fiddle

Fiddling with life and learning with the occasional dad joke thrown in…

 

 

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

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.  

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

Playing an online duet with Jong Madaliday

Super fun to play some back up fiddle with this amazing singer named @jongmadaliday from the Philippines who I found on TikTok 😻. I’m kind of a noob at this, so still totally amazed that with a little bit of effort I was able to collaborate with somebody on the other side of the planet. … Continued

Document Your Fiddle Journey

Does it seem like you’re not making any progress with the fiddle? Are you feeling frustrated? The key word here is “seem”. It may seem like you’re not improving, but how can you know for sure? Here’s one way to accurately measure progress: Make “video capsules” of your playing on a regular basis. This will … Continued

What did you have for dinner last night?

When learning something new, try this trick. Pause on that new or challenging thing and try to remember what you had for dinner last night. Really try to picture it. How much time did it take to prepare it? What time did you eat? When was the last time you had that meal? How did … Continued