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 or women's tank ($15). Then, look for your fellow fiddlers; cellists; and mandolin, guitar, and banjo players everywhere around you. 

Instructors' CDs and books are also in R5. 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 will be making a new violin during Fiddle Hell. Magic Fluke will have their travel instruments to show through Sunday, and Dave Golber will have his Hardanger violins on Sunday.

Cash Lunch Concession with inexpensive choices: Grilled Vegetable Wrap, Hot Dog, Bowl of Chili, Ham & Swiss on Bulkie, Chicken Salad on Bulkie, Chef Salad, Garden Salad, Gluten Free Sandwich (ask), Fruit, Cookies, Chips, COFFEE, Soda, Bottled Water. Eat on the go or at a session.

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

We will focus on your mandolin questions on scales, arpeggios, pick direction, tremolo, double stops, 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.

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.

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."

A fine Irish jig from our Common Tune List (CTL). It's pretty easy - the first six notes on fiddle and mandolin are open strings. There are a few opportunities for nice grace notes and rolls if we have time. You may know Mitch as a Cajun fiddler; he's a fine Irish player as well.

We will learn a tune from Maggie Parker Hammons, a great musician and banjo player from West Virginia.  We will learn a nice banjo arrangement, add in a few more of the trickier melody notes, and go over the chords.

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. Learn "Editor's Favorite."

Always for the Quadrille dance or Partie de Set, with nice balance for the movement of dancers. Éric's here all four days to teach tunes in the French Canadian style of beauty, feeling, rhythm, and excitement.

Explore the most important aspects of accompanying Irish and Scottish tunes on guitar. Tune types, basic right hand rhythms and easy fail-safe chord progressions for most traditional tunes. We'll focus on a few Irish and Scottish tunes to put the technique in context. Players interested in Drop-D, DADGAD, and Standard tuning are welcome.

Tunes from our native composers in Maine, which has a rich heritage of wicked good fiddlers and tunes. L2 tunes and gentle pace.

Tony will review some of the most important aspects of Flatpicking Guitar in the bluegrass style, but this knowledge will apply to many other related styles of music as well. Bring your questions or just come ready to learn!

How to put two voices together? Susie and Brittany are both excellent singers who've sung in a variety of styles, and they'll show you some key ideas to help figure out and strengthen your harmony singing. Listen and then try it for a few different songs.

Start off Fiddle Hell with a singing workshop! Lissa will teach one or two of her original songs about families and attachment, including a few helpful pointers on singing technique. Says Lissa: "... songs are part of all of us..."

We'll learn a simple catchy tune known by the equally catchy name of "schottis from Rejmyre". It's friendly on either fiddle or nyckelharpa, and equally fun to play for dancers or to dance to.

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

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

"Adrian’s Hornpipe" is a fine tune from a highly-regarded fiddler. Missouri was a microcosm of American fiddle music due to its geographical position as a settlement area from Eastern US and in the westward expansion. As such, it combines elements of early Appalachian style with the vast community of immigrants - Irish railroad workers, Cherokees, French miners and farmers and Germans.

Come explore some of the techniques and tricks that fiddlers like Stéphane Grapelli and Stuff Smith used to make their solos really swing. Duane came to Fiddle Hell from Hawaii to teach several great workshops and to jam.

Two-steps are a regular part of barn dances across Canada to this day. The “Harrington Valley” has become a classic, must-have tune in any serious Canadian fiddler’s repertoire, thanks to Calvin Vollrath’s prolific pen.

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 Saturday at 12:30PM.

You will learn an easy and fun oldtime tune that has all the rhythmic elements that make a fiddle tune sound "oldtime." We will discuss how you can modify the oldtime tunes you already play to have them sound more rhythmically charged and "oldtime." Alan wrote a fine book called Beginning Oldtime Fiddle, from which this workshop takes its name.

Mary is joining us at Fiddle Hell from Alaska. Learn some of the songs Alaskan kids are learning, in case they visit you, or you visit them. Or just because they're great songs and fun to sing.

Frank has composed well over 300 fiddle tunes! Says Frank: “We’ll explore inspiration, form and what fits on the fiddle. Then work together to craft a tune.” Look for Frank’s book The Ferrel Collection along with his CD of original tunes "Moxie" in the FH store.

The most common way to approach intonation is to learn to "match" pitches in, say, a tune or a scale. Rob (channeling Pam Wiley!) has found it more effective (easier to hear) to learn to "find" your place in a chord. Come experience if this is helpful to you!

Work on a couple of songs from the rich country blues traditions of the Piedmont blues and the Delta blues. This workshop will focus primarily on finger style techniques, but flat pickers are welcome, too.

Bass fundamentals class! We’ll overview the lay of the land (fingerboard), time, tone, intonation, and helpful warmups which all culminate in constructing bass lines.

Adding ornaments to Scottish Airs is not so different than putting icing on the cake, color in the painting or curry on the chicken. Ornaments create character, color and emotion. We will work with a slow air and find variations of expression.

Art is a very tasteful bluegrass fiddler, and can show you these valuable techniques in the context of short sections of common bluegrass tunes. He'll be ably backed by Tony on guitar and vocals.

This classic, flowing French Canadian tune is a must know! Great for contra dances and easily paired with other tunes, its title translates as "High Country." Jean Carignan and Andy de Jarlis recorded it as "Winnapeg Reel."

To start off Fiddle Hell, here's a hypnotic Oklahoma tune, easy and flowing, as played by J. S. Price. It's also played in the southeast. "Went to the river but I couldn't git across. Rode on a bullfrog, thought he was a hoss."

An excellent way to learn is by studying the masters. In this session we will examine a couple of masterpieces in detail, unpacking how lyrics, melody, rhythm, and chord structure work together. We won’t write a song, but you will take away fresh perspectives on how to put one together.

Träd Weekend is an intensive workshop for Scandi-interested fiddlers, cooked up by lydia together with fiddle partner Andrea Larson after their joint year in Sweden. We'll focus on engaging your core rhythm, and explore how dance and movement inform your role as a musician. Tune: "polska e. Petter Dufva nr 53."

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 plays a really big fiddle to hold down the growly low end.

We'll consider the best ways to familiarize yourself with the upper positions on the fiddle (or mandolin) neck. We'll explore strategies to re-apply your knowledge of first position into an effective access point for other positions, and to other keys to that can seem awkward or difficult in first position. All twelve keys can be yours!

Learn a trance-inducing, cross-tuned, original fiddle tune written by Judy Hyman of the Horse Flies, who never officially recorded it but gave Allison De Groot and Tatiana Hargreaves permission to record it on their recent CD. Fiddlers taught by Judy; banjo players, by Allison - then we'll all play the tune together.

We’ll explore the bowing techniques of various counties, plus ornamentations including rolls, grace notes and bowed triplets. While you might know Mitch as a Cajun fiddler, he's also a fine traditional Irish player and teacher.

Written by Mairéad Ní Mhaonaigh of Altan, "The Gap of Dreams" is an enchanting jig in B minor. It can be heard on the eponymously named album from Altan.

Start off Fiddle Hell in Scottish high gear with Jenna on fiddle and Bethany on guitar! They'll likely hit Scottish and Cape Breton tunes, with a Shetland tune or two.

An in depth look at chords, bowing, repertoire and vocabulary in bluegrass. We're very happy to have Alex at Fiddle Hell for all 4 days.

This dynamic, 3-part concert features fantastic Fiddle Hell instructors as performers. From Québec City in French Canada, Éric Favreau will lead off, backed by Baron Collins-Hill. Then, Mitch Reed and Cathy Mason play rollicking Cajun, followed by Don and Cindy Roy with spry Franco-American tunes.

Learn “Highland Laddie” (or “Hielan Laddie”), a popular and well-loved Scottish March. Very often heard being played on the bagpipes. 

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), Look for George and Art's Montville Project CDs in the FH store. BTW, "Jenny Lind Polka" was first published in 1859.

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. Bethany will help you tune up and get the basic idea of this tuning, with Clayton providing fiddle melody. More DADGAD at 12:30PM Saturday from David Surette and 2:00PM from Eamon Sefton.

Although a relatively easy tune to learn, this is one of the classic Maritime tunes especially favored for the first figure of a Cape Breton square set by the likes of such legendary players as Buddy MacMaster and his peers - also a great "driver" for contras as well.

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 the scales that give klezmer its unique sound; learn to play an easy 2 part tune “Hangu From Polody”; and discuss accompaniment. No previous knowledge required. High-spirited Klezmer jam at 11AM on Sunday.

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).

"Kitchen Girl" is a dramatic oldtime tune on our Common Tune List (CTL). Collected in 1966 from influential Virginia fiddler Henry Reed by fiddler and folklorist Alan Jabbour, who popularized the melody on the Hollow Rock String Band's 1967 recording (get it!). Fiddler Bill Hicks points out that "kitchen girl" was often a term used for a female slave who worked in the kitchen. Kitchen dances were a fixture of rural American life and may have been the inspiration for the title.

Multi-instrumentalist Pete Sutherland teaches a rare clawhammer banjo workshop at Fiddle Hell this year. Bring your rare banjo? Wait, bring any 5-string banjo and learn a fine oldtime tune.

This is my favorite part of the fiddle. We will work on movable double stops of varied intervals through chord progressions in several keys and how you can use this amazing sound in your own music for both soloing and accompaniment.

Rediscover the early 20th century, Hawaiian string band tradition style that blended western classical music, American swing, improvisation, church hymns, Hawaiian chant, and hula; it was lost due to political forces of the era. We'll cover tunes like Hawaii Aloha, Hula Blues, Bye and Bye Hoi Ma Oe.

From the 1880s to the 1930s Tin Pan Alley was the hub of American popular music. When the first ukulele craze hit in the 1920s, music publishers put uke chord diagrams onto sheet music. Come learn some terrific songs from that era; chord charts provided for concert/tenor uke tuning (GCEA).

After we learn a fiddle tune we’ll add bowing rhythm, explore some simple improvisation, and play to a compelling percussive groove. We’ll also look at the software in which the groove was constructed.

The key of F is absolutely beautiful and haunting on the fiddle. Learn this reel in the Clare style called "The Swallow." 

Hungry? Thirsty? Food and drinks available at Old Joe Clark's Pub off the Lobby. Special menu for Fiddle Hell, leisurely paced. Jam session from 8PM until closing. A much faster alternative for dinner is the Quick Dinner Buffet from 6PM-8PM in the Lobby.

Three stellar performers on fiddle, plus expert backup musicians on piano and guitar, will bring magic to the main stage. While styles may blend and cross over, Seán Heely and Jenna Moynihan represent Scottish traditions and new directions, while Andrea Beaton brings in the Cape Breton heritage.

Learn about power chords, song writing, blues and pentatonic scales, stage presence, and what kind of stinky faces to make when you're hitting the big notes to make your audience scream louder!

We will learn "Madame Sosthene," an easy, standard Cajun tune. In addition to the melody we will explore drones, and how to play second fiddle for a true Cajun sound. Mitch toured with BeauSoleil for many years.

Come learn a choice selection of traditional dance tunes (gavottes, en dros, hanter dros, ronds, etc.) from Brittany, the Celtic region of France. All tunes will be in fiddle-friendly keys!

"Le Rapide du Joual Blanc" is from the singer and fiddler Jean-Claude Mirandette. He wrote
the tune in the 1990s. Thirty years after this this become to be in the Hit Parade. See you Jean-
Claude!

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

There's a lot of music theory out there, but you only need to know a fraction of it in the world of traditional music. No experience necessary.

This is for intermediate fiddle players who aspire to move up a notch in their playing. This includes how to play in tune, how to get better tone on your instrument, and how to gradually increase your speed.

In learning English language skills, reading and writing go hand in hand. Learn how to employ writing as a tool for learning to read music. Also, we'll cover reading music by "sound" instead of by "instruction" or "location."

You can find C harmonicas for $10 in the Fiddle Hell store. 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 bending notes.

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 "Don Messer's Breakdown" (Messer, of course) and "The Old Box Stove" (Allen). Look for George and Art's CDs (including The Montville Project) in the FH store.

We will learn a standard by ear and use it as a platform to work on voice leading, phrasing and swing feel. Alex is an innovative, cross-genre violinist described as “the best young jazz violinist in America” by Matt Glaser, artistic director of Berklee College of Music, American Roots Program.

Bob Wills took the old song "Red Wing" and turned it into a great Western Swing instrumental. Come learn to play this classic fiddle tune western swing style!

Join us for a hands-on glimpse of what's behind those luscious twin-fiddle harmonies you associate with Swedish fiddling. We'll spend a short while gaining a common waltz tune called "Svensk Annas vals", which we'll then use to explore a smorgåsbord of approaches to playing harmonies in Swedish styles.

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.

Want a quick dinner before the evening sessions? The hotel is running a Fiddle Hell buffet for us in the Stoney Brook Café next to the main lobby, from 6-8PM. Help yourself to mac & cheese, BBQ chicken, green beans, garden salad, rolls and butter, and your choice of a soft drink or a bottle of water. Prices include tax and gratuity: Adults $19, Kids 4-12 $12, Kids under 4 free.

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.

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).

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.

Learn this one by ear! It’s the best way to capture the style. Don will guide this L1 workshop at a slow pace, with an easy tune. Cindy will provide classic piano backup.

Everything you need to know to GO ELECTRIC! We can discuss amps, effects pedals, pre amps, solid state versus acoustic instruments, and I will try to answer your questions about the mysteries of the electric world.

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

Dissect fiddle tunes to find out what makes them tick, explore idea creation, discuss how to use melodic development to turn a small phrase into a coherent fiddle tune, and learn how to open ourselves up to receive those magic bits of inspiration. As a group, we will collaborate on writing a new tune together, and attendees will leave with a new skill set and inspiration for writing new tunes into the future!

Balancing technical with creative practice while identifying and strengthening weak areas in our playing can be a challenge. Create your own customized and ever-evolving system of practice and time allotment to maximize effectiveness of your precious practice time. Learn to develop new exercises to strengthen weaker elements of your playing while having more fun practicing!

You understand something about microphones, mixers, and speakers, but how do you make musicians sound good individually, and mix several together? Colin will talk through the perspective of a sound person. He might use a volunteer instrumentalist to experiment on. Also, a very basic intro to running sound by Oliver Scanlon will be at 3:00-3:30PM.

Many players avoid using the fourth finger because “it’s too short” or “it’s too weak.” Find out why these are false assumptions. Also find out why using the 4th finger is sometimes easier than using the open string. Did you notice we're in Room 4?

Here's a driving, ornamented, fiddle style that draws on Scottish and Irish traditions and more. Learn "Jenny Bowser" from Andrea Beaton, of a musical family from Mabou, Cape Breton Island. This tune was originally written by J. Scott Skinner, but gained wide currency in Cape Breton after it was recorded by the Five MacDonald Fiddlers and popularized by fiddler Winston Fitzgerald.

Learn a simple tune that is easy to play and covers some of the fundamental left- and right-hand techniques of playing the Irish Tenor Banjo or similar instruments (tenor guitar, mandolin, bouzouki). Bring a 4-string tenor banjo or similar instrument, unless you just want to listen.

Cape Breton piano accompaniment has a special swing and syncopation that closely follows the fiddle, the stepdance and the Scottish Gaelic language. Some fingering and percussive styles as well as 'runs' will be demonstrated.

Composed by Nova Scotia fiddler and pianist, Bill Guest, "Bay of Fundy" has become a classic in the Maritimes as well as throughout the New England dance community.

A great way to work on playing by ear is to use song tunes. Traditional and contemporary songs are a rich source of lovely melodies. Take a little break from the breakdowns and relax into the comfort of fingering some well-known songs.

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. This is consistently one of the highest rated FH workshops.

Tracy Silverman recently wrote The Strum Bowing Method, which is about about using your bow as if you're strumming a guitar.  It's groundbreaking and fantastic, and we're privileged to have Tracy teaching at Fiddle Hell. Tomorrow, he'll teach this intro again at 9:30AM, and then a more advanced workshop at 2PM.

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.

Romanian fiddle music isn’t really easy, but it's really a lot of fun. Romanian music is often called the roots of Klezmer music - they both use many of the same scales and ornaments.

A brilliant 3-part old time tune in the Key of A. Mandolins in standard GDAE tuning; Fiddles cross tune to AEAE if you want; Banjos in aEAC#E.

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

Italian folk music is an important part of the country's musical heritage, and spans a diverse array of regional styles, instruments and dances. Sheet music will be provided at this very quick read-through. Bring a portable music stand if you have one.

Join fiddlers Patrick M'Gonigle, Ellen Carlson, and Alex Hargreaves as they push the limits of bluegrass fiddle. Backed by Brittany Karlson on bass, Flynn Cohen on guitar and mandolin, and special guest Jake Schepps on banjo, they'll set the main stage afire with Fiddle Hell's first bluegrass show.

Éric learned this version from left-handed fiddler Yvon Mimeault (from the Gaspé area) with floating bowing between light staccato and spicatto. Éric's good-humored teaching style and infectious repertoire will be with us all weekend.

At a relaxed pace, learn a driving, three-part oldtime tune from the Common Tune List. It likely entered the oldtime tradition from a minstrel tune. Cathy will lead you through this tune with patience and good cheer.

Just the basic step can get you through the whole party. Here's a quick chance to try some step dancing with Cindy Roy. Session 2 is a follow-on session that happens Friday at 5PM.

Judy has a lot of favorite fiddle tunes. That’s the nature of loving old-time fiddle music, right? She’ll choose a great one for the occasion. Husband Jeff Claus, also from the Horse Flies, will back up on guitar.

Can you do both? Sure, says Joy. And have a great time doing it.

You guessed it, its about the most popular tune type -- the infamous reel. We will look at a few Irish and Scottish reels, talk about the effects of playing them at different tempos and work on ornaments, phrasing, and thinking about variations.

Abby plays cello with Ferintosh, a wonderful band that performs the vibrant folk music of Scotland, America, and Cape Breton. She'll teach one of her favorite tunes from the band's repertoire. BTW, Google tells us that "Newton of Ferintosh" is a scattered crofting township on the Black Isle in the Highland council area of Scotland.

We will explore the banjo up the neck through shapes, scales and chords. This will help you navigate this part of the neck, whether you are picking out a melody that goes high, transposing a low section up an octave, or taking a solo.

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.

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 on fiddle, with Oliver teaching the mandolin players."

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. These three tunes are possibilities: "Elmer Briand’s Jig," "Beaton’s Delight Strathspey," and "Ann MacQuarrie’s Reel."

Good advice and fun warm-ups from Susie to keep the songs coming. Also offered Sunday at 10:30AM. And stick around in Room 36 for Joy Adams' workshop at 9:30PM on harmony singing.

Multi-instrumentalist Oliver Scanlon plays with Pete Sutherland in Pete's Posse and The Clayfoot Strutters, and has a long history of awesome fiddling.  At Fiddle Hell, he's happy to pass along that tradition to you, with a fine tune selected in real-time.  Look for Oliver's debut CD in the FH store; he's also essential to the Fiddle Hell sound crew.

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. 

Come learn a simple fiddle tune on the mandolin. We'll also discuss how to learn tunes, which makes the whole process easier and more enjoyable. Did you know that Baron offers free online mandolin lessons here?

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.

This useful workshop is for fiddlers (and mandolin players) to learn a key element of playing solos on songs with words (as opposed to tunes).  Ellen (and Flynn) will sing a whole bunch of songs (bluegrass, folk, country, Western Swing) in different keys and show you how to pick up the melodies quickly so you can then play a break.

The Atholl Highlanders are a Scottish infantry regiment based in Blair Atholl. From our Common Tune List, this is a popular, 4-part 6/8 march to play on bagpipes, fiddle, cello, or other lead instrument. Some believe this was originally a Shetland tune called "The Three Sisters."

The craic will be mighty! Time for lots of trad tunes, led by Clayton and Eamon. But sorry, no black pudding or barmbrack.

How about a blast of oldtime Southern tunes? They're in Pete's DNA, we think. Ably backed up by Alan on guitar.

The art of accompanying a singer without getting in the way! All genres welcome.

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

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

Thirsty? Drinks available at Old Joe Clark's Pub off the Lobby. Jam session! Last call is 12:30AM.

Terri and Art will pick easier tunes from the two Common Tune Lists (CTL), 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.

While Beth also plays the Turkish bowed tanbur and kabak kemane, this workshop will focus on violin. She'll teach an easy Turkish tune as an introduction to this lively, vibrant folk music.

New Englanders have harvested the sea’s bounty for thousands of years, and Europeans took fish from these waters well before permanent colonies were established. Learn a few songs about the lives and work of dorymen, whalers, and lobstermen. A session for singers.

Power chords are the building blocks of Rock and great for string players to understand harmony and chord changes. They also help in composing, arranging, and learning other genres. We will rock out to play music by Led Zeppelin, Deep Purple, Black Sabbath, and Jimi Hendrix, and will also touch on pentatonic riffs and songwriting.

When you think of mandoln tunes you might not think of rags but ragtime tunes are very suited to the mandolin. In this workshop, Alan will introduce and teach two lovely rags that will seem as though they were written for the mandolin.

Official Jam Spots in the hallways are fine (not those near guest rooms), and the following rooms are open all night for jamming: R4, R6, R7, R8, R35, and R36.
The sounds are lovely, dark and deep, But I have promises to keep, And tunes to go before I sleep, And tunes to go before I sleep.

Start the day with the Westford Regency's hot breakfast buffet ($15.00 + tax + gratuity; or $9.00 + tax + gratuity for continental breakfast). Alternatively, Cash Breakfast Concession (quick breakfast, snacks, and coffee) opens at 8AM in the Fiddle Hell Lower Hallway.

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). Then, look for your fellow fiddlers; cellists; and mandolin, guitar, and banjo players everywhere around you. A half-dozen excellent early bird sessions start at 8:30AM today, with regular sessions starting at 9:30AM.

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 will be making a new violin during Fiddle Hell. Magic Fluke will have their travel instruments to show today through Sunday. Dave Golber will have his Hardanger violins to show Sunday.

Cash Breakfast Concession with inexpensive choices: Breakfast Burrito, Oatmeal, Bagel and Cream Cheese, Muffin/Danish/Croissant, Gluten Free Muffin, Yogurt, Fruit, Granola Bar, COFFEE, Soda, Bottled Water. Eat on the go or at a session.

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.

Learn basic terminology and understand how scales and arpeggios relate to fiddle tunes; and also how to use the circle of fifths diagram to your great advantage. No theory experience necessary, bring your questions! While Flynn will have mandolin and guitar in hand, the material is appropriate for any instrument.

This is a classic Irish session tune in E minor. Laurel will teach the notes at a relaxed pace, and offer coaching on how to use the bow and simple ornaments to give it its "gutsy" feel.

In my opinion, your right hand is more than 50% of the puzzle. Let's put it to work to make everything sound good.

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

Start your day by learning a fun and easy tune that blurs the line between bluegrass and oldtime. Allison will teach on clawhammer banjo and Patrick on fiddle. 

Andrea will show you a Gaelic air or waltz, "ho ro mo nighean donn bhoidheach," which she's heard translates to "Ho Ro, My Nut Brown Maiden." And of course, she'll help you make it sound Cape Breton-esque. 

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.

A time to share ideas, techniques and approaches for composing music that touches the heart.

You will learn an easy and fun oldtime tune that has all the rhythmic elements that make a fiddle tune sound "oldtime." Alan will also show you how you can modify oldtime tunes you already play to have them sound more rhythmically exciting and "oldtime." 

The melodies of the Gaels are some of the most beautiful and striking in the world. We will learn a few tunes from the Gaelic song tradition.

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. Art will hold down the backup guitar role. See the Fiddle Hell Jamming Guidelines.

We’ll learn “Maiden's Prayer,” a standard Western Swing song that has made its way into the bluegrass repertoire, and we'll talk about how to achieve its bluegrassy nuances on fiddle. Including a few tasty double-stops! JR will anchor the rhythm. Fun fact: Peter Anick and Dave Reiner have played in many bands together, including Hot Off the Frets ("All the notes that fit, they play").

We’ll learn an easy Greek tune in a couple of different makams or modes. It'll be complete with rhythm and chords. 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."

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.

We’ll learn the crooked Nathan Abshire tune “French Blues.” In addition to the melody we will explore drones, and how to play second fiddle for a true Cajun sound. Abshire (1913-1981) was a Cajun accordion player who helped the renaissance of accordion in Cajun music in the '40's.

You may have noticed there's lots of learning by ear at Fiddle Hell. The tunes you learn by ear will stick with you - but how do you actually do it? Shana will share useful tips and help you out. A really good way to start out Friday at Fiddle Hell.

Tracy Silverman recently wrote The Strum Bowing Method, which is about about using your bow as if you're strumming a guitar.  It's groundbreaking and fantastic, and we're privileged to have Tracy teaching at Fiddle Hell just for Thursday night and Friday. He'll also teach a more advanced workshop on this topic at 2PM today. Look for his book in the FH Store.

Delve into the limitless harmonic and rhythmic possibilities of backing up Celtic tunes on the guitar. Explore chord substitutions, advanced right hand rhythmic techniques, inversions, and some basic music theory applied to traditional music. Drop-D and DADGAD tuning is recommended, but Standard is welcome too. Prior experience in Celtic tune accompaniment is highly recommended.

Fiddle-icious, the largest fiddle orchestra in Maine, evolved out of a monthly fiddle workshop led by Don Roy. Don and his wife Cindy grew up in French Canadian families where music was an integral part of their lives. The goal of Fiddle-icious is to keep the tradition alive by sharing Maine’s musical heritage with the community. 

Come learn a simple blues progression and work on some improvising. The mandolin is a great blues instrument; listen to Yank Rachell, Johnny Young, Carl Martin (of Martin, Bogan, and Armstrong), and Rich DelGrosso.

From our Common Tune List, "Kesh Jig" is a sprightly tune with lots of possibilities for rolls and a lilting feel, as well the occasional drone. You'll enjoy learning Ellery's version.

"La Rivière Acadienne" is a pretty Acadian reel, little bit crooked, with a taste of syncopation and spiccato. Just the right tune to help with some of the nuances of Québécois bowing.

We’ll learn this tune slowly from the ground up by its component parts, adding more elements as we go with an emphasis on bowing and intonation. Frank is a fine teacher, recognized as a master player of Northern styles. He provides great handouts, too.

A deep dive into four essential tools for perfecting your swing feel -- proper bowing patterns, playing with drums, using ghost notes, and laying back.

lydia's e-tunebook Trip to Tobo (mp3s at slow and then real-life tempos, plus supporting dots) showcases a favorite 32 tunes from her year of study in Sweden. From a 1715 collection, this catchy polska - "Polonäs e. Gustav Blidström nr 93" - is a recent big hit in both Sweden and the US.

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.

We’ll play a short medley of fun Hungarian dance tunes TBD. You might want to bring a portable music stand.

Cash Lunch Concession with inexpensive choices: Sausage, Pepper & Onion Sub; Individual Pizza, Soup of the Day, Turkey Bacon Wrap, Marinated Roast Beef on French Bread, Grilled Vegetable Wrap, Gluten Free Sandwich (ask), Chicken Caesar Salad, Garden Salad, Fruit, Cookies, Chips, COFFEE, Soda, Bottled Water. Eat on the go or at a session.

You'd think you were in the venerable Cobblestone Pub in Dublin with these three fine Irish fiddlers, all fantastic Fiddle Hell instructors - and performers. Rose Clancy will lead off, followed by Frank Ferrel, and then Ellery Klein. Hard-working guitarist David Surette will back them up as needed.

Sorry, Susie's ill today, and this session is cancelled.

The title sums it up — joyful singing for all kids and teens! We will learn a few quick and useful vocal warm-ups and then learn songs on the fly — rounds, call and response, and chorus songs. Maybe singing is your main thing, or maybe you want a break from playing tunes. Come along.

Together we’ll explore right and left hand techniques including pick choice, tremolo and chord shapes. And we'll learn an easy version of "St. Anne's Reel."

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.

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.

This compelling waltz by Väsen’s Roger Tallroth has been described as “one of the most important compositions of our time." While it was originally written in F, it's usually played in G these days. "Dopvals" translates roughly as "christening waltz" or "baptism waltz." Thanks to Tom Duncan for guitar backup.

I’ll teach "T-Bone" Shuffle, from T-Bone Walker. 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! 

Fun possibilities to ask for: Atholl Highlanders, Big John McNeill, Brenda Stubbert's, Calliope House, Cock of the North, Cutting Ferns, Fairy Dance, Flowers of Edinburgh, Laird O'Drumblair, My Cape Breton Home, The Reconciliation, The Sailor's Wife, and The Stool of Repentance. Jenna will guide fiddlers, mandolin players, and more in the playthroughs; Abby will guide cellists who may play backup for these tunes if they don't know the melodies.

The Clayfoot Strutters were among the very earliest of the big groundbreaking ‘jam band’ style contradance outfits of the modern age. At 31 years and counting, they continue to be a huge influence. Founding member Pete Sutherland will teach a classic tune or two from the Strutters’ timeless repertoire.

Bring your instrument and an improvisational mindset. Alex and Duane will have a few suggestions to get you started, such as Lady Be Good, Sweet Georgia Brown, Minor Swing, EMD, All of Me, Take the "A" Train, Satin Doll, Body and Soul, etc., but suggest your own favorite standards as well.

Bethany will look at a few different right hand strumming/rhythm options for backing up New England reels, jigs, and waltzes. She'll use these in conjunction with left hand chord positions for both guitar and mandolin. Lissa will provide sprightly New England melodies to be backed up.

From our Common Tune List, this tune originated in Canada but has spread nearly everywhere. After quickly teaching the basic tune, which many fiddlers know, Don will take you through his favorite variations. A chance to see how two National Heritage Fellows bring life to a common dance tune. Also taught for fiddle and cello together Sunday at 3:30PM.

"Les Poules Huppées" in French, "Crested Hens" in English, is played in Em and sometimes Dm. Mary will teach this flowing and mysterious tune in Em, as recorded on the 2nd volume of the Common Tunes CDs. You won't want to stop playing it!

This class explores bowed strings as a member of the rhythm section. Chopping, comping. scratching, strum bowing, and thinking harmonically and rhythmically will all be covered. Learn practical exercises to develop your "pocket." We also discuss how to create great riffs to enhance the arrangement and compliment the other rhythm players in a band.

Redefining the role of the violin in contemporary music, Tracy Silverman has contributed significantly to the repertoire and development of the 6-string electric violin and what he calls “post-classical violin playing.” Lauded by BBC Radio as “the greatest living exponent of the electric violin,” Silverman’s groundbreaking work defies musical boundaries. He's at Fiddle Hell today.

Tradition steeped in possibility! Bruce and his band dig deep to transport audiences to another time and place, with an authentic feel for Southern Appalachian tunes and songs. Want to join in? An easy oldtime jam with Bruce, Allison, and Stash follows at 6:30PM tonight, and there's a full-speed jam with them on Saturday at 3:30PM.

Hear two fine storytellers from different parts of the country tell stories. You'll laugh, you'll cry, you'll eat lunch (if you bring it). Quick lunch available in the main hallway outside the Registration Room.

For this workshop, bring a diatonic harmonica in the key of C (you can find these for $10 in the Fiddle Hell store). Chris will show you harmonica basics (holding the harmonica, getting clean notes, blow/draw techniques) on a couple of easy songs. 

"Brian Boru's March" is a traditional Irish tune from our Common Tune List about the High King of Ireland from about 941-1014. Brian Boru died in the Battle of Clontarf in which his army defeated the Vikings. This was originally a slow air (you can almost hear the pipes) but works well as a march; it commemorates the journey where his body was brought back to Armagh for burial. 3 parts, as we usually play it.

Says Flynn: "Everything you need to know about playing rhythm guitar for fiddle tunes in bluegrass jams, including typical keys, chord voicings, and bass runs. Bring your capo and a heavy pick. Patrick will be our live bluegrass fiddler for this workshop."

Come learn not only the melody, but also the bass line, inner voices, and strategies to improvise your way though this iconic Miles Davis tune.

Learn a couple of easy and appealing songs from these two lively traditions of song and music for listening and dancing. 

The brother and sister duo Julia Clifford and Denis Murphy learned their fiddle music from the great master of Sliabh Luachra style fiddling, Padraig O’Keeffe. They recorded a duet album in 1969 called “The Star Above the Garter”, now a classic. In this workshop we will learn a tune or two from this historic recording and will explore ways we can use the bow to bring that special Sliabh Luachra flavor to polkas, slides, jigs and reels. Bonus: you'll actually know how to pronounce "Sliabh Luachra."

Good intro to this popular alternate guitar tuning in Irish music, with Rose Clancy playing melody. The focus will be on some very useful and beautiful sounding chord shapes in DADGAD.

Let's share some energy through the music! This jam will include Franco-American tunes from Québec and the Canadian Maritimes that have been popular in Maine. Don and Cindy were named National Heritage Fellows by the National Endowment for the Arts just last year!

Klezmer is a rich musical tradition, dating back to the late 19th and early 20th century Eastern European ensembles. We'll learn a classic tune. Don't forget the Klezmer jam at 11AM on Sunday.

Learn all the basic chord shapes and common arpeggios used in Gypsy swing music on mandolin. Has some applicability to fiddle as well.

We’ll talk about the different kinds of grace notes used in CB fiddle style. We’ll also talk about the bowing style and a couple of general rules when playing CB style. Along the way, we'll likely learn a new tune and take a familiar tune to dissect a bit.

Learn inspirational riffs from top blues artists and learn how to unpackage the secrets to great blues lines. We’ll run an inquiry regarding what works well and why. Most importantly, this session is designed to provide support so that you, too, can build your own memorable lines when you solo.

From our Common Tune List, this great tune by Shetland Fiddler Tom Anderson is about the gradual trend of migration away from the Shetland Islands. "Da Slockit Light" was inspired by the depopulation of the area of Eshaness where he was born. The song reflects his impression that each time the occupants of another croft moved out, or died, another light was "slockit" (Shetland for extinguished).

Andy's River of Suck Podcast is real-talk about struggles with confidence, self-doubt and becoming the youest you. Check out Andy's entertaining and thought-provoking podcast here. Today's musical discussion with Alex will be a future podcast - be there right at the start!

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.

Pete and Oliver represent two-thirds of Pete's Posse, known for its excellent original fiddle tunes.  Learn just how they do it. Hear them on the Friday night dance tonight, and check out their Fruit Fly Blues CD.

Practicing is more than just playing tunes :-). Get the most out of your practice time with insightful and helpful tips learned from years of experience. Between them, Ellen and Flynn cover fiddle, mandolin, and guitar, but their suggestions should be applicable to any instrument. Topics include goal setting, technique, practicing for improvising and improving tunes.

Are you in pain while you play or afterwards? Learn how to protect yourself from injury and create a quality music-making experience. Volunteers will be selected after a “walking tour.” Julie wrote the first book in the world (1991) on this topic, “You Are Your Instrument,” and five DVDs.

Once you've got the basics of a tune, Bruce will show you a couple of oldtime rhythmic and melodic techniques that can drive and animate the tune and give it that oldtime sound. Starting with a simple tune, Bruce will guide you along the path to oldtime happiness, with Allison anchoring the tune on clawhammer banjo.

Ellery leads many jams and is a fine teacher. Some common seisiún tunes, at a s l o w pace. Bethany Waickman on guitar will add the low end and keep it steady.

Jay will teach the melody with slides and more, and also the chords and rhythms used for “seconding." Molly will teach the guitarists how to play Cajun style backup guitar to support the melody.

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.

Great songs are not just from the distant past -- they're still being written!  Brittany Karlson will teach you to sing one of or more of her original songs. Instruments are optional - the focus is on singing.

We will explore bowing patterns and Irish ornamentation on this flowing reel, from the Fiddle Hell Common Tune List (CTL). Derived from "The Highland Man That Kissed His Granny," it's a favorite reel in County Donegal, popularized through the playing of the Byrne brothers of Kilcar and the traveling Doherty family (according to Mick Conneely).

Join Jenna and Eamon for a session of classic Scottish and Cape Breton tunes. They'll lead the way and students are encouraged to bring some of their favorite tunes to share. There's another Scottish jam Sunday at 2PM.

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

Can't beat the oldtime + New England combination for a fun jam! Ably led by Alan Kaufman on fiddle and Dave Neiman on hammered dulcimer. You can see them perform on Sunday at the Duos with Daves concert.

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.

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.

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).

Tracy Silverman recently wrote The Strum Bowing Method, which is about about using your bow to groove as if you're strumming a guitar.  It's groundbreaking and fantastic, and we're privileged to have Tracy teaching at Fiddle Hell for two days (look for his book in the FH Store). He'll also be on the Electric Violin Extravaganza concert at 5PM today.

Éric says: "Sometimes I compose melodies, I take inspiration from the styles I like and I like to create different ways inside the interpretation. Welcome to my world, in my kitchen." He is a super player and a fun teacher.

Kenny Baker played bluegrass fiddle with Bill Monroe, and wrote tasteful, driving tunes. Learn "Washington County," written by Baker based on "Washington & Lee Swing." Great bluegrass double stops in this tune.

Joe will demonstrate how he uses an electronic looper to layer rhythm and melodies and creatively build a song. You'll have a great time at this demo and will come away with new ideas and a strong desire to try it out yourself! There's an electric violin concert at 5PM today featuring 4 great players.

Hang out in between River of Suck-related sessions with Andy and members of the River of Suck Swim Team to discuss life with a healthy musical attitude! More with Andy and Alex coming up at 3:30PM.

Known for her inventiveness on piano Molly supports the tunes and follows the flow of the melody. She will demonstrate how she accompanies a variety of jigs, reels, waltzes and airs provided by Jay on fiddle.

This easy and classic march (from the Common Tune List) was one of the most popular American Army tunes of the Revolutionary War. Still a fine tune today, it is the “March to the Dining Hall to Thank the Cooks” tune of choice at Maine Fiddle Camp.

Trapezoidal! Here's a chance to get started on the hammered dulcimer (HD). Bring yours, although Dave will have an extra one or two along to share. Dave's also teaching a more advanced workshop on HD Sunday at 12:30PM.

Swedish tunes are often a full-body experience, made for dancing or walking. This friendly slängpolska tune is no exception. We'll explore ways to keep it feeling grounded and groovy, and play with "anticipating" the downbeat in a couple of spots.

Find your fiddle “voice.” It’s all in the bow! Learn how to optimize the tone of your fiddle through examining the role of bow weight, bow speed and bow placement. We will look at the economy of bow movement and the importance of relaxation in creating a smooth and stable tone.

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. Also offered Sunday at 3:30PM.

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.

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 (for the second year in a row) to playing Beatles on the fiddle.

A musical statement is made or a question asked, and a response or answer follows. Sometimes the response is simply a repetition, and sometimes it’s a change or new development. You hear this in music of all kinds, but most notably in the blues, and as a soloist you can answer yourself! Don't forget the Electric Violin Extravaganza concert next at 5PM.

We'll play some improvisation games, and see what happens when we play those music games with a simple American tune.

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

Your favorites and some proposed tunes from Éric. Also, at 9:30PM, he'll be leading a Québécois song and foot workshop.

We will focus on constructing bass lines, making and learning melodies, and improvising. Styles include bluegrass, oldtime, country and swing.

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 on a couple of additional tunes, and let you loose on the world. Helpful handout provided.

We will look at Vorice Connor and Dennis McGee who were Cajuns of Scotch-Irish descent and leaders in early Cajun fiddling. We will also explore the Celtic influence of the Acadians from Nova Scotia. A fascinating new topic for Fiddle Hell from Mitch.

Seán has quite a few remarkable original tunes, some of which have won national awards and have been featured in Irish Music Magazine and Fiddler Magazine. Learn one of the best, including ornaments and techniques that bring it alive.

Jason will help you to achieve that authentic sound and feel of Gypsy Jazz (vibrato, tone, phrasing, and more). Look for Jason’s solo CDs and those with the Rhythm Future Quartet in the FH store.

Says Don: "We'll learn a fine tune from the iconic Waltham, Massachusetts, player Gerry Robichaud who spent many hours in sessions with us [Don and Cindy]."

Genre-bending, collaborative, improvisatory, a Fiddle Summit Cum Laude right here at Fiddle Hell! This is a follow-up session to the "River of Suck" Podcast at 2PM, also from Andy and Alex.

"Oh Gee" is from an old 1920's recording of accordionist, John J. Kimmel and one of my all-time favorites. We'll pair it with a version of the classic "Miss Monaghan" as recorded, again from back in the early 1920's, by the Sullivan Brothers.

Hungry? Thirsty? Food and drinks available at Old Joe Clark's Pub off the Lobby. Limited menu for Fiddle Hell, leisurely paced.  Jam session from 8PM until closing. A much faster alternative for dinner is the Quick Dinner Buffet from 5PM-7:30PM in the Lobby.

Old and new friends, interested in the Northeast Heritage Music Camp, come and say hi and play a few tunes with some staff and board members from NHMC. Dave Reiner, Cindy Eid, and Eric Eid-Reiner all have fond memories of this camp!

"Trip to Moscow" was composed by Ian Ball in 1995. The Reiner Family Band learned this dynamite tune from Rachel Maloney many years ago at the Meadowlark Music Camp; it's just one tune from her eclectic repertoire. The tune will show up at The Whomp! at 9:30PM tonight, and at the FLASH MARCH Sunday at 1:30PM.

Here's a quick chance 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.

Want a quick dinner before the evening sessions (including the dance and Whomp)? The hotel is running a Fiddle Hell buffet for us in the Stoney Brook Café next to the main lobby, from 5PM to 7:30PM. [Menu may change for 2019] It's a Thanksgiving theme - help yourself to turkey, stuffing, mashed potatoes, seasonal vegetables, gravy, garden salad, rolls and butter, and your choice of a soft drink or a bottle of water. Prices include tax and gratuity: Adults $19, Kids 4-12 $12, Kids under 4 free.

Here's a first for Fiddle Hell! At 15 minutes each, four genre-leading electric violinists unleash their instruments, effects, loopers, and spontaneous creativity for your listening pleasure. All are teaching at Fiddle Hell, so look for their workshops as well.

Just the basic step can get you through the whole party. Here's a follow-on session to try some more step dancing with Cindy Roy (Session 1 was Thursday at 8PM).

Using "Little Burnt Potato," an easy tune to learn if you don't know it, George and Art will show you a few ways to make your jig bowing feel more comfortable, rhythmic and flowing. 

Judy will teach a simple old-time 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).

Searching for the conversations in the melodies of tunes from the Franco-American tradition.

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

When you play Cajun fiddle, rhythmic, harmonic, and melodic improvisation strategies can enhance your creative musicianship. The class will rotate among attendees (likely with different tunes and levels) so that Mitch can provide constructive feedback and suggestions. This might be just the thing to take your Cajun playing up a notch!

All instruments are welcome to jam with Jay and Molly on some well known contradance tunes and waltzes. Their Ashokan Music Camps are highly recommended!

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

Says Frank - "Janine is the 'real deal.' Her mother played with all the greats from Cape Breton and the Maritimes. Her home growing up was a hotbed of house parties which is where I first met her years ago. She has absorbed the style, the feel and the Gaelic in the tunes and what is required to elevate the music and the player."

Learn Jenna’s tune “The Night We Had The Bears” (reel). Written in honor of some very bold and inquisitive bears encountered in Saskatchewan. It’s the last tune on the last track of her album Woven.

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.

Learn "Jimmy Duffy's Favorite" and "Napoleon's Charge." Barndances are a great relic of Irish musical history, and are also fun, accessible, easy tunes to learn. Fódhla is a trio with fiddler Ellery Klein, flute player Nicole Rabata, and guitarist Bethany Waickman; they bring high energy and stellar artistry to traditional Irish melodies.

Avoid the line at Old Joe Clark's Pub. Beer, soft drinks, and various types of liquor are available to go in the Lower Hallway (outside the Registration Room). Age 21 and older for beer and liquor, obviously. No outside alcohol is allowed to be brought into or consumed in public areas of the hotel.

This drop-in session is especially for beginners and low intermediates on fiddle. Bring Oliver your questions on left hand, right hand, bowing, intonation, rhythm, and styles from New England to Oldtime to more. Drop in for a little while or stay for the hour to learn.

The cello was built to be an accompaniment instrument, and it's a role we cellists adore. Welcome to the foundations of cello groove! We will explore rhythm strategies and bow patterns to effectively back up a melody instrument. Techniques learned in this class can be applied to playing melodies as well. 5 string fiddles are welcome.

Sorry, Susie's ill today and this session is CANCELLED.

The title sums it up — joyful singing for all! We will learn a few quick and useful vocal warm-ups and then learn songs on the fly — rounds, call and response, and chorus songs. Maybe singing is your main thing, or maybe you want a break from playing tunes. Come along.

We'll help you make the connection between chords and "licks" (short, tasteful sequences of notes). Then we'll show how to expand the licks. If you have taken a similar workshop before, there is more to learn and practice! 

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.

Learn from a great player who himself learned directly from Bill Monroe. Dave Dillon will back up on guitar - he played with Joe Val for many years. You can hear more of Richie and Dave on the Mandolin/Guitar Summit Concert on Saturday morning at 11AM, and there's a more advanced workshop Saturday at 3:30PM.

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.

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

As a musician on any instrument, you may encounter chord charts and lead sheets at gigs and recording sessions. These require you to sight-read the harmonies written ABOVE the notes and come up with your own parts, without relying solely on written notes. This class demonstrates incremental practice techniques to develop this skill.

We will learn a tune by ear and explore some of the stylistic techniques that are unique to Texas Swing fiddle playing. Level L2 for technique and pace of workshop.

Bring your bouzoukis, octave mandolins, tenor guitars, etc. We'll get anything tuned GDAD sounding sweet with left and right hand ideas. George will provide melodies, ably and Montvillently.

The Whomp! is coming up at 9:30-11:00PM tonight. Simple and hypnotic tunes, played together in a Glowing Gathering of Groove. Get your rhythm chops ready for the Whomp! with the help of two seasoned Whompers.

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.

How to eliminate “stumbling” or “stuttering” in your students' playing. A few simple practice techniques. Especially for teachers, but all are welcome. Rob will channel techniques from Pam Wiley, who wasn't able to attend FH.

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!

BIg Sandy River? Lonesome Fiddle Blues? Alabama Jubilee? Soldier's Joy? Draggin' the Bow? Gold Rush? Road to Columbus? The list of great bluegrass fiddle tunes is long, but we only have an hour to jam on some of our favorites and yours. Dave and Patrick on fiddles, with Jerry on guitar and banjo.

Andrea will lead the fiddlers, and Abby, the cellists, in learning and ornamenting this beautiful and flowing traditional Scottish tune from our Common Tune List. First published in 1737, it's now played in many traditions. Some believe that the "flowers" in the title referred to the contents of chamber pots that the residents threw out tenement windows. Others don't.

Explore the fundamental gypsy jazz rhythm guitar styles: 1) le Pompe 2) gypsy Bossa 3) bolero 4) rhumba. Also learn some typical gypsy chord voicings, fills, and common solo licks.

McKinley James plays cello with Night Tree and other bands. Using Irish tunes, she'll focus on the panoply of roles you can take as a cellist in a band, arranging and playing traditional and new material, or just improvising. Conveniently, Clayton and David provide the band. At 8PM tonight, you can hear McKinley with a  playing with her friends from Vermont for the Friday night dance.

Learn a few Strathspeys in the Scottish and Cape Breton style. Learn what makes them different and how they function in the dance.

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 .

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 Eric Eid-Reiner calling easy contras. The splendid dance band is 2/3 of Pete's Posse, with Oliver Scanlon on fiddle and Pete Sutherland on piano, with added guests David Kaynor on fiddle and McKinley James on cello. (No sit-ins tonight; that will happen at the Saturday night dance.) 

This is an easy march from Aimé Gagnon's repertoire. The tune will let us explore different approaches with the bow to give a different character and variations.

Did you miss the Yarra Junction Fiddler's Convention this year?  No worries, mate.  Terri will teach you a rousing Australian oldtime tune or two (sheet music provided). From EADG to G'DAE isn't as far as you think.

Tony will review the most important aspects of intermediate mandolin technique, including lead playing with double stops for bluegrass and oldtime. He'll teach these techniques in the context of tunes or parts of tunes. This knowledge will apply to other related styles of music as well. 

Elizabeth and Ben will keep this jam at an intermediate level, with well-known session tunes. They'll be on fiddle and cello, but any traditional instruments are welcome.  "They have taken the influence of people like Alasdair Fraser and Natalie Haas and really made their own mark on traditional music." - Brian O'Donovan, WGBH Radio.

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 Alex can provide constructive feedback and suggestions. This might be just the thing to take your improv up a notch!

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.

Learn a classic break to a classic bluegrass / county song. Ellen will show you the subleties of bowing, double stops, slides, and blue notes. The musical ideas techniques here will carry over to other songs.

We will learn "News Reel" and "Je M’endors," two classic Cajun tunes. In addition to the melodies we will explore drones, and how to play second fiddle for a real Cajun sound. Mitch toured with BeauSoleil for many years.

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 fourth time! 

If you’ve only written just one tune or dozens it can be hard getting your original work out there. This is your chance to share a tune you’ve composed. Bring along some copies so other can play along.

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. 

Of course, you know Éric on the fiddle - did you know he's also a fine singer, with a repertoire of traditional Québécois songs? He says "I can mix this with foot tapping and the songs will be the most popular ones every Québécois knows, not specialized, no rare songs, no depressive, only happy, happy!"

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.

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.

Learn a fine 3/2 Scottish pipe tune called “The Pompous Trousers” or “A' Bhriogais Uallach." The Battlefield Band was nominated for a music award in 2011 for their playing of this tune.

If you've been lulled into thinking that Swedish tunes are mostly predictable, we have a surprise for you! Finnskogspols is a tradition (dance and its tunes) from the Sweden/Norway border with a highly entertaining asymmetric rhythm. We'll start with a famous tune called "Fanteladda."

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 bird sessions on Saturday, starting at 8:30AM.

Thirsty? Drinks available at Old Joe Clark's Pub off the Lobby. Jam session! Last call is 12:30AM.

A sea chantey is a song with alternating solo and chorus, of a kind originally belted out by sailors while performing physical labor together. It's just the right thing for 11 at night - a sea chantey blast, led by Jerry. Just as sung at Andy and Joy's Rustic Roots camp, only the Westford Regency doesn't seem to allow campfires.

Wedding Marches are fantastic tunes for all occasions, not just weddings! Learn one or two of Mariel’s favorites. She lived in Norway while studying the hardingfele, and plays fiddle with various groups including Blue Moose and the Unbuttoned Zippers. 

Guided jam with songs – a little faster than earlier guided jams at Fiddle Hell. 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).

The playing of North Carolina fiddler Tommy Jarrell (1901-1985) is revered by legions of oldtime musicians for its depth, rhythm, fluidity, expression, and ornamentation. After listening to some of his playing, we’ll learn a tune from his repertoire done Judy-style.

Laurel Martin's fiddle playing moves with the joyful, lilting rhythm and soulful nuance she hears in the music of Clare and East Galway. David will lay down a great foundation at this energetic late-night jam. 

Learning to improvise is like learning to speak a new language: it takes hundreds of hours to be fluent. Rob teaches the most essential words for any traveler: the pentatonic scale! Attendees  will play lots of licks using the pentatonic scale, then apply them over a two chord vamp. Now you can travel the world!

Official Jam Spots in the hallways are fine (not those near guest rooms) and the following rooms are open all night for jamming: R4, R6, R7, R8, R35, and R36.
The sounds are lovely, dark and deep, But I have promises to keep, And tunes to go before I sleep, And tunes to go before I sleep.

Start the day with the Westford Regency's hot breakfast buffet ($15.00 + tax + gratuity; or $9.00 + tax + gratuity for continental breakfast). Alternatively, Cash Breakfast Concession (quick breakfast, snacks, and coffee) opens at 8AM in the Fiddle Hell Lower Hallway.

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). Then, look for your fellow fiddlers; cellists; and mandolin, guitar, and banjo players everywhere around you. A half-dozen excellent early bird sessions start at 8:30AM today, with regular sessions starting at 9:30AM.

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 travel instruments to show today through Sunday. Dave Golber will have his Hardanger violins to show Sunday.

Cash Breakfast Concession with inexpensive choices: Quiche, Oatmeal, Bagel and Cream Cheese, Muffin/Danish/Croissant, Gluten Free Muffin, Yogurt, Fruit, Granola Bar, COFFEE, Soda, Bottled Water. Eat on the go or at a session.

Doug will help you control the bow with your right arm (larger muscles) rather than your hand for better tone and smoother playing. He has a number of excellent bowing ideas, techniques, and exercises for you. 

We'll learn this easy Québécois tune with traditional ornaments and style. It's a fine way to start your Saturday at Fiddle Hell.

This early bird session is for cellists at L1 or L2 who want to improve their tone. Left hand(!), right hand; bow grip, alignment, speed, pressure, and more from McKinley.

Bring your banjos and get ready to sweat! Tom will be your friendly drill sergeant during this fun, energetic workshop designed to bolster your clawhammer mechanics.

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

Learn key nuances of a jam session that nobody tells you about, and that draw on basic music theory. What does it mean when someone asks: "What key is this in? Any funny chords? Kick it off! Take a break?  Play the rhythm." What are chords, and how do you play them on a fiddle? Also see Fiddle Hell Jamming Guidelines.

Stretches (thanks to Marsha Rich), followed by warmup scales, arpeggios, patterns, rhythms,  and bowing. Get ready for the third big day at Fiddle Hell by warming up your body and mind. 

Galician music hails from Northwest Spain. Bagpipes—gaita—have preserved many of the traditional tunes. The art of the blind fiddlers from the 1800s is currently being reinvigorated after disappearing for a long stretch. Julie will teach a wonderful tune, “Xota de Fontaneira.”

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

Says Pete: "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."

Eric will demo and discuss ideas of 8 different ways (8 times through the tune) to back up a reel on piano. We'll talk about ways to vary the energy and feel -- from chords to rhythm to pedaling and much more. Questions welcome! Autumn Rose Lester will play melody on fiddle.

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. 

Laurel will teach a lovely reel from East Clare, and will teach an approach to bowing that gives the music its characteristic East Clare "lift." Of course, your spirit will be lifted as well.

Guitarists will learn chord voicings outside of first position (not barre chords), including playing up-the-neck over open drone strings. If there’s time we will learn some of John McGann’s special standard tuning chords as well. This workshop will focus on playing along with Irish fiddle music.

We’ll learn "Stan Chapman's Jig," written by Jerry Holland and frequently played in Cape Breton. And we'll tell some jokes!

This tune is from the fiddler André Alain. It's simple but if you add some ingredients the recipe is refined! It's a very popular tune in every jam in Québec.

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

Ever wonder why some tunes get called “modal”? The secret behind the mysterious sound of those cool archaic tunes? The modes are a rainbow of scales and chords opening many moods and colors between conventional major and minor. In this workshop we’ll listen, sing, wave hands in the air and—yes, even play!—to explore the sounds of varied modes in different traditional styles. Come thou and gaze upon the Mode Star!

For guitarists. We'll look at the two most influential styles of playing Cajun guitar: the Rodney Balfa style, and the Preston Manuel style. Cathy will fiddle the Cajun tunes to be backed up.

The ukulele is a versatile instrument, and can be used for many styles, going beyond strumming open position chords. We’ll learn some moveable chord shapes for playing up the neck, and then use these chords for creating and playing fun chord-melody style arrangements. Ukes rule!

"Cluck Old Hen" is a Southern Reel from our Common Tune List (CTL). This simple tune is the perfect entry into the wild world of singing and playing clawhammer banjo at the same time. By ear, tab provided. "My old hen’s a good old hen, She lays eggs for the railroad men, Sometimes one, sometimes two, Sometime enough for the whole dang crew."

Come and work through the details of how to play a couple of Bruce’s favorites, with bowings and ornaments. Be prepared to play in alternate tunings. Will this take you to an alternate reality?

Learn how and why a waltz can make dancers feel light on their feet and can touch your heart and bring a tear to your eye. An air may waft into this workshop as well.

Learn a great rock violin solo from Jimmy Page's playing on "Stairway to Heaven," which he composed in 1971 when he was playing with Led Zeppelin  It’s string friendly, with blues riffs in A minor that are easy to play.

Learn to use a sweet, succinct melodic/harmonic idea to build every creative skill you’ll need to improvise in any style. We’ll use classic cadences as a springboard to build many of the skills you’ll need to improvise fearlessly and effortlessly. This class was a big hit at FH 2018.

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 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.”

Lissa plays this wonderful tune, at least 160 years old, on her "Dance" CD. It's also the name of a celebrated contra dance. Said caller and musician Ralph Page: "Many times the head couple chose the contra they wanted to dance, and very often it would be "Lady Walpole's Reel". It was a great favorite with us."

Take a journey with Seán to the Scottish Highlands with pipe marches, strathspeys and reels. Learn different types of pipe ornaments, droning, how to blend and how not to blend with the pipes.

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

Catchy, fun and easy to sing!  It helps to know a bit of French, of course, to have "une p'tite session de chansons".  Did you know that several Québécois bands are named after songs? [Le Vent du Nord, La Bottine Souriante].

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. Also, Pete will lead a whole shape note workshop at 12:30PM Sunday.

Cash Lunch Concession with inexpensive choices: Grilled Vegetable Wrap, Hot Dog, Bowl of Chili, Ham & Swiss on Bulkie, Chicken Salad on Bulkie, Chef Salad, Garden Salad, Gluten Free Sandwich (ask), Fruit, Cookies, Chips, COFFEE, Soda, Bottled Water. Eat on the go or at a session.

Three very different mandolin players, from Northern, world, and bluegrass styles, backed up by two legendary guitarists. An enjoyable 60 minutes to inspire mandolin and guitar players and delight other listeners as well.

You’ll learn a good old traditional tune, "Put Me In the Big Chest," which is one of Andrea's favorites as played on Cape Breton Island. This will be at a relaxed pace for beginners. It's a simple A reel with a fun variation part.

There is a similar supportive jam at the Maine Fiddle Camp. It'll feature common tunes and tunes that the attendees suggest (and sometimes lead off), played at a beginner slow pace. Come and enjoy!

Ahhh, so easy! Learn a simple version of a classic, and walk away with ideas to take it to the next level. By ear, tab provided.

This beautiful tune shows up in lots of oldtime sessions. And it's pretty easy. Alan will teach the basics and suggest bowings and drones.

Want to improvise, but don't know a lot of cool licks? Take a simple idea and play with the rhythm. We'll explore rhythms from all over the world, using techniques not usually taught to fiddlers, and then apply them to an awesome tune.

Joy's got some great ideas to share in this hands-on workshop about a common situation. Especially for teachers, but all are welcome.

Rustic Roots Camp happens next August 18-24, 2020, in Colorado, run by Andy Reiner and Joy Adams. It's a musical-foodie-outdoors retreat in the mountains, with wonderful, inclusive tunes that draw from oldtime, East European, blues, folk traditions, and more. Rachel was the original source of many great RR tunes and will teach a couple. They may have been played last night at The Whomp! Or should have been...

Learn to listen to and with your whole body, not just your ears! A gentle, musician-centered class, w/focus on breath, philosophy, mindfulness, alignment and inward self-awareness, bringing these practices from the mat to our music. Bring a mat or towel if you have one. Participants (not Fiddle Hell) are responsible for their own well-being in this yoga session and must fill out a short waiver upon arrival to class.

Bring a diatonic harmonica in the key of C (you can find these for $10 in the Fiddle Hell store). Chris will introduce you to harmonica wizardry, from bends and tongue blocking to shakes, warbles, slides, rakes and more. Jerry will back up on guitar and may burst into song without warning. 

A fun new jam led by Frank Ferrel in the tradition of Boston's old Dudley Street dance halls of the 1930s, `40s and `50s -- Boston's historic "Crossroads of Celtic Culture." Several styles will be intermingled, as happened 80 years ago, but they didn't have Janine Randall on piano back then.

Learn how to play the Cajun tune "Mon Vieux Wagon" and the Creole tune "Freeman Fontenot" on the cello. After learning the leads, we'll have time to look at what cellists can do for backup as well.

Bluegrass fiddle seems increasingly difficult to define… And that’s good! Explore the merging of traditional bluegrass fiddle styles (Kenny Baker, Bobby Hicks, Benny Martin) with modern sounds (Stuart Duncan, Aubrey Haynie and YOU! among others) and in the process, help you find your voice and work towards stylistic playing and improvisation techniques.

Come learn Jenna’s favorite tune of the moment! It might be Scottish; it might be Swedish...

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.

Hungry? Thirsty? Food and drinks available at Old Joe Clark's Pub off the Lobby. Limited menu for Fiddle Hell, leisurely paced. A much faster alternative for lunch is the concessions in the Lower Hallway, and a much faster alternative for dinner is the Quick Dinner Buffet from 5PM-7PM in the Lobby.

We'll have ten 5-minute slots for FH attendees to play an original tune they wrote. Use your own accompanist, or ask for help from Andy or Joy - ideally providing them with a lead sheet chord chart. Signups will be done at a time and place to be announced (first come first served). Listeners, feel free to pick up some lunch at the hallway concession outside and munch while you hear exciting original tunes.

Although it evolved over 37 years into a mostly original acousto-electric band, The Horse Flies began as an old-time stringband playing lots of simple, meditative fiddle tunes. Let’s learn one of these!

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.

An ergonomic approach to left- and right-hand position and usage. Information will be based on individual body type as well as natural joint and muscle function. Principles, not rules, re: how to get the most out of your playing! Coaching will follow a brief presentation.

There is nothing like hearing the voice of a loved one sing to you. We all love that regardless of age. Come learn a few songs to share with the kids in your life. 

We will learn "Twin Sisters" from the elegant playing of banjoist Sidna Myers (1890-1972). We'll also discuss the process of learning from a field recording and finding variations.

Cathy, Paul, and Steve 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.

Learn the essential practice tools for developing a perfect swing feel and groove. Hear more gypsy jazz and swing at the 3:30PM concert later today.

Ellery will teach a polka -and maybe a jig too- that were tried and true favorites of her youth students at the Saturday Irish music school Comhaltas Ceoltoiri Eireann.

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.

Come and learn a couple of Celtic tunes arranged in DADGAD tuning for finger style guitar, and get a look at techniques of arrangement, execution and ornamentation in this style.

Join Mariel and Stash, half of the old-time/Scandinavian fusion band, Blue Moose & the Unbuttoned Zippers. Mariel will teach melody on fiddle; Stash, chords and groove on guitar. Another focus will be some useful theory on why certain chords work for certain melodic phrases.

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.

Gaspesian style, Magdalen Islands style and Acadian Style, all have something in common in the use of a variety of syncopated and accentuation elements. We'll explore the "Style Gaspésie".

Armagh fiddler Brendan McGlinchey was hugely influential to a generation of fiddle players. "Sweeney’s Buttermilk" is one of his well-known tunes, in Bm with nice rolls.

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.

I will talk a bit about the history of the incredible Irish tunesmith Turlough O’Carolan and show how beautifully many of his tunes work on the cello. I describe him in the liner notes to my CD Crossing to Scotland as Bach’s Country Cousin. I will teach one of his sweet easy tunes.

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.

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!

Basic rhythmic techniques and bass runs to accompany some very different fiddle tunes.

You may know Sharon Pyne from the Maine Fiddle Camp, where she leads fine Irish jams. Joining Sharon is first-rate fiddler Rose Clancy. Join this seisiún to play a variety of tunes and rhythms at an easy going Saturday afternoon pace. 

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.

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 Baron will demonstrate and help you learn to do the same.

DADGAD open tuning is neither intrinsically major nor minor; it facilitates moveable chords and drones. Eamon will cover intermediate techniques in this alternate guitar tuning, with Laurel Martin playing melody.

Haven't thought much about how you use your bow? As we learn Top of Maol, we'll utilize traditional "Sliabh Liucra" polka bowing and explore using consistent bow strokes with an even pulse/beat, even as the number of notes varies. We'll be controlling our bow from the groove, not the notes. The tune is part of the play list for Ellery Klein and Shannon Heaton's monthly (2nd Saturdays) open Irish session at the Armory for the Arts in Somerville, MA.

Oftentimes, folks in the highlands would sing "mouth music" or Puirt à Beul for dancers. The lyrics would often be about simple subjects and it was important for the lyrics to fit into the rhythm of the tune. No prior Gaelic speaking or singing experience needed.

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.

This should be an outstanding bluegrass jam, ably led by Dr. Richie Brown on mandolin, with Dave Dillon on guitar and Margaret Gerteis on bass. They're all fine singers, too. Joe Val Festival meets Fiddle Hell, right here in the Bill Monroe Room!

Here's a great tune in A that shows up in a lot of bluegrass jams. Ellen and Tony will work with fiddle, guitar, and mandolin players to quickly learn the essence of the tune. Then there will be time to practice playing it together as a bluegrass band would do.

An exploration of polyrhythms and grooves to increase rhythmic stability regardless of genre. Some work will be done away from our primary instrument with clapping, singing and walking. Any instrument welcome.

A tune from Prince Edward Island (PEI) on the Acadian side, from Marie Livingstone. In addition to being a great fiddler, Marie is also a prolific composer of tunes (such as "Eddy and Amand Reel"). Lobster flavor!

A deep study into the different common rhythmic grooves in Gypsy jazz (Swing, Bossa, waltz, and 6/8 feel). The Jazz and Swing concert is coming up at 3:30PM today.

Bring your fiddle (or nyckelharpa). Uppland, just north of Stockholm, is the one province in the world where nyckelharpa has remained in living tradition for hundreds of years. Its quintessential type of polska (dance and tune) is called a bondpolska. We'll learn a bondpolska tune called "Första gången" that is commonly played on either nyckelharpa or fiddle.

"Moneymusk" was originally a pipe tune, taking its name from an Aberdeenshire, Scotland, baronial estate called Monymusk House. It was a popular melody and a country dance in America by the 1790's, and can be played as a strathspey, reel, or fling. It's a great cello tune for a contradance or jam.

In some types of music, the drummer lays down a rhythmic groove. But there's no drummer in oldtime music. Fortunately, the bow is your drumstick! In this fast-paced workshop, Bruce will show you how to wield the bow in the context of several driving oldtime tunes.

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 are on the New 52 CDs. Dinosaur supplies available for FH cosplay.

Swing and jazz take over FIddle Hell for an hour with 3 absolutely world-class acts. Duane Padilla (jazz and swing) kicks it off, followed by Jason Anick (gypsy jazz), and ending with Alex Hargreaves (jazz and world). Just the right backup playing from Peter Anick and Duane Padilla (playing a dual role).

McKinley will help you with technique, tone, bowing, tunes, styles, the role of a cello in a jam or band, and more. Stay a little while or for the whole hour.

Feeling lonesome isn’t the only way to play the blues properly… Using pentatonic scales, bends (aka slides), syncopation, and the I, IV, and V chords are also all great ways to play. We'll listen to examples of tunes and players who use the blues effectively and decipher what works and why.

Like many Vermont musicians, Pete is a great fan of the Flanders collection, a 15-year project begun in 1930 that sought to preserve a vanishing old world family-learned repertoire of sometimes incalculably old and rare ballads. He will present and teach a couple of these eminently singable songs including one from his own family.

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.

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

Scottish fiddle and cello duo Elizabeth and Ben will teach a fun and hypnotic 6/8 bagpipe march (and jig): "Cock O' the North." The tune is more than 300 years old.

Just what it sounds like! Come have fun playing your favorite Scandinavian tunes with friends! Polskas, Schottises, Hambos, Waltzes, Snoas, Gånglåtar etc.

Learn to add energy and finesse to an Irish tune without overtaking the melody. Melodies provided by Ellery.

Our left hand sometimes gets all the attention, but it’s the bow that helps us pull the tune out of out instruments and color it. What habits have we fallen into? Re-thinking our bowing can totally transform a melody. 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? 

We will learn about the bluegrass terminology of “tenor and baritone” parts and sing some standard bluegrass songs and their harmonies — "Will the Circle Be Unbroken," "I’ll Fly Away," and others.

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.

A beautiful air with sweet chords, riveting ornaments, and roots in Scottish and Klezmer traditions.

Learn from a great player who himself learned directly from Bill Monroe. Dr. Brown plays excellent bluegrass mandolin and can show you several important techniques in the context of tunes. Dave Dillon, who played with Joe Val, will be on guitar. (Easier intro to this style on Friday at 6:30PM.)

Open tunings, a slide (a la John Fahey, Leo Kottke), and percussive, two-handed tapping (pioneered by Michael Hedges and others) are all part of the modern acoustic guitarist’s toolbox. We will explore several of these techniques, and learn a piece utilizing them.

Want a quick dinner before the concert and dance? The hotel is running a Fiddle Hell buffet for us in the Stoney Brook Café next to the main lobby. Help yourself to pasta primavera in cream sauce, penne pasta with a tomato basil sauce, meatballs, caesar salad, garlic bread, and your choice of a soft drink or a bottle of water. Prices include tax and gratuity: Adults $19, Kids 4-12 $12, Kids under 4 free.

The bones are a musical instrument which consists of a pair of pieces of wood, or animal bones. The bones have contributed to 19th century minstrel shows, traditional Irish and Scottish music, the blues, zydeco, French-Canadian music, and even music from Cape Breton. Bring your bones (Jerry may have a few extra pairs), and learn how to play them. Laurel will provide melodies. Puns encouraged if not mandatory.

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.

Just like the fiddle, the cello is more than capable of hopping from one genre to the next. But when it comes to laying down cello grooves, there are specific patterns that make each genre tick. Explore the differences between backing up an oldtime tune, a bluegrass tune, a jig and a reel.

Says Jay: "You’ll have to be there to learn more."

Who says you have to wait until late at night for some 12-bar blues, led by our own Blue Person Group? This will be a fun jam on 1 1 1 1 4 4 1 1 5 4 1 5 and other blues progressions.

Bruce says: "I’ll demo a couple of Scandinavian styles, Métís, and maybe Balkan, then teach a simple tune from one of those traditions."

We'll explore the power of the bow and breath in your playing, two integral aspects to finding your own voice on your fiddle. We'll talk about ways to experiment with these through exercises, and will learn a simple tune to put these ideas to work.

Some tunes lend themselves to standard chord progressions. But some of the coolest tunes to play are also the most elusive to accompany: they go right when you think they’ll go left, stay put just when you think they’ll go… 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. He’ll come prepared with a couple of “problem child” tunes, then will ask for a head-scratcher or two from you.

Some of the most outstanding traditional fiddle tunes are waltzes. First, we'll learn a lovely and memorable old-time waltz, and then we'll add a tasteful harmony to it to further bring out its beauty.

Doug founded and runs Maine Fiddle Camp and plays many instruments and styles. In this relatively fast-moving workshop, he'll take you through a few Maine fiddle tunes and eloquently describe some underlying techniques.

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 most of the tunes from this album. Not a teaching session, but a chance to play some classic tunes. Listeners welcome. In the Kenny Baker Room, of course.

Harmony, voice leading and rhythm are all fundamental to improvisation, but how do you create your own unique voice? We will attempt to find the answer through exploring and practicing conceptual exercises.

Learn the intricacies of this beautiful regional style of clawhammer banjo. Tom will show you the moving parts of Round Peak, and show you how the style can transform your playing.

Lissa is a quintessential New England fiddler, from notes to ornaments to bowing to that ineffable "dance feel." She'll teach a couple of challenging New England tunes that she loves to play.

Irish jigs sound great on a cello, and backed by a cello. McKinley will show you how, including teaching a fine jig. For the backup and ensemble playing aspects, Ellery Klein will provide her Irish fiddle magic.

We will learn "Lake Arthur Stomp" and "Perrodin Two-Step." These are what I call “Show-off Tunes” and are both a fun challenge and a source of useful techniques, especially for advanced players. 

Avoid the line at Old Joe Clark's Pub. Beer, soft drinks, and various types of liquor are available to go in the Lower Hallway (outside the Registration Room). These may be brought into the Saturday night concert. Age 21 and older for beer and liquor, obviously. No outside alcohol is allowed to be brought into or consumed in public areas of the hotel.

Please invite your families and tell your friends about this great concert! Short appearances by more than twenty excellent traditional musicians (see list of performers here). Doors open at 6:30PM. Free for Fiddle Hell attendees who have paid for Saturday. Walk-ins are $20 (includes contra dance at 9:30PM). Thanks to Colin McKinley and Oliver Scanlon for sound engineering, and Eric Kilburn of Wellspring Sound for lighting.

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

Lorraine says: "Come be inspired to play, play, play! Learn your way around the fingerboard with accessible tricks for lead and backup that we will test drive on easy tunes. Some quick help with right-hand picking as well."

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.

Thirsty? Drinks available at Old Joe Clark's Pub off the Lobby. Jam session! Last call is 12:30AM.

Featuring small group musical explorations in a welcoming environment with a strong focus on listening and musicality. A perfect introduction to improvising, and just as appropriate and deeper for more experienced players. A Fiddle Hell tradition - take a break from fiddle tunes and get weird!

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.

This is a loosely guided bluegrass jam. We'll go around the circle asking folks to choose songs they want to sing and/or play. The best way to get prepared is to learn a common bluegrass song to sing (you can bring the verses along to read from), or practice your favorite instrumental tune.

Mariel lived in Norway while studying the hardingfele, and plays fiddle with various groups including Blue Moose and the Unbuttoned Zippers. Swedish, Norwegian, and more - this will be a fun late evening workshop.

We will break down the Creole song "Barres de la Prison" (by Canray Fontenot) and the Cajun tune "Danse Carrée". Then we will learn about slides, bow triplets and slurs using these tunes as examples.

Time for some fine late night Irish tunes with Flynn. Relax with intermediate tunes, not too fast. The Fiddle Hell version of McDermott's Pub in Doolin, Ireland?

Judy and Jeff are founding members of the alt-folk rock band, The Horse Flies, which has toured extensively and recorded many albums. Allison's on OT banjo; she plays with Molsky's Mountain Drifters and others. Join their joyful jam tonight! Tunes will be at a moderate tempo and played long enough to seek trance.

Around the world, many musical cultures with complex drumming patterns use language to describe their rhythms, instead of writing it down. In this workshop we’ll learn to play and sing rhythms from Africa, the Middle East, India, and Brazil, then apply these ideas to fiddle tune rhythms.

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

Official Jam Spots in the hallways are fine (not those near guest rooms) and the following rooms are open all night for jamming: R4, R6, R7, R8, R35, and R36. 
No cute poem tonight - just keep playing! 

Start the day with the Westford Regency's hot breakfast buffet ($15.00 + tax + gratuity; or $9.00 + tax + gratuity for continental breakfast). Alternatively, Cash Breakfast Concession opens at 8AM in the Fiddle Hell Lower Hallway.

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 or women's tank ($15). Then, look for your fellow fiddlers; cellists; and mandolin, guitar, and banjo players everywhere around you. A half-dozen excellent early bird sessions start at 8:30AM today, with regular sessions starting at 9:30AM.

Instructors' CDs and books are also in R5, which closes at 6:15PM 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 will be making a new violin during Fiddle Hell. Magic Fluke will have their travel instruments to show today, and Dave Golber will have his Hardanger violins to show today.

Cash Breakfast Concession with inexpensive choices: Breakfast Burrito, Oatmeal, Bagel and Cream Cheese, Muffin/Danish/Croissant, Gluten Free Muffin, Yogurt, Fruit, Granola Bar, COFFEE, Soda, Bottled Water. Eat on the go or at a session.

Beth, a traditional fiddler in several styles and also a faculty member at Berklee School of Music, will address individual questions and concerns about left-hand technique.

Learn a short and lovely waltz called “Cille Pheadair” from the great Scottish musician, Allan MacDonald. A leading light on the Gaelic musical scene, Allan is a composer, musical director, piper, singer, workshop leader, and lecturer on Gaelic music.

Start your last day at Fiddle Hell with some “little” songs that will last you forever. "The Hammonds are folk missionaries of the first order... who love to introduce people to the joys of traditional music." - Scott Alarik, Boston Globe.

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 “Mandilato (Kerchief Dance),” a beautiful Greek dance tune in 7/8.

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.

Rose will teach a three part jig, "The Humours of Ennistymon." We will review picking patterns and learn the technique and use of trebles and triplets. Rose encourages fiddlers who are interested in picking up the mandolin as a second instrument to explore this workshop.

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

Play easy tunes from the Common Tune List, and suggest other tunes that you like to play as well. This will be a relaxed and supportive morning jam, led by Lorraine on lap dulcimer and mandolin, Mariel on fiddle, and Art on guitar.

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.

Learn to flatpick and ornament "The Longford Collector," as played long ago in a famous set of tunes by Irish fiddler Michael Coleman. You should be able to play a G major scale with alternate picking and have some experience with fiddle tunes. We’ll use a heavier pick for this class. Tablature and notation available.

Learn a bluesy mandolin tune, with 3-note chords, and echo some bluesy lead licks.

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.

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."

Learn to chop chords, hear chord progressions, and take solos ("breaks") on songs and tunes. There's an easy guided bluegrass jam coming up at 12:30PM today.

We'll play quite a few tunes on the Common Tune List, based on your requests. Possibilities include The Cliffs of Moher, Egan's Polka, Father Kelly's, Inisheer, The Merry Blacksmith, Swinging on a Gate, Brian Boru's March, Coleraine, Cooley's Reel, Cork HP, Julia Delaney's, Kesh Jig, Maid Behind the Bar, Ships Are Sailing, Swallowtail Jig, Ten-Penny Bit, and more.

At Friday night's contradance, you may have heard the wonderful effect of adding cello to a band (featuring both McKinley James and Oliver Scanlon). McKinley will teach several key techniques for cello backup in the context of tunes, aided by Oliver playing lead on fiddle and mandolin.

We will break down two easy tunes, a two-step called "Mon Vieux Wagon," and a waltz entitled "Madame Sosthene." Then we will focus on learning the traditional second fiddle parts, which are an important part of the Cajun fiddle sound.

Vibrato is a sound, not a motion. Most folks approach vibrato as a complicated and awkward movement of the left hand. When approached as a sound (which is the point), it becomes much easier. Especially for teachers, but all are welcome.

Pete Sutherland has produced over 70 excellent recordings of traditional and contemporary acoustic music. In this workshop, new in 2019, he'll play a few recordings of artists he's produced, and offer  suggestions about planning to record.  In addition, Pete hopes to have a couple of live musicians at the workshop to critique from a producer's "live action" point of view. "If I were mixing an album, I'd get Pete Sutherland's ears" - Sing Out! magazine

The Carter Family repertoire is one of the true touchstones of American roots music. Their music blends elements of folk, old-time, blues, and gospel music; come and play and sing some of them today with Susie and David!

So you survived the first round of boot camp, eh? Come back for more! This is a no holds barred clawhammer banjo technique smackdown of truly epic proportions. Tom has a series of videos out on clawhammer banjo; check them out on Patreon.

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.

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.

Using melody-based improvisation to take solos on fiddle tunes and songs.

The "King George V Strathspey" is commonly played after the very popular "King George IV." This is a 4 part strathspey with 4 parts and lots of Cape Breton grit.

This instrumental was composed and popularized by banjo player Ralph Stanley, an icon among the first generation bluegrass musicians. The B part has an extra half measure for the 1 chord—just before the 5 chord. This tune is famous for this little “backstep,” and or little “hook” for this tune. Taught by Ellen with backup on guitar and bluegrass banjo (not simultaneously!) by Steve Arkin, who played banjo briefly with Bill Monroe and the Bluegrass Boys.

Darol Anger calls Jenna “one of the best of the new generation of freestyle fiddlers." What does that mean? Jenna knows, Jenna shows, forget your woes.

Sumptuous brunch: cooked-to-order omelets and Belgian waffles; cheeses, smoked salmon and gulf shrimp; fresh tropical fruits; pastries; seafood and chicken entrees; carving stations; salads. Adults $28 + tax + gratuity; kids under 12 are $18 + tax + gratuity.

CodaBow is a long-time sponsor of Fiddle Hell. Andy and Joy are both CodaBow Ambassadors, who delight in playing their CodaBows on mountain summits, while skiing, and everywhere, really. They'll play some fine tunes with their CodaBows, and finish with a group tune for all to join in.

Good advice and fun warm-ups from Susie to keep the songs coming. 

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.

Cash Lunch Concession with inexpensive choices: Sausage, Pepper & Onion Sub; Individual Pizza, Soup of the Day, Turkey Bacon Wrap, Marinated Roast Beef on French Bread, Grilled Vegetable Wrap, Gluten Free Sandwich (ask), Chicken Caesar Salad, Garden Salad, Fruit, Cookies, Chips, COFFEE, Soda, Bottled Water. Eat on the go or at a session.

Drop in for a few minutes or stay for a while, relax and enjoy. Technique, style, chords, tone, backup, leads, and more. Flynn 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 "The Boy’s Lament for His Dragon."

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!

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 and freylich (=joyful) session! Handout of tunes provided. At 5PM today, Shana's teaching a Klezmer 201 workshop.

Jiggity, jiggity, jig! Jigdom is such a wonderful place to be. Jigs feel great in the bow arm and are great for learning the Irish ornaments. We will listen to the jig style of several prominent performers, talk about bowings, and of course learn a jig!

Eric will feature tunes such as "Lady Be Good," "Body and Soul," and "Summertime" as he introduces you to to jazz mandolin improvising. Dave will provide an entire rhythm section.

This traditional strathspey in A was written by Scottish fiddler Neil Gow (1727-1807), said to have been fond of a good "whisky." Elizabeth will teach fiddlers and Ben will lead cellists, and then we'll all play it together.

Let’s all play this beautiful old song as a way to learn some harmony, voice leading, ear training, tune writing and chops development! Matt Glaser will give you a whole bunch of stuff to work on, as well as telling a few jokes along the way - open to all instruments!

Learn to listen to and with your whole body, not just your ears! A gentle, musician-centered class, w/focus on breath, philosophy, mindfulness, alignment and inward self-awareness, bringing these practices from the mat to our music. Bring a mat or towel if you have one. Participants (not Fiddle Hell) are responsible for their own well-being in this yoga session and must fill out a short waiver upon arrival to class.

Officially, shredding is a virtuoso lead solo playing style. Unofficially, it's about having some crazy fun with your instrument. We'll explore ways to unlock your melodic potential and turn the scales and chords you’ve been practicing mechanically into REAL MUSIC with a side of crazy fun! Foundation by Brittany.

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.

Texas traditional oldtime fiddle style evolved from great Texans like Benny Thomasson, who took the old tunes and "reworked them" adding variations and more parts, using a smooth bow but with some syncopation. Improvisations are around the melody. Tune from Alex on fiddle, "sock" guitar backup by Marshall.

We will work on some exercises, grooves, and patterns to help rhythmize your playing. We will look at chord strumming, double stops, and single note melodic playing, and also work on incorporating these into tunes.

This class is a study of the big families of clawhammer techniques and how they apply to tunes. We’ll examine the peculiarities of clawhammer, and look at how they function in a musical setting.

Luxuriate in the deep, expressive, and moving sound of the cello at our first-ever Fiddle Hell cello concert! Three great cellists, solo or with backup musicians, will take you through a panoply of styles - Northern, Irish, Scottish, Oldtime, World, and more.

Try your mettle with this well-known Robert Burns song, which can also do triple duty as a pipe hornpipe or a march. We'll look at the structure of the tune, and incorporate scales, octaves, triads and broken 3rds into our learning by ear. Barbara McOwen has both a long history and a gentle touch in teaching beginners to play Scottish fiddle in the Boston area. 

This well-known tune (from our Common Tune List) was written by Thomas Walsh in the '70's, after spending three weeks on the island of Inis Oírr off Ireland. Right after he returned to the mainland, he wrote the tune, "... dreaming of what I had left behind, and the peace and tranquility it gave me."

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).

Originally used to play the music of Norway, the Hardingfele is a highly decorated instrument with inlays, carvings, and ink decorations. It has 4 playable strings on top of the bridge, and 4 or 5 more that resonate along. The instrument can be used for dancing or listening. Bring yours if you have one, try Mariel's (she's okay with that), or just listen. Look for Dave Golber's Hardingfeles in the main hallway today.

Kids, using the knowledge you have -- without having to learn a new skill -- how do you improvise? Mary has a simple but effective way for you to take a lead in a tune or song, even if you're playing it for the first time. That can make you sound like the musical genius that you are.

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.

Levels L2-L3 will take you into some more advanced tunes and techniques on HD - the "next steps!" Bring your HD, although Dave Nieman may have one or two along to share. Looking back on Friday at 3:30PM, Dave is teaching HD 101 at L1 for beginners. And at 3:30PM today, Dave and Alan Kaufman perform in the Duos with Daves concert.

There’s more to the violin than first position! Find out easy ways to access “other positions” and explore new territory. Especially for teachers, but all are welcome.

Some shape note experience is helpful. “Old time New England rock and roll." This community power singing style has been part of America's musical landscape for centuries and remains a visceral, moving experience for participants and listeners now. The bigger the sound, the better. Check your inhibitions at the door. Music provided.

Transform simple chord progressions into more complex ones that still fit the fiddle tune melody. Chords change twice a measure, with a walking bass line, closed position chords; passing, extended and altered chords. Perfect for Texas tunes! Marshall’s the master and he’ll show you step-by-step in a common key or two, with Art playing lead.

Fiddle Fever was one of the most eclectic groups in string band history. Paced by the three fiddles of Matt Glaser, Jay Ungar, and Evan Stover, the guitar flatpicking of Russ Barenberg, and the upright bass playing of Molly Mason, the quintet incorporated everything from bluegrass and traditional folk music to Cajun two-steps and Western swing. Three of them are here today to teach you this tune, also known as "Fireman's Reel."