Apr
13
Sat
April Workshops 2024: Fiddle Workshop 2 @ Online - on Zoom
Apr 13 @ 2:00 pm – 4:00 pm

April Workshops 2024

Fiddle Workshop 2

Zoom Workshop
Learn a tune steadily, taught phrase by phrase with detailed instruction for any useful techniques that can be taken away for use in all your fiddle playing.
Saturday 13th April: 2:00 pm – 4:00 pm

Aimed at Intermediate to Advanced players
£20

Book now

April Workshops 2024: £20 each.
Buy any two for £35 or all three for £50. The discount will be applied in your basket – visit 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.

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)

Sep
20
Fri
Stewart Hardy & Frank McLaughlin / The Swallow Theatre @ The Swallow Theatre
Sep 20 @ 7:30 pm
Stewart Hardy & Frank McLaughlin / The Swallow Theatre @ The Swallow Theatre

Frank and I will be building a short tour for later in the year around a booking on Friday 20th September at the Swallow Theatre in Dumfries & Galloway. Their 2024 programme is now available to browse online. We are both delighted to be playing at this lovely venue again and tickets are now on sale. If you are in the area, or fancy taking a break in a beautiful part of the world, it would be great to see you there.

Friday 20th September, Swallow Theatre, Moss Park, Ravenstone, Whithorn, Dumfries and Galloway DG8 8DR

Fiddle virtuoso Stewart Hardy and superb Scottish guitarist Frank McLaughlin are a critically acclaimed duo who possess a rare musical kinship as they explore music rooted in the traditions of Scotland, the Borders and Northumberland while incorporating sensibilities from the worlds of classical, blues, klezmer and jazz.

As a duo they perform traditional and contemporary tunes stripped back to the bare essentials of fiddle and guitar.

With their long-term collaboration, they have achieved a deep and instinctive understanding of each other’s musical interpretations.

The unique and versatile approach Stewart and Frank bring to their music, combined with their ability to draw on a wide variety of styles, produces an uplifting and joyous performance.