Adult Fiddle Classes/ Groups Autumn 2024
The focus is on learning by ear, it doesn’t matter if you read music or not. The genre is mainly Scottish folk, with some European/ Americana / Scandinavian tunes thrown in too. Starting in April, we will be taking thing slower (after much ceilidh excitement!), and delving into more technique, ornamentation, bowing style, tone, and musicality. So it’ll be more about process than tunes tunes tunes! We welcome you on the journey!
Absolute Beginners
We are not currently running an Absolute Beginners class but please get in touch and we will keep you posted for future classes.
‘Play Together’
Improver Beginner Classes 6 Week Block (alternate weeks) from 5thSeptember
When : Sept 5th and 19th, October 3rd and 24th, November 7th and 21st, December 5th free stramash (fiddle gathering). (NB Please note NO class on 17th Oct due to half term break).
Time: 7 – 8.30pm
Where: Portobello Baptist Church Hall, Portobello High St
Cost: £72 for 6 classes, payable before the start of the bloc. Please get in touch with us to book your place and we will send BACS payment info. (Some of you will have this info already) info@funfiddle.co.uk
Taught by Sarah Hoy, we welcome back improver beginners from last term, as well as new recruits. The group will continue to build on learning some simple tunes, looking at ornamentation and bowing technique, and getting a nice sound from your instrument. For more information or to book a place, please contact us.
Intermediate/ Advanced Weekly Drop In Group starting 12th September
When: Self led group with monthly tutored class, every week, starting Thursday 12th September – 28th November 6.45 – 8.45. Free stramash on 5th December 2024, 7pm – 8.45pm
Where: The Wash House, Adelphi Grove, Portobello
Cost: £6 payable weekly in cash or as a bloc by BACS (£4 for Fun Fiddle members).
This group operates as a drop in self led group and is aimed at more confident players of intermediate or advanced level. There will be a monthly tutored class (12th September, 10th October, 7th November) led by Sarah Hoy who will introduce Tune of The Month. The intervening self led weeks will offer a chance to practice the tune of the month as well as brush up on wider repertoire and ceilidh sets. A weekly update email will be sent out to the group with info for the following weeks meet up.
More dates for the diary ahead:
31st August Portobello Big Beach Busk
7th September Busk at Portobello farmers Market
23rd September European Folk Day – watch this space!
26th October – St Philips Church Fundraising Ceilidh
Scots Fiddle Festival November 2024
5th December Fun Fiddle Stramash , Portobello Baptist Church
Portobello Xmas Lights Switch On (date TBC)
Fun Fiddle Membership
Once you have joined the intermediate/advanced group, we encourage you to consider taking out a Fun Fiddle annual membership. You can join any time. Membership income helps keep Fun Fiddle afloat and subsidises the weekly drop in group/ self led session, so please consider supporting us!
Find out about Fun Fiddle membership and discounts
Learning Methods at Fun Fiddle
The Thursday groups will mainly play by ear, and sheet music is available if you want it on our Tunes page and in our Fun Fiddle tune books. Once you have come along on a Thursday, you will be kept in touch with what tunes are being played this term.
Here’s what Fun Fiddlers said about the recent lockdown times:
“Fun fiddle has been a very significant support and inspiration for me to remain positive during the past months. The fact we have all remained in touch gave me a focus for practising when we were staying at home. Towerbank gave us renewed focus and encouragement.”
“It is a sense of a ‘spiritual home’ in times when it is difficult to keep in close contact with family living far away.It has boosted my confidence to reach out to other fiddling opportunities on line as well as bringing a sense of ‘family’ enjoying good happy friendships, keeping us practising meaningfully, trying out new tunes, providing that bit of spontaneity when so much of your day has to be planned. We’ve found, with Fun Fiddle, ways to manage the difficulties that this crisis has thrown up.”</em
“Playing the fiddle has been keeping me sane and focussed on something positive, enriching and shared in this turbulent world of separation and lockdown.”
“It’s been an opportunity to share a musical experience with others when there is so little closeness with other people. It is an escape into a world of cheerful tunes which are uplifting and help us to live in the moment which is so important now. Expressing feelings through playing music is relaxing and so necessary at this time.
Feel free to contact us with any questions or to find out more about groups, classes or anything else.