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User Name Thread Name Subject Posted
Pauline L Tech: Starting 'Fiddle' Advice (47) RE: Tech: Starting 'Fiddle' Advice 08 Aug 06


I can't say this often enough: Get a teacher! Almost anyone can teach himself how to pick out tunes on the piano, guitar, banjo, etc., even if they're tone deaf, but fiddle is very different. It is very technical, physically technical, bodily technical. The human arms, hands, wrists, fingers, and shoulders are capable of an astounding variety of movements which differ from each other in very, very small ways, and the ones that are crucial for fiddle playing are not used in every day life. It is technically very difficult even to figure out how to play Twinkle on the fiddle, especially if you aspire to use the bow. the bow is where the real artistry and fine motor control come in. A fiddle teacher is like a physical therapist teaching new muscle skills. You can't learn to play fiddle by watching a video and then watching yourself in a mirror. BTW, after you learn to play Twinkle and a few fiddle tunes, if you want to make it sound like music and not just a bunch of notes, then you REALLY need a teacher. (Read what I said about the bow.) I guarantee you that you will get frustrated and not stick with the fiddle if you don't get a teacher -- a supportive, encouraging teacher, at that. If you want to learn to play an instrument without a teacher, go back to your tenor guitar. It's much easier.


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