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 ?).
Module 1: The Trill Is Not Gone
We’ll start by learning some tunes without variation. Learn or review at least three of the following:
Module 2: Tripping With Triplets
Learn or review at least two of the following:
Review tunes practice in Module 1, trills and melodic variation exercises.
Module 3: On The Jig Swing
Learn or review at least two of the following:
- Boys of Bluehill – basic
- Chief O’Neill’s Favorite – basic
- Rights of Man – basic
- Bird in the Bush – basic
Review tunes learned in Module 2, triplet exercises.
Module 4: Cutting The Rug With Cuts
Learn or review at least two of the following:
Review tunes learned in Module 3, jig swing exercises.
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
Learn at least one of the following:
Module 6: Mordents In Your Car
Learn at least one of the following:
Module 7: Sixteenth Note Duplets For Peace
Learn at least one of the following:
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
Learn at least one of the following:
Module 9: Further, Farther
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 ? ?
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.
17 responses to “Irish Fiddle Journeys – older Home page”
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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!
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.
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.
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?
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.
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!
Got access now, hooray! Improving already
Best wishes
Eleanor
Awesome! Sorry if it was much trouble…
Thanks jus t enjoyed the first module very much
Ah ha. This make “Rocky Road to Dublin” so much easier. It triplets.
I am liking the course so far too.
Well here we go!
Dive right in 🙂
This is a lot of fun!!!!
Good to hear that!