How To Learn A Tune At fiddlehub.com

All of the tunes at fiddlehub.com are presented entirely on your webpage. All you do is unpack your fiddle, get the tune up on screen, and start right in. As you approach learning a new tune, you should keep these ideas in mind:

First, unless you are a very accomplished, really experienced player, it's best to learn a tune in small parts, iron out the rough spots, and then put the whole tune together. That's why all the tunes are taught phrase by phrase.
Second, good bowing is at the heart of every fiddle tune. That's why every tune is presented with very specific bowing patterns that are tailored to that particular tune. Again, unless you are a pro, you should learn the bowings as they are presented, really nail them down so they flow smoothly, and only then break out and experiment on your own.

The tunes are divided into parts, and the parts are divided into phrases.

If you've listened to much fiddle music, you know that most tunes are divided into two parts -- the A, or Low Part, and the B, or High Part. The notes in the A part are usually lower than those in the B part.

The two main parts are further divided into four sections called phrases. Each phrase consists of a few notes that sort of hang together in your head; they form a single musical expression or statement. The four phrases relate together in a pattern.

The 1st phrase usually sets the musical theme or identity for the part.
The 2nd phrase often starts out like the 1st one, but ends a little differently.
The 3rd phrase is very often an exact repeat of the 1st; and
The 4th or final phrase is usually quite different from the other three, and when you hear it you know that the part is over. It is time to repeat the part you just played, move on to the next part, or end the tune.

Approach each tune phrase by phrase, then part by part.

Take each phrase in the order presented. Work on each one until you can play it along with me on the video, and then go to the next phrase.

Once you have all the phrases in the first part in hand, play them together with me. Each tune has a video in which I play each part in its entirety. You'll notice that the pace in these part videos is a little faster than the videos of the individual phrases.

Eventually, you want to break away from looking at the videos and the music.

As you work through each tune, watching the video and reading the tablature, remember that your goal is to break away from these learning aids. Nobody plays the fiddle at dance speed while looking at music or a video.

Once you can play along with me on the part videos, try playing along with them without looking at the page at all. It might feel odd at first, but you'll get the hang of it. Once you do, pick up the pace a little.