Guidelines for Choosing the Right Course

Below are some guidelines for determining the class levels for which participants would be best suited.

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Placement Guidelines for Anglo Concertina Course

Please note that we have an Anglo Concertina Fundamentals Course designed for students who do not meet the following requirements.

General:

1. Have you been playing traditional Irish music on the Anglo concertina regularly (at least four hours per week) for at least two years?
2. Have you been playing the concertina for at least three years?
3. Are you comfortable performing up to speed an Irish tune by yourself?
4. Are you capable of learning traditional Irish concertina tunes by ear?

Repertoire:

1. Can you play from memory at least twenty traditional Irish tunes?

Technique:

1. Can you execute some of the basic forms of Irish concertina ornamentation in your playing ( i.e. grace notes, rolls, triplets or crans)?
2. Can you play the scales of D, G, A in eighth notes with coordination between the fingering and the bellows without difficulty?
3. Are you comfortable playing on all three rows of the concertina?
4. Are you comfortable using the air button to maintain proper air flow?

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Placement Guidelines for Bodhrán Course

Please note that we have a Bodhrán Fundamentals Course designed for students who do not meet the following requirements.

General:

1. Have you been playing traditional Irish music on bodhrán regularly (at least four hours per week) for at least two years?
2. Have you been playing the bodhrán for at least three years?
3. Are you comfortable performing jigs and reels at an appropriate dance tempo?
4. Do you regularly play the bodhrán at local sessions or with your own band?
   

Technique:

1. Can you manipulate the skin to produce open tones of various pitches, muted tones, slurs, and “pops” when performing on the bodhrán?
2. Do you have a good understanding and/or use of double-ended and/or single-ended ornamentation?

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Placement Guidelines for Intermediate Fiddle Course

Please note that we have an Fiddle Fundamentals Course designed for students who do not meet the following requirements.

General:

1. Have you been playing traditional Irish fiddle music regularly (at least four hours per week) for at least two years?
2. Have you been playing the fiddle for at least three years?
3. Are you comfortable performing up to speed an Irish tune by yourself?
4. Are you capable of learning traditional Irish fiddle tunes by ear?

Repertoire:

1. Can you play from memory at least twenty traditional Irish tunes?

Technique:

1. Can you execute some of the basic forms of Irish fiddle ornamentation in your playing ( i.e. grace notes, rolls, bowed “triplets” or “trebles”)?
2. Can you play a scale of eighth notes using single bows without problems with coordination between the bow and the left hand?
3. Are you comfortable playing on different strings without changing bow direction (i.e., slurring across strings)?
4. Are you comfortable using the fourth finger on the left hand?

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Placement Guidelines for Advanced Fiddle Course

Please note that we have both Fiddle Fundamentals and Intermediate Fiddle Courses designed for students who do not meet the following requirements.

General:

1. Have you been playing traditional Irish fiddle music regularly (at least four hours per week) for at least four years?
2. Have you been playing the fiddle for at least six years?
3. Have you spent a substantial amount of time listening to Irish traditional music?
4. Are you comfortable performing up to speed an Irish tune by yourself?
5. Are you capable of picking up the basic melody of an unfamiliar polka when played at speed in a session?  Can you learn jigs and reels quickly, and play them at tempo shortly after learning the melodies?
6. When a passage of a tune is played, can you repeat it back immediately?

Repertoire:

1. Can you play from memory at least fifty traditional Irish tunes?

Technique:

1. Do you regularly use all the basic forms of Irish fiddle ornamentation in your playing ( i.e. grace notes, rolls, bowed “triplets” or “trebles”)?
2. Do you understand the basic rhythms and emphasis patterns of jigs and reels, and incorporate those into your playing?

PLEASE NOTE: To apply for the Advanced Fiddle Course, you must submit an audition video in which you play a jig and a reel at least twice through each. Send the video via email to director@oflahertyretreat.org. Because the size of the video may not be suitable for emailing, email the director asking for a Google Drive link with which you can upload the video. All videos will be forwarded to a committee of reviewers (not the instructor) who are respected instructors of traditional Irish music on the fiddle, and they will decide on these enrollment requests. Students will be notified of their status within one week of their submissions. If you were previously accepted into an advanced fiddle course at the retreat, you will not be required to submit an audition video.

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Placement Guidelines for Flute or Whistle Courses

Please note that we have a Flute & Whistle Fundamentals Course designed for students who do not meet the following requirements.

General:

1. Have you been playing traditional Irish music on flute or whistle regularly (at least four hours per week) for at least two years?
2. Have you been playing the flute or whistle for at least three years?
3. Are you comfortable performing up to speed an Irish reel by yourself?
4. Are you capable of learning traditional Irish tunes by ear from a recording?

Repertoire:

1. Can you play from memory at least twenty traditional Irish tunes?

Technique:

1. Can you execute all of the basic forms of Irish flute or whistle ornamentation in your playing, i.e. grace notes, rolls ( long and short), triplets, crans and trills?
2. Are you comfortable articulating notes without tonguing?
3. Are you comfortable playing in the primary octaves with smooth control of air flow?

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Placement Guidelines for Mandolin or Tenor Banjo Courses

Please note that we have a Mandolin & Tenor Banjo Fundamentals Course designed for students who do not meet the following requirements.

General:

1. Have you been playing traditional Irish music on mandolin or tenor banjo regularly (at least four hours per week) for at least two years?
2. Have you been playing the mandolin or tenor banjo for at least three years?
3. Are you comfortable performing up to speed an Irish tune solo?
4. Are you capable of learning traditional Irish tunes by ear?

Repertoire:

1. Can you play from memory at least twenty traditional Irish tunes?

Technique:

1. Can you execute some of the basic forms of Irish ornamentation in your playing ( i.e. grace notes, rolls, picked “triplets” or “trebles”)?
2. Can you play a scale of eighth notes using single up and down strokes without problems with coordination between the left hand and right hands?
3. Are you comfortable playing between different strings?
4. Are you comfortable using the fourth finger on the left hand?
5. Are you playing jigs using the picking method of down,up,down,down,up,down? If not, are you playing down, up, down, up, down, up with emphasis on the first and fourth strokes?