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.
ABILITY: IMPROVER, CONFIDENT, SKILFUL
Resident: £572 Non-Resident: £435 (25% off for under 27s) Code: 26/303
Members priority booking opens at 9am on Tuesday 17 June.
General booking opens at 9am on Friday 11 July.
For details on how to become a Member to take advantage of early booking, see here.
This course runs from 5.30pm on Monday 19 January to 4pm on Thursday 22 January 2026.
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!
What will we cover?
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.
What will we accomplish? 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.
What level is the course and do I need any particular skills?
This is an intermediate to advanced course for players who know their way around the basics of the D/G melodeon (can play left and right hands together, have learnt tunes in D, G and E minor).
You need to be happy learning by ear (we will provide music once a tune has been taught and you are welcome to make recordings). You don’t need to be able to read music.
How will the course be taught, and will any preparation be required?
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. No preparation is required.
Is there anything I need to bring?
Yourself and your melodeon (D/G). It would be handy to have a notebook and a recording device too.