Apr
26
Fri
JSArts Advanced Fiddle Technique @ Rydal Hall
Apr 26 – Apr 28 all-day
JSArts Advanced Fiddle Technique @ Rydal Hall | Grantham | United Kingdom

Advanced Fiddle Technique

26th – 28th April 2024

Rydal Hall, Ambleside LA22 9LX
3.00 pm start and finish time.

Join Stewart in the beautiful surroundings of Rydal Hall in the Lake District for a weekend of intensive advanced fiddle tuition. The workshop will typically take between 10 and 15 people from Friday afternoon until Sunday afternoon. The residential weekend fee of £398 covers all food, tuition, daytime refreshments and two nights single occupancy accommodation, almost all of which is en suite. 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.

This course is aimed at proficient players with good to high technical competence, who are comfortable with their instruments and their repertoire, and who may have some of the following experience and skills:

  • – Playing folk tunes at dance tempo
  • – Comfortable in key signatures of up to 3 sharps and 1 flat
  • – Familiarity with key signatures of up to 4 sharps and 3 flats
  • – Attending folk music sessions and confidently joining in with the tunes
  • – Leading sets of tunes in sessions
  • – Playing in ceilidh and/or concert bands
  • – Teaching violin and/or fiddle

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 by ear, 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. There will also be two evening sessions, allowing participants to play common repertoire together and to exchange tunes, picking new ones up by ear.

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

Jun
7
Fri
JSArts Arrangement Techniques for Mixed Instruments @ Shepherds Dene
Jun 7 – Jun 9 all-day
JSArts Arrangement Techniques for Mixed Instruments @ Shepherds Dene | Grantham | United Kingdom

JSArts Arrangement Techniques for Mixed Instruments

7th – 9th June 2024
Shepherds Dene, Riding Mill, Northumberland NE44 6AF
4.00 pm start and finish time.
£410 fully inclusive (except bar drinks)

Join Stewart for a weekend of intensive music tuition at this beautiful location in Northumberland, for a weekend of exploring new tunes and creating arrangements. The workshop will be limited to 8-10 participants and will run from 4 pm on Friday until 4 pm on Sunday afternoon. It is open to players of any instrument (including transposing instruments) and is aimed at a broad range of abilities from intermediate to advanced. Workshops focus on techniques for arranging tunes for the combination of instruments to hand, using tools such as tempo, texture, dynamics and harmonic structure to create a musical narrative. To enjoy the full benefits of these courses, participants should be able to read notation or confidently and quickly pick up tunes and musical ideas by ear. We will aim to create well-mixed groups by monitoring the instrumentation as participants sign up for the course. 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, and any recordings from the course are sent on to you afterwards.

For further information or for a booking form, please email Ali (music@stewarthardy.co.uk)

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.

 

**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.