Learn to Play the fiddle

Category: Irish fiddle lessons online

A collection of Irish fiddle lessons online, with videos covering tunes, bowing ornamentation and more.

 

  • Ornamentation for Irish fiddle – rolls

    In this lesson, I will teach you how to play a key ornament on the Irish fiddle – rolls.

    “This is one of the best detailed approaches in playing and practicing rolls out there! Thank You so much!”

    WEdHarris on Youtube

    Rolls are a crucial piece of Irish fiddle ornamentation. They are such an important part of making your fiddle playing sound authentically Irish. But it can be really difficult to learn to play good ornaments unless someone shows you how. In this video, I break down one of the most important pieces of the Irish fiddle ornamentation – the roll (or, to be more specific, the long roll).

    In the video below, I show you two different ways of thinking about (long) rolls on the fiddle, and two different methods for learning to play them really well. This is a 20 minute video tutorial on how to play this important piece of Irish fiddle ornamentation.

    I have taught hundreds of Irish fiddle players how to play rolls, and have thought carefully about how best to teach (and learn) to play rolls.

    I’ll show you the method which is now my preferred way of teaching fiddle rolls.

    “Wow. Brilliantly explained and so clearly demonstrated.”

    ArfyF on Youtube

    I’ll play them slowly, with closeups of my left hand so you can exactly what is going on. I show you how to play rolls on first finger, second finger and third finger notes. Then I suggest some ways that you can practice playing your Irish ornamentation on the fiddle.

    Two ways of playing rolls on the fidde

    Fiddle players often think about rolls as a series of five notes.

    That is, the principal note. Then the note above. Then the principal note. Then the note below, and back to the principal note. If you have learned classical violin, you would call this a ‘turn’.

    A classical turn is quite different from a roll on Irish fiddle
    A classical turn is quite different from a roll on Irish fiddle

    But a roll is very different from a ‘turn’ in classical playing. Firstly, it is not a mainly (or only) a melodic effect at all really. For many players, rolls are used as a percussive, or rhythmic feature. (This is partly a matter of personal style, but the broad point remains).

    Secondly, the rhythm is very different. The initial (principal, or melody) note is the one that is held long. Then the roll happens at the end. Again different players will have different exact timings to their long rolls (‘joint short rolls’, used not on a single note, but on two notes, and ‘short rolls’ are different agin, and are not the same ornament as ‘long rolls’).

    A different approach to learning Irish fiddle rolls

    As a result, I think learning to play Irish fiddle rolls as a series of melodic notes may not be the best way. I have come up with a different approach to teaching fiddle rolls.

    Take a look at the video tutorial to find out how I now teach all of my students to play great Irish fiddle rolls.

    In a follow-up video, I look at a tune, Paddy Fahey’s jig (#4), so you can understand where you might use rolls in a typical jig.

    This video is also available on Youtube, along with lots of other video lesson on Irish fiddle.

    My online fiddle course — The COMPLETE IRISH FIDDLER – Essentials — is now launched.

    FIND OUT MORE

    Fiddle players, if you are looking to take your fiddle playing to the next level, come and see how I can help you transform your playing.

    With modules on fiddle bowing technique and bowing patterns, ornamentation and where to use it, pulse and rhythm, the core Irish tune types, plus all my best exercises and practice tips. This course is guaranteed to take your fiddle playing further.

    And for more online fiddle lessons, take a look at Irish fiddle lessons online.

  • FREE Irish fiddle lessons

    In my short Irish fiddle course, you will find FREE Irish fiddle lessons, covering a range of Irish fiddle tunes, techniques and playing advice.

    I hope you will enjoy the lessons in this course, and that they will help you take your fiddle further.

    Irish fiddle resources

    Free Irish fiddle Lessons online

    enroll

    In the first lessons in my Free Irish Fiddle Course, we will learn a couple of the different types of tunes that are common in the Irish tradition.

    • Lesson 1 — We will start by learning a fairly simple polka — The Britches Full of Stitches. The melody for this tune is quite straightforward (as many polkas are), so this lesson is suitable for novice fiddlers, though you will need to have some very basic technique already. (For this course, I am assuming you can play basic notes with your left hand, and can hold and use the bow). We will learn the tune by ear, slowly, phrase by phrase.

    If you are an intermediate player (or more advanced!) you will still find tips and ideas for ornamentation and chords in this lesson, though you may want to skip ahead if you can learn the tune quickly.

    • Lesson 2 — We will then move on to learning a popular Irish jig — Out on the Ocean. This is a well known session tune and a great tune to know. This lesson will also introduce you to jig rhythm. Again, we will learn the tune slowly by ear.
    • Lesson 3 — This lesson is for more intermediate or advanced players, to introduce them to some ideas about practicing ‘tricky’ passages, some string crossing technique and some left hand technique. If that is you, please go ahead and enjoy learning The Clare Shout; or you can come back to this lesson as you progress.

    We then move on to look at some ornamentation in Lessons 4-6.

    • Lesson 4 — First we will learn to play a Cut — the foundational ornament in Irish fiddle playing in my opinion, and always the first ornament I teach. I’ll show you the proper way to play this important ornament, and then show you how and where you can use it in the jig Out on the Ocean that we learned earlier.
    • Lesson 5 — Having learned to cut, we will look at 2 different ways of learning to play rolls (properly, ‘long rolls’) — the ornament every fiddler gets excited about! I’ll show you how I teach people to play rolls, so that you can get a really authentic sound.
    • Lesson 6 — We will then look at how and where you can play these rolls in a new tune, Paddy Fahey’s #4, which we will also learn as we go.

    In the next section of the course, I will introduce you to two more types of tunes: reels and slides. These lessons will go a little quicker than the first tune tutorials, assuming that you can pick up tunes a little more easily, but I will still play the tune through slowly with a close up of the fingerboard, and you can pause and rewind until you get the tune. Once you have the tune, or if you already know the tunes, these lessons are intended as ‘playalongs’ so that you can practice along with me.

    • In Lesson 7 we will learn a reel — The Banshee, a fun tune to play, often played at speed!
    • In Lesson 8 we will learn Dinny Delaney’s slide.

    Finally, I have some tips for practicing ornamentation (and indeed much else) — using a method I employ myself every day!

    • Lesson 9 — I will show you my top tip for practicing ornamentation whilst keeping good rhythm and pulse.

    I really hope you enjoy the free Irish fiddle lessons in this course. If you find the lessons valuable, please do let me know. You can head over to learntoplaythefiddle.co.uk for lots more advice, and to sign up for my Complete Irish Fiddle Course as soon as it is available.

  • Irish Fiddle Tuning

    One of the things I occasionally get asked by those interested in playing Irish fiddle, is: ‘What is the normal Irish fiddle tuning?’.

    I think this can sometimes cause some confusion. Perhaps because people aren’t always sure about the difference between a fiddle and a violin. (Spoiler – there is no difference between a violin and a fiddle!). So, the simplest answer is: Irish fiddle tuning is normally the same as for a violin tuned to standard classical tuning.

    So, for playing Irish fiddle the strings are tuned to the notes G, D, A and E, from lowest pitched string to highest. The interval between the strings is a perfect 5th.

    The G string is the lowest note on a standard tuned fiddle. It is tuned to the G below middle C (or G3) and its frequency is 196hz. The D is middle D (or D4) and its frequency is 293.7Hz. The A string is middle A, or A4, and is tuned to a frequency of 440hz. The E string (E5) is the highest pitched string. It is tuned to 659.3hz.

    There are some exceptions, which I’ll discuss in more detail below. But first let us look at the tuning we would normally use for Irish fiddle playing.

    Standard Irish fiddle tuning

    In general, then, when you are starting out playing Irish fiddle, tuning the strings to G, D, A, and E is the normal practice. That is, from lowest pitch string to highest pitch string as shown in the image below – G being the lowest pitch string, and E the highest.

    This means that the strings are tuned at intervals of a fifth (5th) apart. This allows the fiddle player to play a continuous scale without changing position, and without using fourth fingers for melody notes. (Compared to classical violin playing, in Irish fiddle playing, fourth fingers are used more rarely for melody notes. They are used routinely for ornamentation like rolls, cuts, casadhs, however).

    So each string is tuned in turn to the following notes (also given as frequencies in Hz as is common on many tuners and tuning apps). Again, this is from lowest pitch string to highest pitch string.

    The G string is tuned to G3 (or 196 Hz)

    the D string is tuned to D4 (or 293.7 Hz)

    The A string is tuned to A4 (or 440Hz)

    Finally the E string is tuned to E5 (or 659.3 Hz)

    Irish fiddle tuning is normally GDAE

    Tuning the fiddle for Irish music

    Before you start playing, it is very important to tune the fiddle accurately. You can do this by tuning to another instrument, listening to make sure you are in tune. Or you can use a tuner or a tuning app.

    Now that you know the correct pitch for each string (as above), you can tune your fiddle to the correct tuning for Irish fiddle music.

    If you watch an experienced fiddle player you may see that they don’t tune all of the strings to another instrument (like an accordian, which should be in tune!) or tuner. Rather, it is common for an experienced fiddle player to tune just the A string (or sometimes the D string). Then, once the A (or D) is in tune, each of the other strings is tuned from the A (or D) string by listening to the interval.

    Sometimes the fiddler will play the two strings together as a chord to listen to check that the tuning is correct.

    When you are just starting out playing Irish fiddle, tuning in this way (just using your ears to judge the intervals) may not be easy, as the intervals will not be so familiar. In which case a tuner or a tuning app is a good idea to make sure that the strings are in tune.

    Cross tuning and other tunings

    Of course, the strings do not have to be tuned to these notes. In other traditions of fiddle playing other tunings are often used. In American Old Time and Bluegrass fiddle music, for example.

    Bluegrass and Old Time fiddle have some things in common with Irish music. But many of the techniques — and tunings — are also quite different from those used to play Irish fiddle. Tuning the strings to other intervals is commonplace in Old Time and Bluegrass fiddle playing, for example.

    The most common alternative tunings, sometimes called ‘cross tuning’, are AEAE and ADAE (again from low string to high string). But others are also possible.

    Cajun tuning is another alternative tuning. In Cajun tuning all of the strings are tuned down one tone, to F, C, D, G. This is generally done to get a slighted blue-sier sound.

    Tuning down

    The cross tuning of Old Time and Bluegrass fiddle is rare in Irish fiddle playing. But something more like Cajun tuning is a little more common alternative in Irish fiddle playing. This keeps the intervals set at a 5th apart, but gives a slightly different sound.

    Some Irish fiddlers tune all of the strings down (or more rarely, up) one or more semi-tones. This is most often done in order to play together with uilleann pipers who are playing a ‘flat set’. A flat set is one where the drones and chanter are tuned to B or even Bb (B flat).

    To do this, all of the strings are tuned down the same amount. For example, to play with a set of B pipes, the strings on the fiddle would be tuned down 3 semitones. This means the strings would be E, B, F# and C# respectively.

    You can hear this effect on Mick O’Brien and Caoimhín Ó Raghallaigh’s albums (although here Caoimhín is not playing an Irish fiddle, but his own unique instrument, a Hardanger D’amore).

    Sometime fiddlers tune down the strings just to find a mellower tone which can come from looser strings. You can hear Nathan Gourley and Laura Federson playing traditional Irish fiddle, tuning down the strings, on some of the tracks on their albums. Aidan Connolly, a fine Irish fiddle player, often tunes his strings lower. You can hear this on many of the tunes recorded for his albums Be Off and The Portland Bow.

    Very very low Irish Fiddle Tuning!

    I have always enjoyed playing Irish fiddle with lower tunings in the manner discussed above. I’ve even taken it a stage further by using Octave strings on an old fiddle to play Irish fiddle — tuning the strings to a full octave lower than standard tuning!

    You can hear this in the video below. I am playing a wonderful reel The Morning Thrush by the great piper James Ennis, father of Seamus Ennis.

    You can find more of my videos on Irish fiddle playing on Youtube page. And do also look at my Irish fiddle courses, for lots of free online fiddle lessons on Irish fiddle.

  • Traditional Irish fiddle – Jig tutorial

    If you’d like to learn a traditional Irish jig on the fiddle, here is a great tune to learn. The Hag with the Money is a very old song, which you can still hear sung in Ireland today.

    It is also a well known Irish session tune, and a common tune to hear played on the fiddle at Irish sessions.

    This is a full length half-hour fiddle tutorial, going in to lots of detail on how to play this tune, including advice on scale variations and more. For example, you will hear this tune played in D major, or D mixolydian, and sometimes moving between those two scales.

    I really hope you enjoy learning this traditional Irish jig with me; if you are interested in more Irish fiddle tutorials, please check out my courses page.

  • Tip: practising Irish fiddle ornaments

    Here is one of my top tips for practising Irish fiddle ornaments. This is a trick that I suggest to many of my students for building up confidence and speed in playing Irish fiddle ornaments, but it can also be used for practising all sorts of other techniques that you are working on. Watch the video below for my suggestions.

    Play better Irish fiddle ornaments

    For lots more Irish fiddle lessons and tutorials, check out my Irish Fiddle Lessons Online, or subscribe to my Youtube channel.

  • Learn to play Irish Fiddle ornaments

    Learn how to play Irish fiddle ornamentation
    Learn to play Irish fiddle ornamentation

    Here you will find guides to the techniques of Irish fiddle ornamentation. I will take you through some of the most important Irish fiddle ornaments: long rolls, cuts, slides, bowed triplets, crans, casadhs, short rolls, joint short rolls and more.

    Playing with good ornamentation is key to getting that authentic Irish sound. I sometime talk to my students about true Irish fiddle being made up of: MELODY, RHYTHM (which includes lilt) and ORNAMENTATION in basically equal parts. Remove any one of those, and the tune is incomplete.

    Common Irish fiddle ornaments

    The most common ornaments for Irish fiddle are rolls, cuts, slides and bowed triplets. Chords and drones are also used as a form of ornamentation. Crans and casadhs can also be played on the fiddle.

    Different ornaments will be used more or less by different fiddle players. There is also variation between the different regional styles. Donegal fiddle style for example, uses many more bowed triplets, and fewer rolls.

    Rolls on the Irish fiddle can also be separated into 4 (or perhaps more) subtly different techniques: long rolls (most common in jigs), joint short rolls (more common in reels), short rolls, extended rolls.

    Rolls (especially long rolls) are often the first ornament fiddle players want to learn. But I always suggest getting really confident playing good cuts as a solid foundation for playing other ornaments.

    Playing with good Irish fiddle ornaments is really important. The melody is often possible to work out on your own from recordings or other players, especially once you are confident learning by ear. The rhythm likewise you should be able to feel. But working out how people are playing the ornaments can be really difficult. Even if you use a slow-downer tool to try to work out what is going on, sometimes it is impossible to tell what the correct technique is for each of the ornaments that you are hearing.

    A good teacher will show you how best to play each of the ornaments. But there is also a lot of really dodgy information out there! So here I am putting together detailed guides to each of the important pieces of Irish fiddle ornamentation.

    Below is a guide to playing the Long Roll, to give you an idea of what you can expect from the video guides. Check back here for more videos, or subscribe to my mailing list or to my Youtube Channel for notifications of new videos.

  • Learning to play traditional Irish music on the fiddle

    If you are just starting out learning how to play Irish fiddle music, you may find that you are struggling to get your fiddle playing to sound authetically Irish. Or you can’t seem to replicate the sound of the fiddlers that you like listening to. So how can you achieve that authetic traditional Irish sound in your fiddle playing?

    Fiddle player for hire

    Well, partly the answer is lots of good old fashioned practice. But there are also some ways to make your playing sound like proper Irish fiddle music. Below is my advice if you are wondering how to play real Irish fiddle.

    Listen to good Irish fiddle players

    There really is no substitute for listening. Find recordings of the great fiddlers past and present, and listen to them carefully. Sometimes you just want to let the music wash over you and enjoy it. But I also talk to my students about ‘active listening’, by which I mean: really pay attention to what the fiddler is doing!

    Once you are familiar with the tune listen for the details. Can you identify any ornaments that are being used? Are there any chords or drones (more than one note being played at the same time). Can you hear any variations that they might be using, changing the melody subtly as they go along? Are there any subtle changes to the rhythm or the ‘swing’ or ‘lilt’ of the tune.

    Even better than recordings, go seek out concerts with proper fiddle players, and pay attention to what they are doing. Or find a really good quality Irish pub session. Listen carefully to see if you can work out what makes their playing special.

    Throw the sheet music away!

    Well, maybe not throw it away… but don’t rely on it. Learn how to learn tunes ‘by ear.’ Because most of what make Irish music sound so alive isn’t (or can’t be!) written on the sheet music.

    The lilt and phrasing of a tune, the variations and many of the ornamentations are not written into most sheet music notation of the tunes. So you can learn the melody from the sheet music. But only once you can play the tune with all the things that aren’t written down will it sound like the real thing.

    If you are new to learning tunes by ear, try my beginnners lesson video, in which I take you through a tune slowly, phrase by phrase and see if you can follow along.

    There’s another good reason not to rely on sheet music. In my experience, a tune learned from ‘the dots’ on the page doesn’t stick in the memory as well as one learned by ear. The tunes that you remember best will always be the ones you learn by ear.

    Rhythm is fundamental to playing Irish fiddle music

    Playing Irish fiddle for a ceilidh
    Playing Irish fiddle for a ceilidh

    The roots of Irish fiddle music are in dancing. Reels, jigs, hornpipes, polkas are tunes played for specific kinds of dancing. And dancers care above all about the rhythm of the music – it needs to keep perfect time. It’s the same reason that Irish music makes us tap our feet!

    So if you are going to play traditional Irish fiddle music, you must be able to play accurately in time. Thankfully this is something that anyone can learn to do. Head over to my page on playing with rhythm to find out all my advice on keeping good time.

    How to play Irish fiddle ornamentation

    If you want to learn how to play Irish fiddle music that sounds like the real thing, then you will need to learn about fiddle ornamentation. The word ‘ornamentation’ may make it sound like it’s an optional extra. But I think of Irish music as being made up of three parts: melody, rhythm and ornamentation. In equal parts. Take any one of those three elements away and the music just isn’t the same.

    You can certainly try and learn ornamentation by listening to other players, but some of the techniques can be hard to learn on your own. Much better to find someone who can teach the proper technique to each of the ornaments.

    By my reckoning there are more than 10 different Irish fiddle ornaments (cuts, long rolls, slides, crans, joint short rolls, casadhs, bowed triplets etc) and that’s even before you get into chords, drones, variations, improvisations and other elements beyond the basic melody.

    If you would like to learn more about these ornaments, take a look at some of my videos on ornamentation.

    Practice your bowing

    Most people who learn how to play Irish fiddle music with me start out thinking the difficult bit will be the left hand. That’s the one that puts the fingers down to play the notes. After all, Irish fiddle music is often fast! Or they assume that playing in tune will be the hard bit. Especially if they are coming from another instrument with frets (like a guitar or banjo)

    But actually, most people can learn to put the fingers down in the right place fairly quickly. The bit that is a lifetime’s study is the right arm – the bowing. So pay attention to your bowing, especially when you are starting out. Do lots of simple bowing exercises and build solid techique in your bowing. It will repay you with a nicer tone, better rhythm, and a more relaxed style of playing as you progress.

    Learn from a good teacher

    By far the best thing that you can do to improve your Irish fiddle playing, is to learn from a good teacher. You should find someone who is a technically accomplished player of Irish traditional music. But also a passionate and knowledgeable teacher.

    And while there are certainly some classical violin teachers who also understand Irish fiddle music, there are also many who think that if you can play violin you can play fiddle, which just isn’t true! So find someone who really understands the music, its techniques, it history, and its differing styles.

    Get good practice habits

    If you want to improve you have to practise – there is no way around it. But making the best use of your practice time is really important. I make a distinction between ‘playing’ and ‘practising’. Find out more about my practice tips here.