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via Udemy |
Go to Course: https://www.udemy.com/course/how-to-get-into-an-irish-music-session-with-confidence/
Certainly! Here's a detailed review and recommendation of the Coursera course on Irish music sessions: --- **Course Review: "How to Get into an Irish Music Session with Confidence"** If you've ever wanted to experience the vibrant world of Irish music sessions but felt intimidated by your musical background, this course is an excellent starting point. Designed for absolute beginners, it promises you can learn to participate in Irish sessions without any prior musical experience. Led by the knowledgeable and patient Ben Hewlett, a seasoned music teacher with extensive experience in traditional Irish music, this course breaks down complex rhythms and techniques into simple, manageable steps. **What You’ll Learn:** This course introduces one new concept per lecture—whether it's a rhythm, technique, or the basics of an instrument—and teaches it slowly and clearly. Ben’s methodical approach allows learners to pick up the skills quickly and confidently. The course is very friendly and encouraging, making the learning process fun and stress-free. The entire structure makes it easy to revisit lessons, practice at home (even with recorded backing tracks from the BBC's Virtual Session), and build your skills at your own pace. **Key Highlights:** - No musical experience needed—perfect for beginners. - Focus on simple, effective techniques for instruments like Bodhran, tin whistle, and harmonica. - Step-by-step instructions with manageable learning chunks. - Opportunity to watch and listen before participating live in a session. - Practical advice on recording music for practice. - Emphasis on fun, confidence, and community involvement. **Instructor Credentials:** Ben Hewlett brings a wealth of experience, having studied Irish instruments under renowned teachers like Steafan Hannigan and Marc Moggy. His background in various instruments and years of live session experience ensure you are in capable hands. His teaching style is patient, clear, and methodical, making learning accessible and enjoyable. **Would I Recommend This Course?** Absolutely. Whether you're looking to join your first Irish session or simply want to understand what’s happening around you at folk gatherings, this course provides the basic skills and confidence needed to participate or enjoy watching. The focus on repetition and slow, clear instruction ensures you won’t feel overwhelmed. **Potential Follow-Up Courses:** The instructor has expressed a willingness to create additional courses on specific instruments if there’s interest. If you want to deepen your skills on an instrument like the Bodhran, whistle, harmonica, or others, don’t hesitate to let them know! **Final Thoughts:** This course is a delightful, accessible way to connect with Irish music, gain confidence, and have fun making music. It’s an excellent choice for beginners and anyone curious about Irish sessions. Plus, it offers a wonderful mental health benefit—making music is not only enjoyable but also stimulates the brain. So, grab an instrument, dive into the lessons, and prepare to surprise your friends with your newfound skills! **Rating: 5/5 Stars** Highly recommended for all music enthusiasts, beginners, or anyone interested in Irish culture. --- Feel free to ask if you'd like a summarized version or details about specific instruments!
How to get into an Irish Music Session with confidence. Take this course and play in Irish sessions instantly. No musical experience needed. After studying this course you will want to go to an Irish session and sit it to see how it feels. If you want to just go and watch a few times that will work. You can always record the music (with permission) and practise at home before returning ready to play. You can practise with recorded music as well and the BBC has a very good 'Virtual Session you can use - please google it as I can't put external links here unfortunately. I NEED TO KNOW IF YOU WANT A FOLLOW UP COURSE ON ANY OF THE INSTRUMENTS PLEASE. THIS IS THE ONLY 'SESSION' COURSE I'VE DONE SO FAR, BUT I WILL MAKE MORE IF YOU MESSAGE ME - IF YOU DON'T I WON'T - SO TELL ME IF YOU WANT MORE! You will pick it up straight away without needing any music skills. These instruments are easy to play at a basic but effective level and really fun to learn. You will be proud of your achievements and happy with the results. This is a new course where you learn one simple idea per lecture. You will find it is taught in a friendly and encouraging manner and most importantly is it taught v-e-r-y s-l-o-w-l-y. 'Ben Hewlett is a very experienced music teacher who is able to be very patient and methodical. Each lecture will introduce you to the next rhythm or technique - usually just one new idea and that's it. You'll know Ben better as a harmonica teacher but he studied Bodhrah and tin whistle in the 1990's with the now very famous Steafan Hannigan and Marc Moggy from Renegade Rhythms. He got so into Bodhran he bought an expensive tuneable drum from Marc and it works better than ever to this day. Ben has played Bodhran in bands and sessions for years and even has a Senheiser bass drum microphone embedded into his drum for live amplified work. Ben is an experienced teacher and uses his skills to get the message across to you in a clear and concise way.' This method is very easy for you to pick up the rhythms and techniques as they are repeated over and over again until you have got it. You can even re-run the video if you find it useful. Imagine how amazing it will feel when you whip out your instruments and play this tune - your friends and family will carry you shoulder high in triumph. Hopefully they don't carry you out of town and dump you in the river, but hey, swimming's good as well. The health benefits of playing the music are well documented - google it. Playing music makes you smarter they say. You will have fun on your own and with your friends, and more power to the brain will make you think you are having a good time so it's all good.