Over on my fiddle teaching site – Learn to play the fiddle – you will find a whole heap of resources for fiddlers who are looking to improve their fiddle playing.
Take a look at my articles on:
- Tips for beginner fiddle players – some of my top tips for fiddlers who are just starting out
- Irish fiddle ornamentation – learn how to play proper Irish ornaments on the fiddle
- Learning to play the fiddle ‘by ear’ (as opposed to from sheet music)
- A question I’m often asked: what is the difference between a violin and a fiddle?
- My top advice for fiddle players who’d like to learn how to play Irish fiddle in the traditional style
- A history of the Irish fiddle which starts by answering the basic question: ‘What is a fiddle?’
- Irish fiddle tuning – how should you tune your fiddle for Irish fiddle playing, and what are the other options. I also discuss fiddle tuning from other folk traditions including Old Time, Cajun, and Scandinavian. Also includes a video of a tune on octave fiddle!
You’ll also find free online fiddle lessons, including video lessons on:
- A full length video tutorial to learn popular Irish polka on the fiddle, called The Britches Full of Stitches. I break the tune down into short phrases, played through slowly so that you can learn this tune ‘by ear’. No reading music required!
- A full length video tutorial so you can learn a popular Irish jig on the fiddle, Out on the Ocean.
- My most popular online fiddle lesson on how to play one of the most important pieces of Irish fiddle ornamentation — the roll (or long roll).
- The second Irish fiddle lessons on rolls, or long rolls. Along the way, I’ll teach you a fantastic traditional Irish jig by the late great Paddy Fahey and show you some examples of where we might play rolls in this tune.
- A playthrough of a really popular Irish session tune called Garrett Barry’s jig. This is my setting of the tune, played at a moderate session speed, with ornamentation. I will be making a full tutorial for this tune soon.
- A video lesson for slightly more advanced players — learn a fantastic Irish hornpipe on the fiddle, written by the great Ed Reavy. This is not an easy tune to play, so this fiddle lesson is aimed at more advanced or experienced players. But it’s a great tune for practicing some really good left hand technique.