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.
Bluegrass fiddle
Fiddling with life and learning with the occasional dad joke thrown in…
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
Leverage
A FiddleHed named Bob wrote to say that after playing banjo for seven years, he became fascinated with what his fiddler pals were doing. “How on earth can those fiddle players do that?” he asked himself. “I decided I’d give it a try.” Hats off to you Bob! Though I haven’t learned banjo, I have studied … Continued
Play Every Thing Twice
A good rule of thumb is to play everything at least twice on the fiddle: scales, exercises, melodic phrases, and full tunes. Notice what happens the second time through Do your hands relax a bit? Can you listen more closely to what you’re playing? Does the mind relax? Can you move from thinking to playing? … Continued