Well in about 2 weeks my wife’s violin will be repaired and ready for her to play. In preparation of this, I was talking to my whistle teacher and I asked him if I can just give her the tunes that I am learning so she can learn them on violin. He told me that she should really have someone show her how to play ITM; when to bow down & up with Jigs, Reels and so on.
So my questions are:
Is there anyone in NJ or PA near us (Phillipsburg, NJ) that can do a quick how-to as far as how to play ITM?
I have that Mel Bay book and like it a lot. I learned several of my very favorite tunes from it (Kid On The Mountain, Cooley’s Reel). I’m not sure how great it is for a total violin/fiddle newbie,but once your wife has a little bit of playing skill, this book will help her.
I’ve heard some criticism that Peter Cooper is English, so his playing isn’t “real” Irish style, but I like it just fine.
My favourite learning resource for Irish fiddle is the 2 disc DVD set Kevin Burke did for Homespun. Great stuff (despite Kevin’s very, very, very, very relaxed presentation style).
Some criticism is silly. Being English is no impediment to being a good Irish fiddler.
Kevin Burke and John Carty were both born in London…
That’s as silly as saying Liz Carroll can’t play real Irish fiddle because she was born in Chicago and not Sligo or Clare. Like saying Eric Clapton and Peter Green can’t play the blues because they are not African American.
There, there, Bud … Don’t feel bad about your unfortunate condition. You’re not alone. Organisations such as the RSPCE and EE (Englishmen E-nonymous) offer counseling and therapy. If you feel the urge to tie bells around your ankles, pick up the phone immediately!
