Your level is related to your repertoire, your technical capabilities on your instrument, your knowledge of the style, and your ability to learn by ear. Lower level workshops and jams have easier tunes, and are taught at a more relaxed pace, with more repetition and hand-holding. More details on Levels here.

Instruments are listed in order of focus for each workshop. For example, F M means Fiddle focus with Mandolins encouraged also. C F means Cello focus with Fiddles encouraged also. The Instruments in [ ] after instructor names are the ones they're using to lead this session.

Instructor bios are here.

The Registration Desk is in Room R5 near the right front entrance of the Westford Regency Inn. Sign in, pay if you're not preregistered, get a stylish wristband and nametag, pick up a Program Brochure and Grid, perhaps buy a newly-designed T-shirt ($15 or 2 for $25). Then, look for your fellow fiddlers; cellists; and mandolin, guitar, and banjo players everywhere around you. 

T-shirts and instructors' CDs and books are also in R5, which closes at 10:40PM Thursday. Carriage House Violins (Johnson String Instrument) has fiddles, bows, strings and accessories, and Justin can perform minor set-up work for you (during the day). Jon Cooper has splendid violins to show, and will be making a new violin during Fiddle Hell. Magic Fluke will have their Cricket travel violins to show on Saturday and Sunday.

Welcome to Fiddle Hell, beginners and anyone who wants to ease into the weekend!  Nice straightforward tunes, relaxed tempos, and a sociable atmosphere, with a fine teacher to lead the way.

Bring a banjo! This class is for students who are starting from the very beginning or those who want a refresher on technique. We will focus on the bum-ditty and double thumbing patterns and learn a tune you can practice them to. We will learn by ear, but tablature will be provided and it's helpful to bring a recording device.

Description coming.

Learn a fun tune while picking up Irish mandolin techniques for both your left and right hands.

The fiddle music of Eastern Europe encompasses Klezmer, Balkan, Greek and Gypsy traditions. We'll explore the unique scales, modes and odd meter rhythms that are often used in these styles, and learn to play a beautiful tune.

We'll learn this iconic and fun strathspey, focusing on playing it with intensity. The strathspey is said to have originated from the strath or broad glen of the River Spey in NE Scotland. In 4/4 time, but slower than a reel, it contains dotted rhythms, including the Scotch (Scots) snap.

Robichaud was influenced by Canadian greats Don Messer and Tommy Doucet. We'll learn "Moccasin Shuffle" and explore another tune or two from his extensive and unusual repertoire.

Bill Monroe was known as the "Father of Bluegrass Music."

Helpful suggestions about the Fiddle Hell schedule, choosing where to go, special events, levels for sessions, learning by ear, jamming, and more. Includes the best tips for newbies from prior attendees. Also held Friday at 10:35-10:55AM.

We’ll go through a series of exercises designed to help strengthen your ears over time, and improve your ability to learn tunes on the fly. No experience necessary, all instruments welcome. Bring a recording device and a notebook! Also Friday at 2PM.

Ever wondered what your violin would say if it could talk? Let’s find out together! In this workshop we will practice singing with our instruments (in every way you could interpret that sentence).

The rhythmic drive, flow of notes, and liveliness of a fiddle tune owe much to the patterns woven by the fiddler's bow. Dave will impart this essential knowledge in a very approachable way, at an L2 level, with a few L3 patterns and techniques. Helpful handout of patterns and names.

Judy will teach a simple oldtime tune and use it to help violinists get a more fiddle-y sound and fiddlers improve their violin technique. All will learn different perspectives on playing. Mostly L2 but L3 welcome (perhaps you've been playing New England style and want to sound more Southern).

Bring your bluegrass instruments (and voices) to this early jam. Brown County Breakdown, anyone? Jerusalem Ridge? Old Daingerfield? Blue Night? How about Old Home Place? Levels vary by tune, covering L2 to L3.

Klezmer is a rich musical tradition, with fiddle (fidl) playing a prominent role in late 19th and early 20th century Eastern European ensembles. We'll explore scales; learn to play easy tunes (freilachs, bulgars, khosidls and horas); and discuss accompaniment. No previous knowledge required. Klezmer jam at 11AM on Sunday.

Interesting and fun tunes, techniques, and tricks, and a bit of recording for repertoire development. Learn from a fine fiddler and consummate contra caller. David promises to reveal all (well, several) of his secrets.

Yoga is so good for fiddlers! This "Yinyasa" class starts with a yin yoga sequence for stretching the connective tissue of the body, breathing, and deep relaxation, and then a vinyasa flow to encourage awareness of posture, focusing on parts of the body fiddlers work the hardest. Bring a yoga mat, and any yoga props you have (blocks, yoga belt). Participants are responsible for their own well-being (not Fiddle Hell) in this yoga session.

The accompanist helps to drive the music along in these three dance styles, and Bill will show you several key techniques to get it done. A more advanced version of this workshop is on Friday at 2PM.

Cathy and Paul have led many happy jams over the years, and they’ll share a few nuggets of helpful advice on jamming throughout this session. It’ll be very basic to start with, and will pick up a bit as the jam progresses.

Violinists and vocalists invented the style we call “the blues.” Without the blues, we might not have Boogie Woogie, rock, pop, or possibly even swing! This style even influenced traditional Appalachian fiddling. We’ll explore vital ingredients to jam over 12-bar blues and boost your super powers in this style.

One of the lovely and distinctive things about Cajun music is having twin fiddles, exchanging leads and "seconding" (backing up) each other. We'll learn about rhythm patterns and chord shapes that will give your fiddling that Cajun feeling, with combined influences of music from Louisiana, Texas, Québec, and Cape Breton.

Skip says: We'll choose some pretty tunes from my CD "Mandolin in the Cow Camp" (in the Fiddle Hell Store). Start your day with gorgeous, lonesome, wild and woolly oldtime melodies from the Western Plains.

Learn an oldtime tune TBD with funky lyrics. Then we'll play rhythm and groove games and get our jam on!

We’ll learn a tune TBD to explore these various ornaments and bow techniques in Irish fiddling: cuts, bowed triplets, serpentine bowing, and rolls. Becky will be your "roll model" and more!

How do bluegrass fiddlers achieve a bluesy and exciting sound? Duncan will teach a spectrum of techniques in the context of bluegrass fiddle tunes and songs, with Flynn's active support.

Laissez les bons temps rouler!

You’ll learn a good old traditional tune that's one of Andrea's favorites, as played on Cape Breton Island. This will be at a relaxed pace for beginners.

Just the basic step can get you through the whole party. Here's a quick chance to try some step dancing with Cindy Roy. Also offered Sunday at 3:30-4:30PM.

Sound better, play faster. Right hand, left hand, intonation, tone, vibrato, and more (drop in for just a few minutes or stay the whole time). Maine Fiddle Campers already know Elaine, of course.

Lots of musicians experience technical stumbling blocks that get in the way of their musical expression, and sometimes even give them pain. We’ll look at how good technique can help us play fiddle pain-free and sound better than ever.

Ask a question, get an answer! How to play chords on a tune? How to count in South Indian rhythmic solfege (konnokol)? How to play a bluegrass lick? Electronics with your fiddle? How nature and dragons and magic and mathematics relate to mandolin or fiddle? Drop in; it’s first-come, first-served.

Interesting, yet accessible tunes from a staggeringly rich tradition where fiddle is the most important instrument. We’ll work in detail on an easy schottische or march and a melodically and rhythmically mysterious polska.

Pete says: "The first fiddling I fell hard for was Southern. Loved the groove, the swing of it, the simple melodies that seemed to grow out of the bowing. I love sharing the ingredients that make this happen."

Tune TBD.

From Nova Scotia, we'll learn "Florence Killen's Waltz" and then George will present a few more great tunes to take home for later learning.

We'll listen to and analyze several classic "prototypes" of fiddle tunes, and dissect them into their component parts ("riffs"). As a group, we'll decide on a prototype to experiment with and collectively build the tune. The goal is to help you with creating your own tunes.

Using TBD, a tune you may already know (but easy to learn if you don’t), George and Art will show you a few ways to make your jig bowing feel more comfortable, rhythmic and flowing.

Learn how to become a cello chameleon! Shred the melody like a fiddler, groove like a bass, and chop like a drummer. We will also discuss modifying fiddle tunes to suit the cello.

Andy's practical and sage advice will help you make progress on your instrument while keeping sane! This has been described as "transformational" by several prior attendees.

Of course, you know Éric on the fiddle - did you know he's also a fine singer, with a repertoire of traditional Québecois songs?

Be the driver at the wheel rather than grazing the landscape without direction. Learn to master the difference between these three musical vessels and boost your skills for tune interpretation, soloing and writing your own tunes.

It’s deceptively simple!...or is it deceptively challenging? Come and find out! We’ll explore some of the secrets of making even the simplest traditional Irish tunes sound enthralling. We’ll learn a barn dance by ear and will explore some subtle bowing and variation techniques to add nuance and musicality.

We will learn the basics and play a song on the mando, come on out! Rob's a multi-instrumentalist, and a friendly teacher whose technique suggestions are worth their weight in gold.

How far can you go with just 5 notes? Quite a ways, it turns out. We'll explore both major and minor pentatonic scales, and learn how to use them to improvise solos in various styles such as blues and bluegrass, even if you've never improvised!

The craic will be mighty! Time for lots of trad tunes. Sorry, no black pudding or barmbrack.

Let's share some energy through the music on this fine Thursday evening at the beginning of Fiddle Hell.

We'll explore exciting possibilities of old time American tunes in tunings such as DDAD, AEAE, GDGD, GDGB and GDAD ("Gee, Dad"). Hear more on Skip's CDs, at the FH store.

Meet a few others your age at Fiddle Hell. It's during a break, so you won't miss a workshop.

New England-based string and vocal trio Low Lily explores the roots of American folk music with traditional influences and modern inspiration. The musicians have deep relationships to traditional music styles, ranging from bluegrass to Irish, Scottish, English, New England, and old-time Appalachian sounds. Their music is rooted, yet contemporary.

We'll learn a very easy and traditional blues tune dating back to the 1930's, "Deep Elum Blues." Along the way, we will explore the 12-bar blues form and blues scales. Ironically, playing the blues will probably cheer you up! 

Ken wrote two great books on the music of PEI, and has released many field recordings from fiddlers there (see bowingdownhome.ca). Learn a great tune that Ken collected from PEI roots players.

We will focus on your mandolin questions on scales, arpeggios, pick direction, tremolo, chord shapes up the neck, and more. Drop in or stay for a while; Shana will also teach some exercises for developing and refining technique.

Come for the whole time or just drop in. Bowing, tunes, cuts, rolls, trebles, slurs across the beat, and other ways to bring your Irish fiddling to the next level. Ask away!

Cape Breton in Nova Scotia is home to the world’s largest fiddle and bow. Even better, it’s home to a driving, ornamented, fiddle style that draws on Scottish and Irish traditions and more. Mabou (where the Beatons are from) is a great community of strathspey lovers.

We'll learn TBD. The swing inside this jig needs to be relaxed and stable for the dancer, but still solid.

Can you do both? Sure, says Joy.

A warm, welcoming, waltz wonderland. Read the music or play by ear to drift along through a 3/4 landscape for an hour. Actual waltzers welcome. Two more waltz sessions on Friday morning and Sunday afternoon.

Brother and sister duo Julia Clifford and Denis Murphy learned from the great master of Sliabh Luachra style fiddling, Padraig O’Keeffe. They recorded a classic duet album in 1969 called “The Star Above the Garter.” We’ll learn tune(s) from this recording and explore bowing for that special Sliabh Luachra flavor.

Indiana is a crossroads of fiddling. Lotus was a true treasure of American music and fiddling was just one of his talents. It was privilege for me to have spent some of the 1980's in his company, I in my 30's, he in his 70's. I love sharing his music and stories. I'll teach a couple of his pieces.

Are you drawn to the allure of jazz violin or cello? "… Duncan is without question on a path to be one of the top jazz violinists of his generation" - Christian Howes.

Hear and see exactly how it's done, and try it yourself. Examples in multiple styles, from bluegrass, blues, and folk to other styles. Helpful handout on back-up approaches and on chords.

You'll see David in glorious action at the contra dances Friday and Saturday. But here's a behind-the-scenes look at the caller's viewpoint, and a chance to try a little bit yourself. If you don't want to call, but would like to dance a bit, you'd be most welcome!

Slow airs are the heart of Scottish cello playing; slow, beautiful and soulful. Ornaments give character to the simple melody. We will discuss different possibilities while learning a short slow air.

Play some of Alan Jabbour's favorites. Listeners welcome! Classically trained, Alan Jabbour began documenting Southern oldtime tunes in the 1960s from musicians like Henry Reed and Tommy Jarrell. Alan taught many oldtime fiddle tunes to his Hollow Rock String Band, an important link in the ‘60s instrumental music revival.

Registration and Fiddle Hell Store close until 7:45AM Friday morning.  But jams and workshops continue! Plan ahead for the very useful early sessions on Friday, starting at 8:30AM.

Mandolin is a great instrument for fiddlers to double on. Flynn's session will focus on the aspects that can be vexing for fiddlers: chords and pick technique.

Officially, shredding is a virtuoso lead solo playing style for guitar or other instrument, based on various advanced and complex playing techniques, particularly rapid passages and advanced performance effects. Unofficially, it's about having some crazy fun with your instrument, and Duncan will get you started shredding on fiddle and cello.

Blues music, originated by African Americans in the Deep South, traverses a wide range of emotions and musical styles. Playing and hearing the blues can help you cheer up and lose "the blues." 12-bar blues and more. L3 with some L2; don't worry too much about your level.

The Registration Desk is in Room R5 near the right front entrance of the Westford Regency Inn. Sign in, pay if you're not preregistered, get a stylish wristband and nametag, pick up a Program Brochure and Grid, perhaps buy a newly-designed T-shirt ($15 or 2 for $25). Then, look for your fellow fiddlers; cellists; and mandolin, guitar, and banjo players everywhere around you.

T-shirts and instructors' CDs and books are also in R5, which closes at 10:40PM Friday. Carriage House Violins (Johnson String Instrument) has fiddles, bows, strings and accessories, and Justin can perform minor set-up work for you (during the day). Jon Cooper has splendid violins to show, and will be making a new violin during Fiddle Hell. Magic Fluke will have their Cricket travel violins to show on Saturday and Sunday.

Stretches with Marsha Rich and warmup scales, arpeggios, patterns, rhythms,  and bowing. Get ready for the second day at Fiddle Hell by warming up your body and mind. 

Jon Cooper's a master luthier, known far and wide for his great 4- and 5-string fiddles. Start the day with his practical words of wisdom about the care and feeding of your instrument. Jon will be building a fiddle at his hallway table at Fiddle Hell this year - stop by later on to say hello and try one of his fiddles.

Pam will help you control the bow with your right arm (larger muscles) rather than your hand for better tone and smoother playing. She has been a symphony player for 28 years, a well known Suzuki teacher for 40 years, and an avid back-porch fiddler since the early ‘70s.

If you’re new to oldtime fiddling, or newish to the fiddle, Bruce will lead you through the basics, what to listen for and how to find your way into a simple tune.

Drop in for a few minutes or stay for a while. Technique, style, tone, improvisation, sounding bluesy. Rob will help you out.

What is a strathspey? Is it a type of tune, a dance, a location in Scotland or maybe all of the above! And many are named for historical events in that ancient land. We’ll learn one and talk about that bit of Scottish history.

Andrea will break down this great jig, written in 1984 by Dave Richardson, into digestible phrases and learn some basic Scottish style.

Cathy will teach effective social and musical jam participation strategies. Learn how to play along with tunes you've never played before and make friends at the same time. Tim and Art will hold down the banjo and backup guitar roles. See the Fiddle Hell Jamming Guidelines.

Not sounding exactly the way you'd like? Understanding the relationship between bowing speed and weight, and between finger pressure and placement, will help you improve your overall tone and clarity. With slight playing adjustments, Gretchen will help you expand your "tone bank," and will offer practice techniques to continue working on.

We will explore how to articulate grace notes, triplets, trebles and rolls, and— most importantly— we’ll unlock the secret of where they fit (or don’t fit) in traditional Irish jigs, reels and hornpipes. We’ll also talk about suggested exercises for improving articulation of ornaments.

New England, oldtime, Irish, bluegrass, Scottish, and the unexpected. Says Darol Anger: "Andy Reiner is an exceptional creative presence in this rapidly evolving Fiddle world, and stands tall among his peers as an agent of positive change." Joy and Mali play really big fiddles to hold down the growly low end.

A classic, driving jig in Em.

What does a caller want; what will animate the dancers? Lissa will cover the elements that make New England tunes exciting to dance to. We'll pick a common tune and apply a series of exercises that you can use again and again for other tunes.

Says Pete: "As a young buck who didn't know one style from another, I was unbelievably fortunate to be introduced to this ex-cop and radiator repairman living a mile away in Burlington, VT. Louis and his music influenced me tremendously, and some of his tunes are deservedly well-known. I'll teach a couple."

Says Skip: “I met Aly Bain in the late 60's and later traveled with him and Tom Anderson for a week in the Scottish Highlands. Some of the tunes we might work on include Shaalds o' Foula, The Full Rigged Ship, Da Scalloway Lasses, and Sleep Sound in the Morning.”

Helpful suggestions about the Fiddle Hell schedule, choosing where to go, special events, levels for sessions, learning by ear, jamming, and more. Includes the best tips for newbies from prior attendees. Also held Thursday at 1:35-1:55PM.

You'd think you're in the Cobblestone Pub in Dublin with these three fine Irish fiddlers. Brian O'Donovan of WGBH will be our genial M.C. for this dynamic concert of Irish trad music, featuring fantastic Fiddle Hell instructors - and performers. Laurel Martin will lead off, followed by Gerry O'Connor (visiting FH from Ireland), and then Rose Clancy. Hard-working guitarist David Surette will back them all up.

The title truly sums up the spirit of the class. Susie will lead you through many songs, ranging from rounds both simple and sublime, to folk songs as diverse as "What a Wonderful World" and "My Sweet Forget Me Not."

This is at an easier level than the other two waltz playalong sessions (Thursday evening and Sunday afternoon). Sheet music provided. Play by ear or read the music to help us gently wind down in this musical reunion. Waltzers welcome.

We'll learn "Brain Cloudy Blues" from the Merle Haggard Tribute to Bob Wills album. As we learn this tune, we will explore the 12-bar blues form and blues scales and how this form relates to other styles of music. Wear blue if you like! 

Bass runs are a quintessential part of the folk-guitar vocabulary. They expand on the basic boom-chuck rhythm heard throughout the world and propel tunes and songs forward. Come to this workshop to get your bass runs going with a few quick tricks to get from chord X to chord Y.

This is a critical skill for banjo players, especially for oldtime tunes. Tim knows the secrets and will share them happily.

In Bluegrass, quoting performance on the original recording is a badge of belonging and a way of connecting past with present. Quoting can develop into subtle, nuanced commentaries on the original solo and others in the style. We'll learn several iconic "breaks" and how they can be used in other contexts.

We will work on the essential elements of soloing within a swing setting, including rhythm, picking technique, phrasing, dynamics, and more. Says Mike Marshall: “Jason Anick's playing has a wonderful clarity and creativity and his compositions offer a modern jazz approach to our instrument which is truly refreshing and inspired.”

Ken wrote two great books on the music of PEI, and has released many field recordings from fiddlers there (see bowingdownhome.ca). Learn some great tunes that Ken collected from PEI roots players.

Brian O'Donovan of WGBH will be our M.C. for this dynamic concert of French Canadian and Franco American music, featuring fantastic Fiddle Hell instructors - and performers. Becky Tracy will lead off, backed by Keith Murphy.  Then, Éric Favreau, also backed by Keith. Finally, Don and Cindy Roy will take the stage for Franco American tunes.

Says Pete: "I love to figure out how to move around a singer, between, behind and through the lines of the song, to reflect, comment, hopefully enhance the line, and magnify the mood. A little basic street theory, but mostly open ears and eyes, and we’ll try some ideas.”

Rob will cover the critical downs and ups of picking techniques for reels and jigs. If your goal is to pick more cleanly, more consistently in rhythm, and with better tone, this is the session for you.

Come for the whole time or just drop in. Bowing, tunes, cuts, rolls, trebles, slurs across the beat, and other ways to bring your Irish fiddling to the next level. Ask away!

"Magic Fiddle" is an ancient sounding tune in Am, which evokes different moods at different tempos. We’ll start with the basic melody and add in bowings and variations to make it sound more “magical.” Peter has played with Dave Reiner in several bluegrass and Western Swing bands in the past.

Southern oldtime tunes are hypnotic, rhythmic, and sometimes highly modal. They come around enough times at a jam that you can learn some of them on the fly. Alan and Tim promise this session will be somewhat s l o w. Really, they do.

Oldtime music from Surry County, NC (“Round Peak”) is a distinct tradition with a unique and exciting banjo style. Slides, blues notes, syncopations and sparser use of “bum-ditty” are at the heart of the sound. We’ll learn a tune by ear, but tablature will be provided and bring a recording device.

Shetland is an island unto itself way north of the Scottish Isles. We’ll explore some of the fun bowings and cool tunes from that treeless land! Fiddle Hell welcomes cello players - you can get a free loaner cello for Fiddle Hell by prearrangement with Justin Davis at Johnson Strings.

Andy grew up playing twin fiddle with dad Dave in the Reiner Family Band. They’ll demonstrate and teach exciting twin (harmony) fiddling techniques ranging from close harmonies to counterpoint to tradeoffs to chopping. New England, Bluegrass, Western Swing, Scandinavian, and Gypsy styles will all get a turn in the spotlight.

We'll use a few well known Western Swing songs to explore ideas for playing jazzy solos over the chord changes. We'll start with a simple blues-based song to review basic swing chords and find interesting ways to move among them while soloing. Art and Marshall play together in the Beantown Buckaroos.

Messer and Allen were big fiddle stars in mid-20th c. Canada and have left us an incredible legacy of great dance music. We’ll learn tunes TBD. Look for George and Art's CDs (including The Montville Project) in the FH store.

Learn how to unconventionally alter beautiful traditional melodies into odd, angular, and mind-bending jewels of your own. This class focuses on weird double stops on the guitar and fiddle and exploring non-diatonic possibilities of tunes. Half of "The Stash Band"!

We’ll go through a series of exercises designed to help strengthen your ears over time, and improve your ability to learn tunes on the fly. No experience necessary, all instruments welcome. Bring a recording device and a notebook! Also Thursday at 2PM.

How do I survive all these fiddle tunes in A major? Am I holding my bow right? What's a Block Strap? Bring in any question you may have about your cello. Stay a little while or for the whole hour.

Shy about singing in public? Come have fun with simple songs, vocal warm-ups and easy techniques that will help you find your voice. Pressure? No. Fun? Yes, indeed. Participatory for all levels.

If you’ve never jammed before, there are so many questions. What do I play? How do I even ask someone to jam? Learn the basics of this community-oriented music making method. We’ll talk about jam sessions of different styles, what to play (and what not!), and then have fun playing together.

Some easy tunes, some a touch harder.  Share, request, learn, listen, record, ENJOY! 

In the context of a bluegrass song with three chords, Skip will get you playing some mighty fine fills and riffs from Bill Monroe and others. Did we mention that Skip learned this directly from Bill?

Tom leads many slow jams, from Tennessee to Ireland. Some common seisiún tunes, at a s l o w pace. David Surette on guitar will add the low end and keep it steady.

Bring your favorite French Canadian tunes to share, and Becky and Keith will share some of theirs. Should be a rocking good time. Soyez le bienvenu!

The accompanist helps to drive the music along in these three dance styles, and Bill will show you several key techniques to get it done. A more basic version of this workshop is on Thursday at 3:30PM.

The Blues as a common language pervades EVERY style of American music. It's a harmonic and melodic system with specific moves and skills. We will analyze and PLAY the Blues, focusing on the form, and the three crucial Blue Notes in the Blues scale and how to use them. Listeners welcome.

We'll learn a classic strathspey, which will serve as a platform for applying what we learn about snaps and the up-driven bow. Did you know that J. Scott Skinner's Guide to [Scottish] Bowing was first published in 1900? For extra credit, in which year did Skinner's name appear on the back of the FH t-shirt?

Gretchen invites teachers to swap their "best of" ideas to bring back to their teaching studios. She will offer her own tried-and-true techniques gathered over her 30+ yrs that help students "catch tunes," including tips on breaking tunes down and hands on pointers for a variety of learning styles and musical situations.

"Lovers Waltz" seems to trace the rise of romantic desire and its satisfaction in each section." Is this really true? See for yourself.

Western Swing is a style typified by Bob Wills and the Texas Playboys. "Maiden's Prayer" is a classic, relaxed tune in A, which can be played on one fiddle or several. Incidentally, bluegrassers such as Richard Green have added their own take on this tune as well.

Graham attended the first Fiddle Hell in Missouri, hosted by Dale Hopkins in 2004, and then organized a series of FHs in the UK in Buxton. Dave Reiner started up FH in Massachusetts in 2005. Welcome Graham and hear his stories of the good old days of Fiddle Hell.

Microphones, mixer, speakers - what's it all about? Oliver will talk through a few of the basics. We might use a volunteer instrumentalist or two to experiment on. A more advanced version offered as a full session by Oliver and Colin at 2PM on Saturday.

Drop in for a few minutes or stay for a while. Left hand, right hand, style, tone, technique - Gretchen will help wherever you'd like.

This gentle introduction to a versatile and fun instrument from Lorraine starts with the basics of holding the mandolin and pick, getting good sound from it, and fingering chords and easy melodies.

Drop in for just a few minutes or stay the whole time. Right hand, left hand, basic frailing, double thumbing, slides, different tunings, and whatever else is on your mind. Tim welcomes you to the rhythmic land of oldtime banjo. Look for Tim’s CDs with Jubilee Mule and the Hi-Tone Ramblers.

This session was suggested by a FH attendee last year. Sometimes there are just too many notes and the tune is going too fast. What can you do to hang in there at speed and still feel good about what you're playing? Well, you can play faster by playing less. Clayton and David will demonstrate and help you learn to do the same.

Says Don: "Tunes from one of my mentors, Bill Darrah. Originally from New Brunswick, Bill ran a crane laying railroad tracks through the White Mountains. He has some nice tunes with his own twist."

Barndances are a great relic of Irish musical history, having had their heyday in the big dancehalls of the early part of the last century. They are also fun, accessible, easy tunes to learn. We might learn "Auchdon House" or another tune, and play around with some easy ornamentation ideas.

Learn to use a sweet, succinct melodic/harmonic idea to build every creative skill you’ll need to improvise in any style. We will learn a few of the most classic vamps and cadences and use them as a springboard into skills essential to fearless and effortless improvisation.

Ken is a well-known pioneer in melodic clawhammer banjo. In the context of Celtic and New England tunes, Ken will cover the skills involved in playing fiddle tunes note-for-note on the banjo, drop-thumbing on all strings, melodic fingering shapes, alternate-string pull-offs and using the fifth string for melody.

We’ll learn “Mule Skinner Blues,” a standard bluegrass song and talk about how to achieve its bluegrassy nuances on fiddle. JR will anchor the rhythm and sing. Trivia: Peter Anick and Dave Reiner have played in many bands together, including Hot Off the Frets ("All the notes that fit, they play").

Feel okay about taking an easy solo on some tunes, but still sometimes get confused about where you are? Do you hear a harmony player’s juicy chords, but can’t figure out how to react? Do you want to build a solo with a satisfying narrative arc? This session is for you.

Guided jam with easy songs – not too fast or difficult. Learn as you jam. It’s more fun if you can sing or improvise solos, but not required. The best way to get prepared is to learn a common bluegrass song to sing (you can bring the verses along to read from).

Who knew that the Ceilidh Trail led right to Westford, MA? This should be a fine session, full of fun tunes. The main purpose of Cape Breton music was always social. This tradition was something that knit together  small coal-mining communities and then spread well beyond them.

Tunes will move right along, although we’ll play each one for a while in true oldtime style. Key changes will come regularly every three days :-). Read more about Molsky's Mountain Drifters.

Traditional bowing techniques really make the sound of Québecois fiddling. When you play a simple tune without many notes, you can create variations with ornamentation and different bowings. You can transform a simple melody, make it a bit more complex, and different every time, but always in a traditional style.

Klezmer is a rich musical tradition, with the fiddle (aka fidl) playing a prominent role in late 19th and early 20th century Eastern European ensembles. Don't forget the intermediate Klezmer jam at 11AM on Sunday.

Learn a great tune or two that Gerry has helped resurrect and record from the South Ulster aread of Ireland.  But that's not all - at 7:30-8:00PM tonight, we'll launch Gerry's new book Rose in the Garden, which covers the Dance Music of Oriel.  Be sure to stop by!

Quickly learn a few basics of yodeling. No experience necessary; just bring yourself and your sense of humor :-).  Alan was one of the three yodelers and yodel composers in a much-loved YouTube video .

Traditional Irish goatskin drum, played with a tipper. Bring yours for an easy introduction, or just listen in

When these powerful forces get together with Darol, the result is mythical, magical, musical mayhem that varies from bluegrass to world to folk music.

The Highlands and Islands of Scotland have given rise to some of the most beautiful of Celtic melodies, some haunting, some upbeat. Some of the best are uncomplicated and easy to learn.

Come collect a few great “little” songs that will last you forever. Singers, fiddlers, all pickers welcome to participate. "The Hammonds are folk missionaries of the first order... who love to introduce people to the joys of traditional music." - Scott Alarik, Boston Globe.

Laissez les bon temps rouler! Michelle’s got a fine Cajun waltz to show you, with the elusive Aieee! factor. She’ll start with the skeleton or vocal line of the tune, and then add the ornaments that give it a Cajun flavor. Michelle plays with the Magnolia Cajun Band as well as others.

Most of the banjo classes at Fiddle Hell are of the oldtime persuasion. Not this one! Bring your banjo and try out some 3-finger bluegrass picking. Steve's also got an L2 bluegrass banjo session on Saturday at 9:30PM, after the main concert.

 Players with note reading skills quickly notice that notated music leaves much to the imagination. Gretchen will show many great techniques such as shuffles, drones, slides and more that can be layered on the basic tune to give it a more authentic old time sound.

How about a blast of oldtime Southern tunes? They're in Pete's DNA, we think.

Josephine Keegan was born in 1935 in Dundee, Scotland, and moved to Co. Armagh in 1939 and Mullaghbane in 1950. She is known for being Seán Maguire's pianist, but is also an excellent fiddle player and a prolific composer. Rose Clancy founded and runs The Chatham Fiddle Company in Chatham, MA.

The music of Eastern Europe encompasses Klezmer, Balkan, Greek and Gypsy traditions. We'll explore the unique scales, modes and odd meter rhythms that are often used in these styles, and learn to play an exciting Bulgarian dance tune in 15/16, “Bucimis".

Andrea will show you "My Cape Breton Home," a beautiful waltz (or air) written by Jerry Holland and commonly played in Cape Breton. And of course, she'll help you make it sound Cape Breton-esque. 

Bring your issue, whether it’s about bowing, ornaments, fingering, or phrasing, and we’ll brainstorm ways to work on it. I have some techniques I have explored with my students that we will try out.

This will help you to harmonize, play double stops, back up a tune or song, and play along with tunes you've never heard before. Helpful handout included.

Doug, who directs the wonderful Maine Fiddle Camp,plays “old-time piano” for dances, melodramas, honky tonk saloons, and silent movies. Doug will demonstrate, elucidate, and illuminate while answering any and all piano questions. This is primarily a listening session since we don't have pianos for everybody.

A pleasing tune that goes places and has fun getting there. 

We’ll hone in on a particular regional style and focus in first on melody, then phrasing, and how to move the bow and then maybe a little ornamentation. Participants can build the tune up to the level that's comfortable for them.

Ever wish you could slow down a player to see exactly what was happening during those lightening fast ornaments? Gretchen will break down a variety of left and right hand ornamentation, offering tips on speed & weight (bow/finger) during rolls, turns, flicks, cuts, grace notes, triplets and more.

Learn from a great player who himself learned directly from Bill Monroe. Maybe Dave Dillon will drop by on guitar - he played with Joe Val for many years. BTW, Dr. Brown will lead off the Mandolin Summit Concert on Saturday morning at 11AM.

Klezmer is a rich musical tradition, dating back to the late 19th and early 20th century Eastern European ensembles. This classic showpiece is a rhythmically spirited dance with syncopated accents and expressive energy. "Heyser" means "hot" and a "Bulgar" is a dance. Don't forget the Klezmer jam at 11AM on Sunday.

We will learn a sweet and ear-catching tune on the mando, with nice ornaments and traditional jig picking patterns.

Franco-American accordion tunes are great on the fiddle, bringing energy and happiness. As do Don and Cindy...

Graham organizes Fiddle Hell in the UK, and is a renowned performer and teacher in jazz and rock styles. Don't miss his FLASH HISTORY session at 3PM on Friday about the first US FH, and what goes on at FH in Buxton, UK.

Written by Django Reinhardt and Stéphane Grappelli, this is a Gypsy jazz anthem. Apart from the brief introduction and final coda or playout, there is no discernable melody, just a repeated sequence of chord changes over which players improvise continuously until the end is decided and the playout performed.

What key skills do you need to capture a style? Do you know how to lock into the groove? The ornamentation? The timing of how to enter, sustain and leave each note or where to place the accents? Let’s explore one phrase across a number of styles.

Darol is stylistically sweeping, melodically magical, and rhythmically remarkable. All that and he's a nice guy, too. Bring your favorite tune or just play along with Darol, Andy, Joy, and the other hellions.  Anything can happen - and will!

The vibrancy of Scottish music today is unbelievable and yet little of it makes it over the ocean. Learn a few contemporary favorites by today's fiddlers. Ed played a central role in creating the Boston Scottish music scene, and he's a great teacher.

We'll launch Gerry's new book Rose in the Gap, which covers the Dance Music of Oriel. Be sure to stop by!

Some shape note experience is needed. This community power singing style has been a part of America's musical landscape for centuries and remains a visceral and moving experience for participants and listeners in 2018. The bigger the sound, the better. Music provided. More at 5PM Sunday.

Meet a few others your age at Fiddle Hell. It's during a break, so you won't miss a workshop.

No dance experience necessary! All are welcome to dance or listen, with David Kaynor calling. Jay Ungar and Molly Mason are joining us at Fiddle Hell for the first time. Together with Abby Newton on cello, they're a great dance band. (No sit-ins tonight; that will happen at the Saturday night dance.)  Jay and Molly are also playing for dancing Saturday morning at 11AM - waltzes and other 3/4 dances.

Éric will teach tune TBD. He's here for all four days to teach tunes in the French Canadian style of beauty, feeling, rhythm, and excitement.

This is an important session for teachers of fiddle / violin. How can you leverage typical Suzuki student skills and knowledge, and add to this to get them playing traditional fiddle tunes?

We’ll learn a Greek island medley - a dance called Ballos - in a couple of different makams or modes. It'll be complete with rhythm and chords.

Judy will teach tune TBD, a great, easy introduction to the world of alternate tunings and their blissful overtones.

Allison will show you tools you can incorporate into any tune to build variations. It can be difficult to get away from the usual banjo arrangement in a jam; we will discuss how to break down a tune and then rebuild it to make it more interesting. By ear, but tablature provided.

A primal gathering of the groove, with tunes and songs from oldtime, blues, world, intergalactic and other traditions. Participatory, with the emphasis on spirit and community more than technique. Echoes of Meadowlark Music Camp and Rustic Roots, now right here at Fiddle Hell for the third time!

Fun possibilities: Brenda Stubbert's, Calliope House, Cock of the North, Cutting Ferns, My Cape Breton Home, The Reconciliation, The Sailor's Wife, and The Stool of Repentance. Ed will guide fiddlers, mandolin players, and more; Abby will guide cellists who may play backup for these tunes if they don't know the melodies.

Tunes will be common repertoire similar to what you might find in The New England Fiddlers Repertoire book, but anyone is welcome to join whether familiar with the New England style or not. Bring your instruments, jokes, and favorite tunes to share. Tunes will be played 30-50% slower than usual.

Try some hot breaks on your instrument, or just play melody and backup as Paul and Art lead you through classic tunes like Take Me Back to Tulsa. Do you think Time Changes Everything? Sorry, no Bubbles in My Beer, but maybe we'll try some twin or triple fiddling on Faded Love.

As a dance caller and dance fiddler, David is the perfect leader for this workshop. You'll learn a solid “workhorse” tune and thendevelop expressive melodic and rhythmic variations that relate to contra dance choreography. David, who will call at the Saturday night dance, promises to reveal several of his secrets and techniques.

Fiddle and mandolin share the billing since they're tuned the same. And for both, double stops can ratchet up your playing to the next level. In this deep and exciting workshop, Laura will guide fiddlers while Tony will commune with  mandolin players.

Registration and Fiddle Hell Store close until 7:45AM Saturday morning.  But THE WHOMP! continues until 11:00PM. Plan ahead for the very helpful early sessions on Saturday, starting at 8:30AM.

Terri and Art will pick easier tunes from the Original 52 and New 52 common tune lists, like Bile 'Em Cabbage Down, Angeline the Baker, Old Joe Clark, Gary Owen, Redwing, Soldier's Joy, Da Slockit Light, Ten Penny Bit, Jamie Allen, Road to Boston, ... A slow jam helps you learn these.

From anticipation to syncopation, from bow rocks to slurs, Alan will show you the details of how it's done, in the context of a classic Southern oldtime tune or two. Alan wrote the book Beginning Old-Time Fiddle and he’s a patient and experienced teacher.

Laurel Martin's fiddle playing moves with the joyful, lilting rhythm and soulful nuance she hears in the music of Clare and East Galway. Amy Beshara channels an ancient Irish soul in her playing, and knows a slew of tunes. And David will lay down a great foundation at this energetic late-night jam.

Guided jam with easy songs – not too fast or difficult. Learn as you jam. It’s more fun if you can sing or improvise solos, but not required. The best way to get prepared is to learn a common bluegrass song to sing (you can bring the verses along to read from).

Lady Be Good? How High the Moon? Take the A Train? Satin Doll? Minor Swing? EMD? All of Me? Autumn Leaves? Bring your favorites to this late night jam. Duncan and Marshall will have some good suggestions, too, depending on who shows up. Fiddle, guitar, mandolin, cello, and others are welcome.

The Registration Desk is in Room R5 near the right front entrance of the Westford Regency Inn. Sign in, pay if you're not preregistered, get a stylish wristband and nametag, pick up a Program Brochure and Grid, perhaps buy a newly-designed T-shirt ($15 or 2 for $25). Then, look for your fellow fiddlers; cellists; and mandolin, guitar, and banjo players everywhere around you.

T-shirts and instructors' CDs and books are also in R5, which closes at 11:15PM Saturday. Carriage House Violins (Johnson String Instrument) has fiddles, bows, strings and accessories, and Justin can perform minor set-up work for you (during the day). Jon Cooper has splendid violins to show, and will be making a new violin during Fiddle Hell. Magic Fluke will have their Cricket travel violins to show on Saturday and Sunday.

Stretches with Marsha Rich and warmup scales, arpeggios, patterns, rhythms,  and bowing. Get ready for the third day at Fiddle Hell by warming up your body and mind. 

Volume control, pitch control, vocal range and stamina are hallmarks of singing with strength. We’ll learn some “tricks of the trade” that help strong singers succeed.

Maine Fiddle Camp welcomes players of all levels. We’ll play tunes from our classes and from easy jams during those wonderful summer music gatherings in Montville, Maine.

Bowing questions? Intonation and tone? A tricky part of a tune? Where to start with a new technique? Gretchen can give your playing the "once over," offering a fresh set of eyes and ears to help answer your fiddle playing questions. Drop in for a few minutes or stay the whole time.

Drop in for a few minutes or stay for a while. Technique, style, tone, improvisation, ornaments. Scottish, Irish, and more. Abby will help you out.

In Cape Breton, we saw more with our bow, and slur less, so we'll work on the "general rules" of that - in the context of a fine 2/4 march in A from Cape Breton. Andrea wrote this classic tune!

Learn how to find 2 and 3-part harmonies on a majestic and spiritual song. A gentle and fun session to try out. Bring your instrument if you have one, or just your voice. Emy and Joy sing together in Darol Anger and the Furies.

Pete says: "The first fiddling I fell hard for was Southern. Loved the groove, the swing of it, the simple melodies that seemed to grow out of the bowing. I love sharing the ingredients that make this happen."

This popular reel dates back to the O’Neill collection, and is quite cheerful. The B part draws a lot from the A part, making the tune an easy one to learn. This tune shows up often in friendly jams. This tune will be a bit of a stretch for Beginners.

Double Stops [notes played together on two strings] are considered the Final Frontier in Bluegrass and Swing fiddling; The oldest and greatest fiddlers obsess over them. Organizing our thoughts on this difficult technique is paramount. We''ll work through the different flavors and explore simple techniques for practicing them. L2 with some L3.

Using an easy standard tune or two, Duncan will take you into the improvised world of the jazz violin player. You don't have to have prior experience playing jazz. Said Christian Howes: “Duncan is without question on a path to be one of the top jazz violinists of his generation.”

From Native Western Canadian fiddler and composer John Arcand, "Grey Owl" fluctuates among D major, E minor and B minor. It's a crooked tune with great spirit. Andy DeJarlis and John Arcand are the two best-known Métis fiddler-tune composers, who have ably added to the store of traditional tunes.

"Cooley's Reel" (from the Original 52 common tunes) will be the canvas. Cuts, rolls, spitting triplets, and serpentine bowings will be the paint. Get in to the nitty gritty of Irish ornamentation with a focus on how to use your fingers and hands to create a vibrant masterpiece.

This great tune comes up a lot in jams. Ellen will have a few variations and bluegrassy bowings to add once you know the basic tune.

Some of the coolest tunes to play are also the most elusive to accompany. In this hands-on, entertaining, and practical session, Mark will draw on lessons of many years accompanying traditional Celtic music, to share some handy tricks of the vamper’s trade you can apply in many styles.

Says Becky: "I'll teach TBD1 and TBD2. We’ll learn these in a slow session style, with less breaking down of the tunes, since there are two tunes here. So prepare yourself mentally and have your recording device at the ready."

Meet in Carignan Room 2. March to Lobby playing "Bonaparte Crossing the Rhine" in D. March back playing "Trip to Moscow" in Gm, by Ian Ball.  

Meet a few others your age at Fiddle Hell. It's during a break, so you won't miss a workshop.

Alan wrote a fine book called Beginning Oldtime Fiddle, from which this session takes its name.

Pete and Oliver represent two-thirds of Pete's Posse, known for its excellent original fiddle tunes.  Learn how they do it. Their "Fruit Fly Blues" CD is hot off the press.

Éric will show you a wonderful and energetic tune TBD from the Acadia area that is really good for step dance or square dance, or contradance. C'est une belle façon de commencer la journée pour les jeunes violoneux!

Have cello....now what? What should you play in a jam session? How can you tastefully back up a fiddle player? Where’s the awesome “cello groove”? We'll cover these and more. Who's playing great cello on the New 52 CDs in the FH store - Joy, of course!

Don learned to play mostly from his uncle, Lucien Matthieu of Westbrook, Maine, who taught his nephew the basics and gave him records to listen to and learn from.

Congratulations to Mariel and Stash!

Andrea came down from Cape Breton just for the Fiddle Hell Festival, carrying with her the awesome fiddling traditions of the Beaton family, the MacMasters, and more.

Released in 2002, Diary of a Fiddler was Darol’s time-capsule masterpiece CD. It was an all-fiddles recording, with some of the greatest fiddlers on the planet. Darol, Andy, and a surprise guest or two show and teach twin techniques for fiddlers playing together.

Ellery and Bethany are two-thirds of the band Fódhla, well-known in the Northeast for beautiful and driving traditional Irish tunes.

Jason will help you to achieve that authentic sound and feel of Gypsy Jazz (vibrato, tone, phrasing, and more). At 3:30PM today, catch The Jason Anick Acoustic Trio in concert to hear more Gypsy Jazz.

Jay Ungar wrote this catchy tune for the Vermont based group of the same name (they changed it later to Assembly), to capture the energy of teenaged musicians. Interesting string-crossing shuffles and chords.

Here are some possibilities: The Cliffs of Moher, Egan's Polka, Father Kelly's, Inisheer, The Merry Blacksmith, Morrison's Jig, Swinging on a Gate. They're all on the New 52 2-CD set. We'll play at a relaxed tempo.

Mark will present exercises and techniques for writing new tunes in traditional styles, sharing some of his own tunesmith’s secrets, and drawing on approaches described in his book Songwriting Strategies: A 360º Approach (Berklee Press; FH store). Come get acquainted with Smitty, the Tunesmith Genie!

The title truly sums up the spirit of the class. Susie will lead you through many songs, ranging from rounds both simple and sublime, to folk songs as diverse as "What a Wonderful World" and "My Sweet Forget Me Not."

Many people know Shetland tunes such as Willafjord, Sleep Soond Ida Moarnin, and Da Slockit Light, but there are so many great tunes that fly under the radar. You'll get to choose your favorites to learn from a variety of samples Ed will play; sheet music and recordings will be available afterward.

“The Icehouse” was composed in 1997 by accordion player Réjean Brunet, brother of fiddler André Brunet. Réjean composed the first strain at the Augusta Heritage Festival, then asked the workshop group to complete the second strain, following his chords. The result – a fantastic tune.

Should be a fine bluegrass jam, ably led by Dr. Brown. Dave Dillon may drop by on guitar.

Learn to make your rolls more rhythmic and percussive. We'll examine the roll anatomy from the root note, high cut, low lift and the bow. Rose will also discuss where and when to use the roll with specific examples using common tunes. She'll be your "roll" model.

We’ll learn a couple of contrasting tunes in odd meters and in different makams or modes. Regional styles of traditional Greek music for the violin date back over 400 years. In old times, people in some areas would say, "Let's go to the violins", meaning "Let's go for some music and dance."

Officially, shredding is a virtuoso lead solo playing style for guitar or other instrument, based on various advanced and complex playing techniques, particularly rapid passages and advanced performance effects. Unofficially, it's about having some crazy fun with your instrument, and Duncan will move your shredding ahead on fiddle and cello.

When you take a solo - rhythmic, harmonic, and melodic improvisation strategies can enhance your creative musicianship. The class will rotate among attendees (likely with different instruments, styles, and levels) so that Andy can provide constructive feedback and suggestions. This might be just the thing to take your improv up a notch!

Dalcroze Eurythmics will help us explore how to "internalize" more deeply the rhythms of common fiddle tune forms, through physical movement. When the entire body knows the rhythm, we are freer to play and listen at a deeper level of proficiency. Bring your instruments to class; we’ll be moving, with bare feet. Participants (not Fiddle Hell) are responsible for their own well-being given the movement aspects of this session.

We'll look at a few right hand strumming/rhythm options for backing up jigs, reels, and waltzes. Although Bethany plays open-tuned (DADGAD) guitar, the workshop is open to guitars, mandolins, ukes, and others looking to play rhythm. Right hand focus, so chording will be secondary. Bethany and Ellery play together in Fódhla.

Tunes and keys will be announced, and tunes will be played at a relaxed pace to give you a chance to absorb them more easily. Read more about Molsky's Mountain Drifters.

Doug directs the great Maine Fiddle Camp, and is clearly a multi-tasker. He'll help you to wear multiple hats as a fiddling caller.

Hear Greg later (3:30PM today) with the Jason Anick Acoustic Trio. But first, bring your bass (or just listen in) for some helpful ideas about jazz bass playing.

Do you long to be able to do "the feet" WHILE playing your favorite Québecois tunes? Gretchen will help coordinate your feet with your bow and have you fiddling with basic foot percussion in no time. Then she'll teach your fingers Reel de Gaspé. Beginners or any instrument can attend for feet only.

Learn a unique Scandinavian tune from Mariel’s repertoire from her time studying the hardanger fiddle in Norway, or perhaps her time in the Oldtime/Scandinavian fusion band, Blue Moose and the Unbuttoned Zippers (performing Sunday afternoon at FH).

You understand something about microphones, mixers, and speakers, but how do you make musicians sound good individually, and mix several together? Oliver and Colin will talk through the perspective of a sound person. They might use a volunteer instrumentalist to experiment on. A flash version is offered at 3PM on Friday.

Join in with traditional fiddle music, laughter, smiles, and maybe some dancing. On Cape Breton island, they add up to a wild ceilidh.

Darol is the fiddler (violinist) you hear on the original SimCity game and soundtrack. How cool is that? He'll teach you some of his hot licks from the game.

This syncopated, string-crossing shuffle fits over two measures of a fiddle tune such as Orange Blossom Special or Devil's Dream. This charismatic bowing is easier than it sounds,and Dave will slow it down, fit it into "Buck Fever Rag," show you how to practice it, and let you loose on the world.

Not a dark art at all, really, but undeniably magical, even when it's not all that technical. Pete likes getting fiddlers of all kinds to go beyond their limits, to get tight with both their fiddling "voice" AND their singing voice and connect them.

Play it, sing it, dance it! Or just listen. We'll meet in Room 3 and step into the hallway when we're ready. The music and words and dance steps are in the Fiddle Hell program book. Dinosaur supplies available for FH cosplay.

The Jason Anick Acoustic Trio is a perfect example of an open minded approach that fuses together contemporary jazz, classical, and new acoustic music. Rounding out the trio are guitarist Max O'Rouke and bassist Greg Loughman, world-class musicians and creative forces in their own right.

David will cover the critical downs and ups of picking techniques for reels and jigs. If your goal is to pick more cleanly, more consistently in rhythm, and with better tone, this is the session for you. 

You can be a good fiddler no matter how "correctly" you play. But gaining awareness of how your joints and muscles actually do their jobs, and doing simple exercises to teach your muscles to be efficient will help you relax and play longer without getting tired or injured. Video support available afterward.

Emy is a prolific songwriter with a riveting voice which plumbs the deepest emotions. Joy writes great songs and sings with Emy in Darol Anger and the Furies. They'll help you move along the path to effective songwriting. There's another songwriting workshop from Joy and Emy Sunday morning at 8:30AM.

Lock in with other musicians in a moderately-paced Southern oldtime jam, with tunes on the easier side.

Judy is known for her wonderful, driving rhythm grooves on fiddle with bands such as The Horse Flies. She'll show you how.

What rules, tricks, heuristics, and ideas can help you to work out harmony parts when playing with other fiddlers? Lissa and David know (and have both recorded some excellent twin fiddling) and will be your guides today to twin fiddling.

Pam is President of American Music System Charleston, Inc., author of "Teacher Training in the American Music System," and a frequent clinician at music educators' professional development workshops and conventions. This is a new workshop at FH and with Pam we've got the world's best teacher for it.

Paul plays with the Reiner Family Band, and adds great harmonica to his guitar playing and vocals. Bring your C harmonica and learn several key techniques for playing melody, playing "cross-harp" in G, and even bending notes.

Understanding the Circle of Fifths can help to unlock many music theory mysteries. Shana will discuss the major, minor and seventh chords found in any key; typical chord progressions in a key; and swing progressions with backwards cycling through the circle. She'll start at L2 and may take you to L3 territory.

"Kenny Baker Plays Bill Monroe" is an classic bluegrass album with great tunes! Road to Columbus, Brown County Breakdown, Lonesome Moonlight Waltz, Jerusalem Ridge, and 8 more. We’ll play through several of the tunes from this album. Not a teaching session, but a chance to play some classic tunes. Listeners welcome.

Your favorites and some proposed tunes from Éric. 

Itching to jam over your favorite blues, pop, rock, or swing tune? Tired of sounding the same in every style? Learn the secret ingredients that can be used to vary slide and vibrato technique. Master vertical technique to generate innumerable sounds, from ghosting to vibraslides and beyond.

Tunes with few notes are hard to get right. They need flawless flow and phrasing. While it’s helpful to know rhythmic bowing techniques, it’s hard to employ these to reveal, not obscure, the heart of the tune. We’ll “work up" two such tunes - one familiar and one a lesser-known gem.

Lugubrious and serpentine, mysterious and puzzling and challenging to play, fiddler Paddy Fahey’s compositions capture the deep “draiocht” (soul) of traditional Irish music. Join us to learn compositions of this enigmatic East Galway musician, and as we explore the fluid style of bowing that highlights the grace and mystery of his tunes.

Lorraine's well-known as a great lap dulcimer player, and it's high time to have a dulcimer workshop at Fiddle Hell. Easy and fun tunes - bring your instrument or just listen. 

This Missouri oldtime breakdown in D is common in old-time sessions. And it's pretty easy. Take a ride on the "Spotted Pony" with Alan.

A five-string fiddle adds a low C string, which helps with melodies and chords, and extends the range of the fiddle downwards in a pleasing, growly way. Bob will demo and teach examples of 5-string playing. If you don't have one, come to listen and maybe get a chance to try one out.

Fiddle Hell just couldn't Let It Be. Because. Don't Let Me Down. Here Comes the Sun. And here come Patrick and Peter to be your magical mystery tour guides to playing Beatles on the fiddle.

What are the blues? Where did they come from? How do you play them? You’ll learn about the structure of 12-bar blues, where the blue notes are, and where to slide. In French, "J'ai le cafard" literally means "I've got the cockroach," but is a way of saying "I've got the blues."

We’ll learn a beautiful tune TBD by ear, complete with ornaments and accompaniment. This is Beth Bahia Cohen's second year at Fiddle Hell, and she's bringing several new styles for us to learn and enjoy. Look for her on tonight's concert.

Métis fiddling is a beautiful oldtime style based mostly in the Canadian prairies and upper midwestern US. The tunes are crooked and interesting, with melodies very similar to many American oldtime tunes. Bruce will demonstrate some Métis tunes and teach a fine one on the fiddle.

We’ll see how you can be more playful and free in playing your favorite traditional fiddle tunes, with some exercises and practice techniques to develop your own personal style. Starting with a common simple fiddle tune we’ll bend it in a variety of ways. Bring a recorder and notebook to capture ideas.

Learn about the infinite potential of triads on the guitar. Explore different inversions up and down the neck through a simple folk song (such as In the Pines or Don’t this Road Look Rough and Rocky).

Matt wrote a book on this! He'll show you how to develop jazz solos using melodic fragments from traditional fiddle tunes. Melodic cells can be used to create extended improvisations, where fragments of a traditional fiddle tune (like "Turkey in the Straw") are developed over standard jazz chord progressions.

Please invite your families and tell your friends about this great concert! Short appearances by more than 20 excellent traditional musicians. Doors open at 6:20PM. Free for Fiddle Hell attendees who have paid for Saturday. Walk-ins are $15 (includes contra dance at 9:30PM). Featuring (without even mentioning all the great accompanists) [Performers to be announced shortly]. Thanks to Tim Rowell, Oliver Scanlon, and Colin McKinley for sound engineering and Eric Kilburn of Wellspring Sound for lighting.

Free if you're at the concert; no separate tickets for the dance. Fun, easy contras and circle dances for all, with exuberant, rich, inclusive music by an enormous, expertly-guided folk orchestra. FH attendees are also welcome to sit in with the band to play well-known New England tunes for the dancers.

Drop in for a few minutes or stay for a while to try out some Western Swing tunes. It's a style that combines hot fiddling and improvising with a great dance beat, on classics like Take Me Back to Tulsa. Art and Marshall go way back with Fiddle Hell, and play together in the Beantown Buckaroos.

No boundaries!

The magic of old time music is how you can play the same tune again and again and again and again and again and again... Learn a few easy favorites that will be sure to leave you in a trance.

Bring the day to a rousing close by singing some classic ballads, led by Paul. Irish ballads have simple melodies and great refrains, and sometimes there's even Whiskey in the Jar.

Some contests have a whole Trick and Fancy or Novelty division, where anything goes - visual tricks, wierd sounds, fancy bowing, and more. It's late - time to unwind...

Judy is a founding member of the alt-folk rock band, The Horse Flies, who have toured extensively and recorded many albums. Join her joyful jam tonight. Tunes will be at a moderate tempo and played long enough to seek trance.

Great tune! Kenny Baker fiddles it nicely, and it's perfect for mandolin and flat-picking guitar leads.

Registration and Fiddle Hell Store close until 8AM Sunday morning.  But jams and workshops continue! Plan ahead for the very useful early sessions on Sunday, starting at 8:30AM. Don't forget to turn your clocks back an hour at 2AM for Daylight Savings Time!

An extra hour of sleep tonight, provided to you by Fiddle Hell! Officially, clocks should be turned back an hour at 2AM Sunday morning. Some smartphones will do this automatically for you; some may not.

The Registration Desk is in Room R5 near the right front entrance of the Westford Regency Inn. Sign in, pay if you're not preregistered, get a stylish wristband and nametag, pick up a Program Brochure and Grid, perhaps buy a newly-designed T-shirt ($15 or 2 for $25). Then, look for your fellow fiddlers; cellists; and mandolin, guitar, and banjo players everywhere around you.

T-shirts and instructors' CDs and books are also in R5, which closes until next year at 6:15PM today. Carriage House Violins (Johnson String Instrument) has fiddles, bows, strings and accessories, and Justin can perform minor set-up work for you (during the day). Jon Cooper has splendid violins to show, and will be making a new violin during Fiddle Hell. Magic Fluke will have their Cricket travel violins to show today.

Stretches with Marsha Rich and warmup scales, arpeggios, patterns, rhythms,  and bowing. Get ready for the last day at Fiddle Hell by warming up your body and mind. 

Joy writes great songs and sings harmony with Andy Reiner in Half Pelican, as well as with Emy in Darol Anger and the Furies. Emy is a prolific songwriter with a riveting voice which plumbs the deepest emotions. They'll help you move along the path to effective songwriting. There's another songwriting workshop from Emy and Joy Saturday afternoon at 3:30PM.

The Montville Project is is a Maine/New Hampshire based band dedicated to recording and performing the essential repertoire of New England dance music. The inspiration for this project came in the summer of 2007 at Maine Fiddle Camp (in the town of Montville), George and Art will start your day off with this easy and catchy tune - look for their Montville Project CDs in the FH store.

Come collect a few great “little” songs that will last you forever. Singers, fiddlers, all pickers welcome to participate. "The Hammonds are folk missionaries of the first order... who love to introduce people to the joys of traditional music." - Scott Alarik, Boston Globe.

Drop in with your bowing questions; stay and learn more. Pam will help you control the bow with your right arm (larger muscles) rather than your hand for better tone and smoother playing.

Can you play a G scale? That'll make learning this tune easy.  "Garry Owen" is an old Irish quick-step that can be traced back to the 1800s. it was used by Irish regiments as a drinking and marching song. The tune has a lively beat, which accentuates the cadence of marching horses. The name (sometimes written "Garryowen") is derived from Gaelic meaning Owen's garden, a suburb of Limerick.

Seán's the 2016 US Scottish Fiddle Champion. He'll teach one of his favorite tunes, coincidentally one of the New 52.

Through the magic of the seductive Cajun rhythm, learn to play and back up a rollicking traditional tune.

A skilled player can make a so-so tune sound great, but even a beginner can put across a really great fiddle tune. What makes these warhorses great? We will discuss structure, texture, and story in the context of fiddle tunes, and probably learn most of a couple. Listeners welcome, too.

We will review the basics and play a tune on the mando, come on out! David’s a friendly teacher known for his superb mandolin playing in Irish, Breton, and other styles.

A big part of the rhythm and sound of Franco American fiddling comes from the bowing. Don will lead you through several exciting bowing techniques in the context of French tunes from the Canadian Maritimes.

Eric will feature tunes such as "All of Me," "Summertime," and "Flintstones" as he introduces you to to jazz mandolin improvising. Dave will provide an entire rhythm section.

Learn how to find 2 and 3-part harmonies on a majestic and spiritual song. A gentle and fun session to try out. Bring your instrument if you have one, or just your voice. Joy and Emy sing together in Darol Anger and the Furies.

Lorraine does it best! She'll show you the tricks and techniques for this very effective combination of instruments. Bring your lap dulcimer or just watch. BTW, Lorraine will be backing up Dave Reiner in the Hell tune workshop at 11AM.

You may have heard Rob and his looper at last night's concert. He layered rhythm and melodies  to build the song. How is it done? Rob will show you the basics, and you may get a chance to try it out.

Explore the guitar’s boom-chuck in old time fiddle and dance music. This foundational workshop is for anybody starting to play backup on guitar, equally focused on listening as playing.

Guided jam with songs – a little faster than earlier days. Learn as you jam. It’s more fun if you can sing or improvise solos. The best way to get prepared is to learn a common bluegrass song to sing (you can bring the verses along to read from).

Brenda Stubbert is a fine Cape Breton fiddler and composer from Point Aconi, Nova Scotia. "Brenda Stubbert's Reel", written by Jerry Holland, was named for her. It's got a wonderful hypnotic and modal feel, with bowed triplets and the occasional grace note. Andrea will lead you through the tune and its nuances.

We’ll explore some of the well-known old time banjo repertoire and dig into the technical nuts and bolts of clawhammer style.

Ashokan Farewell, Lover's Waltz, Wizard's Walk, and Popcorn Behavior - Great tunes from great composers! 

A combination of classic and modern tunes that are common to New England repertoire. It helps to be at least somewhat familiar with the New England style. Bring your instruments, jokes, and favorite tunes to share.

We’ll play a short medley of fun Ugros dance tunes from Dunántúl (=Transdanubia, a traditional region of Hungary). “Ugros” means “jumping" in Hungarian. You might want to bring a portable music stand.

Time to dance! Waltzes and other 3/4 tunes from a variety of traditions. There's not a caller for these couple dances. Bring a dance partner or find partners there. Or watch and listen.

Anyone from New England? Lissa will cover fiddle and cello, and Skip will cover guitar and mandolin, as you learn an easy New England tune or two.

The strings of the fiddle and the human voice have a lot in common, and can be made to blend beautifully. Bruce will lead the class through some exercises to get fiddle and voice working together so we can play through a simple song, and also demonstrate a couple of his own favorites.

Klezmer music is from the mournful but exuberant musical tradition of the Ashkenazi Jews of Eastern Europe, with influences from American jazz. Crank up your fiddle or other instrument - last year this was a wild session. Handout of tunes.

Pam is the author of "Teacher Training in the American Music System," and a frequent clinician at music educators' professional development workshops and conventions. This is a new workshop at FH and Pam's got some great ideas to share. Hands-on.

The ins and outs of playing behind a singer or other soloist. Not limited to Bluegrass, though that will be our main focus.

"Hell Up Coal Holler" in C is close to Gerry Milnes' oldtime version (which Lorraine has recorded with Gerry). "Hell in the Mud" in D is about the way Missouri fiddler Cyril Stinnett played it. Both are great tunes that don't get played enough.

Westford’s the perfect place for your favorite New England tunes, and a few that might be new to you. Spend a happy hour with David and Bethany, having great fun with classic tunes.

"Comping" (an abbreviation of "accompanying" or possibly from the verb to "complement") is the chords, rhythms, and occasionally countermelodies that guitar players use to support a jazz musician's improvised solo or melody lines. Dave will show you some basic comping chords and rhythms on the guitar as an intro.

We’ll explore Dock Boggs' unique up-picking banjo style in two of his most well-known songs. We’ll learn a couple of his unusual tunings and a bunch of his signature licks.

We’ll start with a Cape Breton setting of the marching air "Lament for James Moray of Abercairny," and then go into the Cape Breton settings of a John Campbell strathspey and the "Lord Seaforth" reel. The excitement ratchets up as the tempo increases. 

Here's a reel TBD with many variations - bowing, melodic and different kind of ornamentation. Need
to have a good memory to learn this one, but you'll be happy you did.

Dave Reiner says: "Stacy Phillips, fiddler and dobro player extraordinaire, was an inspiration and a charismatic musical friend to many musicians. We'll miss his great music, his clear teaching, his dry sense of humor, and his vast knowledge of traditional fiddling. I learned a lot - as did many fiddlers - from his wonderful fiddle books, recordings, and DVDs. The Phillips Collection of Traditional American Fiddle Tunes (in two volumes) is a monumental work of fiddle tune curation, scholarship, expertise, and love. Stacy would have been teaching and performing at Fiddle Hell Massachusetts this year. Sadly, we'll remember him here instead. May his memory be a blessing.

You may include ornaments and interesting bowing but want other ways to make trad tunes your own. This is for you! We'll consider conventions of variation in traditional Irish music, and then we’ll work together to apply variations to a traditional Irish reel, creating our own signature version of the tune.

BMUZ reunion concert right here at Fiddle Hell! BMUZ plays original, oldtime, and Scandinavian fiddle tunes and songs. Hypnotic and exciting! BMUZ will also be appearing at Club Passim in Cambridge, MA, on Nov. 5th at 8PM.

Romanian fiddle music by definition isn’t really easy, but we’ll learn a tune that’s very accessible. Romanian music is often called the roots of Klezmer music - they both use many of the same scales and ornaments.

Right hand, left hand, rhythm, chords, and much more. Drop in with a question, stay for a while if you like.

DADGAD is an alternative guitar tuning most associated with Celtic music. This open tuning is neither intrinsically major nor minor; it facilitates moveable chords and drones. This class will go somewhat further and faster than the DADGAD 101 workshops Bethany has done in past years.

This will be a mini traditional folk chamber music experience. Abby will bring some not too difficult Scottish Baroque pieces and some O’Carolan to read. We will jam on 18th Century tunes.

A modern fiddling technique for both backup and leads, like playing drums on your fiddle or cello. Crunches, ghost notes, syncopation - it’s all there and nobody does it better than Andy and Joy. They'll help you chop step by step.

Some doggone great traditional Yankee dance music is quite easy to learn and play. We're going THERE, with some helpful suggestions on jam etiquette, fitting in when you don’t really know the tune, and more.

A brand new way to think about learning and playing fiddle breaks and tunes. It will help you forever and a day. Hands-on and fun, short handout provided.