Feb
7
Wed
NEFS 2024 Block 1 – Online @ Videos & Zoom
Feb 7 @ 7:00 pm – 8:30 pm

North East Fiddle School returns with another block of fully online materials, plus a single day workshop in-person that will be held this block on Saturday 17th February.

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. Stewart Hardy and Kevin Lees will each be providing a Video Tutorial, further exploring the dorian mode

For those who enjoy the live engagement, 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. Join Stewart Hardy and Grace Smith for the Fiddle Practice and Live Teaching Zoom calls.

Check out the NEFS website for full details, see which tunes are being taught this block by Stewart Hard, and you will be able to book online through the NEFS Shop very soon!  http://www.northeastfiddleschool.org.uk/

Feb
14
Wed
NEFS 2024 Block 1 – Online @ Videos & Zoom
Feb 14 @ 7:00 pm – 8:30 pm

North East Fiddle School returns with another block of fully online materials, plus a single day workshop in-person that will be held this block on Saturday 17th February.

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. Stewart Hardy and Kevin Lees will each be providing a Video Tutorial, further exploring the dorian mode

For those who enjoy the live engagement, 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. Join Stewart Hardy and Grace Smith for the Fiddle Practice and Live Teaching Zoom calls.

Check out the NEFS website for full details, see which tunes are being taught this block by Stewart Hard, and you will be able to book online through the NEFS Shop very soon!  http://www.northeastfiddleschool.org.uk/

Feb
17
Sat
NEFS 2024 Block 1 – Saturday Workshop @ Wylam Methodist Church
Feb 17 @ 10:00 am – 5:00 pm

This full-day workshop forms a part of the North East Fiddle School’s 2024 Block 1offering, along with video tutorials and Zoom calls.

The in-person Workshop Day on Saturday 17th February will run from 10:00 until 17:00 at Wylam Methodist Church. There will be three workshops run by Stewart Hardy and Grace Smith, with a session to finish the afternoon.

Check out the NEFS website for full details – coming soon.
http://www.northeastfiddleschool.org.uk/

Feb
28
Wed
NEFS 2024 Block 2 – Online
Feb 28 @ 7:00 pm – 8:30 pm

North East Fiddle School returns with another block of fully online materials, plus a single day workshop in-person that will be held this block on Saturday 16th March.

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. Stewart Hardy and Grace Smith will each be providing a Video Tutorial for this block.

For those who enjoy the live engagement, there are weekly Fiddle Practice sessions and tunes taught live on Zoom each Wednesday evening for the five weeks of the block, plus a play-along session on Weds 3rd April. 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. Join Stewart Hardy and Grace Smith for the Fiddle Practice and Live Teaching Zoom calls.

Check out the NEFS website for full details and you can book via the NEFS Shop:  http://www.northeastfiddleschool.org.uk/

Mar
6
Wed
NEFS 2024 Block 2 – Online
Mar 6 @ 7:00 pm – 8:30 pm

North East Fiddle School returns with another block of fully online materials, plus a single day workshop in-person that will be held this block on Saturday 16th March.

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. Stewart Hardy and Grace Smith will each be providing a Video Tutorial for this block.

For those who enjoy the live engagement, there are weekly Fiddle Practice sessions and tunes taught live on Zoom each Wednesday evening for the five weeks of the block, plus a play-along session on Weds 3rd April. 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. Join Stewart Hardy and Grace Smith for the Fiddle Practice and Live Teaching Zoom calls.

Check out the NEFS website for full details and you can book via the NEFS Shop:  http://www.northeastfiddleschool.org.uk/

Mar
13
Wed
NEFS 2024 Block 2 – Online
Mar 13 @ 7:00 pm – 8:30 pm

North East Fiddle School returns with another block of fully online materials, plus a single day workshop in-person that will be held this block on Saturday 16th March.

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. Stewart Hardy and Grace Smith will each be providing a Video Tutorial for this block.

For those who enjoy the live engagement, there are weekly Fiddle Practice sessions and tunes taught live on Zoom each Wednesday evening for the five weeks of the block, plus a play-along session on Weds 3rd April. 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. Join Stewart Hardy and Grace Smith for the Fiddle Practice and Live Teaching Zoom calls.

Check out the NEFS website for full details and you can book via the NEFS Shop:  http://www.northeastfiddleschool.org.uk/

Mar
16
Sat
NEFS 2024 Block 2 – Saturday Workshop @ Wylam Methodist Church
Mar 16 @ 10:00 am – 5:00 pm

This full-day workshop forms a part of the North East Fiddle School’s 2024 Block 2 offering, along with video tutorials and Zoom calls.

The in-person Workshop Day on Saturday 16th March will run from 10:00 until 17:00 at Wylam Methodist Church. There will be three workshops run by Stewart Hardy and Niles Krieger, with a session to finish the afternoon.

Check out the NEFS website for full details and book your place now. A discount is available if you book both the Online option and Saturday workshop
http://www.northeastfiddleschool.org.uk/

Mar
20
Wed
NEFS 2024 Block 2 – Online
Mar 20 @ 7:00 pm – 8:30 pm

North East Fiddle School returns with another block of fully online materials, plus a single day workshop in-person that will be held this block on Saturday 16th March.

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. Stewart Hardy and Grace Smith will each be providing a Video Tutorial for this block.

For those who enjoy the live engagement, there are weekly Fiddle Practice sessions and tunes taught live on Zoom each Wednesday evening for the five weeks of the block, plus a play-along session on Weds 3rd April. 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. Join Stewart Hardy and Grace Smith for the Fiddle Practice and Live Teaching Zoom calls.

Check out the NEFS website for full details and you can book via the NEFS Shop:  http://www.northeastfiddleschool.org.uk/

Mar
22
Fri
JSArts Fiddle Technique @ Shepherds Dene
Mar 22 – Mar 24 all-day
JSArts Fiddle Technique @ Shepherds Dene | Grantham | United Kingdom

JSArts Fiddle Technique

22nd – 24th March 2024
Shepherds Dene, Riding Mill, Northumberland NE44 6AF
4.00 pm start and finish time.
£398 fully inclusive (except bar drinks)

Bookings for this course are open – please email Ali (music@stewarthardy.co.uk) for a form.

Join Stewart for a weekend of intensive fiddle tuition at this beautiful location in Northumberland. The workshop will take a maxiumum of around 14 participants and will run from 4 pm on Friday until 4 pm on 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. Accommodation is in single occupancy rooms, 8 of which are en suite and these are allocated as required, and then in order of booking. Sheet music and mp3 files of the tunes covered are sent out in advance, detailed worksheets are provided, 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.

Shepherds Dene is a small retreat centre, situated not far south of the A69, about 20 mins drive from the A1 with free parking at the venue. Riding Mill railway station is the closest, and transport can be arranged for those needing a lift to or from the station.

For information this or future courses, please email Ali (music@stewarthardy.co.uk)

 

**Covid-19 Update
This course will be run in accordance to our Covid-secure Music Workshop Guidelines, and is subject to any restrictions applicable at the time, and any coronavirus protocols from the venue. Please do not travel to the venue if you feel unwell or have cold-like symptoms.

~ ~ ~

Standard Level courses are aimed at fiddle players with a broad range of experience and ability, from competent beginner to upper intermediate, but please note they are not suitable for absolute or early beginners. We would expect players to have most of the following skills:
  • – 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
In addition fiddlers who attend these courses often have some of the following experience:
  • – attend other fiddle workshops
  • – play with a community folk music group
  • – join in folk music sessions
  • – receive tuition on the fiddle/violin
Mar
27
Wed
NEFS 2024 Block 2 – Online
Mar 27 @ 7:00 pm – 8:30 pm

North East Fiddle School returns with another block of fully online materials, plus a single day workshop in-person that will be held this block on Saturday 16th March.

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. Stewart Hardy and Grace Smith will each be providing a Video Tutorial for this block.

For those who enjoy the live engagement, there are weekly Fiddle Practice sessions and tunes taught live on Zoom each Wednesday evening for the five weeks of the block, plus a play-along session on Weds 3rd April. 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. Join Stewart Hardy and Grace Smith for the Fiddle Practice and Live Teaching Zoom calls.

Check out the NEFS website for full details and you can book via the NEFS Shop:  http://www.northeastfiddleschool.org.uk/