Tutors

Introduction -

For the October weekend, all our tutors are recruited from the pool of talented players available in the United Kingdom or in Europe. Several of these tutors have taught at the Easter week too and most have been to Sore Fingers Week as students and are well briefed about our aims, to help you become better musicians!
We are continually amazed at how the “buzz” of the weekend is similar to the atmosphere achieved at the Easter week. The October Weekend is perhaps the “sister” event but owes nothing to the week long Easter Sore Fingers in terms of quality or learning potential! In fact, many who just can’t wait a full year to get their fix come to both events and enjoy the Sore Fingers Effect twice a year!
So, who’s coming this time around? Just read on….

Drew Smith - Autoharp

Having been enthused by Grand Master Kilby Snow and Mike Seeger after picking up an autoharp in 1967, Drew Smith went on to become a two-time winner of Winfield International Autoharp Championship, continuing with several other championship awards over the years. In 2002, Drew was inducted into the Autoharp Hall of Fame and in 2011, he was presented with his Lifetime Achievement Award by the California Autoharp Gathering.
Drew is a veteran performer and workshop leader, who developed a unique thumb lead style of playing capturing melody notes of fast fiddle tunes on his autoharp. He loves to play the chromatic autoharp, because it gives him the needed notes and chords to be able to play the wide world of music that simply eludes more limited diatonic harps. As a 27 year band member with Roger Sprung & the Progressive Bluegrassers, he has performed throughout the northeast of the USA With other Old-Time band members, Drew has been part of a prize winning group called Ben Borscht and the Beats. In the New York/New Jersey area he regularly performs with two groups: Double Play! and Triple Play All-Stars.
You are as likely to hear Drew strike up a Russian tango as a Blues or a Dixieland tune from the 20s as well as Old Time tunes. He teaches many of these tunes at his workshops. He says no matter where it comes from, if you like it, why not play it!
Drew is a legend in the Autoharp world. An opportunity to meet one of the greats of the instrument, right here at Kingham Hill School.

Richard Collins - Banjo

To give you a bit of Richard's background, he first picked up a guitar at the age of nine and within a couple of years was stunningly adept on a number of stringed instruments.
By his mid-teens he was much in demand at bluegrass festivals and arts centers in his native Hampshire. He is one of the hottest (and subtlest) 5 string banjo players around and is now also highly regarded as a mandolinist and guitarist,. He tours regularly with American artists and has even been dragged back across the Atlantic for session work in Nashville.
Apart from his consummate skill as a musician, Richard has reputedly the largest repertoire of self-deprecating banjo jokes in the world.
Richard appeared as both actor and musician with the Royal Shakespeare Company in their 2002 production of 'A Winter's Tale'. His latest project is a plectrum style guitar teaching DVD which he managed to record alongside Mandolinquents commitments and his own, 'A Band like Alice', which recently recorded an album for EMI's world music series. When he gets the time he indulges in what he was trained for - maintaining and tuning pianos.

Richard Partridge - Bass

While Richard is probably better known for his fiddle playing with bluegrass/country bands such as Monroe’s Revenge, in recent years he has been increasingly recognised for his double bass playing. Although he played bass at school, he took it up seriously when three events coincided in 2000/2001 to propel him back to the instrument: someone offered him a double bass at a price he couldn’t refuse; he acquired his first car (an estate – all the better for transporting it); and, much to his delight and amazement, Sore Fingers featured his all-time hero, Danny Thompson, as bass tutor.
After a thoroughly inspiring course, during which Danny asked him to undertake some of the bass duties in the tutor concert, Richard started gigging regularly with singer-songwriter Anthony Black and has played with several bands, including String Fever, Buffalo Smoke and the London Philharmonic Skiffle Orchestra, as well as in numerous informal sessions.
Richard’s fluid and melodic bass style is informed by more than a decade of playing and studying Baroque and Renaissance music – in which he holds two university degrees. At the same time, his main interest has always been in traditional and orally learnt forms of music. His fiddle and bass playing is self-taught (apart from some valuable lessons at Sore Fingers), and he believes that anyone with ears and a bit of heart can make music if they want to.
The course will be aimed at beginners and intermediate players, and will review some bass fundamentals (tone production, intonation, hand positions, fingering, etc.), tackle a bit of chord theory (you can’t avoid it as a bass player) and look some common chord progressions. Prior knowledge of music theory is not essential but he will expect students to want to learn some of the basics during the course.

Ivor Ottley - Bluegrass Fiddle

This will be Ivor’s first time as a tutor at Sore Fingers. He has been several times as a student and is well versed with our philosophy. An absolutely brilliant opportunity to get to know and learn of such a master of the fiddle.
Ivor is one of Europe's leading fiddle players. His playing covers many styles including jazz, bluegrass, country, western swing, blues and Celtic. Ivor began his musical career aged 9, and after a couple of years of classical violin lessons, began teaching himself American old-time and bluegrass fiddle from recordings. Eventually a curiosity and taste for improvisation lead him to swing jazz. He studied with the late jazz fiddle great, Johnny Van Derek, a leading light on the British jazz scene. Johnny advised Ivor to rekindle his classical studies, as well as giving him weekly jazz lessons. Ivor went on as a mature student to study classical and jazz violin at Trinity Music College, London, with Diana Cummings and John Crawford.
A desire for stylistic integrity and a strong belief that a sense of the spirit and soul of musical styles are contained in the communities from where they originate, has led Ivor to travel widely, playing with many of the worlds leading musicians. Ivor has won many awards, the latest becoming the West Tennessee Bluegrass fiddle champion 2012, the first European player to win the accolade, and top soloist award in the all Sweden 'Classic Jazz' finals 2013.
Ivor works as a performer, recording artist, workshop leader and teacher, and has broadcast frequently and toured extensively throughout Europe and the USA.

Website

Andy Quelch - Guitar

Andy Quelch has been playing guitar for over 25 years. His journey through American traditional styles took off when he heard the playing of Doc Watson & Clarence White. Via these two greats Andy was exposed to the playing of Tony Rice & later on David Grier. Two courses with Grier – 1st at Steve Kaufman’s Flatpicking camp & 2nd at Sore Fingers - a good few hundred hours tied to the metronome and Andy has become sought after in the UK Old-time and bluegrass scene for his driving and inventive guitar playing.
Andy played with Chris Moreton in Trouble and Strife and the Chris Moreton Trio. He now regularly performs with Emily Smith (our Old-time fiddle tutor) in A&E Oldtime String Band. His expert navigation of chord sequences, solid rhythm and creative runs make him a guitarist of choice for visiting American artists and he recently toured with the old-time Fiddle ace Chance McCoy on his 2012 UK tour.
The course is aimed at beginner and intermediate players, and will focus on the building blocks of great guitar playing: navigating chord sequences, developing driving rhythm and achieving great tone. He will also explore the use of runs to liven up back up and as a basis for developing solos. Andy is a multi-instrumentalist and teaches Guitar, Banjo and Fiddle. He and Emily enjoying giving workshops and look forward to developing some shared repertoire across the courses to liven up the evening’s jamming!
Andy strongly recommends the use of recording devices in his workshops & lessons, you never know what might pop out of his guitar so keep those tapes rolling!!
Have a listen to some of Andy’s playing by clicking the website link below:

Website

Rex Preston - Mandolin

Does Rex Preston need an introduction? Anyone who has been coming to Sore Fingers for any time will know Rex and his amazing skills as a musician. His association with the event goes right back to the very first Sore Fingers Week in 1996 and he has either studied or worked at all of them!
In 2009, Rex teamed up with Miranda Sykes and they formed the duo Sykes and Preston releasing a highly successful album early last year and following a collaboration with Grant Gordy who taught guitar at S. F. Week 2012, a second album is just out!
But, this time around, we take particular interest in Rex’s mandolin playing and his teaching of said instrument. He successfully taught the Easter week mandolin class last year and is now turning his attention to the October weekenders. The duo is very busy so getting Rex at all is a gas! Don’t miss your chance to get two full days with this brilliant musician.
Rex has a reputation as a fine & imaginative mandolin player and is a leading light in a new wave of British Bluegrass musicians. He is a rising star in mandolin-playing circles and with 20 years of playing behind him, he possesses a wonderfully sensitive musicality and a dexterous, flamboyant playing style.
Knowing him as we do, he doesn’t leave things to chance and will diligently prepare for this weekend, his teaching will amaze you!

Website

Dave Marshall - Old Time Banjo

Dave is delighted to be back teaching old time banjo at Sore Fingers. Dave has performed professionally at many old time music festivals with fellow musician Andy Imms and as banjo player for the old time string band Old Yeller Dog. Dave is well known throughout the old time music community, appearing on the FOAOTMAD CD "Ripples across the pond", and "Tracks from the doghouse" by Old Yeller Dog. He has taught both old time and bluegrass banjo at his home in Farnborough for the past 12 years and he has recently published a book entitled “Old time songs for clawhammer banjo”. His lesson plan for Sore Fingers will cover a wide variety of tunes, tunings and techniques that together put the fun into playing old time clawhammer.

Emily Smith - Old Time Fiddle

Emily is a veteran student at Sore Fingers having studied with Jody Stecher, Fletcher Bright, Stuart Duncan and most recently the wonderful Dirk Powell. Her love for American fiddle styles was ignited 20 years ago by an early Stringbean Akeman recording of Little Maggie with Chubby Wise on fiddle. Her fiddle playing is characterised by spirit and drive and band credits include Bluegrass band Home Territory and Western Swing Band The Texas All Nite Toyboys.
Emily regularly performs and runs workshops with Andy Quelch (our guitar tutor) in A&E Oldtime String Band. Their partnership has led her to explore the endless treasure trove of Old-Time fiddle tunes which she loves to share through teaching and performing.
The course is aimed at players who can already play their fiddle/violin at a basic level. Emily will teach Old-Time American fiddle tunes, breaking down each tune phrase by phrase and focussing on the tunings, bowing patterns and inflections that make the unique sound of Old Time fiddle music. The tunes will be taught by ear so you don’t need to read music.
No stranger to an all-night jamming session, there’s nothing she likes more than belting out joyful fiddle tunes amongst friends. She and Andy look forward to developing some shared repertoire across the courses to liven up the evening’s jamming!

Roland Emmanuel - Singing

Roland is a founder member of Bluegrass band ‘Roots & Galoots’. The band have played extensively across the UK in recent years and its members are known for their expert harmonies.
Having retired from teaching after 32 years he has continued to follow his interest in singing and in particular vocal harmony and since Roland was brought up in a Welsh musical family, he gained much experience in singing ranging from choral to smaller ensembles.
He has a particular passion for Bluegrass harmony and relishes the opportunity of teaching at the Sore Fingers weekend.
If you want to find an easy and fun way to learn how to sing harmony by ear then this is the course for you. No note reading, no bogging down in music theory, learn to sing harmony intuitively. Just come along and enjoy!