Any more fiddlers out there?
there’s moi-but I tend to inhabit the Uilleann pipe side a lot more
I used to play fiddle until the pipes came on the scene. I still get it out now and then just to keep my bowing arm from completely withering away.
Yup. Me, too! 
And me. Just getting back to it after a semi-sabbatical to get started on the flute.
So what tunes are you fiddler’s working on? I’d forgotten how much fun “Whiskey Before Breakfast” is, until a friend suggested trying it at our lunch jam on Friday. I’m trying to get “Loch Laven Castle” down as well.
I could be wrong, but I think practicing the flute did some good things for my fingering on fiddle.
Until?
When did you first hear the squalinpipes? maybe that should be when did you first hear the Chieftains?
Yup I am into Irtrad on anything including fiddle, but exclusively on Flute and Violin into eastern European music but not that good at it, eg I listen to it and think how hard it is to play.
BTW I also make flutes for fun.
:0)
Yes, me also. I dig out my fiddle about once or twice a year, and give it a go for a little and it’s back to flutes and whistles or guitar and dobro for me. That’s right, I’m all mixed up! But, anyway, a well played fiddle is a joy to hear!
I got my fiddle roots in Old Timey music, which is a direct descendant to the ITM, for the most part.
Well, I have a fiddle, but I don’t seem to have the time to learn to play it. Same with my guitar. It’s depressing, really.
You could use 20 mins a day on Suzuki Books 1 and 2 - dont fuss if you dont get it all …nobody does :0) Later use the tried and tested mirror method for ‘squaring’ you bowstroke, some time spent with a metronome also pays big dividends at that stage.
The Irtrad will fall out of the fiddle after the courtship of about a year.
Guitar, again you need to follow some plan. There used be some great books based on Jazz which illustrated the easiest way to make a person a good picker - which I assume most folks want in Irtrad Guitar. Anyways it is the same thing.
Isntrumental skill is quite like sports skill, you have to train doing tune-UNRELATED things for some time before you can get off the ground. BTW thats how I learned the TW as well but I had one great cheat! a native showed me a few ‘shteps’ off of the bench I was sitting on and huffed a bit on his TW and Flute to start me playing rhythm from day one - That saved me years of fooling about with the dots - a waste of time IMHO for the first couple of years-. Learn the basics by ear as much as you can - even if that means paying a teacher for it.
What he said. /\
I don’t think I can consider myself as fiddler because I started learning on my own yesterday, but I’ll do my best, though I’m flute player (I’ve been playing for about 3 years)
Victor
Don’t worry Victor, if you play the fiddle you’re a fiddler! (at least that’s my opinion) I have taught myself for a year and now I’ve started taking lessons, only for Swedish trad though, my teacher doesn’t know any irish music or how to play it, so that I’ll have to teach myself in any case.
I’m working on some Swedish trad tunes, and I’m trying to get the hang of playing Irish, I’m working on three jigs, Walls of Liscarrol, Old Joe’s jig, and My darling asleep, and a hornpipe, Harvest home. I use Peter Cooper’s book The complete Irish fiddle player, and Paul Mc Nevin’s Teach yourself Irish fiddle, both are good but I prefer Cooper because he shows the bowing patterns.
I didn’t know that!-Joseph-out of the closet! Now, young man! 
Yeah, well, there’s the rub. We’re in the middle of a house remodel.
I do have the Cranitch book, which I hope to get started with some day (after I finish installing the new floors and baseboard trim and window trim and…).
Thanks for the tips, though. It’s always nice to learn what has worked for other folks.
Cheers,
John
ennistraveler I have a lot of fiddle playing friend’s and they have no problems at all with Pete Coopers teaching ability and style and he is very well respected. This is not the first time toasty has slammed Pete on this board http://chiffboard.mati.ca/viewtopic.php?t=30207&postdays=0&postorder=asc&start=15 and it won’t be the last.
Yeah, Peter Cooper did learn Irish fiddle from someone else he met at some camp I think, he writes about that in his book. Many folks use his book because that’s the most complete one. I like Paul McNevin and would prefer to use his book and CD especially since he also teaches fiddle for beginners, not just those who are beginners in Irish music. But, he doesn’t say anything about bowing patterns, and if you look at the bowing directions he shows in the book they don’t match with the recording.
Anyhow, what Peter Cooper says (at least at the beginning, in jigs, I haven’t come very far yet) about bowing is just exactly what any Irish fiddle player I’ve asked says, for example to slur over the bars. Really, I’d like to learn from Kevin Burke’s DVD but I can’t afford it right now.
But I hear you, toasty, I’ll keep my eyes open. I’m a member of several fiddle forums and I’ll ask the Irish fiddlers there to hear what their opinions are. I’ve never heard of that Cranitch person and would prefer to get a book from someone I at least know about, like Kevin Burke.
[quote=“mikk”][/quote]
Let me guess, ummm you are Mr Cooper in person or his toyboy?
Like the other fakers on the make this one is making quite a name for English a55h0les.
All he need do is write what he knows, English Fiddling. He knows absolutely nothing about Irish because he isn’t Oirish!
Does that get it for ya!
To put this in perspective for you, prior to Matt Cranitch’s work the only book ever to be compiled and written in Irtrad on this topic is ‘The Roche Collection Of Irish Music’ By John Roche ( Violinist and Pianist ) in 1912, and reprinted in 1982 by Ossian of Cork Ireland. This book is unique in noting down (Sliabh Luachra) bowings to many of the tunes. Nothing like that had ever been done before and until Matt wrote his book there was no other on the subject.
Matt Cranitch is the son of Irish Schoolteaching Parents and both of them play. He grew up IN Ireland and was taught there. He IS the No 1 Irtrad fiddle expert in the world today and began long long long before Mr Faker Cooper heard of Irish music let alone could screech on the fiddle!
His book, ‘The Irish Fiddle Book’ was first published in 1988 by Ossian Publications - P.O Box 84 Cork Ireland, - latest edition 2001 -and with it you can also get a CD of the tuition pages all costing here about $40, ( very well worth it …without any shadow of a doubt it is better than the combined output of Melbay on this topic for the last 20 years )
Matt also recorded two CD’s of the 101 free tunes in the back of the book, these BTW are not part of the tuition pages! I’ve one of these and it is the best Irish fiddling CD I own.
I meant to say that I played fiddle until I acquired a set of pipes. I put the fiddle away in order to focus on the pipes. I wasn’t talented enough to keep up on both. Frankly, it took several years of listening to ITM before I began to appreciate Uilleann pipes much less think about playing them. I started listening to ITM in the late 70’s, about the same time I started learning fiddle. I didn’t get interested in pipes until early 90’s.
I used to play, but I have a very inaccurate ear, so I was never very good. About 30 years ago I ended up playing with a very good fiddler, so I pretty much dropped it.
I thought about getting back into it last year, but I found it physically painful–and my ear still hasnt improved. I’ll stick with frets.
Since moving to Texas, I haven’t seen my fiddle. I suspect it’s in one of the boxes in the garage, which means it’s been subjected to several months of temperatures well in excess of 100F, so it may have turned into a fiddle kit by now.