Fiddlers Retreat

Fiddlers Retreat was established in 2005 by Theresa Bourke, musician and teacher. Having toured the world as a fiddle player with internationally renowned Irish dance shows Theresa decided the time had come to set for herself a new challenge.

She loved the idea of creating a holiday concept where musicians would visit her region and get to experience a real and authentic insight into Ireland by staying with her, learning traditional Irish music in the mornings, seeing the historic and scenic sights during the afternoons and going out to the sessions at night.

The Irish Fiddle and Culture Holiday was created.

On many occasions the partners of the musicians also wanted to come and enjoy the Fiddlers Retreat experience too, but without the Irish fiddle tuition. An alternative holiday packages for non-musicians was compiled.

The Ireland Appreciation package was created to include an array of different activites throughout the 6 night stay.

All holiday packages are designed and created specifically with you in mind and are tailor made to suit individual and group requirements.

Through the varitey of activities you will be welcomed into the heart and soul of the real, country Ireland.

Theresa made her dream a reality and now welcomes people from all over the world, both musicians and non-musicians.


Teachers at Fiddlers Retreat.

Theresa is the main fiddle teacher at Fiddlers Retreat and on occasion brings in other excellent and experienced instrumental, Irish language, Irish dancing teachers to take some classes.


Orchestra, Music Camp and Master-class availability:

Due to her experience as a teacher and performer Theresa is in demand as a teacher at fiddle camps both in Ireland and abroad.

Theresa also conducts master classes to orchestras and large music groups/schools visiting Ireland. Please contact her if you have an enquiry and wish to make a booking. Alternative accommodation is arranged to suit large groups.


School Tours

Fiddlers Retreat is an ideal and unique school tour option availavle to student groups over the ages of 16.

Packages are tailor made to suit group requirements.


Corporate Gifts and Team Building

The gift of a Fiddlers Retreat experience is often given to company employees. We also cater for Team building eemployee opportunities where a private and secluded location is guaranteed, new and creative challenges are the focus of the music lessons and sociable opportunities are pleantiful during the afternoons and evenings.

Irish Fiddle Ornaments

When I started playing jigs, my default bowing pattern made a groove like Pop Goes the Weasel: "Long-short, long-short, muberry bush, the long-short, long-short weasel."

And that still works for me without having to think about it. The one rule to keep in mind is: Do not slur from one string to another. This is unlike Irish reels. There, you can and do slur from one string to another. But not in jigs.

Getting the hang of ornaments

I think of the Irish fiddle ornaments as falling into melodic and percussive categories.

The three most common melodic moves are, the grace note, the triplet, the roll. These moves all use "neighbor notes." Any note within one step of the main melody note can be a neighbor note. In Irish fiddling, the neighbor note can be two steps away.

Grace notes are typically the upper neighbor, one whole step or half step higher. The grace note is usually played just before the beat.

In standard music notation it is shown as a very small note. In my tab charts I follow this convention by making the tab grace note much smaller than the main melody notes.

Triplets start with the melody note, go up to the neighbor note, and return to the melody note. The rhythm of this is a substitution of three internal beats for two.

Think of a shuffle pattern: dah-duh-duh. Now go: diddally-duh-duh. This ornament is very popular in Texas Contest style also.

The roll starts on the melody note, goes to the upper neighbor, back to the melody note, then to the lower neighbor, then back to the melody note. When the melodic note is played with the first finger, the upper neighbor is usually the third above, and is played with the third finger. In the roll, the neighbor notes are very light and quick, almost ghost notes.

Percussive finger and bow tricks

These next two moves are a lot of fun. They imitate the bodhran drum. I think of them as being rhythmic ornaments, not melodic.

The bow shake, (my term), is not intended to make three distinct notes. You should hear an interruption of the melodic sound when you do it.
Yes, it is a triplet pattern, but done so quickly that you just hear the sound of the bow digging into the string.

Finally, the cut, which you execute by dragging your finger across the (usually) open string without changing the bow direction. This also creates an interruption of the melodic sound. The violin as a percussion instrument!

Slidin' and Squawkin'

The first collection I found of Irish and Celtic tunes, way back in the day,was
English, Welsh, Scottish & Irish Fiddle Tunes by Robin Williamson.

This was published in 1976 and came with a vinyl recording of the author playing his tunes up to speed. I still play Carolan’s Concerto and Off to California, which came from this book originally.

Williamson writes about slides as being squawks and smears. A squawk is a quick slide and a smear is a lazy slide. The lazy slide has become a favorite of mine, often replacing several notes of a melody.

In slides the object is to start the slide flat to the target note. It can be a half step low or, sometimes, even more. When you slide up the neck, be sure to stop at the desired pitch.

Many times in my studio I coach students to do this correctly. The common mistake is to start at the target pitch and slide up. Be very careful to avoid this error. It just doesn’t sound right.

Quick slides, or squawks, can be done often. You will find some notes are better than others for a quick slide. The third note of the scale you are in, for example, is almost always good. The note attracts a slide, especially if it does not go by too fast.

The slower slide, the smear, will often take more time than the usual note allows. So you just steal time from another note. Then you take that note out back and shoot it. (Just kidding. You let the note back in later, when you don’t play the smear.)

Irish Fiddle Holidays for Adults

Irish fiddle lessons and courses for complete beginners and Level 1 and 2 intermediates

Kerry Fiddles specialise in fiddle virgins.
Even if you have never played any musical instrument before, by the end of the week you’ll be playing your first tune on the fiddle! Morning classes are a hoot, there’s no music theory, no pressure and no rush. Afternoons are free to explore the most beautiful part of Ireland.
For Intermediates, it’s a chance to devote a week to your music, to getting new tunes, improving technique and learning how to teach yourself.

We do our best learning when we’re relaxed, so don’t expect a studious music course. Though we aim to motivate, lay solid foundations and teach effective practice, our main concern is that you have fun.

Morning classes are held at our house, in a spacious music room with great acoustics and mountain views! Though it feels spectacularly remote, we are only 4 miles from Kenmare.


Afternoons are free for you to do what you want. There are loads of ideas on our 'Free Time' page and all are within easy driving distance of Kenmare

Most evenings will be spent at sessions in and around Kenmare. If there are any gigs on in the Kerry/Cork area we’ll try and get to those too. If you’re up to playing sessions, you’ll be very welcome to join us for tunes on Monday and Tuesday nights in Crowley’s bar.

Any of you familiar with Bristol Fiddles will know about our Weekend Workshops with Kevin Burke, Tommy Peoples, Brendan McGlinchey, Paul O'Shaughnessy, Ciaran Boyle, Pete Challoner, Des Hurley, Bernard and Gerard KilBride, Joe Scurfield and Henry Sears.

We're planning to put similar workshops on in Kenmare. Send us your e-mail address if you'd like advance notice.

http://www.kerryfiddles.com/