music practice

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

 

 

6 Ways To Get A Better Sound With The Bow

Do you struggle with getting a good sound on the fiddle? Are you unsure of how much pressure to use? Do you want a smoother bow sound? If so, take heart. You’re not the only one. In this lesson I’ll show you some ways to improve your sound on a daily basis. If you do this, … Continued

6 Tips For A Better Bow Hold 

Do you struggle with holding the bow correctly? Do you find it slips out of your hand? Does it feel awkward? If so, take heart. You’re not the only one. You can improve this a little every day with focused practice. This lesson is for beginners, but also for intermediate fiddlers who are uncertain about … Continued

How To Use Strum Machine As A Metronome

A lot of my students want to improve their timing and play faster. But when I suggest using a metronome their eyes glaze over. It just doesn’t seem like fun. I get it. I believe that learning and practice can be fun for a student. And that they can make real progress as they have … Continued

The Magical Practice of Bowing On Open Strings

Playing on the open strings is your magical amulet for more fun and productive sessions. Do this at the start, middle and end of a practice period. It’s a way for the mind and body to relax and reset. This practice is for everyone, beginner to expert. Start with open strings Play an open string G. … Continued

Seven Ways To Play Faster On The Fiddle

Here’s a question I hear all the time: “How do I play faster?” It may take time to ramp up your speed, but you can do it. Go into this with the right mindset: work at your edge. Don’t worry if you can’t play something as fast as Mark O’Connor. At the same time, if … Continued

Make A Tempo Sandwich 🥪

A good rule of thumb is to play everything at a medium speed, then a slow speed, then your fastest speed and then ending on a medium speed. An easy way to remember this is that you make a Tempo Sandwich. We begin and end with easier medium speeds and then the meat of our … Continued

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

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