Intermediate Fiddle Lessons

🚀 Get ready for an incredible adventure in fiddle module 2.1! Master skills like 🖐️ Introduction to the Fourth Finger, practice 🔄 transposed tunes, and work on your timing. Apply your 🆕 techniques with tunes like Hobart’s Transformation, Ballydesmond Polka – Upper Octave, and The Butterfly, while enjoying practice strategies and workshops along the way.

Go to Module 2.1

Week 1

• Lesson: Introduction to the Fourth Finger
• Video capsule tune*: Hobart’s Transformation
• Practice Strategy: Mix Up Your Music Practice With Interleaving

*Make a video of this tune or another core tune after you learn it. Make a second video 2-3 weeks later to see how it’s improved and what still needs work. Be kind to yourself.

Week 2

• Practice: Transposed Tunes With Fourth Finger
• Tune: Ballydesmond Polka – Upper Octave
• Workshop: How To Improve Your Timing
• Lesson: Separate One-Slur Three Bowing

Week 3

• Tune: The Butterfly
• Practice: Separate One-Slur Three Bowing in Tunes
• Practice: Call-and-response Exercises 2.1
• Review Set 2.1

Prepare for an amazing journey in fiddle module 2.2! Enhance your skills with 🤏 Fingering and String Crossing 1, 🌉 Slur Across Strings, and Bouncing The Bow. Apply your 🆕 techniques to tunes like Harvest Home, Kesh Jig, and Bill Cheatham, while enjoying practice strategies, video capsule tunes, and more.

Go to Module 2.2

Week 1

• Practice: Fingering and String Crossing 1
• Video capsule tune*: Harvest Home
• Practice: Fourth Finger Exercises 2

*Make a video of this tune or another core tune after you learn it. Make a second video 2-3 weeks later to see how it’s improved and what still needs work. Be kind to yourself.

Week 2

• Technique: Slur Across Strings
• Tune: Kesh Jig
• Technique: Bouncing The Bow
• Technique: Smiling Bows 🙂

Week 3

• Practice: Bouncing The Bow – Intermediate Exercises
• Tune: Bill Cheatham
• Practice: Call-and-response Exercises 2.2
• Review Set 2.2

🎻🎉 Get ready for an amazing adventure in Module 2.3! Hone your skills with 🎶 Double Stops on various string pairs, ✌️ Fourth Finger Exercises, and Fingering and String Crossing. Apply your 🆕 techniques to tunes like Saint Anne’s Reel, Danny Boy, and Flop Eared Mule, while enjoying practice strategies, video capsules, and the Bird’s-eye Review Set.

Go to Module 2.3

Week 1

• Technique: Double Stops 1 – D and A strings
• Video capsule tune*: Saint Anne’s Reel
• Practice Strategy: Audiation

*Make a video of this tune or another core tune after you learn it. Make a second video 2-3 weeks later to see how it’s improved and what still needs work. Be kind to yourself.

Week 2

• Technique: Double Stops 1.1 – G and D strings
• Practice: Fourth Finger Exercises III
• Tune: Danny Boy
• Practice: Fingering and String Crossing Exercises II

Week 3

• Technique: Double Stops 1 – A and E strings
• Tune: Flop Eared Mule – Basic 
• Practice: Call-and-response Exercises 2.3
• Bird’s-eye Review Set 2.3 🐦

🎻🤩 Welcome to Module 2.4! This time, you’ll master the 📏 Low First Finger technique and the F Major Scale, with tunes like Southwind and Foggy Dew. Discover 🌟 Double Stops II and get ready to back up your playing with Super Easy Chord Backup. Complete your learning with call-and-response exercises and a review set for the grand finale!

Go to Module 2.4

Week 1

• Technique: Low First Finger and F Major Scale
• Video capsule tune*: Southwind
• Practice: F Major Scale Variations

*Make a video of this tune or another core tune after you learn it. Make a second video 2-3 weeks later to see how it’s improved and what still needs work. Be kind to yourself.

Week 2

• Practice: Tunes Transposed to F Major
• Tune: Foggy Dew
• Technique: Double Stops II

Week 3

• Tune: Give the Fiddler a Dram
• Technique: Super Easy Chord Backup
• Practice: Call-and-response Exercises 2.4
• Review Set 2.4

🎉🎻 Welcome to Module 2.5! Get ready to dive into advanced techniques with 🌈 Double Stops III and Major Pentatonic Scales. You’ll also learn the I-IV-V Chord Progressions and practice tunes like Soldier’s Joy (Intermediate version), Irish Washerwoman, and Blackberry Blossom. Wrap up your learning with call-and-response exercises and a 🎯 review set. Go fiddle with it!

Go to Module 2.5

Week 1

• Technique: Double Stops III
• Video capsule tune*: Soldier’s Joy – Intermediate
• Technique: Major Pentatonic Scales

*Make a video of this tune or another core tune after you learn it. Make a second video 2-3 weeks later to see how it’s improved and what still needs work. Share your progress with the FiddleHed community by posting to the Student Video Exchange.

Week 2

• Technique: Introduction to the I-IV-V Chord Progressions
• Practice: Fingering And String Crossing 3
• Tune: Irish Washerwoman

Week 3

• Practice: F Major And B Flat Major Scale Variations
• Tune: Blackberry Blossom
• Practice: Call-and-response Exercises 2.5
• Review Set 2.5

🎻🤗 Get ready for Module 2.6! You’ll master techniques like Low 4th Finger and Slur Eight. Boost your skills with tunes like Lucy Farr’s, House of the Rising Sun, and Done Gone 🎶, as well as practice chord backup with various songs. Finish strong with a 💪 call-and-response exercise and a comprehensive review set. Time to get yer fiddle on!

Go to Module 2.6 

Week 1

• Technique: Low 4th Finger
• Video capsule tune*: Lucy Farr’s
• Practice: Bile ’em Cabbage Down – Chord Backup

*Make a video of this tune or another core tune after you learn it. Make a second video 2-3 weeks later to see how it’s improved and what still needs work. Share your progress with the FiddleHed community by posting to the Student Video Exchange.

Week 2

• Practice: B Flat Major Scale (Upper Octave) Exercises
• Tune: House of the Rising Sun
• Practice: Tunes Transposed with Low Fourth Finger
• Practice: Kerry Polka – Chord Backup

Week 3

• Technique: Slur Eight
• Tune: Done Gone
• Practice: Louis Louis (And Seven Other songs!) – Chord Backup
• Practice: Call-and-response Exercise 2.6
• Review: Bird’s-eye Review Set 2.6 🐦

🎻🎉 Welcome to Module 2.7! You’ll dive into new techniques like Droning Double Stop Scale and Minor Triads. Enjoy playing tunes such as Rights of Man, Kerry Polka, Hava Negilah, and more 🎶, while adding double stops for extra flair! Wrap up the module with 🔄 call-and-response exercises and a thorough review set. Happy fiddling!

Go to Module 2.7 

Week 1

• Technique: Droning Double Stop Scale
• Video capsule tune*: Rights of Man
• Technique: Minor Triads

Week 2

• Tune: Kerry Polka – Adding Double Stops
• Tune: Hava Negilah
• Technique: Double Stops 4
• Tune: Oh Susannah – Adding Double Stops

Week 3

• Practice: Fingering And String Crossing 4
• Tune: Kesh Jig – Adding Double Stops
• Practice: Call-and-response Exercices 2.7
• Review Set 2.7

*Make a video of this tune or another core tune after you learn it. Make a second video 2-3 weeks later to see how it’s improved and what still needs work. Be kind to yourself.

🎻🌟 Welcome to Module 2.8! Master the Raised Third Finger and explore the A Major scale in the lower octave 📈. Have a blast playing tunes like Ashokan Farewell, Cotton-Eyed Joe, and Wagon Wheel 🎶. Finish the module strong with fingering and string crossing practice, call-and-response exercises, and a thorough review set. Let’s fiddle around!

Go to Module 2.8

Week 1

• Technique: Raised Third Finger
• Video capsule tune*: Ashokan Farewell
• Technique: A Major (Lower Octave) 

*Make a video of this tune or another core tune after you learn it. Make a second video 2-3 weeks later to see how it’s improved and what still needs work. Be kind to yourself.

Week 2

• Practice: Tunes Transposed to A Major Lower Octave
• Tune: Cotton-Eyed Joe
• Technique: Double Stops 5

Week 3

• Tune: Wagon Wheel – 1st break
• Practice: Fingering And String Crossing 5
• Practice: Call-and-response Exercises 2.8
• Review Set 2.8

🌈 Welcome to Module 2.9! Embrace the colorful world of the chromatic scale, practicing it on the D, A, G, and E strings 🎵. Enjoy learning tunes like Coleraine, Peacock Rag, and Lonesome Fiddle Blues 🎉. Reinforce your skills with syncopated scales and riffs, chord building, fiddle chord voicing, and call-and-response exercises before wrapping up with a comprehensive review set. Keep shining!

Go to Module 2.9

Week 1

• Technique: Chromatic Scale on D
• Video capsule tune*: Coleraine
• Practice: Syncopated Scales
• Practice strategy: Chromatic Scale – Practice Tips

Week 2

• Technique: Chromatic Scale on A
• Practice: Syncopated Riffs
• Tune: Peacock Rag

Week 3

• Technique: Chromatic Scale on G
• Practice: Fourth Finger Double Stops
• Lesson: How To Build Chords From Triads
• Tune: Lonesome Fiddle Blues

Week 4

• Technique: Chromatic Scale on E
• Practice: Fiddle Chord Voicing
• Practice: Call-and-response Exercises 2.9
• Bird’s-eye Review Set 2.9 🐦

Never stop learning

This is the final module in the Intermediate course. You may be wondering, “What should I learn after I finish this module?”

The great thing about about learning music is that you never run out of new things to learn and study. FiddleHed is an ever-expanding source of lessons on challenging tunes and techniques.

Learn more here: Advanced Fiddling