A cheeky set of reels with Atlas Bridge
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Tag Archives: yorkshire
Atlas Bridge Band- Live at the Trades, 2021
Here’s a wee peek at what you can expect at an Atlas Bridge gig…
Learning the Tin Whistle
The tin whistle is one of the easiest and cheapest ways to get started playing traditional folk music. It is lightweight, portable, easy to play and get hold of as well as being available in many different keys. Learning the whistle can be a stepping stone to other instruments such as the Flute or Uilleann pipes. Lessons with Becky will help get you off to the right start aiming to get you started on your first tune at the first lesson.
Lessons are offered at the following stages of whistle playing:
- Complete Beginner
- Intermediate/Improvers
- Advanced
Beginners:
Beginners lessons focus on establishing the basics of good whistle technique:-
- Essential techniques to get you started.
- Basic fingering.
- Venturing into the upper octave.
- Breathing and tuning.
- Posture and hand positioning.
- Dealing with squeaks and leaks!
- Your first tune.
- Introduction to Ornamentation – the basics.
- Irish traditional tune types and styles.
This will help you make quick progress and establish a solid basis when you move ahead to Intermediate/Improvers and Advanced levels:–
- Increasing Repertoire (more tunes!)
- Tips and tricks.
- More complex ornamentation types (‘rolls’, ‘crans’, triplets and more!)
- Developing your style.
- Playing with others and in sessions.
- How to ‘practise’ and improve your playing.
- Preparing for performance.
- Moving on to other instruments
Contact becky@beckytaylor.info or here for further details and to arrange your lesson
Learning the Uilleann (Irish) Pipes
The Uilleann pipes are one of the most highly developed (complicated!) of all bagpipes, with a chanter sounding two full octaves, as well as drones and regulators. If you aspire to become an Uilleann (Irish) piper then lessons with Becky will help get you off to the right start aiming to get you playing your first tune within a month of getting going.
Lessons are offered at the following stages of piping:
- Complete Beginner
- Intermediate/Improvers
- Advanced
Beginners:
Beginners lessons focus on establishing the basics of
- Essential Bag and Bellows technique.
- Basic fingering, ‘on’ and ‘off’ the knee scales.
- Venturing into the upper octave.
- Drones and tuning.
- Posture and hand positioning.
- Dealing with squeaks and leaks!
- Your first tune.
- Introduction to Ornamentation – the basics.
- Irish traditional tune types and styles.
This will help you make quick progress and establish a solid basis when you move ahead to Intermediate/Improvers and Advanced levels:–
- Increasing Repertoire (more tunes!)
- Tips and tricks.
- More complex ornamentation types (‘rolls’, ‘crans’, triplets and more!)
- Developing your style.
- Introducing the regulators.
- Pipe fettling! Basic pipe maintenance..
- How to ‘practise’ and improve your playing.
- Preparing for performance
Concert or Flat Pitch pipes catered for.
Contact becky@beckytaylor.info for further details and to arrange your lesson
Time to fettle the Northumbrian Smallpipes…
The sun is shining, the bees are buzzing (amazingly for February!) and so were the Northumbrian Smallpipes after some rather overdue ‘fettling’.
All piping (Uilleann, Northumbrian or otherwise) involves a certain amount of ‘fettling’ especially when the weather/seasons change, which can play havoc with your tuning if it happens suddenly and catches you unawares. Brass and metal work were polished, bores were oiled, bindings were re-hemped as required, and drone reeds tweaked, flicked and generally faffed with!
A day or two devoted to maintaining them every now and then is well worth the effort – you just have to be in the right mood to tackle the 17-key chanters with the polishing cloth…
Pictured above are my trusty Colin Ross Boxwood and brass 17-Key F set, and Andy May concert G chanter, and a lovely wee 16-Key G set by Dave McQuade in Blackwood and Nickel Silver. Both beautiful, but completely different beasts in tone and character. Dave McQuade taught me to play way back in the early 80’s so I am delighted and honoured to play a set that he has made.
artSBridge: putting Sowerby Bridge on the map right NOW!
ArtSBridge is a grassroots community organization, dedicated to supporting artists and other creative people, and is based in Sowerby Bridge. Winners of the 2014 Halifax Courier Community Spirit award, they put on cultural events throughout the year, from book launches to film screenings, and a yearly week-long festival in December. The first Sowerby Bridge arts festival was in 2013.
The festival works to showcase local talent and special guests, and works in co-operation with the local library service, schools, churches and community groups, to engage the local community and encourage the young and old to be part of creative arts.
We’re proud of Sowerby Bridge and the ever-developing Community Spirit, and we’re also proud of the creative talents that live and work in the area.
artSBridge welcomes creative minds to join our merry band! We seek artists and performers, those who have time to volunteer services and skills, and all who would like to contribute in administrative, promotional or other capacities.
N.B. This text was copied shamelessly from their fantastic website where you can find out a whole lot more about what’s going on at www.artsbridge.co.uk
GTG are pleased to be a part of this years festival – do come along and support us
