jason kleinberg

The Creative Act (of Fiddling)

I’m reading Rick Rubin’s new book The Creative Act. I thought it was going to be an autobiography, but it reads more like a spiritual text. It’s hard to overstate how much it resonates with me. He connects the creative process to meditation, awareness, relationships, animals, the creative side of AI, communing with nature, overcoming … Continued

How to keep up with a jam group?

  At the FiddleHed monthly Office Hours, FiddleHed Sue says: I have joined a new jam group recently and they play really fast. They encourage me to join in but I really don’t keep up with them well. How can I keep up? Six Things To Help You Keep Up In A Jam Group Prepare … Continued

How can I stay in time with a metronome?

At the monthly office hours session, FiddleHed David said, “I can play one tune with a metronome, but on others I can’t do it.” Here are some tips to help you stay in time with a metronome. Simplify to stay in time with a metronome Master the metronome by starting simply with single notes. Start with … Continued

Frailin’ with Folk Legend Obrah Ramsey

Here’s a cool YouTube documentary on a banjo player named Obray Ramsey. Gotta love the title: “This Mountain Man Singing Banjo Picker Makes Me Dance & Sing. & He will Do That To You As Well” Obray Ramsey was a master of the banjo and a major player in the world of folk music. Born … Continued

Will slurring help me to play faster on violin?

At the FiddleHed monthly office hours, FiddleHed Mary asked, “Will slurring help me to play faster on violin?” Short answer: Yes. Longer answer: it depends on the situation.  Slurring notes, which involves playing two or more notes without lifting the finger(s) in between, can help with playing faster on the violin by allowing for smoother … Continued

FiddleHed End-of-Year Review for 2022

Use this super-simple end-of-year review for your music practice: What were three wins you had this year? What are three things that can use improvement? What three things will you concentrate on next year? Use this to gain awareness of where’ve been and where you want to go. This will help you to make the … Continued

How To Play Back-up Chords On The Fiddle

If you are able to play chord backup on the fiddle and violin, you will be a more versatile and well-rounded musician. Firstly, most fiddle players just play the melody. The chord backup skill allows you to contribute supporting parts when playing with groups, which means you’ll be a lot more useful in a band. … Continued

Improve Your Fiddling Through Listening Practice

Improve Your Fiddling Through Listening Practice If you’re a fiddler, then you’re probably fairly familiar with the way that learning a new piece of music can feel like trying to keep your balance on a moving train. But if you want to really improve your fiddling skills and become a better performer, you don’t have … Continued

14 Ways To Practice Whiskey Before Breakfast

practice variations
 Once you learn a tune, take a journey by adding practice variations. This adds Desirable Difficulty which helps you learn it more thoroughly. But mainly it’s fun. We’ll mostly work with the first quarter of the tune: G1-2-D0-1-0-0-1-2-A1-D2-A0-1-0-D2 And A Part, Second Quarter D3-A1-D3-2-A0-D2-1-0-1-2-1-0-G2-0 14 Practice Variations Chaining Looping chain sections Adding texture to … Continued

There’s No Time Like Old-time

Written by Jim Guinn A Brief Overview of Old-Time Music Old-time music is a unique form of North American folk music with its roots tracing back to the traditional folk music of England, Scotland, Ireland, and Africa and to the immigrants that brought their tunes and rich cultures to America as far back as the … Continued