Workshops

All of our workshops can be geared towards players from beginners to intermediate. Our aims are to be informative, fun and to inspire people to experiment at home with new and different approaches to their music.
View feed back from workshop participants

Hurdy gurdy workshop - Steve
This involves a general introduction to the instrument, a look at some tunes and sources of music - including medieval and new compositions, and answering questions. There will be some playing of pieces and exercises for those with an instrument but the workshop is equally suitable for those who are just interested.
This could be divided into many more specific workshops:-
Hurdy gurdy techniques for players - beginners/intermediate/advanced
Medieval music for hurdy gurdy and other instruments but
For folk festivals it is usually better to have a general workshop which can be tailored to fit the people that turn up.

Performing in front of an audience (page to stage ) - Andy

This is always a popular workshop that can easily be run over more than one day and is suitable for people with (or without) any instrument. Using my own arrangements as examples I take people through finding a suitable song, we learn about correct breathing and phrasing to tips on accompaniment and finally how to improve you performance skills in front of an audience. This is followed by having people perform one of their songs with (constructive!) criticism from everyone.

Accompanying Celtic/English tunes - Andy

In this workshop I aim to broaden accompanists’ knowledge of chord usage. It is particularly useful for guitar, bouzouki, mandola and mandolin players but can be geared towards (virtually) any instrument. In this workshop it is useful to have another musician to play the tunes. (Often my wife, who is a fiddle player, helps.)

Accompanying traditional and contemporary songs - Andy

In this workshop I look at ways to accompany songs starting with finding the correct key, moving on to breathing and phrasing techniques and on to fitting the song to an instrument then how to take a different look at chords, tempo and style to emphasize the song.
This can be done over several days or compressed into a single workshop and can be geared to virtually any instrument.

Bouzouki - Andy

Right hand techniques
To include strumming patterns and if time allows playing counter melody lines.
Left hand techniques
In this workshop I focus on encouraging the students to use the whole instrument to embellish songs or tunes.

This can be done over several days or compressed to give a broader look in a single workshop.

Guitar - Andy
Accompanying tunes and songs in dropped D tunings

Accompanying tunes and songs in dropped D tunings
Right hand techniques
Left hand techniques
In this workshop I take students through chords, introducing them to relative minors and tricks for the left hand and strumming patterns for jigs/ reels etc for the right hand.
This can be done over several days or compressed to give a broader look in a single workshop.

Feedback from workshops

“I still have the Information sheet about preparation & performance from a workshop with you in Bude some years ago - it's been very helpful, & I have it in the front of my file of songs, so many thanks for that.” Anne Hughes
“I’ve had three people say to me how much they enjoyed your bouzouki workshop” Jonny Dyer Whitby folk week 2014
“Many thanks for a useful down to earth workshop”
“Inspiring lesson, just need to practice at home now. (A lot!)”
“Enlightening. Thanks.”
“Great teacher, I understand it now!” Pete Kiddle
“Adds another dimension to playing the instrument, inspires the thought processes” Andy S
“Great workshop, fantastic introduction to a superb instrument.” Ross H
“Great workshop, really useful with sequences and variations for song.”

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