Magic of the Melodeon
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About Magic of the Melodeon
Join two of the country’s top folk musicians for a fun few days exploring the magic of the D/G melodeon! Hazel Askew and Lucy Huzzard will delve into repertoire, accompaniment, stylistic techniques and arranging.
What is the course about?
Hazel and Lucy invite you to join them in exploring the magic of the D/G melodeon! Aimed at intermediate to advanced players, this joyful course is a chance to reignite your love of this extraordinary instrument and celebrate its versatility.
Lucy and Hazel are two of the most experienced melodeon players and teachers in the country and they are finally joining forces on this new course. They will share some of the tunes they love, and by delving into accompaniment, stylistic techniques and arranging, they will take you beyond just learning the tune to see what the melodeon is capable of. As experienced dance musicians (ceilidh, rapper, morris, bal, scandi, appalachian, Playford) Hazel and Lucy have a deep understanding of the power of the melodeon as a dance instrument and its inherent groove, which they will bring to the course. You will also learn a fun group piece with different parts to create a mini melodeon orchestra!
If you need help covering the cost of the course, please email us in confidence at courses@benslowmusic.org
What will you learn?
We will learn a repertoire of folk tunes from Europe which will likely include British, Scandinavian, French/bal music and more. We’ll look at ornamentation, articulation, right hand tips and tricks, different left hand rhythms, exploring chords and bass lines. We’ll learn about arranging music and skills for playing with others. We will also learn one fun group piece with different parts, to create a mini melodeon orchestra.
By the end of this course you will be able to…
- Go home with a renewed excitement about your instrument
- Play a variety of new folk tunes with ideas for ornamentation and variation
- Have a toolkit of skills and techniques for creating accompaniments and arranging music
- Have the tools to explore different left hand rhythms and chord variations
- Improve your confidence as a melodeon player.
How will the course be taught?
The course will be taught by ear, but written music will be given out after tunes have been taught in this way. There will be small and large group work.
Will music be provided and do you need to prepare or bring anything?
Written music will be given out after tunes have been taught by ear. No preparation is required. You will need to bring yourself and your melodeon (D/G). It would be handy to have a notebook and a recording device too.
