Playing Fiddle

I’m committed to working on my bowing this week. I’m sloppy. I don’t get the pronate thing naturally. I tighten up. My shoulder moves. But I look at these guys who play without any extra movement and I’m blown away. I can sight read songs and memorize them. But the bowing is the key. Well, [...]

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I’m still confused by what tune this actually is but tonight I learned (that is memorized) the 3rd song in a set by Pete Sutherland. Apparently there are multiple songs out there with the same names AND the same tune with multiple names. The one I learned tonight starts like this:

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I got a new cross-A tune to learn today, Camp Chase, from this mp3 available on Amazon: Falls Of Richmond/ Camp Chase. That, among other things, led me to update my practice lists. I keep the new stuff in the front of a binder and the old stuff separated into rough categories, somewhat alphabetically. But [...]

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Part of my reasoning behind starting this fiddle blog is that I want to keep track of what I learn, when. The backwards building thing is a great way to learn songs but if you let too much time lapse between playing them, the edges of memory start to fray. John had a practice grid [...]

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Memorized Tunes The Moon and Seven Stars Jenny on the Railroad Jenny Lynn (cross A) Chez Seychelles (sort of Cajun) Georgia Boys (from John Hartford) Streak o’ Lean, Streak o’ Fat (some 2nd position) Lady of the Lake (Barry Shultz) Coleman’s March (aka Lady of the Lake?) #1 (Pete Sutherland) Formerly memorized but needed refreshing [...]

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Check out this site: http://comhaltas.ie/music/archive/C62/

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I’m trying to memorize Jenny’s Welcome to Charlie this week. My teacher likes the Frankie Gavin version but I’m having an easier time listening to Martin Hayes slower version, Jenny’s Welcome to Charlie. Last night I tried to play through most of the Celtic tunes I’d memorized at some point or another. Many needed some [...]

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As I was practicing some newer pieces tonight, I realized, anew, that sometimes just getting the right rhythm is far more important than the right notes. And I know this blog is supposed to be about playing fiddle, but I think that’s true in life as well. If you hit at least some note in [...]

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Learning a new tune for St. Paddy’s day, The Moon and Seven Stars. When John first introduced the backwards building concept I absolutely hated it. But, being me, if I’m paying someone for advice I do try to listen! So I kept trying it out–and lo and behold it works! It’s now normal, and oddly [...]

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Just staring up a new blog. I’ve been taking fiddle lessons for just over a year. Wish I’d started this blog from day one, but I’ve still got tons to learn so hopefully it will prove interesting.

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