10 Fiddle Tips
By Mike Spears
2/5
()
About this ebook
One of the challenges a fiddle player has, especially younger students, is how to practice. 10 Fiddle Tips addresses practicing, acquiring a teacher, scales and arpeggios, and playing with and for others. I've written this book for the violin or fiddle student to help in understanding how music shapes our lives, and indeed the world. In addition to the practical tips I've listed, it's important the fiddle student know they can change the world with their music.
Mike Spears
Mike Spears, the true definition of multi‐talented. Coming from the small impoverished community of Pembroke, Illinois has seasoned Mike with a keen humble spirit that’s destined for success. Landing a major recording contract with Universal Music Group, Mike has proven himself as a singer/ songwriter. Leading him to perform and appear on major networks like; MTV, BET, VH1, and FOX. After a few singles failing to chart, and a fully un‐released album Mike found himself at odds with life and the music business. Taking a hiatus from the music business to literally travel around world as an Entertainment Host for a cruise line has kept him busy for over three years now. While traveling the world, Mike took out time to write about his life and experiences as a recording artist in this book titled Reason Why I Sing. To protect the identities of those involved in his musical experience, Mike turned what was supposed to be a no‐holds‐barred tell all story about his experience and life as a signed artist, into a fictional drama‐filled cautionary tale. With great reviews before its’ official release, Reason Why I Sing marks a new beginning for Mike Spears.
Related to 10 Fiddle Tips
Related ebooks
Field Guide to String Education: Intonation Rating: 0 out of 5 stars0 ratingsImprove your sight-reading! Violin Grade 5 Rating: 0 out of 5 stars0 ratingsViolin is Easy Rating: 5 out of 5 stars5/5Violin Technique in Practice Rating: 5 out of 5 stars5/5The Bow Stops Here! Rating: 5 out of 5 stars5/5The Fiddle Handbook Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5Chord Jams: Strum Bowing Etudes Book 2, 4-6 String Violin Rating: 0 out of 5 stars0 ratingsThe Violin Maker: A Search for the Secrets of Craftsmanship, Sound, and Stradivari Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5Fiddle For Dummies: Book + Online Video and Audio Instruction Rating: 5 out of 5 stars5/5Fiddle: Rating: 3 out of 5 stars3/5Mississippi Fiddle Tunes and Songs from the 1930s Rating: 0 out of 5 stars0 ratingsThe Violin Lover Rating: 0 out of 5 stars0 ratingsThe Contemporary Violinist: Preface by Turtle Island String Quartet Rating: 0 out of 5 stars0 ratingsCompendium of Chords for the Violin Rating: 0 out of 5 stars0 ratingsStrum Bowing Etudes--Viola: Etude Companion to the Strum Bowing Method-How to Groove on Strings Rating: 0 out of 5 stars0 ratingsA History of the Violin Bow - A Selection of Classic Articles on the Origins and Development of the Bow (Violin Series) Rating: 0 out of 5 stars0 ratingsCon Brio: Four Russians Called the Budapest String Quartet Rating: 0 out of 5 stars0 ratingsChord Jams: Strum Bowing Etudes Book 2, Cello Rating: 0 out of 5 stars0 ratingsCompendium of Chords for the Viola Rating: 0 out of 5 stars0 ratingsBlue Violin Method Rating: 0 out of 5 stars0 ratingsThe Doflein Method: The Violinist's Progress. The higher positions (4th to 10th positions) Rating: 5 out of 5 stars5/5Fit in 15 Minutes: Warm-ups and Essential Exercises for Viola Rating: 5 out of 5 stars5/5Studies and Caprices: for Violin Rating: 0 out of 5 stars0 ratingsThe Art of Violin Playing for Players and Teachers Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5The Bow, Its History, Manufacture and Use 'The Strad' Library, No. III. Rating: 5 out of 5 stars5/524 Keys: Scales and Arpeggios for Violin, Book 1 Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5
Music For You
The Mixing Engineer's Handbook 5th Edition Rating: 5 out of 5 stars5/5The Easyway to Play Piano: A Beginner's Best Piano Primer Rating: 5 out of 5 stars5/5Learn Jazz Piano: book 1 Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5Guitar Theory For Dummies: Book + Online Video & Audio Instruction Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5Step By Step Mixing: How to Create Great Mixes Using Only 5 Plug-ins Rating: 5 out of 5 stars5/5Music Theory For Dummies Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/588 Piano Classics for Beginners Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5Piano For Dummies Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5IT'S ALL IN YOUR HEAD Rating: 5 out of 5 stars5/5The Everything Songwriting Book: All You Need to Create and Market Hit Songs Rating: 5 out of 5 stars5/5Guitar For Dummies Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5Open Book Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5The Meaning of Mariah Carey Rating: 5 out of 5 stars5/5Bass Guitar For Dummies Rating: 5 out of 5 stars5/5Hal Leonard Pocket Music Theory (Music Instruction): A Comprehensive and Convenient Source for All Musicians Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5Singing For Dummies Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5Songwriting : Apply Proven Methods, Ideas and Exercises to Kickstart or Upgrade Your Songwriting Rating: 5 out of 5 stars5/5The Story of the Trapp Family Singers Rating: 5 out of 5 stars5/5Becoming a Great Sight-Reader–or Not! Learn From My Quest for Piano Sight-Reading Nirvana Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5Learn Your Fretboard: The Essential Memorization Guide for Guitar (Book + Online Bonus) Rating: 5 out of 5 stars5/5Learn Guitar A Beginner's Course Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5The Circle of Fifths: Visual Tools for Musicians, #1 Rating: 5 out of 5 stars5/5Songwriting For Dummies Rating: 3 out of 5 stars3/5How To Improvise When Playing Piano & Keyboard Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5The Dirt: Confessions of the World's Most Notorious Rock Band Rating: 5 out of 5 stars5/5Weird Scenes Inside The Canyon: Laurel Canyon, Covert Ops & The Dark Heart Of The Hippie Dream Rating: 5 out of 5 stars5/5
Reviews for 10 Fiddle Tips
1 rating0 reviews
Book preview
10 Fiddle Tips - Mike Spears
Introduction
The violin sings, but the fiddle dances.
This eBook has been revised for 2013. I've expanded on the tips to make them more comprehensive. You will find that by practicing these tips faithfully; your fiddle playing will improve.
I hope you find this book useful. If you read through and practice what you read and follow the ideas, you will become a better fiddler. I've been playing fiddle for quit a while and looking back it's been the most rewarding thing I think I have done.
I've seen people laugh and dance and sing and cry when they hear a good fiddle tune.
So let's get started! Grab your fiddle, rosin up the bow and let's do it.
Tip 1
Practice Slow
The tendency I see with my students is they want to play the tune up to tempo immediately. This doesn't work. You must practice very, very slowly. By doing this you'll hear where you are having trouble in different parts of the tune.
I can't emphasize this habit enough!
Build up speed slowly. I realize if a tune is written in a fast tempo, slowing it down is sometime awkward. What you should do is play a fast piece you already know that's similar, then work on the tune you're learning.
One of the keys to success (and building confidence as well) is super slow practice. The process of practicing in slow motion, while being fully conscious, highly engaged, and thinking deeply about what you're doing, is what works!
Incidentally, this is not a painful torturous process, but often an engaging and gratifying one. A way in that opens up the door to many satisfying little-discoveries that could be the key to getting a phrase to sound just the way it should.
The thing about slow practice is that it’s not just to slow things down in order to play it exactly right, it’s about fine-tuning the way it’s played, and looking for different ways to play it even better while you’re playing slowly enough to watch and think about the little details.
Remember: PRACTICE SLOW!!!