Folk music

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

 

 

Alternate between listening and playing

Here’s a simple but extremely powerful practice strategy to develop your ear and improve your technique. Take a small piece of music, and then alternate between listening and playing that piece. If possible, do it continuously in a loop. This practice is training you to listen constantly stop and listen. Do your best to make … Continued

Alternate between a tune and its scale

Here’s a simple yet powerful practice technique: Alternate between a tune and its scale. If you’re practicing Arkansas Traveller, alternate between playing the tune and the D Major scale. Use a D drone to help with tuning and to make the practice more fun. Also alternate between playing small phrases from the tune and the … 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

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

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

Figure 8 Bowing on Mary Had A Little Lamb

I’ve been practicing the figure 8 bowing, trying it out on simple things like Mary Had a Little Lamb. In the last office hours livestream I talked about it some. Later this year, I’d might  create a full lesson with exercises if you are interested. Let me know in a comment below…     View … Continued