Guided Practice Sessions

These are full-length guided workshops (50+ minutes), originally taught live on Zoom and now upgraded with added content.

Each session is a focused journey into a theme—like backing up chords, adding embellishments, or learning a tune by ear.

They’re designed to help you connect the dots between skills, strategies, and songs.

You’ll get:

• A play-along video

• Practice outline

• Sheet music & audio tracks

• Tips, reflections, and challenges

Each journey has a module number to give you a rough idea of the skill level.

Just hit play and practice with me for fifty focused minutes. 🤓

Perfect for a weekend session or anytime you want to go deep and level up.

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Recent Workshops

Melodius Double Stops Workshop

I’m So Lonesome I Could Cry – Jam Workshop

Mastering I, ii, IV, V, vi Chords Workshop

I-IV-V Chord Progression Workshop

Learning Tunes By Ear

In these workshops you’ll learn tunes through call-and-response. There’s sheet music in case you don’t get the whole thing by ear. This is fun and challenging.

Cine Citta – Learn A New Song Workshop (2.1)

Dawning Of The Day (Level 1.3)

Down By The Sally Gardens (Level: 1.5)

Don’t Think Twice It’s Alright – Workshop (Level 2.5)

Faded Love (Level 2.1)

Folsom Prison Blues / Chord Backup Workshop (Level 2.5)

Garry Owen (Level 1.4)

The Godfather Theme (2.9)

God Rest Ye Merry Gentlemen Workshop (1.7)

Hava Negilah Workshop (Level 2.4)

Hesitation Blues (Level 1.8)

Irish Rover – Learn A New Song Workshop (1.4)

Irish Rover – Improve A Song Workshop (1.4)

It Came Upon A Midnight Clear (2.6)

Kitchen Girl (2.1)

Last Of The Mohicans Theme (Level 1.8)

Last Of The Mohicans – Improve A New Song Workshop (1.8)

Oh Come All Ye Faithful (Level 1.5)

Old Grey Cat (2.1)

Roll In My Sweet Baby’s Arms (1.9)

Rolling Waves Workshop (Level 1.8)

Rubber Dolly (1.4)

Simple Gifts Fiddle Meditation (Level 1.8)

Sludge River Stomp (2.7)

Spanish Ladies (2.4)

Squirrel Hunter (1.9)

Zollie’s Retreat Workshop (1.10)

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Skill Workshops

3 + 3 + 2 Rhythm (2.2)

Adding Double Stops To Tunes (Level 2.5)

Blues Fiddle Workshop (2.6)

Chord Backup Workshop 1: Introduction (2.5)

Chord Backup Workshop 2: Playing chords on songs (2.6)

Chord Backup Workshop 3: Three Essential Chords (2.4)

Chord Backup Workshop 4: Building Chords and Progressions (2.7)

Creative Scales Workshop 1 (2.2)

Cross Tuning The Fiddle Workshop (Advanced: Old-time course)_

Exploring The Bow Workshop (1.4)

Express Yourself With Bowing Workshop

Flow With The Bow Workshop (1.10)

Getting A Good Sound Workshop (1.3)

Irish Fiddle Embellishment Workshop (Advanced: Irish fiddle course)

How To Play On Songs (2.8)

Improvisation (1.9)

I-IV-V Chord Progression Workshop

Mastering I, ii, IV, V, vi Chords Workshop

Melodic Variation Workshop (1.10)

Minor Pentatonic Scales (2.7)

Reading Challenge Workshop (1.8)

Note-Reading Workshop: Kerfunken Jig (1.5)

Playing At A Steady Tempo Workshop (1.6)

Playing Faster Workshop (2.2)

Playing Parts, Fills And Solos Workshop (Advanced)

Playing Better In Tune – Workshop (1.6)

Timing Workshop (1.10)

Train Bowing Workshop (1.8)

Rhythm Extract Workshop (Advanced)

Rhythm Rabbit Hole Workshop (Advanced)

Scale Modes (2.5)

Scale Shapes Workshop (Advanced)

Shifting Up The Neck Workshop (Advanced)

Slur Workshop (1.9)

Transposition Workshop (1.6, 2.8)

Vibrato Workshop (Advanced)

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Power Practice Workshops

Deliberate Practice Workshop (1.2)

Desirable Difficulty Workshop (1.7)

Fiddling With Index Cards Workshop (2.2)

Improv Playground (2.1)

Improv-Practice (1.10)

Improve A Skill Workshop: Double Stops (2.4)

Major To Minor Workshop (Advanced)

Looping Workshop (1.9)

One With Music Workshop (1.4)

Rabbit Hole (2.1)

Reflection and Planning Workshop (1.7)

ScaleQuest Workshop – A Dorian With Shady Grove (1.7)

ScaleQuest (2.5)

Timing Meditation Workshop (1.6)

Tune Memory Workshop (1.5)

Yearly Review – 2023

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Practice Journeys

These are hour-long workshops that dive deep into a single tune, skill or strategy. You’ll learn and practice different technical skills, practice strategies and creative reinvention.

Angeline The Baker (beginner) (1.5)

Ballydesmond Polka (1.4)

Bill Cheatham (2.2)

The Butterfly (2.1)

Cooley’s Reel (2.2)

Drunken Sailor (1.7)

Flop-Eared Mule (2.1)

Hector The Hero (1.5)

Hoedown Journey (1.6)

Joy To The World (1.3)

Leave Her Johnny, Leave Her (1.4)

Mairi’s Wedding  (1.4)

O’Keefe’s Slide (1.6)

Oh Susannah (1.3)

Road to Lisdonverna (1.6)

Swallowtail Jig – Fiddle Meditation (1.7)

Wildwood Flower (1.3)

When The Saints Go Marching In – Variation Workshop (1.3, 2.1)

Whiskey Before Breakfast (1.9)

Wagon Wheel (2.8)

These are shorter 20–30 minute play-along sessions. Perfect for daily practice.

Includes:

• Warm-up exercises

• Real-time skill drills

• Play-along tunes

• A fun final challenge 🎯

They’re like musical workouts—get in, get better, feel great.

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Guided Fiddle Practice: Accenting

Guided Fiddle Practice: String Crossing And Coordination

Guided Fiddle Practice: Chords And Melody On Will The Circle Be Unbroken

Use these flexible templates to practice things you’re currently learning.

Most of these can be taken as a workshop. This can be a fun and helpful way to learn the routine. Then you can turn around and apply it to your own practice.

The ultimate goal is for you to design your own fun and productive practice sessions.

Each template includes:

• Video Explainer
• Practice steps
• Workshops that use these templates

Click on any one to open a page with step-by-step instructions.

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Learn A Song 🌱
Break a new tune into bite-sized parts and build it up gradually. A go-to routine for learning any song from scratch.

Improve A Skill 📈
Pick a technique (like tone, slurs, or intonation) and give it some love. This journey helps you zoom in and level up.

Improv Playground 🛝
Explore, experiment, and express yourself. A judgment-free zone to try new musical ideas and find your voice.

Music Meditation 🧘
Slow down and connect with your sound. Use long tones, drones, and repetition to calm the mind and deepen awareness.

Timing Meditation 🕰️
Sharpen your internal rhythm using a metronome and structured timing drills. Simple, steady, and satisfying.

Song, Scale, Skill 🏋🏽 
Rotate through three practice blocks: play a tune, run a scale, and work on a skill. Great for keeping practice balanced.

Practice Blocks 🧱
A solid 25-minute session template you can use daily. Stack two for a longer practice or sprinkle blocks throughout the day.

10-minute Timing Routine ⏰

1. Spend 3 minutes practicing rhythms on an open string, using a metronome.
2. Allocate another 3 minutes to work on rhythms within a scale, also with a metronome.
3. Finally, use 4 minutes to practice a tune phrase, keeping time with a metronome.

Dronopoly Review 

Review tunes that share the same drone note. So tunes in D Major, D Dorian or D Klezmer can all be practiced with a D drone. Play the relevant scale before each tune you review. This is a fun and refreshing way to review tunes.

Use the Tunes Listed By Root Note page as your guide.

Simple Review Routine 👁️

Simply review the last 5-10 tunes you’ve learned in a twenty-minute session. Play the relevant scale before each tune you review. Practice the Mental Triggers to help with later recall.