Archive | By Knowledge
Learning by first understanding.
Moods of the Modes
Modes! The word might sound scary to some, and very un-fun and theoretical, but relax… in the usual Fiddle Jam Method way, I’ll attempt to make these very useful things, simple to understand. Introducing the (Greek) names: Ionian, Dorian, Phrygian, Lydian, Mixolydian, Aeolian, Locrian… What AAP members will get to
Tatering Level 4 – chopping technique
Tatering Level 4 – chopping technique. I know, most materials at Fiddle Jam Institute are presented in a nice and simple 3 level system, but “chopping” seems to need its own level separate from the rest. Simply explained, but more difficult to do, chopping has it roots in Bluegrass (
Tatering Level 2 – – adding double “drone” strings
Tatering Level 2: Adding double “drone” strings is the secret to sounding “fiddle-y” and can be done with certain melodies as well as simpler tatering back-ups. The secret formula is to play the name of each chord, or “tonic,” as we do in the tatering level 1 lessons, but
Tatering level 3 – chord tone double stops
Level 3 is a bit more tricky, technically speaking. This involves including other notes from the chords as they pass in a progression… not just necessarily the tonic (name of chord) and it’s fifth anymore. This means that you’ll have to learn some (simple don’t worry) Music Theory or Music
Tatering level 1 – play the name of each chord
Level 1 is the easiest. I actually get a new student to do this in the very first lesson, mainly just to give them a musical experience right away! Even if they do not hold the bow correctly, or know anything about fingering yet, in the first lesson, we can
Tater Section
“Tater” as in po-tater po-tater or po-tato, po-tato (long – short short, long – short short bow strokes) in the Suzuki tradition, or more generally as the art of creating improvised double string back-up support parts based on the underlying chord progression of a song. …Don’t worry, it’s not as