Workshop Program

NOTE: This page describes a typical program for our annual in-person workshop each July. The program for 2024 may differ slightly.

For information on our online programs including the Open Hearth Winter Workshop, please see the web page for that specific program.

All activities take place at Folklore Village, located in a peaceful, rural setting about seven miles east of Dodgeville, WI and about a 35-minute drive west of Madison, WI. The beautiful, air-conditioned main hall includes a spacious sprung wooden dance floor and separate classrooms for fiddle instruction.

General schedule

Instruction begins at 1 p.m. on Thursday afternoon and ends with lunch on Sunday after a morning review session. Part-timers are welcome. See the registration form for options.

Hardingfele: The HFAA welcomes hardingfele students at all skill levels, from complete beginner to serious amateur to the professional player. No prior experience playing hardingfele is required. We offer four concurrent classes--one Beginner level, two Intermediate level, and one Advanced level, with special Beginner Mentoring available on request to those who have never played a bowed stringed instrument before. Here is a more detailed description of our classes:

• Beginner level: Beginner level students should have at least 3 months' experience with a bowed stringed instrument. However, if you have never played a bowed stringed instrument before, we offer beginner mentoring to bring you up to speed in basic bowed string-playing techniques so that you can join the beginner class; please contact the hardingfele instruction coordinator at fiddle_coord@hfaa.org for more information. The Beginner level class starts with an in-depth review of the basics; tuning, holding the fiddle and bow, proper instrument setup, and bowing and fingering notes on the hardingfele. Students learn a couple of simple tunes by ear, broken down into small phrases. Exercises in fiddle technique are provided including simple bowing patterns, basic dance rhythms, tone production and intonation. At the completion of the class students will be able to tune their fiddles, play a couple of simple tunes, understand fiddle technique and know the basics to be able to practice at home.

• Intermediate I level: Intermediate I level students should have 1-2 years experience playing a bowed string instrument. Students should be able to tune their fiddles and have a good understanding of the techniques required to play and be able to learn tunes by ear. Four to five tunes will be taught slowly, broken down into phrases. Examples of tunes taught in this class might be: one to two beginner-level springars/gangars and/or three to four low-intermediate-level gamaldans tunes. Students are taught the basics of techniques for playing double stops (playing on two strings), and rhythmic patterns and how they apply to dance tunes.

• Intermediate II level: Intermediate level students should have 2-3 years experience playing a bowed string instrument. Students should have a good understanding of the techniques required to play and be able to learn tunes by ear. Four to five more complex tunes will be taught at a good pace, broken down into phrases. Examples of tunes taught in this class might be: two to three intermediate-level springars/gangars and/or three to four advanced-level gamaldans tunes. Students are taught hardingfele ornamentation, styling, techniques for playing double stops, and rhythmic patterns and how they apply to dance tunes, and can expect at the completion of the class to be able to play at least one tune at dance tempo together with the class group.

• Advanced level: Advanced students should have at least one year of experience playing different hardingfele bygdedans (springar, gangar, rull, halling) tunes, and be able to learn tunes by ear (note that learning by ear is a requirement for participation in this class). This class is led by a master teacher from Norway specializing in a particular regional tradition, and the teaching proceeds at an intensive pace. Students can expect to learn five to six advanced-level bygdedans tunes. Students are taught the details of authentic styling, ornamentation and rhythm appropriate to the teacher's tradition, and can expect at the completion of the class to be able to play at least one bygdedans tune from the teacher's tradition at dance tempo together with the class group.