This course is a great introduction to playing folk music, learning by ear and is open to players of all folk instruments.

We’ll always try to do new tunes, repertoire and techniques each term and people are welcome to attend these sessions all year round so we can build a great community of tunes players.

The course will culminate with an opportunity to play for a big Ceilidh dance for the St George’s Day Celebration at the Museum of Childhood in Bethnal Green on Saturday 25th April so save the date!

The course is really sociable and good fun and often people on the course arrange to meet up in between sessions to play tunes together.

Over the six weeks we’ll learn six tunes from the old time American and English repertoire. We’ll work on phrasing, style, playing for dances, playing for sessions and musicality.

We’ll learn a tune a week and we’ll look at a different type of tune and how to play them. Over previous courses we’ve looked at reels, a jigs, slip jigs, hornpipes, polkas, old time tunes, waltzes, step dancing tunes, a bouree and a 3/2 hornpipe.

The classes are open to players of any instrument capable of playing tunes in the keys of G and D. Teaching will be by ear, so no music reading is necessary.