Fiddlosophy

Kerfunken Fiddle Raga

Here’s a fiddle raga performance of Kerfunken Jig. If you like this track and you can download and listen to it while you walk the dog:  What is a “fiddle raga”? It’s an improvisation based around a fiddle melody accompanied by a “drone”. What is a raga? Super-simple answer: it’s an Indian musical form in … Continued

Kerfunken Jig Basic and Variation – Performance

Here’s a short performance of an Irish tune called Kerfunken Jig. I play a very simple version and then play two variation versions. This first variation adds cuts, the second adds rolls. Both variations are taught in the Irish Fiddle Variation course. Click the arrow if you’d like to download and listen on your device while … Continued

Play It Casual

What do you do when you realize you’re struggling? Do you keep pounding away at that challenging thing? Or do you change your approach? In this post, I suggest a practice called “Play it casual” which will help you to let go of mental obstacles so you can focus on the task at hand: learning and … Continued

New lesson added: Fortnite Dance “Best Mates”

Here is a lesson on how to play the melody for a Fortnite dance called Best Mates” on violin and fiddle. This is a catchy tune, maybe a bit too catchy! Don’t listen to it before bed. Click here to go to the lesson page.

Lilting Banshee – basic and variation

Here’s a short performance of an Irish jig called Lilting Banshee. I play a very simple version and then play a version with some variation added.  By listening to a basic tune and its variation, you’ll get ideas on how the process of adding variation works.  Lilting Banshee – Basic Lilting Banshee – Variation Lesson … Continued

Speak With Your Fiddle

Do you ever find that you feel tense when trying to learn something difficult? Maybe you’re practicing the hardest part of a tune, but it’s not sounding the way you you think it should. The tension you feel actually makes it harder to achieve that very goal you are trying to achieve with practice. Letting … Continued

Simple/complex/simple

The FiddleHed lessons are taught in a style I call “Incremental Learning”. We learn small pieces of things and then put them together into bigger pieces. It’s like putting together a jigsaw puzzle. And as we learn we try to work right at our edge. This means we practice something that is challenging enough for … Continued

20-minute scale practice

I just published the 20-minute scale practice routine. You can use this in conjunction with other routines, or simply as a warm-up before playing in any situation. I’m in the process of making different routines which each focus on particular aspects of playing. Here are some others: 30-minute tune practice 30-minute tune practice: Kerfunken Jig … Continued

Miss Monaghan’s Reel – basic version and variation

Here’s a short performance of an Irish tune called Miss Monaghan’s Reel. I play a very simple version and then play a version with some variation added. For your listening pleasure, I’m giving away an mp3:  I also made step-by-step lessons on how to play each version. These tunes are taught through looping play-along tracks, … Continued

Fortnite Dance – Step It Up

Here’s a lesson on how to play the Fortnite dance Step It Up, which is actually just the B part to Swallowtail Jig. This is another example of the great folk process, in which older melodies are re-introduced in new settings that reflect the culture of the times.