In this 30 minute fiddle tutorial, I’ll take you through a popular Irish polka on the fiddle, called The Britches Full of Stitches. You’ll learn the tune first, and then some ways to add some spice to your playing of this great tune.
This is a really popular session tune, which you can include in any set of polkas. It goes particularly well at the end of a set. In this lesson we will learn the tune in the key of A major, but you’ll also here it played in G major as well as other keys. I just happen to think it sounds best in A – really bright and bouncy!
We’ll start out by learning the melody, by ear, working phrase by phrase. We’ll discuss polka rhythms, and some ideas for practicing them. Then we’ll learn some simple bowing patterns to make the tune flow a little better. Then for improving and more advanced players, we’ll discuss some possibilities for ornamentation, chords, and so on. We’ll finish by looking at a possible variation for the melody in the B part to really jazz things up!
I really hope you find this lesson useful, and that it sets you on your way to playing this Irish polka on the fiddle. If you enjoy this tutorial, please do subscribe to my channel, and sign up for my mailing list, for updates on new lessons and other information.
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