Fiddlosophy

Mairi’s Wedding: group lesson preview

Hey folks, I’m here in beautiful Michigan 🌳 . We just had some rain, now the sun is out. Here’s an Irish polka called “Mairi’s Wedding.” My in-laws just through a wedding party for Melissa and I, so I guess the stars sort of align on this ✨ Polkas are great beginner tunes because there’s … Continued

Three Warmup Steps For Fiddling On A Tune

Like a sprinter placing their feet in the blocks and their hands on the ground, you can do a few things to prepare for playing a tune. On your mark, get set, go…⁠ ⁠ Check your posture, breathe and relax the body. Bring awareness to what you’re doing now. 👁⁠ Visualize how the tune goes. … Continued

Big-eyed Rabbit

Here’s an old-time tune called “Big-eyed Rabbit.” It’s in the Round Peak tradition of Tommy Jarrell. It was filmed by a pond in Kenneth Hahn Park in Los Angeles. The only thing missing was the smell of duck poop 🦆 💩

Do You Realize??

Here’s one of my favorite songs of all time, “Do You Realize??” by the Flaming Lips. I play chords and sing a version arranged for the fiddle. At the end of the video I offer some tips on singing and playing.  I played the song on “The Fiddle That Michael Gave Away” which was … Continued

Lonesome Fiddle Blues – performance

Here’s a simple version of a classic bluegrass tune called “Lonesome Fiddle Blues”. This tune was created by one of my favorite fiddlers, Vassar Clements. I played it on “The Fiddle That Michael Gave Away” which was handmade by a FiddleHed subscriber. We’re giving it away in a contest. Click here to enter.  The A … Continued

Today’s Request: Lark In The Morning

Here’s a performance of an Irish Jig called “Lark In The Morning” requested by. I played it on the “Fiddle That Michael Gave Away.” We’re giving it away in a contest. Click here to enter. I take a 3-stage fiddle journey using a D drone. I start with a free-time statement of the melody (like … Continued

Today’s Request: Tam Lin

A FiddleHed subscriber named Michael made this violin. We’re giving it away in a contest. Click here to enter. I’m taking requests for tunes. Other requests coming over the next few days: “Lark In The Morning” and “Do You Realize??”   The tune is an Irish reel called Tam Lin. This tune was the basis … Continued

The Fun Fiddle Practice Of Chaining

Here’s a practice technique called “Chaining”. The basic idea is to incrementally add to what you are practicing. You can slowly piece together notes to create scales and tune phrases. Then you can piece together tune phrases to build out tunes. You can even chain tunes to create sets and medleys. <span data-mce-type=”bookmark” style=”display: inline-block; … Continued

Lucy Farr’s – Performance

Here’s a fiddle raga version of Lucy Farr’s. I made some brief liner notes about what I did in each section of the performance. Fiddle raga is my term for an improvisational interpretation of a fiddle tune. It explores variations which go beyond traditional Irish embellishments (though it can include those too). The fiddle raga … Continued

Take An Intermediate Step

When practicing something difficult, see if you can break it down into a series of small, intermediate steps. I’ve been learning bluegrass solos from a book by a great fiddler named Annie Staninec. It’s been fun and challenging. It’s good because I feel like I’m working at the edge of ability. I’m currently working on the … Continued