Play Fiddle Faster!!
ten tips
I consistently get requests for how to play faster and cleaner on both fiddle and mandolin. To that end I’ve assemebled 10 tips that will get you moving in the right direction. These are for fiddle specifically, but many will apply to mandolin. I’m creating a seperate set of tips for mandolin, though.
Here’s three of my tips. The rest are available on my Patreon or to paid subscribers to this substack. Go all the way to the bottom of the scroll.
Better yet sign up for a free two-month trial membership with the link below and get them all right now. Two Months Free!
1. Master the Tune Slowly First
Practice the tune at a comfortable, slow tempo to ensure you have the fingerings, bowing patterns, and rhythm solidly in place.
Focus on accuracy and smooth transitions before attempting to speed up.
Think of the back and forth motion of the bow as if it were a pendulum. Practice moving your fingers when the bow is not moving at the beginning and end of each stroke.
2. Use a Metronome, Accompanist or Rhythm Track
Practice with a metronome or ideally an accompanist to develop consistent timing. Start at a slow tempo and gradually increase the speed in small increments.
Use a backing track, drum machine, or rhythm loop to practice keeping up with a consistent beat. This also makes practicing more engaging.
Challenge yourself to play at slightly uncomfortable tempos, then return to a slower tempo to reinforce control.
3. Break It into Sections
Divide the tune into smaller sections or phrases. Practice each section separately at a slow pace, then gradually increase the speed.
Once the sections are fluent, combine them to play the full tune.
Recent Patreon Posts
I’ve been a busy little beaver over at patreon.com/charliewalden. Latest lesson additions include the following.
Red River Blues Guitar Back-Up - Learn the fancy chords to this Canadian fiddle tune
Mandolin Play It & Say It - Part 1 - Learn the entire fingerboard with these two lessons
Mandolin Play It & Say It - Part 2 - Learn the entire fingerboard with these two lessons
FREE for EVERYONE! - Mandolin Fretboard Chart
Upcoming Zoom Jam
We had a nice turnout for our Zoom jam earlier this month. Stay tuned for more in the coming weeks. Subs to this and my other substack are always invited along with Patreon free and paid members. Our next one will be on Sunday, February 1st. Look for the detailed announcement with Zoom link next week.
Join My Patreon for Free
Free members at patreon.com/charliewalden get invited to Zoom jams and have access to numerous video lessons - all for free. Of course paid subscribers also have access to over 300 fiddle, mandolin and guitar back-up lessons plus an incredible online resource folder with over 700 tune transcriptions and more. New lessons posted fortnightly.
Sign up for a free two-month trial membership with the link below.
Fiddle, Mandolin & Guitar Lessons via Zoom
A place has been reserved especially for you in Possum’s Zoom Lesson Room. Give a shout to bigfiddleshow@gmail.com and let’s get together.
Become a paid subscriber to my Substack and get some extra perks.
$5 per month ($50 per year) - You’ll have access to all posts to enjoy, share and comment. You’ll also receive a curated PDF mini-tunebook delivered twice per year via paid-sub only post.
$80 per year - Join the Catgut Confederacy - You’ll get all the bennies of free and basic paid subscriptions plus you’ll receive a curated PDF tunebook with MP3 files when you join at this level.
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