation to mention but a few. Notice that word “might”. Nowhere is Stewart prescriptive, the idea is to give examples of how the tune may be embellished but only in pursuit of enhancing its “groove”, trying to make dance music dance.

The case studies are backed up with a CD which is more than the usual collection of the tunes. In addition, it has examples of the various techniques and - vitally - exercises which teach you how to play them. These exercises take you step-by-step from basic beginnings until magically you’re doing what seemed impossible a few minutes before.

The third part of the book is an “aspirational” transcription showing how what’s been discussed before can be used to re-groove an old favourite, Out On the Ocean. The book scores in all areas, great tunes with excellent teaching backed up by a really useful CD. All that is assumed is a basic understanding of the dots. Thoroughly recommended.

Pete Bibby

Stewart Hardy is pre-eminent among the many fine fiddle tutors with whom I’ve worked.
His teaching is characterised by meticulous, clearly-focused preparation, effective
structure, attention to detail, rigour, positive encouragement, good humour, patience,
kindness and care. He has demanding yet reasonable expectations of his students, and
makes sure his workshops are enjoyable, purposeful and productive. Thus his students, at
all levels, become better and more confident players. He is the complete professional.

These same qualities are equally evident in Secrets of Jigs, a tutor-book for fiddlers, with
complementary CD. It is beautifully produced, thoughtfully conceived and constructed,
lucid, detailed and thorough. It makes no grand - or fatuous - claims such as “jigs made
easy” (fiddle-playing is never easy) but guides the learner through well-planned exercises,
carefully-chosen tunes, thought-provoking suggestions and genuinely helpful contextual
information to a deeper understanding of jigs and how to play them. As with Stewart's
workshops, so with this book: the student who concentrates and works hard will be richly
rewarded.

David Oliver
Folkworks Education Director (1993-2007)
Lecturer in Folk Music Education, Newcastle University and Durham University
Chair of FolkArts England (2003-2009)
Director Folkworks Summer Schools

As a “by ear” student and practitioner of traditional music, I have spent 40 years hearing remarks along the lines of “that’s not how it’s written”. Now, in “Secrets of Jigs”, Stewart Hardy has published clear and insightful explanations of such discrepancies. Not only does he show why written notation is invariably at variance with traditional renditions of the tunes, he makes the essential point that this is how it has to be with traditional music if it is to survive with distinct identity and style. There is plenty of written material and discussion to satisfy everyone, from beginner to experienced formally trained musician but best of all, for someone with my background, there is a beautifully recorded CD to illustrate, in stunning detail, each of the learning points described. Although telling the tale from a fiddler’s standpoint, it has vital things to say to everyone with more than a passing interest in traditional music and is a “must buy” for would-be (and established) players of any melody instrument seeking to turn dots into true traditional music.

Dr Anthony Robb
Lecturer in Folk Music Education,
Newcastle University Co-director Folkworks Summer Schools