Courses
Classes & tutors | Prices | BookingSore Fingers Week 2008
24th - 28th Mar 2008
Sore Fingers Week is a five day residential course for bluegrass and old-time musicians. Tuition is provided by some of the finest musicians of the genre, including many from North America.
The subject instruments are fiddle (old-time and bluegrass), banjo (old-time and bluegrass), mandolin, dobro (resophonic guitar), autoharp (diatonic and chromatic), double bass, guitar and singing. There is also a beginners/improvers class with a tutor for each instrument. This class suits complete novices to lower intermediate students.
Aside from the main tuition many other activities take place during the week. In the evenings, one hour long 'dip-in' sessions are given by the tutors in their specialist field for people who are interested in a topic other than their chosen main subject.
Informal jam sessions occur in the evenings in the school bar, in some of the other school buildings and in the grounds if weather permits. All participants are welcome to join in. For students that do not feel ready to join in these jams, a slow jam session is held every day.
Students can opt to form scratch bands and prepare two pieces to be performed in the student concert which is held on the penultimate evening. It is a hilarious evening laden with the goodwill of comradeship built over the preceding days. Well worth the experience.
The tutor concert is held on the final evening when the tutors entertain us with their redoubtable expertise in the bluegrass and old time styles endowing the event with a superlative finale. Prepare to be stunned!
View the typical daily schedule for the week (PDF file). Please note this is subject to minor changes and you will be issued with an up to date version on arrival.
Classes and tutors
| Class | Tutor | No. places |
| Autoharp | Mike Fenton | 20 |
| Banjo | Bill Evans | 20 |
| Banjo | Tony Trischka | 20 |
| Bass | Danny Thompson | 20 |
| Dobro | Sally Van Meter | 20 |
| Fiddle | Megan Lynch | 20 |
| Guitar | Scott Nygaard | 20 |
| Mandolin | Andrew Collins | 20 |
| Old-time banjo | Brett Ratliff | 20 |
| Old-time fiddle | Thomas Bailey | 20 |
| Singing | Keith Little | 20 |
| Song-writing | John Lowell | 20 |
| Beginners/Intermediate Banjo | John Dowling | 20 |
| Beginners/Intermediate Bass | Steve Mazillius | 20 |
| Beginners/Intermediate Fiddle | Anna Kelly | 20 |
| Beginners/Intermediate Guitar | James Dewdney | 20 |
| Beginners/Intermediate Mandolin | Dan Norton | 20 |
Prices
Prices are detailed in the booking form.
Please go to the booking page for full details on how to book your place.