Fiddlosophy

A blog about music, practice and life with the occasional dad joke thrown in…

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Sawmill Tuning Questions

How do you know the correct note in sawmill tuning? A FiddleHed named Lizzy wrote in asking, “How do you know when you have the correct sound/note for sawmill tuning? I usually use a guitar tuner for tuning.” Thanks for that question. You can still use your electronic tuner. All notes on the A and … Continued

Can you do too many double stops?

A FiddleHed named John wrote to me asking, “Can you do too many double stops?”  I would answer with another question. Do you like the way it sounds with lots of double stops? If you love it, then keep it!    Keep in mind that the melody is not quite as clear when you add double … Continued

How To Overcome Stage Fright 😳

A FiddleHed named Sue wrote me asking about how to overcome stage fright. Like anything else, this is something you can practice. Here are some tips… Be prepared Learn the music as well as you can before performing. Practice audiation, hearing it in your head and visualizing yourself playing the tune. Warm up before you perform. … Continued

Listen As You Play

When you’re a beginning music student, it’s hard enough to learn the instrument, let alone play with other people. I remember when my first violin teacher would play piano accompaniment to whatever beginner piece I was learning, I struggled to hear what she was doing and what I was doing. And when I first played … Continued

Overcoming Fiddle Demons

It’s almost Halloween, a strange holiday when we get to try on different identities. By dressing up as demons, ghosts, zombies and other monsters, we explore the dark side of our personality: fear of death, doubts and self-loathing. Are these monsters real? Do they actually exist? I can’t say for sure. I’ve never seen a … Continued