Art of Fiddling

• Simple Rhythms And Bowings
• Lesson: Rhythmic Scale Variation I
• Syncopated Scales 
• Syncopated Riffs
• Rhythm Workshop
• Fiddling With Rhythm Loops
• Offbeat Accent Patterns
• 3 + 3 + 2 Rhythm

Here’s a mini-course on sliding the left-hand fingers.

Preparation for sliding:

• Chromatic Scale – Practice Tips
• Chromatic Scale Exercises
• The Chromatic Scale Will Help You Slide

Here are the sliding lessons:

• [SLF: 1] Introduction To Sliding On The Fiddle
• [SLF: 2] Adding Slides to Tune Phrases
• [SLF: 3] Downward Slides
• [SLF: 4] Super-Fun Sliding Exercises

 

Melodic scale variation is the addition of little patterns to scales. This will better your technique, allow you to learn tunes more easily and give you ideas for improvisation. If you practice melodic variation, you’ll start to hear the scale in the tune.

• Melodic Scale Variation 1: 1-2-3 pattern
• Melodic Scale Variation 2: 1-2-3 pattern variations
• Melodic Scale Variation 3: 1-3 pattern
• Melodic Scale Variation 4: 1-3 pattern variations
• Melodic Scale Variation 5: 1-2-3-1 pattern
• Melodic Scale Variation 6: Pentatonic patterns
• Melodic Variation Workshop

Tunes for melodic variation practice

• Kesh Jig
• Whiskey Before Breakfast
• Blackberry Blossom
• Arkansas Traveller
• Melodic Variation On Tunes

• Vibrato 1: Overview, Basic Hand Motion, Chromatic Shifting
• Vibrato 2: Micro-sliding into vibrato
• Vibrato 3: Slow vibrato pulsing
• Vibrato 4: Applying vibrato to 1st & 2nd fingers in tunes
• Vibrato 5: Vibrato on third and fourth fingers
• Vibrato 6: Apply vibrato to 3rd & 4th fingers in tunes

My basic fiddlosophy on adding variation to music

Adding Variation To Fiddle Tunes

Mary Had A Little Lamb variation series

• Mary Had A Little Lamb – Basic
• Mary Had A Little Lamb – Hoedown variation 1
• Mary Had A Little Lamb – Hoedown variation 2 
• Mary Had A Little Lamb – Melodic variation 1
• Mary Had A Little Lamb – Triplet variation
• Mary Had A Little Lamb – Cuts Variation
• Mary Had A Little Lamb – Rolls Variation
• Mary Had A Little Lamb – Figure 8 Bowing

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Twinkle, Twinkle Little Star

variation series

• Twinkle, Twinkle Little Star
• Fiddle Fiddle Little Star – hoedown variation
• Twinkle, Twinkle, Little Star – melodic variation
• Twinkle, Twinkle, Little Star – sawmill Tuning

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Kerry Polka

variation series

• Kerry Polka – basic
• Kerry Polka – adding double stops
• Kerry Polka – backup chords
• Kerry Polka – adding Irish variation

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Practice journeys

• 15 Ways To Practice Sail Away Ladies
• 17 Ways To Practice Jenny Lynn

To dive deeper into adding variation, take lessons in these courses:

Irish Fiddle Journeys

Appalachian Fiddle Journeys

Shifting Up The Neck Workshop

• [OBS: 1] Orange Blossom Special
• [OBS: 2] Adding advanced fingering to the basic pattern
• [OBS: 3] Learning and practicing the chords
• [OBS: 4] Putting together the A part
• [OBS: 5] Learning the B part

 

Here’s lessons to help you play on songs. Learn strategies and techniques to help you play on songs with others.

• How To Play On Songs Workshop 1: The Foundation
• How To Play On Songs Workshop 2: Parts, Fills, Solos
• How To Sing And Play Backup Lesson
• How To Sing And Play Fiddle Backup On Your Song
• Playing Fiddle Backup On Girls Just Want To Have Fun
• Mandolin For Fiddlers

You can also learn to play chord backup on fiddle as sing. See this page of lessons if you want to go further with chord backup: Chord Backup Central

Pentatonic scales

Pentatonic scales unlock the power of variation

• Major Pentatonic Scales | FiddleHed
• Minor Pentatonic Scales | FiddleHed
• Minor Pentatonic Scales Workshop

Improvisation workshops

• Play Every Day Workshop 1: Improv-practice
• Play Every Day Workshop 5: Improv Playground
• Improvisation Workshop

Practicing Call-and-response is a form of improvisation.

Melodic Variation is a form of improvisation. See the tab above for lesson links.