Fiddlosophy

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Lilting Banshee – basic and variation

Here’s a short performance of an Irish jig called Lilting Banshee. I play a very simple version and then play a version with some variation added. By listening to a basic tune and its variation, you’ll get ideas on how the process of adding variation works. Lilting Banshee – Basic Lilting Banshee – Variation Lesson … Continued

Speak With Your Fiddle

Do you ever find that you feel tense when trying to learn something difficult? Maybe you’re practicing the hardest part of a tune, but it’s not sounding the way you you think it should. The tension you feel actually makes it harder to achieve that very goal you are trying to achieve with practice. Letting … Continued

Simple/complex/simple

The FiddleHed lessons are taught in a style I call “Incremental Learning”. We learn small pieces of things and then put them together into bigger pieces. It’s like putting together a jigsaw puzzle. And as we learn we try to work right at our edge. This means we practice something that is challenging enough for … Continued

20-minute scale practice

I just published the 20-minute scale practice routine. You can use this in conjunction with other routines, or simply as a warm-up before playing in any situation. I’m in the process of making different routines which each focus on particular aspects of playing. Here are some others: 30-minute tune practice 30-minute tune practice: Kerfunken Jig … Continued

Miss Monaghan’s Reel – basic version and variation

Here’s a short performance of an Irish tune called Miss Monaghan’s Reel. I play a very simple version and then play a version with some variation added. For your listening pleasure, I’m giving away an mp3: I also made step-by-step lessons on how to play each version. These tunes are taught through looping play-along tracks, … Continued

Fortnite Dance – Step It Up

Here’s a lesson on how to play the Fortnite dance Step It Up, which is actually just the B part to Swallowtail Jig. This is another example of the great folk process, in which older melodies are re-introduced in new settings that reflect the culture of the times.

Dueling Banjos and the Great Folk Process

My friend and student Toby and I recently made a lesson on how to play the Fortnite song “Hootenanny”. Click here to take the lesson. The melody is also known as “Dueling Banjos”, also known as Yankee Doodle, which came from a medieval Dutch song with the lyrics, “Yanker, didel, doodle down, Diddle, dudel, lanther, … Continued

Play-practice

Someone wrote to me yesterday with questions about the new subscription setup. In a post-script she said, “I spend 2-3 hours almost every evening ‘playing’. It sounds more fun than ‘practicing’. And I love it.” This simple statement says a lot about the nature of learning and practicing music. The thing that struck me is … Continued

Everything Is Unfinished

A lot of you have written to me saying that you are frustrated. You can’t get a good sound, you struggle to play in tune or you can’t figure out how to play a certain song. You want your dog to not leave the room when you start practicing… As a musician, I’ve come to … Continued

How can I help you practice?

I can still hear Richard Dawson saying, “survey says!” on Family Feud, one of my favorite TV shows, along with CHiPs, Dukes of Hazzard and Night Rider. Ooops, just dated myself there, ha ha. Thanks to everyone who filled out the survey. You had a lot of good ideas and a lot of kind comments. … Continued