How to learn an instrument and make friends

Are you learning the Piano Accordion, Concertina or Melodion and love English Folk Tunes?

2007-08-24T02:36:00.000-07:00

If you are learning the piano accordion melodion, concertina or any other type of folk music squeeze box, love English folk tunes and you are in the West Country during the Sidmouth Folk Festival, Devon, in August, it's a must to check out the Sailing Club folk music sessions.

There's a great view from the balcony of the sea,

the breakfasts were scrumptious and I personally found the many box playing folk musicians who made this their spiritual home for the lunchtime and evenings sessions during the Sidmouth International Folk Festival week extremely friendly.

The Loose Knit Band with their many wonderful players ably and cheerfully hosted the sessions but there were many other excellent players. It was truly a box playing Mecca.

Somebody said to me at one point that there were over 63 instruments, mainly melodeons, concertinas and piano accordions, being played at one Sailing Club session with a mix of all abilities. I certainly believed them.

If you're a bit worried that somebody may spot you making a mistake, don't be.

The sound of the English folk tunes being played full strength while I was there was fair set to lift the roof.

If you are looking for somewhere to practice your box playing in a friendly atmosphere, Sidmouth Sailing Club is a great place to visit during the Sidmouth Folk Festival week.

Naturally, you should always check out continuing availability before committing yourself. Even the strongest traditions fall by the wayside sometimes with the passing of the years. The dates for the Sidmouth Folk Festival will be on the folk festival web site and a telephone call to the Sailing Club in the lead up to the festival will hopefully confirm they are making their facilities available, as they have for many years.

Talking about folk music squeeze boxes, you might like to check out a short story entitled Piano Accordions and Chat Rooms. It's a rattling good read.

Hope to see you at the Sailing Club during Sidmouth Folk Festival week in future years :-)

Bye for now

Rob

Online author, musician - read about latest stories and articles at news.hopcott.net

Folk Camps Society Musicians Weekend rocks!

2007-07-02T09:29:00.000-07:00

Last weekend, I attended my first Folk Camps Society musicians camp and had a great time.

For UK folk musicians eager to extend their knowledge of playing folk tunes in a folk dance band environment or who just love playing instrumental folk music, I would think a Folk Camps Society musicians camp would be ideal.

The Folk Camps Society has lots of different sorts of camps and it's well worth while speaking to them to check out if one is right for you.

For more information, read all about my great weekend at Beckford Musicians Folk Camp.

Happy playing!

Rob

Musicians Summer Camps in the UK

2007-05-21T06:32:00.000-07:00

At the recent Exmoor Folk Festival, I bumped into Pete and Nicole of Redwing, the barn dance duo and Pete mentioned Folk Camp activity holidays.

What a great idea. People meet up at a Folk Camp for a weekend or a week to play folk tunes in sessions. In addition, they camp, dance and, in general, do anything they want. It's open to people of all ages, families or single, it doesn't matter.

According to the Folk Camps web site

The Folk Camps Society is a not-for-profit holiday organisation run by its own members. The Society was founded in the early 60s when a group of folk enthusiasts decided it would be fun to go on holiday together, eat together and make their own entertainment without spending a fortune. We run holidays under canvas with an emphasis on folk dance, music and song. We welcome anybody from nought to ninety, singles and families.

It all sounds pretty good to me. They have a weekend camp on the 29th June 2007 at Beckford in Worcestershire. I've got nothing booked for that weekend yet as it's in between Teignmouth Folk Festival/ English Country Music weekend and Priddy Folk Festival.

Maybe I'll give it a try.

So many decisions!

Bye for now

Rob

(Rob Hopcott - online author and camper-van newbie)

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2007-01-04T11:05:00.000-08:00

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Beginner musicians - your fastest route to public performance

2006-09-12T06:27:00.000-07:00

Have you ever longed to play an instrument?

Can you imagine yourself in front of an audience with them hanging on your every note and thrilling to the wonderful sounds you make?

Do you daydream about communicating with creative people like yourself through sweet notes and chords in a way that words couldn't allow?

If your answer to any of the above is yes but it's always been an unfulfilled dream, the solution could be waiting for you in your local pub or bar for the price of a drink.

Here's my story:

Like many people I received some instrument lessons at school. In my case, it was the clarinet. Tuition was fairly haphazard and the main idea was to get a certificate of competency. Practicing was a lonely existence and the whole experience wasn't much fun.

When the time came to go to College, my instrument and I parted company. It just didn't seem relevant to my life.

It was not until many years later that an opportunity presented itself that would change my life, bring me more friends than I could ever imagine and encourage me to advance my instrument playing skills to a level that is truly fulfilling.

The advertisement in the local paper said:

'Musicians wanted for free play session, simple tunes, all standards welcome.'

The session was in a skittle alley of a small rural pub in the heart of the English West Country.

The tunes were simple and the other players had whistles, guitars, banjos, recorders and melodeons. Written music was available for those that could read music but the tunes were short, consisting of an eight bar phrase played twice followed by another eight bar phrase played twice, so they were easy to learn without worrying about reading the notes.

Only the easy keys of G and D were used so there were no complicated fingerings to learn. The whole emphasis was on getting up and running as fast as possible and enjoying the music.

As one tune was learned, we went on to another. The system was simple, effective, fun, friendly and the bar owner was happy as long as everybody bought a drink from him.

The leader of the group was just happy to pass his knowledge on for free. Soon more and more of the regulars were popping their heads around the corner to check us out and some even joined in noisily banging away on an old bodhran or spoons.

I was in paradise! The clarinet was a bit cumbersome for the quicker tunes, so I tried the recorder, then the whistle but ended up moving on to the flute which had a great sound and as much speed as I wanted. The most difficult part was learning to purse my lips to make the first note. I must confess there were a few squeaks at the beginning but it didn't really matter because the rest of the group were happily hammering away and the pub audience probably put it down to harmonising.

It was not until some time later that I discovered that there were many other people who were meeting in pubs and bars to play simple tunes and that these sessions were not just limited to the West Country or England.

I also discovered this activity went under the heading of 'folk music'.

Now many years later, I am the one who is encouraging new musicians to meet in pubs and bars and play music in public places as I did so long ago.

In the next few articles, I'll talk some more about this very special form of public entertainment. Probably you can find the information elsewhere but my aim is to help you make that first step which is the most difficult ... The first step to joining in.

The information I pass on to you is as free as the tunes we musicians love to play. The more people of all standards who are involved in playing public folk music sessions, the better it is for all of us musicians and our audience.

See you soon :-)

Rob

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