Irish Fiddle Journeys – older Home page

Hey there!

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.

Got a question? Just drop me a line: [email protected].

Welcome to the Irish Fiddle variation course!

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:

Irish Fiddle Variation – overview

Click below for a simple listing of the lessons in this course by technique and tune type.

Index of Irish fiddle lessons

Progressive course outline

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 ?).

Interlude 1: Renew With Review

Take some time to strengthen things you’ve recently learned. Learn more about his process: Renew With Review.

• Review tunes learned in modules 1-4. Also, review any other Irish tunes you know.
• Review all technique exercises: triplets, jig swing, trills, melodic variation.

This can be done in one or two practice sessions. What do you need to go over? Just be honest with yourself.

Module 5: The Grace Is Greener

• Grace Notes variation – lesson
  • Grace Note Exercises
  • Melodic Scale Variation Exercises V

Learn at least one of the following:

• Kerry Polka – Adding Double Stops
• Miss McCleod’s – variation
• Kesh Jig – variation 

Module 6: Mordents In Your Car

• Mordents variation – lesson
  • Mordents Exercises

• Kerry Polka – variation

Learn at least one of the following:

• Lilting Banshee – variation
• Rolling Waves – variation 

Module 7: Sixteenth Note Duplets For Peace

• 16th Note Duplets variation – lesson
  • 16th Note Duplet Exercises

Learn at least one of the following:

• Chief O’Neill’s Favorite – variation
• Rights of Man – variation 
• The Butterfly – variation

Interlude 2: Like Deja Vu All Over Again

Review tunes learned in modules 5-7.

Review all technique exercises: triplets, jig swing, trills, melodic variation.

This can be done in one or two practice sessions. What do you need to go over? Just be honest with yourself.

Module 8: Roll With It

• Rolls variation – lesson
  • Rolls Exercises

• Mary Had A Little Lamb – rolls variation 
• Kerfunken jig – rolls variation
• Wassail – variation 

Learn at least one of the following:

• The Banshee – variation
• Clare Reel – variation
• Miss Monaghan’s Reel – variation 

Module 9: Further, Farther

• Melodic Variation On Tunes 
  • Melodic Variation On Tunes – exercises 
• Lilting Banshee – Jig to Polka! 

Learn at least one of the following:

• Tam Lin – variation
• Foxhunter’s slip jig – variation
• Hector the Hero – variation
• Planxty Irwin – variation

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  ? ?