Connect with other beginning fiddlers

[jason kleinberg]

Hi Folks!

This forum is a place for you to connect with other beginning fiddlers.

Thanks for taking part…

Jason

[Mini_Moose]

HEY, thanks, Jason!

Well, here I am…. I’m a connecting kind of person who’s friendly and optimistic! My real name is Dina, and I live in Alaska and just begin playing August 2020.

How’s your practice, my fellow newbies? Mine is truly fantastic. I’m on Module 1.1 and just started working on Swall Tail Jig. I’d love to learn about anyone else who is also embarking on this Fiddle Adventure–where are you on your music journey? What type of music are you drawn to play? Please reach out especially if you’re like me and loving this course; I can gush all day long about how awesome Jason’s FiddleHed lessons are!
Kindest regards to all
-Dina

[Joey B]

Hello Dina, nice to meet you. I am six weeks into my Fiddling journey. I have been playing the banjo for a little over two years. Other than that, I have never really studied music or seriously played an instrument. I live in Missouri. My favorite music style on the fiddle is Celtic.

[Mini_Moose]

Hey Hey!! Thanks for the response! Me, too…. I’m about 2 months going.
Isn’t Jason totally the coolest?!! He’s put so much work and love in the lessons, and I look forward to his lessons.
So… is your name actually James Brown? AWESOME, if so. Anyway, nice to meet YOU! Sweet….banjo! That is such a fun instrument (not that I play)! I plunk on the piano often, which is fun to gain insight to scales and music theory. Also helps with developing an ear, but I haven’t worked too much towards many songs on it and am focused on the fiddle which is a total BLAST.
Isn’t Celtic fun?! Have you been to Ireland?? Are you working towards any Irish songs yet?
Oh, Missouri, I have a couple of co workers who are from Missouri. HUGE golfing folks! LOL.
Thanks again, James!

[Joey B]

My name is Joe Brown. My wife and I got to go to the UK last year. It was so much fun.
I am going to learn dargason tomorrow.

[Mini_Moose]

Awesome, Joe! Glad you guys went to the UK!
Fantastic, Joe!! I’ll have to check that tune out.

[Mini_Moose]

Hey, that looks like a cool song, Joe. I hadn’t seen that one. Well, you’ll certainly have it down for Christmas!

I feel like sometimes I’m going backwards in my progress at times even though I do practice every day (and enjoy it) for at least 20 minutes sometimes 2 – 3 hours. Does that ever appear to be the case for you? I’m better than Week one, for sure, though! 😊

However, I’m leaving for work for my 3 weeks tomorrow (I work in a very remote area that I fly in to) so I’ll only have 10 minutes max each session. It’s better than nothing!

[Joey B]

I hope to have that song sounding decent tomorrow. 🙂
Why do you only have ten minutes each day? It is cool you are taking it with you.

[Mini_Moose]

Oh, cool! That’s fantastic, Joe!

We work rather long days up at work (I work a rotational job 21 days home, 21 days at work), and I also lift weights which I actually chose as my priority but at least I can play something.

You know… actually, I can stretch it to 20 minutes…. I’ll just sleep faster!

Hey, do you have a wooden bow or a carbon fiber? I’m thinking of upgrading my bow using that FiddlerShop website. Any thoughts/suggestions?

[Joey B]

Sounds like a cool job.
I have two of the carbon fiber fiddlershop bows. I like them much better than the cheap ones that came with my fiddle.

[Mini_Moose]

Right on! Sweet. I have nice CF bow, too, which came with my fiddle. I stopped by the local violin shop in Anchorage before I came to work and received some excellent advice bows and how they really need to be fitted with the violin. It was a rather enlightening conversation.

Anyway, hope your practice is going well. I only got in a few minutes Wednesday and then 10 minutes today.

[Wendy V]

I’d love to hear more about how a bow Should be fit for an individual fiddle. I will probably want to upgrade soon. Thanks! Wendy

[Mini_Moose]

Heya Wendy! Dina here. Actually, I didn’t get the specifics on what goes into chosing the bow, but as beginners, more importantly they said to, of course, get the basics and jn a few yearz then worry about fitting bow. They said a violinist will come in a try out several bows which could be hours or days to hear how it sounds. Sometimes a bow will feel great in the hand, but not have the sound the player wants, or sound great but not have the same feel in the hand. It sounded like a very involved process. 😊🎶

[Wendy V]

ok, thanks! it’s interesting to learn all these things. It’s all new to me.

[Barbara Martin]

Hello there beginner fiddlers. Although nobody has posted in this group for ages and you are all probably a long way into your journey now. How are you all getting on? I have only just started on this course and am finding it very useful. I was having face to face lessons before COVID 19 stopped all of that, I had some ZOOM lessons with a teacher for a while too. I found that we were just working through a book and although it felt good to play tunes I was not really improving with playing by ear or learning any tunes by heart. It would be good to hear from you. I live in England.

[Owen]

Hey Barbara,

Yeah, this course is touted more as a journey, than as a book “to get thru.” Probably a good way to look at it. Sometimes everyone needs a journey to keep one “lively.” I took lessons for three months over 30 yrs. ago and dropped it as other things replaced that. Four years ago I saw the need, picked up my daughter’s violin and found Fiddlehed and started. Still feels like a journey and I’m having fun with and learning. Hope all is well over in England. I did some training for work in Denmead back in 1989 or so, and some of my English co-workers came to the States to visit and stayed with us while here. Be well.

[MoonShadows]

First time I have stumbled across this thread. I first picked up my fiddle 2 years ago this month, but still consider myself very much a beginner, as my practicing is very sporadic because of chronic shoulder problems. I may go weeks without playing. I used to find this very discouraging and I would really get down about it until I realized that was like looking at the glass as half empty. Now, when I can practice, I am grateful because the glass is half full, and I enjoy the times I can practice. I reckon I’ll most likely always be a “beginner”, but each time I pick up my fiddle, I learn some and have fun. Isn’t that what it is all about?

[Barbara Martin]

Hi there fellow fiddlers. I am wondering if you try to learn each tune by heart before moving on. I am finding Angeline the Baker is taking forever- maybe I need to find the words to the song so that I can sing it too. I really didn’t like the tune to start with but it is growing on me now! How are you doing withthings like making sure that you are holding your bow correctly- I think that Jason could do a few videos on some of those things interspersed with lessons as a check up.

[MoonShadows]

Singing the words can be a big help in learning a tune. I learn some songs by heart and then move on. Some I learn some of and come back to. Usually, what ever I feel like doing. No rules about this. Then, there are those I forget and have to come back to!

[Tom]

I agree with MoonShadows… The tunes I really like are easy to learn and memorize. Once memorized, they are easier to improve on as I can concentrate on technique and form without having to glance at the music while I play. Lyrics can make it easier, but if I really like a tune, I find myself humming it throughout the day while learning it, which again makes it easier to memorize.

If I don’t really fall in love with a tune, I rarely can memorize it fully (unless it’s really simple), and hence, never get my best at it.

[Kvmceff]

Excellent points. I had a piano teacher in college who had the same idea. First you memorize the piece and then you learn to play it and make it your own.

[MoonShadows]

LOL, Tom. I have been humming (and playing) Shenandoah for the past few days since Jason posted his lesson. I also agree, I have to really like a tune, and that makes it easier to learn and memorize.

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