This is not a tune learning weekend, focus will be on technique and style, giving you tools for your toolbox to take away and apply to your choice of tunes and music. Notation & recordings of the tunes will be provided during or after the event, however if the tutors feel that it will be beneficial for delegates to have this information before the weekend we will send it out by email a few weeks before the weekend. This is entirely at the tutors discretion.
The tutors will rotate to different teaching rooms, so that each group: Improvers, Intermediate and Accomplished; have one workshop module taught by each of the tutors. A workshop module is approximately 3 hours including a break. You will need your DG melodeon with you for the workshops.
The Beginners and Absolute Beginners workshops will run independently of this rotation for the whole weekend. If you need to borrow a DG melodeon for the duration of the workshop please indicate on the booking form. These melodeons will be on loan from our sponsor: Acorn Instruments.
Want to play melodeon but not sure how to start, or perhaps you've got your first melodeon but aren't getting anywhere with it? These accessible workshops follow a proven step-by-step tutor system to get you off to a flying start. We'll be using an intuitive tab system to find our way around the melodeon and no music reading ability is necessary. We'll also focus on developing foundations of good technique, equipping you with essential tools to support your continued progress.
Over three sessions, and using a range of different tunes, we'll build upon firm foundations to help you take your playing to the next level. We'll use Saturday morning and afternoon to focus on first the right hand, and then the left hand ends of the instrument in depth, and put into practice what we've learned on Sunday by bringing both hands together, and focussing on the bit in the middle (the bellows!). We'll focus on a range of pitfalls often encountered by those at beginner level and look at some coping mechanisms and exercises to overcome these.
On Saturday morning we'll focus entirely on the right hand of your melodeon, and playing the tune. We'll use one or two tunes to focus in on style and technique, and share some top tips about how to move confidently around your keyboard without losing your place!
Saturday afternoon will be all about the bass! We'll look at simple rhythms, what options we have available, and how you can start to move beyond a basic left hand rhythm. Using a very simple tune (so our right hand doesn't get too much of our attention!) we'll work on taking your left hand skills to the next level.
On Sunday morning we'll bring yesterday's learning together and work through any issues that arise with air usage, running out of air and other bellows related challenges.
Will: Details to follow
Pete: Using some of the tunes from Bob Ellis's book "There was None of this Lazy Dancing" - Building a basic repertoire, a variety of dance tunes & rhythms, learning by ear from traditional players.
Crossing the rows & developing repertoire & style.
Hartwin: A first look at playing basic chords and creating beautiful sounding atmospheres by learning some easy chords with the right hand.
Will: Details to follow
Pete: Using some of the tunes from Bob Ellis's book "There was None of this Lazy Dancing" - From the dots to the dance floor. Intros & outros & the notes in between, rhythm, pace & dynamics.
Hartwin: How to improve my groove by using the bellow + looking into different approaches for the left hand in combination with the bellow (based on very easy melodies in the right hand)
Will: Details to follow
Pete: Using some of the tunes from Bob Ellis's book "There was None of this Lazy Dancing" - Having the right tunes for the right dances requested by callers. Alternative LH cords & variations to add variety & energy to your playing.
Hartwin: Variations in the left hand, how to create tension / brightness / melancholy when playing a tune by changing the chords + bellow techniques
To ensure that you select the appropriate workshop for your playing ability please could you match your playing ability to the word models below, and indicate this on the booking form.