Fiddlosophy

Fun With Pedal Patterns

Here’s something fun you can do on the fiddle.  Alternate between a constant note and other changing notes, always alternating back to open D. This is called a “pedal pattern”.   Here’s a basic pedal pattern: D1-0-2-0-3-0-2-0 . Here’s a variation in which we move down the scale notes and then jump back up: D3-0-2-0-1-0  You can … Continued

17 Ways To Practice Jenny Lynn

In this lesson, I demonstrate 17 ways to practice the tune Jenny Lynn. This will make your sessions fun and productive. You’ll learn the tune at a deep level as you improve various aspects of your technique. Before we get started, here are lessons I’ve made on this: Jenny Lynn – Basic Jenny Lynn – … Continued

Creative work takes time

Last weekend I finished a recording session with my old friend Joe Rut. Overall, it went well. We did six tunes in about two and a half days. Three of these are long form “fiddle raga” pieces, while the other three are shorter, more composed pieces. Here’s what I learned…   It’s hard to predict … Continued

The Jenny Lynn demo

Here’s a bluegrass tune by Bill Monroe called “Jenny Lynn.” I just made a lesson for this along with the Round Peak variation.  

What is a G clef? Is it the same as treble clef?

A FiddleHed named Malik asked “Can you explain for me what a G-Clef is?” The fancy scroll with a tail that appears at the beginning of fiddle music is called the treble clef. The other name for it is called “G clef” and if you look closely, it does look like a stylized G. Different instruments … Continued

Oh Resistance! Your power is strong, but I will keep going!

I’ve been reading The War of Art, which is about overcoming resistance in creative work. Though I’ve been making things my whole life, I still have to do battle with Resistance. For example, I’ve been writing and practicing tunes for an album with the working title “Fiddle Stories.” I’m exploring ways of re-inventing these tunes … Continued

Groundhog other version: Lisa Loeb

Here’s a take on this tune as a children’s song, performed by Lisa Loeb and Elizabeth Mitchell. I just made lessons for this tune on FiddleHed (basic and Round Peak variation).   Take it here: https://fiddlehed.co/GroundhogBasic https://fiddlehed.co/GroundhogRoundPeakVariation  

Groundhog other version: Doc Watson

Always good to hear Doc Watson! Here’s his version of Groundhog.   I just made a lesson for this tune on FiddleHed (basic and Round Peak variation). Take it here: https://fiddlehed.co/GroundhogBasic https://fiddlehed.co/GroundhogRoundPeakVariation  

Frailin’ with Folk Legend Obrah Ramsey

Here’s a cool YouTube documentary on a banjo player named Obray Ramsey. Obray Ramsey was a total boss on the banjo and a major player in the world of folk music. Born in North Carolina in 1926, he started playing the banjo at a young age and quickly developed a unique style that mixed traditional … Continued

A little lesson on Little Lift

The practice of Little Lift will help you to place your left-hand fingers on the fiddle with greater ease. It will also help you to play better in tune and faster. Further learning Continuously alternate between focus on purely physical practice and other things, like scales, tunes, and techniques. This will help you in Overcoming … Continued