Fiddle Lesson 1

Get in Tune

• Violin standard tuning is G D A E where G is the thickest and E is the thinnest string. Eventually you'll hear the difference between in tune and out of tune. Till then, obtain helper devices such as these.

• You can buy a battery-powered clip-on tuner such as the Snark for under $20. The tuner is pre-set to standard pitch where A = 440Hz. 

• Visit the free ViolinOnline web site to hear each note.

• Download the free Tuner+ smart phone app to hear each note.

• Get the free Garage Band computer program. One of its many features is a display that tells you which note you are playing and whether it is sharp or flat.

Bow Techniques

1. Down bow style: {Pull, Push}, etc. Pull means down stroke toward your right. Push means up stroke toward your left. Try to end each phase with a push so that the next phrase can start with a pull.  

2. Saw stroke: {Pull, Push}, {Pull, Push}, etc. Aim to make the pulls and pushes sound the same. Use even bows so every stroke takes 1 beat. The reverse saw stroke works too: {Push, Pull}, {Push, Pull}, etc. 

3. Nashville shuffle: {Long, Short, Short}, {Long, Short, Short}, etc. Use one long bow for 2 beats, then 2 short bows for 2 beats. You can slur two notes into the 1 long bow if you like. Since this is a pattern of 3 bows across 4 beats, the bow direction must change on each repetition: {P-u-l-l, Push, Pull}, {P-u-s-h, Pull, Push}, etc. 

4. Georgia shuffle: {Long, Short}, {Long, Short}, etc. Use one long bow stroke for 3 beats, then 1 bow stroke in the reverse direction. You can slur three notes into the 1 long bow if you like. To keep this going, return your bow to its starting location after each repetition; your short bow will have to move 3 times faster than your long bow! Here is an example starting with the down stroke: {Pull-Pull-Pull, Push!}, {Pull-Pull-Pull, Push!}. The exclamation mark indicates a really fast bow. It is ok to start the shuffle on the short bow or part way through the long bow.

5. Pulse: Add pulses to keep the beat. Part way through a long bow, give a quick umph by pressing harder or speeding the bow.

On-line Tutorials

• Article on shuffles [suite101].

• The A scale and Sally Goodin each played 3 ways: saw, Nashville shuffle, Georgia shuffle [Fiddle Hangout]. 

• Jacie Sites [utoob] advises medium speed (not too fast or slow), medium pressure (not too heavy or light), and medium position (half way between bridge and fingerboard). Warning: this is a commercial.

• JohnsFiddleLessons gives his secret to bowing fast [utoob]. The secret is the shuffle bow: long, short, short, long, short, short. He demonstrates on Old Joe Clark and the G major scale. Warning: he talks a lot.

• Gemma de Ragon shows how to practice the shuffle stroke [utoob] using Old Joe Clark as an example. Warning: this is a commercial.

• Red Desert Violin explains "fiddle secrets" which are shuffle bow variations [utoob]. She demonstrates shuffle on the A major scale and Old Joe Clark. Warning: this is a commercial.

• Benton Flippen had his own way of playing. He put them on video when he was 88 years old [utoob]. Hear him play Suzanna Gal [utoob] in his van.

• Over the Waterfall in D played by Bruce Ling [utoob]. He plays it slow while the split screen highlights bow and fingers separately. This is very helpful!

• We find many bad tutorials on-line. Found a good one? Send it to us.

Timing

• Your timing will be quirky until you get out and play with other people. Find people to play with!

• Tap your foot while you practice. Or, practice with a metronome, which is a mechanical foot tapper.

• At metronome online, you set the speed. At best metronome, you can set a million options and even have the metronome listen to you (requires flash and java).

• If you buy a metronome, try to get a loud one. Some electronic ones are so soft you can't hear them when you play. Some electronic ones have a blinking light, which helps. The old fashioned windup kind has a pendulum so you hear it and see it tick.

• Try not to buy the kind I have. Mine slows down at the easy parts and speeds up at the hard parts. Listen to the videos and you'll see what I mean.