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Fiddling with life and learning with the occasional dad joke thrown in...  

 

How to get rid of unwanted bow bouncing?

 At the FiddleHed monthly hour hours, Mike said, “Bow bounce has reared its ugly head again. Mostly on down strokes.” Practice tone-building with the bow to overcome unwanted bouncing Throwaway bow Saw bows Volume: Soft-loud-soft Use deliberate practice to discover where the bounce happens. Drill down on that spot. Some counter-intuitive advice: Try to … Continued

Fall Practice Challenge 2022 Recap

This year we had 305 practicipants sign up for the Fall Practice Challenge 2022! I am so proud of all of you who did this. The comments had me on the verge of tears (the good kind). It’s like you guys have become fiddle teachers. I pasted a few highlights below, followed by my comments … Continued

Fiddling With Deliberate Practice

You’ll see more results if you learn to practice well. Deliberate practice is a process which helps you to learn more efficiently. In a nutshell: Focus on hard parts that need work.  5 things to remember about Deliberate practice Improve One Small Thing The Plan-Do-Reflect Process Practice the Hardest part of the hardest part Embrace mistakes Document … Continued

How To Sing And Play Backup

In this lesson, I’ll show you how to sing while playing backup with an instrument. I’m going to break it down into a step-by-step process for anyone who wants to sing and play backup at the same time. Here’s the take-home message up front… Four Steps to Singing and Playing Backup Practice just the vocal … Continued

How To Play Fiddle On “Your Song”

In this video I sing “Your Song” by Elton John and play backup on the fiddle. Then after the performance I explain what I did. I’ve been learning to sing songs and play backup on the fiddle. Here are some tips I’ve picked up: Practice just singing Just like learning a fiddle tune, I’ve been … Continued

A People’s History Of The Violin

Written by Jim Guinn When first taking on the task of writing about the history of the violin, I ignorantly assumed it would be an easy and straight-forward task which I would be able to write up within a few hours. What I quickly found was the long, wandering and sometimes fiercely debated journey and … Continued

What the heck is a musical scale?

What defines it? How many notes are there in a scale? My simple definition: A scale is a group of notes used to practice a musical instrument. It’s a series of small steps defined by a root note and the scale type. Just like physical steps, it’s easier to climb the mountain (of learning an … Continued

Is it harder to bow on certain strings?

It’s easier to bow on the D and A strings for most beginners. Why are the G and E strings harder? The E is challenging because it’s temperamental. It tends to sound screechy. It requires a lighter touch. Also, if you’re sitting down, it can be awkward. The right arm might be hitting the right leg. G string … Continued

6 Ways To Get A Better Sound With The Bow

Do you struggle with getting a good sound on the fiddle? Are you unsure of how much pressure to use? Do you want a smoother bow sound? If so, take heart. You’re not the only one. In this lesson I’ll show you some ways to improve your sound on a daily basis. If you do this, … Continued

How To Use Strum Machine As A Metronome

A lot of my students want to improve their timing and play faster. But when I suggest using a metronome their eyes glaze over. It just doesn’t seem like fun. I get it. I believe that learning and practice can be fun for a student. And that they can make real progress as they have … Continued