Thanks for your interest in the Irish Fiddling. To start enjoying these lessons, you’ll need to either sign up for a subscription to the Irish Fiddle Journeys course, or you’ll need to sign up for an Ultimate Subscription.
Follow the links to learn more about each option. But in a nutshell, a subscription to the Irish Fiddle Variation course will give you lifetime access to these lessons, but you won’t be able to view most of the other lessons on the site.
An Ultimate Subscription gives you access to EVERYTHING on the site, including the IFV course, but it’s only for one year.
In this course, I will systematically show you how to add Irish variation to the tunes you love. But you’ll learn an even deeper musical skill: creativity.
For an overview of the philosophy and strategy of learning to add variation take the following course:
Below is a suggested order for you to take the lessons in this course. It’s organized in “mini-modules” so that you move from easier to more challenging lessons.
Don’t worry about completing every item. The important thing is for you to practice consistently and with great attention to what you are doing.
Before embarking on adding variation to Irish tunes, I recommend that you make sure you’re confident with more basic techniques. This is a long list, so only do what you need to do. If you don’t rush into more advanced things you increase your chances of succeeding with small victories.
Review and practice the following left-hand techniques:
Low second finger
Triads
Fourth finger
Review and practice the following bowing techniques:
Slur Two-Separate Two
G Major Scale Two Octaves
Slur Across Strings
Fingering And String Crossing
Double Stops
Review all the Irish tunes that you love (or at least like ?).
That’s all for now. Each year the course will be updated with new tunes as well as more technique lessons. Thanks for fiddling with me ? ?
Irish Variation technique lessons
This is a progressive series of lessons, starting with easier variations like jig swing and moving towards more challenging variations like rolls. We’ll start by practicing each technique very slowly and then gradually speeding up.
Here is a quick way for you to access the essential practice tools you need. Under each tab you'll find play-along tracks, tabs and condensed teachings to help you as you practice. This is an evolving idea, so let me know in a comment below if it could be better.
Here's a newer version of the Notefinder which is based on sheet music. If you're interested in learning to read, this will be an invaluable reference. I'll be posting lessons on this in 2020.
Note: the brackets indicate notes that are the same pitch but spelled differently. For example, AH3 (D#) sounds the same as AL4 (Eb). Without going into too much teory detail here, this will be determined by the key of the tune or piece you are playing.
Notefinder table
Here's he original table version of the Notefinder. Sometimes people learn in different ways...
Sawmill tuning Notefinder
This is used to find notes in Sawmill tuning (when the G string is tuned up to A and the D string is tuned up to E). If you're a beginner...best to ignore this! Learn more about sawmill tuning in the Appalachian Fiddle course.
Here are some common scales used in fiddle tunes. Each runs through a series of variations: two bows legato, two bows staccato, four bows, tucka (4 shorts, two longs), hoedown (1 long, two shorts), throwaway bow, triplets, tremolo.
D Major
G Major, starting on D3
A Major
D Dorian
A Dorian
Practice a tune with its scale (Kerry Polka is in G major, so practice a G major scale). Practice scales before, during and after practicing tunes.
Always return to a good sound, even if it means playing quarter notes on the D string. You can do this! You just have to remember to pause on practicing the challenging thing and just get a good sound on single notes.
Why do this? Because it will bring you deep joy. And it will build your confidence which will inspire further practice.
Here are a few technical reminders to remember as you practice.
Posture reminders
Curve left-hand and right-hand fingers.
Bend right thumb.
Bend right arm and wrist.
Use minimal energy.
Left-hand fingers land on tips, not pads. This makes for more precise playing.
Bowing tips
Take time to focus on bowing during each practice session.
Get the best possible sound on single notes using long bows, throwaway bow, rhythms. Even just a few minutes of this will drastically improve your sound.
Use less bow.
This is a rule of thumb for fiddle tunes, especially for when things are difficult.
Continue to practice long bows. This will improve your overall sound.
Play in the middle of the bow. This is the sweet spot.
Use no extra energy or force for double stops.
It's more a matter of getting the bow perfectly balanced between the two strings.
Again, playing with less bow will help with this.
Left-hand fingering tips
Keep fingers down when possible.
For example, if you are rapidly playing D1-2, it is easier if you keep D1 down while fingering D2.
Practice this on scales.
Practice Little Lift
Don't lift left-hand fingers too high. Let them just hover above the string.
This allows you to play faster, better in tune and with more ease.
If you notice you are tense and not breathing evenly, simply pause on what you're currently practicing and play a single note. Make it sound nice. See if your body is more relaxed now.
If you can play a single note with a relaxed body, then try more complex things: 2-note intervals, scales, simple tune phrases, whole tunes.
Keep returning to single notes as a way to center yourself, relax and enjoy the process.
Little pauses
If you find that sound is sloppy, try adding a little pause in between the notes. This gives your fingers time to find the next note. This is especially helpful with string crossing.
Is Irish Fiddle music appropriate for a person who’s been playing only a year? I consider myself an intermediate in many ways, but I still review beginner techniques. I got the CD Portland and I am in love with Irish Fiddle Music!!!!!!
Becky
The Irish Fiddle Variations is a intermediate-advanced course. But perhaps the next step for you is to get comfortable with the basics before delving into more challenges. But do whatever you’re comfortable with!
Thanks for the lesson on Kerfunken cuts. I could not see a comments section there, so I’m writing here. When I clicked on the full play along track I only got the A part repeated. Would love to have the full track. Thanks Jason.
Please check my connection. I may not be seeing the updates. The material above has not changed for a while. Just want to be sure I am seeing the Irish updates. Thanks steve
I’m very excited by this! The reason I started playing my grandpas fiddle was because of fisherman blues. That and sweet thing are two of my all time favorite songs!
This is a lot of fun!!!!
Good to hear that!
Well here we go!
Dive right in 🙂
I am liking the course so far too.
Ah ha. This make “Rocky Road to Dublin” so much easier. It triplets.
Thanks jus t enjoyed the first module very much
Got access now, hooray! Improving already
Best wishes
Eleanor
Awesome! Sorry if it was much trouble…
Is Irish Fiddle music appropriate for a person who’s been playing only a year? I consider myself an intermediate in many ways, but I still review beginner techniques. I got the CD Portland and I am in love with Irish Fiddle Music!!!!!!
Becky
The Irish Fiddle Variations is a intermediate-advanced course. But perhaps the next step for you is to get comfortable with the basics before delving into more challenges. But do whatever you’re comfortable with!
Thank you for this course, I’m enjoying it! It’s fun to learn new Irish tunes and also have new ways to practice and learn.
Hey Jason– love your lessons. But it seems that the full Kerfunken Jig play along track (with cuts) only contains the first quarter of the song?
Thanks for the lesson on Kerfunken cuts. I could not see a comments section there, so I’m writing here. When I clicked on the full play along track I only got the A part repeated. Would love to have the full track. Thanks Jason.
Please check my connection. I may not be seeing the updates. The material above has not changed for a while. Just want to be sure I am seeing the Irish updates. Thanks steve
Hey Steve,
Did you get an email last week?
A bunch of new irish stuff posted last week and this week.
I’m very excited by this! The reason I started playing my grandpas fiddle was because of fisherman blues. That and sweet thing are two of my all time favorite songs!