Indoctrinate, indoctrinate, indoctrinate…
Robin
Keep up the good work. Any tips for those of us who’ve been complete failures with our kids but are now working on the grandkids? I’m working on mine-
hehehe…
Well, let’s see…I only play the local 24-hour folk radio station in the car or anywhere else. Bought the children’s tinwhistle method and worked with her a bit on that, bought a dulcimer and a piano, and provided the kids with their own dulcimer. Took her to the great Northeast C&F meeting (yes, I know Bloomfield was there, but it was a chance I had to take…). Took her to see the Cottar’s, which is a bunch of kids from Canada who really kick butt on Cape Breton style music. Take her to folk festivals and contra dancing…
Now when there is something a little odd playing on the radio, she asks skeptically, “Is this folk radio?” as if I might have snuck in something unsavory!
I have no idea where a kid could learn to play fiddle around here! However, there seem to be a lot of fiddle players around. Guess I could ask some of them. What a dream…to jam with my fiddle playing daughter!
Robin
A very worthy ambition for a young lass. How old is she, may I ask?
I played “violin” (hawk, spit) for six or seven years as a nipper, and gave up as soon as I could argue effectively with my mother as to why I shouldn’t be forced to play an instrument that gave me crippling pain.
Twenty-three years later, I took up fiddle, realising that it wsn’t the instrument itself that was evil, merely the music I was being forced to destroy, and I’ve had fun with it ever since.
What style of music is she interested in, Irish Traditional, Old Timey, Texas Swing, Cape Breton, Bluegrass?
I can’t hurt to expose her to as much music, of as many different styles as possible. Half the music is in the listening.
My feeling is it wouldn’t hurt to get her a classical teacher to cover the basics of holding the bow & fiddle, and the scales. Just don’t let her get tied up in vibrato and positional changes which she won’t need to play fiddle.
If you can find a local “fiddle” teacher, all the better.
She’s 8, Martin, probably just getting old enough to try it.
I played violin for 3 years as a kid, and believe me, it was a horrible experience! Not to mention that I was really, really bad…so I can sympathize with your experiences with the violin. I think vibrato was what finally drove me to the saxophone!
I don’t know what kind of music she would really be interested in, and don’t know if she could tell the difference between Irish and Cape Breton, for instance. Presumably, she would learn something American, since we’re…well, American!
Robin
Hiya Robin,
Yup, 8 years is a good age to start, especially if the desire comes from within. Even if she gives up after a few years, she’ll have the motor skills necessary to take it up again later in life.
I suggest getting some fiddling CDs so she can listen to a lot of stuff - I could put together a CD of some of my favourite tracks to fire her enthusiasm if you like! Drop me a PM with your address.
cheers, Martin
Any thoughts, pro or con, on the Suzuki method for children? I see that there is a lot of Suzuki materials in my catalogue from Southwest Strings.http://www.swstrings.com
I taught myself to play the violin as an adult. For an 8 year old student I think that a Suzuki violin class would be fun, if that is a possibility in your area.
I am using the “Essential Elements” books and CDs for violin, and they are very useful. They seem to be geared to both children and adults. You might try to find out which tutorials some of your local instructors use for their own self-training.
Gentle encouragement worked with my daughter, and letting her hear Menuhin and the Orange Blossom Special and Ronnie Drew of the Dubliners. My son wouldn’t have any of it. Daughter wanted to play entirely by ear, and I couldn’t see why not, and now she comes to our session when she’s home.
Good luck.
Thank you very much for your offer, Martin! I sent you a PM.
There is a performing arts school and they do offer fiddle classes, but I believe there is a minimum age (12, I think) and I believe you have to have some proficiency before joining the class. They also have Suzuki method classes. My experience with Suzuki was a little deadening, though, so I’m not sure about that, although I’m sure it depends on the instructor. Our local high school offers music classes for a very reasonable rate, and she could probably get some fundamentals there, at least for the beginning. Things to check out…
Robin
It’s been two years since my daughter started fiddle. She’ll be twelve this summer. I did go through the coaxing, wheedling, bribing, threatening phase to get her to practice. What worked: a tangible reward for a certain number of days in a row of practice, a quiet place without her little sister, lots of encouragement, chances to play for others. She really responded to an audience, and would only want to practice when we had company!
And now, finally, just this spring, her fiddle is off its hook on the wall several times a day, and she plays for fun! She still doesn’t like me to accompany her much, as it makes her more aware of her mistakes and less able to go back and fix them. But what a joy to hear her! She’s discovered that the way to get me to let her stay up late is to begin playing fiddle right at bedtime.
Her ear is definitely tuned to Irish music. But she’s just started playing klezmer music and I’m just as happy.
Have a great time embarking on this new adventure with your daughter! Hope she perseveres and has fun with it.
Jennie
Congratulations! The fiddle is a wonderful instrument! I agree with what someone said, get her a good fiddle teacher, not necessarily a classical teacher, fiddle teachers also know how to hold the fiddle and the bow, and they have more interesting methods for those who want to learn to play fiddle and not violin…
Fiddling is lots of fun!!! Good luck!
My little girl is 6 and she wants to try fiddle this summer. Right now she is taking piano, but that is over for the year in a couple of weeks. SHE actually asked ME if she could take fiddler during the summer. I thought that it might make a nice balance to her piano, which is more classically oriented.
I’m pretty amazed at how quickly children can soak things up. She can memorize something just by my wife playing through it a couple times. Her piano teacher asked my wife to stop playing it through for her so that she can learn to read music as well.
My wife isn’t particularly interested in playing music so I’m excited to be bringing up someone that likes to play music with me.
Erik
I have two grandnieces (sisters). The older plays piano and the younger plays violin (via Suzuki). Seven years ago, when they were about 12 and 10, the elder was playing through something on the organ at my mother’s house, and after she quit, her sister sat down and started playing it perfectly–and she had never had formal piano lessons (but her father is also an excellent pianist/organist).
Unfortunately, just as the older one was getting interested in Bluegrass, the younger decided to give up violin for dance.
I’m in the same situation, Erik. Music is such a bond with my daughters. I was desperate for some musical bonding; now that my eldest is really playing, I can relax about my spouse being a listener rather than a participant.
I just hope I can let go if they decide to give it up for some other pursuit. Maybe, as Martin said, they’ll have it firmly enough in their ears and under their fingertips to pick it up again later. The fine balance between encouragement and pushing my own agenda…
Jennie
The fine balance between encouragement and pushing my own agenda…
Phew! Fortunately I don’t have any problem with pushing my agenda 
It’s just really hard for me to balance everything that I want them to be; I can’t decide whether they should be a famous musician or a famous athelete. Maybe they can do both of those on the weekends when they’re not at their famous surgery practice. Of course, it might get in the way of all of the philanthropies that I have planned for them.
But seriously, I’m glad that she came to it on her own. Her brother also wants to do it (perhaps because the sister does) but he’s too young. They both indicated that they want their own whistles and flutes so that’s definately a great sign - though surely an indicator of financial ruin in the future.
What size fiddle are you all getting for your children? I was guessing 1/2 size for my 6 y.o. Any favorites out there - cheap enough to afford but not so bad that they hinder her playing?
Erik
Good point, and one I ought to have mentioned, Eric. If you’re looking to buy, I can’t recommend Gliga instruments highly enough (especially as I have two fiddles and a viola from Gliga). You get a lot of bang for your buck.
It’s quite common to rent the fractional sizes if you can, as the children will keep growing out of them. By age 12 a full size violin is usually possible.
The sizes are as follows:
Size
Body Length
Overall Length
Ages
4/4
14" - 355mm
23¼" - 590mm
12 upwards
7/8
13½" - 340mm
22½" - 570mm
10 upwards
3/4
13" - 330mm
21¾" - 550mm
8 - 12
1/2
12" - 305mm
20½" - 520mm
6 - 9
1/4
11" - 280mm
18" - 460mm
5 - 7
1/8
10" - 255mm
16½" - 420mm
4 - 6
1/10
9½" - 240mm
15¾" - 400mm
4 - 5
1/16
9" - 230mm
14¾" - 375mm
3 - 5
The quick measure is if a child can cup the scroll in the palm of their hand with the violin tucked in playing position. Bows also come in fractional sizes of course.
Thank you, Martin!