February 16, 2012
30 Irish Fiddle Tunes Vol.3 (free download)
Make sure you have Musescore downloaded to view the tunes. You can also edit and listen to them. http://musescore.org/en/download The Templehouse The Scotsman over the Border The Perfect Cure The Peeler’s Jacket The Ravelled Hank of Yarn The New Policeman The Maids of Ardagh The Lillies in the Field The Idle Road The Humours of Derrycrossane The Hare’s [...]
February 16, 2012
Sticking Points in Lessons
Every week in fiddle class I write reminders(bullet points) for the pupil to watch out for, sometimes I have to write these everyday ! Some are subtle and don’t translate to written description too well so I have omitted them. They are really to give a give direction to approach and further development.Although technique is [...]
February 16, 2012
Coming from a Classical Backround:
People from all kinds of backrounds want to play Irish music.It has great character and challenges for people willing to learn. Fiddlers (or violinists as they might prefer) coming from a classical pedigree have an advantage in that they have studied technique to a much higher degree than the average (Irish) traditional player. Though technique in traditional music only needs to be adequate and serve [...]
May 2, 2011
Practice & Listening
How much do you have to spend practicing fiddle each week? My rough guide is, 2-3 times a week you might improve, 4-5 times a week you will improve making good progress. With practicing everyday, you will notice the improvement and so will others, usually make excellent progress. Adults may find it difficult to practice [...]
May 1, 2011
Skill sets
What set of skills does an accomplished musician have and an novice need to learn? Remembering:(musical memory) Part of being a musician is to be able to remember music. When it is remembered it is internalised along with the muscle memory of playing. As it is an aural tradition, Irish music needs to be remembered. [...]
