Fiddlosophy

Fiddling With Pink Moon

Here’s a fiddle version of “Pink Moon” by Nick Drake. Liner notes On the surface it sounds like a simple folk song. But both the guitar strum pattern and the vocal line are super syncopated. I listened to the song before and during practice sessions. Here’s the original… I tapped out the rhythm with hands on … Continued

Fiddle Goals For 2024

Are you someone who benefits from having a goal? Or do goals make you anxious? I suggest three goals that I think you and all my students can achieve. No matter what your skill level is. Three Goals For 2024 Play Every Day Practice Well Good Mindset If you think about it, these are just … Continued

Chaining And Chunking

Here are two practice strategies that feel like games. I use them every time I play. You can Chain together single notes to form musical chunks. Then loop the chunks. That’s how I teach tunes in the live workshops: But you can also take a top-down approach. Take a tune or skill, and break into … Continued

Practice Blocks

Pick a song and a skill, and then practice in 25-minute blocks with intention. Strategy Pick a strategy to guide your session. Use this card for a week to understand how it works. For example: Chaining Plan-Do-Reflect Play Slowly Loop Fiddling With Micro-Motions Song | ⏱️10m Learn a song you like. Discover what’s challenging about … Continued

Things I’m Grateful For – November 2023

‘Tis the week before Thanksgiving, maybe my favorite holiday. So much so that I try to celebrate it every day in a small way. I make a short list of things I’m grateful for. So today I’m going to share a typical daily gratitude list with you. I invite you to leave a comment below … Continued

Swallowtail Blues

Did you know that you can take an Irish tune like Swallowtail Jig and turn it into a blues song? I played it with a 4/4 beat (1-2-3-4) instead of a jig beat (1-2-3-4-5-6).  And instead of a heavy triplet feel, I played with a swing feel. I also added a lot of slowwwww slides … Continued

Guided Practice Session – Hesitation Blues

Here’s a guided practice session on how to take recently learned tunes to the next level. I used ​Hesitation Blues​ as an example. This is an experimental format: part lesson, part open practice session. Some of the practice suggestions: Play a single note, focus on breath, posture, good sound. Plan-do-reflect for different hard parts of … Continued

How To Play Chord Backup On Fiddle And Violin

Overview Did you know that you can play chord backup on the fiddle and violin? This is a role normally played by the guitar, mandolin or piano. But you can do it on fiddle with two-note double stops chords. Why learn chord backup? Knowing how to play chord backup will help you to play with … Continued

Should I memorize scales?

A student asked, “Should I memorize scales?” The short answer is “yes.” 🎶 First things first: Start by memorizing a single-octave D Major scale: D0-1-2-3-A0-1-2-3 Practice it with a D Drone: Now, the cool thing is once you’ve got D Major down, you also know… G Major: G0-1-2-3-D0-1-2-3 And A Major: A0-1-2-3-E0-1-2-3 🤔 So, why … Continued