Fiddle Studio: Recent Episodes
Megan Beller
The glasses clink and the talk and laughter grow louder. In the corner of the pub, musicians sit and play traditional dance tunes that make your feet want to stomp and slide. Join fiddler Megan Beller as she brings you along into the world of fiddling and traditional music, from bow-grips and double stops to Old-Time tunes and Irish jigs.
Great interview this month with seven time National Fiddle Champion and creator of the FiddleStar site, Megan Lynch Chowning! Megan doesn't compete in fiddle contests anymore, or judge them, or go to them, so I was very curious to hear about why. We talk about fiddling in California, fiddle contests, fiddle camps, and different kinds of learning and relating to fiddle music. Megan filled me in on the just-released John Hartford Fiddle Project Volume 2 that she co-produced.
Megan Lynch Chowning is a seven time national fiddle champion, touring musician, Grammy-nominated recording artist, teacher, singer, and flatfooter. She's toured with Pam Tillis and Lorrie Morgan, Dale Ann Bradley, Roland White, Larry Cordle, Jim Hurst, Chris Jones, 3 Fox Drive, Due West, Chris Stuart, and BEML (the duo of Bill Evans and Megan).
Megan has released a series of entirely solo fiddle albums, focusing on crowdsourcing fabulous but slightly more obscure fiddle tunes. She has taught fiddle and vocals at prestigious camps such as Augusta Heritage Week, the British Columbia Bluegrass Workshop, Sore Fingers Bluegrass Week in the UK, Walker Creek Music Camp, and the California Bluegrass Association Camp, among many others. She’s the co-director (with her husband, Adam) of the IBMA-award-winning Nashville Acoustic Camps. But sometimes she just likes to sit quietly and smell the flowers.
Thanks for listening!
My Fiddle Studio Book 1: Fiddling for the Complete Beginner is FREE on Amazon! It has over 30 easy beginner fiddle tunes with sheet music, tab, and a link to a video for each tune!
- Fiddle Books
- Bandcamp
- YouTube
You can reach me at meganbeller@fiddlestudio.com.
My website for learning to fiddle is Fiddle Studio which has courses and a mailing list and my Top 10 Fiddle Tunes!
My interview this month on the Fiddle Studio Podcast is a conversation with The Wild Shoats, formerly The Shoats. Check out their fabulous brand new album Yell in the Shoats, just out! This is a relatively new band with three talented Old-Time fiddlers. I've heard them called both an Alt-folk group and a Gothic stringband.
I get their take on the music of Appalachia, and the relevance and connection they feel to it as 21st century musicians. Hear how these musicians came to Old-Time music, met up and started singing and playing and writing music together and created their unique sound. We also chat about playing in tune on the fiddle, matching up different bowing styles, and staying relaxed while practicing. How does Huck practice when he doesn't have a lot of time?
West Virginia native Mary Linscheid, brothers Gus and Huck Tritsch of Millheim, PA, and Alex Heflin of Morgantown, WV, set an alt-folk soundtrack to the strange late-stage capitalist Appalachia they grew up in. Calling on their collective backgrounds in folk songs, honky tonk, and the Appalachian high-lonesome sound, the Shoats reimagine the songs and sounds of their home through haunting original material and well-loved covers. The Shoats won the Appalachian String Band Music Festival’s Neo-Traditional Band Competition in 2023.
Yell in the Shoats album
The Wild Shoats
Thanks for listening!
My Fiddle Studio Book 1: Fiddling for the Complete Beginner is FREE on Amazon! It has over 30 easy beginner fiddle tunes with sheet music, tab, and a link to a video for each tune!
- Fiddle Books
- Bandcamp
- YouTube
You can reach me at meganbeller@fiddlestudio.com.
My website for learning to fiddle is Fiddle Studio which has courses and a mailing list and my Top 10 Fiddle Tunes!
A bluegrass fiddler and a contradance fiddler walk in to a bar...and discover they both have degrees in music education. This month I talk with Austin Scelzo and we don't hold back discussing what we think is lacking in classical music and public school music education and training.
Austin and I talk about leaving classical music and finding a home in fiddling and all about bluegrass music and fiddle and what you might not know about it. We touch on how a lot of formal music training emphasizes hierarchies and levels and the repercussions- from a feeling of not-enoughness, to hesitancy to perform, to tension in your body and your playing.
We discuss how to expand from just playing the instrument to playing and embracing music and all it can offer. Austin had great ideas about reframing performance and building a musical vocabulary as well. If I could wave a magic wand I'd make this interview required for music and music education majors at music schools everywhere, just to hear an alternative perspective.
The song we share is Austin's song Trouble in My Soul and would you believe the set of pipes on this guy? Wow!
Austin Scelzo is a New England based bluegrass musician who plays fiddle and sings with the bands the Rock Hearts and On the Trail. He's won numerous awards nationally and internationally for his leadership in bluegrass advocacy and mentorship and he's well know for his friendly, down to earth, informative teaching that has brought many fiddlers and musicians into the bluegrass fold. He teaches at camps around the country and has his own teaching studio and jam classes. Check out his offerings:
Austin's Website
Teaching and Performing Calendar
Services
Bluegrass, Country, and Roots Online School
Harmony Vocals Online School
Bluegrass Jam Class (Wernick Method)
Connect on Facebook and Subscribe on YouTube
Thanks for listening!
My Fiddle Studio Book 1: Fiddling for the Complete Beginner is FREE on Amazon! It has over 30 easy beginner fiddle tunes with sheet music, tab, and a link to a video for each tune!
- Fiddle Books
- Bandcamp
- YouTube
You can reach me at meganbeller@fiddlestudio.com.
My website for learning to fiddle is Fiddle Studio which has courses and a mailing list and my Top 10 Fiddle Tunes!
I could never pick a favorite interview, but this one was up there! The conversation this month is with a heroine of mine, Judy Hyman. Judy co-founded the Horseflies in Ithaca, NY in the late 1970s and has played and taught Old-Time and Alt-Rock fiddle ever since. She now composes music for film and media.
Despite having a classical violin background growing up, Judy has never learned a fiddle tune from paper! We talk about why that is, her musical influences, and how she and her bandmates built the unique Horseflies sound. We dig into playing and creating music that creates and channels emotion, including what Judy calls "swirl", and the use of delay.
Of course we discuss her husband Jeff Claus and the banjo uke, and Judy shares the modifications that she uses to keep fiddling after playing hard for many years- for her bow and her fiddle. Then we talk about composing!
https://www.judyhyman.com/
Thanks for listening!
My Fiddle Studio Book 1: Fiddling for the Complete Beginner is FREE on Amazon! It has over 30 easy beginner fiddle tunes with sheet music, tab, and a link to a video for each tune!
- Fiddle Books
- Bandcamp
- YouTube
You can reach me at meganbeller@fiddlestudio.com.
My website for learning to fiddle is Fiddle Studio which has courses and a mailing list and my Top 10 Fiddle Tunes!
We’re having a conversation with Oliver Scanlon, a fiddler and traditional musician based in Syracuse NY. Originally from Vermont, Oliver learned fiddle from the great Pete Sutherland. He played, performed and recorded extensively with Pete over the last 10 years of Pete’s life with Pete’s Posse, playing for hundreds of contradances, concerts and festivals for their nine years as a trio, releasing eight recording projects along the way! Oliver's current dance band is Stove Dragon and he does professional sound and teaches lessons on fiddle and mandolin.
Oliver and I talked about Pete Sutherland a great deal in this conversation as we discussed Oliver's path from learning the fiddle and immediately connecting to folk and traditional music—though perhaps not for the reason you might think—to how he ended up touring the country just out of high school. He talks about lessons he learned along the way and some interesting takes on the different styles he plays. Oliver is a fiddler who does sound and gives us his personal take and recommendation for specific microphones and pickups to use or avoid!
After many of my interviews we have trouble ending the chat—Oliver and I kept on talking about teaching after I'd officially wrapped things up so I stuck that bit on the end of the episode.
Oliver's website
Pete's Posse
Thanks for listening!
My Fiddle Studio Book 1: Fiddling for the Complete Beginner is FREE on Amazon! It has over 30 easy beginner fiddle tunes with sheet music, tab, and a link to a video for each tune!
- Fiddle Books
- Bandcamp
- YouTube
You can reach me at meganbeller@fiddlestudio.com.
My website for learning to fiddle is Fiddle Studio which has courses and a mailing list and my Top 10 Fiddle Tunes!
An interview with West Virginia Old-Time fidder and fiddle teacher Dakota Karper. We talk about fiddle and banjo, starting her folk school the Cat and the Fiddle, improv and interpretation in Old-Time tunes, teaching beginners and developing young musicians using the Old-Time repertoire, and her Patreon which is an awesome resource!
Dakota Karper, hailing from rural West Virginia, grew up immersed in the rich traditions of Appalachian Old-time music. From an early age, she embraced folk music, studying under master fiddler Joe Herrmann and honing her craft at the Augusta Heritage Center. Dakota also deepened her skills with classical violin at the Shenandoah Arts Academy in Winchester, VA. After spending seven years in Baltimore, she returned to Capon Bridge, WV, where she now teaches Appalachian fiddle and performs regularly throughout the region.
Dakota's website: https://www.dakotakarper.com
The Cat and the Fiddle School: https://www.thecatandthefiddlewv.com
Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/dakotakarper
Bandcamp: https://dakotakarper.bandcamp.com/
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/dakotark
Thanks for listening!
My Fiddle Studio Book 1: Fiddling for the Complete Beginner is FREE on Amazon! It has over 30 easy beginner fiddle tunes with sheet music, tab, and a link to a video for each tune!
- Fiddle Books
- Bandcamp
- YouTube
You can reach me at meganbeller@fiddlestudio.com.
My website for learning to fiddle is Fiddle Studio which has courses and a mailing list and my Top 10 Fiddle Tunes!
I was honored to chat with Bruce Molsky on the Fiddle Studio Podcast this month. Bruce has a new album out with Daryl Anger called Lockdown Breakdown. We talk about getting into Old-Time and sticking with it over the years, trying to sound like your heroes, picking up new tunes, the Berklee American Roots music department, and what he listens for in old recordings.
Bruce breaks down singing and fiddling at the same time and how to develop that slippery skill. We hear a track from the new album, Can I Change My Mind.
Bruce Molsky has been playing and studying Old-Time music for 50 years, and for much of that time teaching as well. He famously learned fiddle and banjo from folks down in Virginia, West Virginia and North Carolina in the 70s, including Tommy Jarrell among others. He’s been performing and collaborating ever since, has over dozen great albums to check out, and he teaches Old-Time music at the Berklee School of Music and online at Peghead Nation.
You can see Bruce on the BBC TV “Transatlantic Sessions” with Aly Bain and Jerry Douglas, and on “David Holt’s State of Music” on PBS. He stays active touring and recording with longtime collaborators Darol Anger, Tony Trischka and Mountain Drifters’ Allison de Groot.
Bruce Molsky: http://brucemolsky.com
On Facebook: http://facebook.com/brucemolsky
Peghead Nation Course
Lockdown Breakdown on Bandcamp
Youtube: http://youtube.com/brucemolskymusic
Email: bruce@brucemolsky.com
Let me know what you think!
Email me at meganbeller@fiddlestudio.com.
Listen and subscribe on Apple Music, Spotify, or Buzzsprout. Find me on YouTube and Bandcamp.
Here are my Fiddle Studio books and my website Fiddle Studio where you can find my courses and mailing list and sign up for my Top 10 Fiddle Tunes!
Klezmer violinist and composer Alicia Svigals is widely considered to be the world's leading klezmer fiddler, often called the Queen of Klezmer. She was a founder and a longtime member of the Grammy-winning group the Klezmatics. She has performed with and written music for violinist Itzhak Perlman. Alicia Svigals has worked with everyone in every possible way: soundtracks, compositions, genres, in plays, on tv, and on stages all over the world. She has a brand new album out called Fidl Afire!
Alicia Svigals: https://aliciasvigals.com/
Fidl Afire Album: https://borschtbeat.bandcamp.com/album/fidl-afire
YouTube video on krehts: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Wyz0Dg-_ssU
Email me at meganbeller@fiddlestudio.com.
Listen and subscribe on Apple Music, Spotify, or Buzzsprout. Find me on YouTube and Bandcamp.
Here are my Fiddle Studio books and my website Fiddle Studio where you can find my courses and mailing list and sign up for my Top 10 Fiddle Tunes!
Hey, it's episode 100! We hear from Charley Beller, Irish flute and guitar player and contra dance musician from Baltimore, Maryland and my spouse. Charley has played guitar on most of the podcast episodes, but this is the first time he shares on the podcast!
What's it like to learn a dozen musical instruments? Why would a person practice all the time? How does Charley view the first few months of learning a new skill?
We also chat about Clifftop and Charley asks me about a few questions as well. The tune is Greg Hooven's Won't Come Till Morning and the audio is from the Clifftop Open Fiddle Contest.
Going forward the Fiddle Studio Podcast will be monthly, on the first Tuesday of the month.
Email me at meganbeller@fiddlestudio.com.
Listen and subscribe on Apple Music, Spotify, or Buzzsprout. Find me on YouTube and Bandcamp.
Here are my Fiddle Studio books and my website Fiddle Studio where you can find my courses and mailing list and sign up for my Top 10 Fiddle Tunes!
Why does the fiddle squeak? If only we knew. Hang on, we do know! I offer lots of diagnosis and advice for how to get to the bottom of squeaking. Together we can not squeak as much.
The tune for this week is Marion Reece's version of Cumberland Gap.
Email me at meganbeller@fiddlestudio.com.
Listen and subscribe on Apple Music, Spotify, or Buzzsprout. Find me on YouTube and Bandcamp.
Here are my Fiddle Studio books and my website Fiddle Studio where you can find my courses and mailing list and sign up for my Top 10 Fiddle Tunes!
What is the best age to start? There is an exact and definite best age to begin playing the fiddle and if you don't start then you're doomed. I'm kidding.
The tune for this week is Horses in the Canebreak.
Email me at meganbeller@fiddlestudio.com.
Listen and subscribe on Apple Music, Spotify, or Buzzsprout. Find me on YouTube and Bandcamp.
Here are my Fiddle Studio books and my website Fiddle Studio where you can find my courses and mailing list and sign up for my Top 10 Fiddle Tunes!
People play the fiddle for all kinds of reasons, and as a fiddler and fiddle teacher they often tell me all about it. I talk about some of the variety of reasons I've heard from adult fiddlers for why they're voluntarily choosing to take up this rewarding and challenging new hobby!
Our Tune this week is a funky Sally in the Garden I got from Marion Sumner's recording.
Email me at meganbeller@fiddlestudio.com.
Listen and subscribe on Apple Music, Spotify, or Buzzsprout. Find me on YouTube and Bandcamp.
Here are my Fiddle Studio books and my website Fiddle Studio where you can find my courses and mailing list and sign up for my Top 10 Fiddle Tunes!
Busking is playing in the street for money. I've done it. In fact, I've done in New York City in the subway! A few thoughts on busking, and some busking stories.
Fun tune this week, Old Aunt Jenny With Her Night Cap On.
Email me at meganbeller@fiddlestudio.com.
Listen and subscribe on Apple Music, Spotify, or Buzzsprout. Find me on YouTube and Bandcamp.
Here are my Fiddle Studio books and my website Fiddle Studio where you can find my courses and mailing list and sign up for my Top 10 Fiddle Tunes!
Recently I tried to play jazz. It got me thinking about jazz, so I share some thoughts about playing jazz as a violinist, how I approach it, what it's like, how I practice, and how I take a solo.
The tune is Ed Weaver's Cluck Old Hen. In the words of my friend Shane, it's a "nice, meditative tune".
Email me at meganbeller@fiddlestudio.com.
Listen and subscribe on Apple Music, Spotify, or Buzzsprout. Find me on YouTube and Bandcamp.
Here are my Fiddle Studio books and my website Fiddle Studio where you can find my courses and mailing list and sign up for my Top 10 Fiddle Tunes!
Have you thought about playing the mandolin? You could do worse. Welcome back to our regularly scheduled episodes, featuring a bunch of Old-Time tunes for the rest of June and July. We get caught up and talk about the mandolin. You may already know this, but the mandolin is tuned the same as a fiddle. Interesting!
This week the tune is Shippensport, a G major reel based on West Virginia fiddler Burl Hammond's playing. This tune is very fun to play!
Email me at meganbeller@fiddlestudio.com.
Listen and subscribe on Apple Music, Spotify, or Buzzsprout. Find me on YouTube and Bandcamp.
Here are my Fiddle Studio books and my website Fiddle Studio where you can find my courses and mailing list and sign up for my Top 10 Fiddle Tunes!
Starting summer vacation this week so I'm replaying an episode I recorded in December of 2022 about double stops and drones. I'll be back next week with Old-Time tunes.
My course for double stops and drones can be found here.
This episode covers how Megan helps her students learn to play double stops and drones and presents a setting of Tail Toddle from a workshop with Jeremy Kittel at Fiddle Hell.
The artist mentioned is Jeremy Kittel.
Email me at meganbeller@fiddlestudio.com.
Listen and subscribe on Apple Music, Spotify, or Buzzsprout. Find me on YouTube and Bandcamp.
Here are my Fiddle Studio books and my website Fiddle Studio where you can find my courses and mailing list and sign up for my Top 10 Fiddle Tunes!
This week I have a conversation with Irish fiddler Ellery Klein. Ellery Klein performs across New England with the fiddle, flute, and guitar trio Fódhla and nationally with the three-fiddle Celtic powerhouse group, The Bow Tides, whose debut album, Sailing On, was released in 2022. She also teaches fiddle to all ages in the Boston area and beyond.
Ellery graduated with a major in instrumental music from Cincinnati’s public magnet School for Creative and Performing Arts in 1992. She received an MA in Irish Traditional Music Performance from the University of Limerick in 2001. She toured nationally with the Irish supergroup Gaelic Storm from 2003-2007.
Ellery and I talk about teaching and learning, switching from classical to fiddle, all about the Irish roll (with tips!), and how three former Gaelic Storm fiddlers formed the Bow tides and how they work together as a fiddle trio. We had a great time!
The tune this week is York Street Stepper by Ellery Klein.
Ellery Klein's website is elleryklein.net
Find the Bow Tides at thebowtides.com
Email me at meganbeller@fiddlestudio.com.
Listen and subscribe on Apple Music, Spotify, or Buzzsprout. Find me on YouTube and Bandcamp.
Here are my Fiddle Studio books and my website Fiddle Studio where you can find my courses and mailing list and sign up for my Top 10 Fiddle Tunes!
Let's talk about playing harmonies on the fiddle. How can you get started with learning and playing harmonies and how do you get better at coming up with them on the fly?
Our tune this week is the Irish single reel in D, Stoney Steps.
Email me at meganbeller@fiddlestudio.com.
Listen and subscribe on Apple Music, Spotify, or Buzzsprout. Find me on YouTube and Bandcamp.
Here are my Fiddle Studio books and my website Fiddle Studio where you can find my courses and mailing list and sign up for my Top 10 Fiddle Tunes!
Andrew VanNorstrand performs with his brother Noah VanNorstrand and Chris Miller in the Faux Paws, a contemporary folk band that plays fiddle tunes and original songs with just about the best groove around. The Faux Paws are making an album and you can get involved and find out more here. The time window is closing soon!
Andrew grew up playing fiddle and guitar and touring with his family band Great Bear and dominating the contra dance scene, playing every contra dance and festival you can imagine all over the US, and recording albums including “Dancing Again” and “Rawr!”. He is a prolific composer, creator of tunes and songs, his singer-songwriter album is “That We Could Find a Way to Be”.
Andrew and I talk about early training in genre dabbling, the depths to which music can be explored, the purpose of dance music, choices in production, perfectionism and exploring a musical choice that wasn't expected, and much more. We touch on why Andrew stopped playing for dances and why a crowdfunding campaign is an opportunity to make a connection and personalize a tiny part of the content wave that flows over us. Andrew describes some new choices the Faux Paws are making with their current album.
Find the musical multiverse of Andrew and Noah VanNorstrand's music on Bandcamp.
You can hear Noah VanNorstrand's interview for the Fiddle Studio Podcast here.
The tune for this week is a tune of Andrew's called Lost River.
Email me at meganbeller@fiddlestudio.com.
Listen and subscribe on Apple Music, Spotify, or Buzzsprout. Find me on YouTube and Bandcamp.
Here are my Fiddle Studio books and my website Fiddle Studio where you can find my courses and mailing list and sign up for my Top 10 Fiddle Tunes!
If you're a reader and a fiddler, here are some recommendations for books from children's books to YA and general fiction that feature fiddlers and fiddling. Some of these books have even been known to inspire folks to pick up the fiddle!
Kids books:
Mole music
Just Enough and Not Too Much
Fiddling Sam
Nina’s Waltz
A Fiddle for Angus
YA or chapter books:
The New Policemen
Little House on the Prairie
A Girl of the Limberlost
Fiddle Fever
Thriller/Detective:
Violin conspiracy
An Equal Music
As I walked Out One Midsummer Morning
The Busker
The Fifth String
Fiddle Game
Keeper of Secrets
The Gentle Care for Broken Thing
War:
Long March Home
Simon the Fiddler
Cold Mountain
Master & Commander
South/Mountain Culture:
Fiddler’s Ghost
The Devil’s Dream
The Insolent Breed
The Grapes of Wrath
Refuge by Dot Jackson
Healing:
Come and Go, Molly Snow
Soldier's Joy
Paddy on the Hardwood
Romance:
Carnal Innocence
Fiddler’s Dream
The Devil and Preston Black
Our tune this week is the Irish jig Donnybrook Fair.
Email me at meganbeller@fiddlestudio.com.
Listen and subscribe on Apple Music, Spotify, or Buzzsprout. Find me on YouTube and Bandcamp.
Here are my Fiddle Studio books and my website Fiddle Studio where you can find my courses and mailing list and sign up for my Top 10 Fiddle Tunes!
We talk about the personalities of the different major and minor keys. What makes C sound so different from A on the fiddle? Why do players try out a tune in different keys, and how do the keys lay out on the instrument?
Our tune is the Irish E minor reel Maid of Mt. Kisco. Love this one!
Email me at meganbeller@fiddlestudio.com.
Listen and subscribe on Apple Music, Spotify, or Buzzsprout. Find me on YouTube and Bandcamp.
Here are my Fiddle Studio books and my website Fiddle Studio where you can find my courses and mailing list and sign up for my Top 10 Fiddle Tunes!
This is my second conversation with Rachel Eddy, since I forgot to record the first one! We talk about finding flow in fiddling, learning tunes off recordings (or not), remembering tunes, singing, some great stories about Rachel's dad and his fiddle journey, and some ideas for fiddle students to help relax and get balanced while playing.
Rachel Eddy (they/them) hails from West Virginia, where they grew up steeped in Appalachian music and dance. Rachel’s multi-instrumental talents and soulful singing bring a powerful energy to the stage. In addition to being a performer, Rachel is passionate about teaching. They have taught fiddle, banjo and guitar at the Augusta Heritage Center in Elkins WV, at Sore Fingers Summer school in the UK, and different various weekend workshops from the hills of West Virginia to Sweden, Denmark, Switzerland, Germany, London and Wales.
Contact Rachel at reddytojam@gmail.com
Rachel's website is https://www.racheleddymusic.com/
The tune this week is Rose in the Mountain, played live by Rachel on the podcast!
Email me at meganbeller@fiddlestudio.com.
Listen and subscribe on Apple Music, Spotify, or Buzzsprout. Find me on YouTube and Bandcamp.
Here are my Fiddle Studio books and my website Fiddle Studio where you can find my courses and mailing list and sign up for my Top 10 Fiddle Tunes!
We're talking about tapes on the fiddle, or stickers, or fingerboard stick on charts, or whatever you're curious about. Did you use tapes when you started? What are they useful for and how long does it make sense to use them?
Our tune is Broken Down Gambler, an Old-Time reel in G.
Email me at meganbeller@fiddlestudio.com.
Listen and subscribe on Apple Music, Spotify, or Buzzsprout. Find me on YouTube and Bandcamp.
Here are my Fiddle Studio books and my website Fiddle Studio where you can find my courses and mailing list and sign up for my Top 10 Fiddle Tunes!
When I talk about articulation I'm referring to the beginning of the note, or the attack, and how long the note is generally. Articulation, or catching the string, or getting a "scrubby" sound, has a huge effect on your sound.
Our tune is Dusty Miller, an Old-Time modal reel in A.
Email me at meganbeller@fiddlestudio.com.
Listen and subscribe on Apple Music, Spotify, or Buzzsprout. Find me on YouTube and Bandcamp.
Here are my Fiddle Studio books and my website Fiddle Studio where you can find my courses and mailing list and sign up for my Top 10 Fiddle Tunes!
Have you wondered what it's like to compete in a fiddle competition? So have I. So I signed up for one and we'll see how it goes. I talk a little about how I'm planning to prepare.
Our tune for this week is Old Billy Hell, a half length crooked Old-Time tune.
Our album release party contra dance will be May 30th at 7pm in Baltimore at the Mobtown Ballroom. Come on down!
Email me at meganbeller@fiddlestudio.com.
Listen and subscribe on Apple Music, Spotify, or Buzzsprout. Find me on YouTube and Bandcamp.
Here are my Fiddle Studio books and my website Fiddle Studio where you can find my courses and mailing list and sign up for my Top 10 Fiddle Tunes!
A repeat this week, as my family is on spring break. This very early episode has been pretty popular, and has a lovely slip jig for the Irish fiddlers. It's never a bad time to break out the old metronome. I'll be back with Old-Time tunes for you next week! -Meg
This episode features the fiddle tune House of My Own and describes working with the metronome and how it could help your fiddling.
Slow tempos for fiddling are 70-80 bpm (beats per minute) and tempos for dancing are 110-120 bpm.
Email me at meganbeller@fiddlestudio.com.
Listen and subscribe on Apple Music, Spotify, or Buzzsprout. Find me on YouTube and Bandcamp.
Here are my Fiddle Studio books and my website Fiddle Studio where you can find my courses and mailing list and sign up for my Top 10 Fiddle Tunes!
This week we have an interview with Tricia Spencer! Tricia is a well known, award winning Kansas fiddler who grew up on her family’s farm learning the tradition of old-time fiddling knee to knee from her grandpa and grandma, Vernon and Iona Spencer.
Tricia takes us on a deep dive into Kansas and midwest fiddling, how she thinks about the left hand and the fingerboard, and a primer for finding your place in the Old-Time community. And I didn't forget to ask what it's like having another fiddler as a partner in music and in life.
You can't listen to Tricia talk about the fiddle without hearing the deep love, respect and enthusiasm she has for this instrument and the music we make on it.
The tune this week is a version of Big Taters in the Sandy Land.
Check out Tricia's book the Fiddle Garden and opportunities to learn with her: https://www.triciaspencer.com/
Learn more about power duo Spencer and Rains: https://www.spencerandrains.com/
Spencer and Rains on bandcamp: https://spencerandrains.bandcamp.com/music
Email me at meganbeller@fiddlestudio.com.
Listen and subscribe on Apple Music, Spotify, or Buzzsprout. Find me on YouTube and Bandcamp.
Here are my Fiddle Studio books and my website Fiddle Studio where you can find my courses and mailing list and sign up for my Top 10 Fiddle Tunes!
Have you ever been uncomfortable saying the name of a fiddle tune? How about tunes with slurs in the title or the Irish tune I Buried My Wife and Danced on her Grave?
Without using racial slurs, I discuss problematic fiddle tune names, how I think about them and approach them.
Find the Contranella album here: https://megwobus.bandcamp.com/album/contranella
Our tune is Magpie's Nest, an Irish reel.
Email me at meganbeller@fiddlestudio.com.
Listen and subscribe on Apple Music, Spotify, or Buzzsprout. Find me on YouTube and Bandcamp.
Here are my Fiddle Studio books and my website Fiddle Studio where you can find my courses and mailing list and sign up for my Top 10 Fiddle Tunes!
This week we talk about where the fiddle neck meets the hand. Different ways to grip the neck of the fiddle and how it can change- even while you're in the middle of playing!
Our tune is Madam if You Please from a jam at the ArtHouse Bar.
Email me at meganbeller@fiddlestudio.com.
Listen and subscribe on Apple Music, Spotify, or Buzzsprout. Find me on YouTube and Bandcamp.
Here are my Fiddle Studio books and my website Fiddle Studio where you can find my courses and mailing list and sign up for my Top 10 Fiddle Tunes!
Hear all about playing and performing on the 5 string fiddle with a bonus question from last week with Jenna Moynihan. Hear about Jenna's fiddle and how she uses it!
Jenna's Interview: https://www.buzzsprout.com/2040333/14620847
John Blessing's Delight is an Irish jig in G major.
Email me at meganbeller@fiddlestudio.com.
Listen and subscribe on Apple Music, Spotify, or Buzzsprout. Find me on YouTube and Bandcamp.
Here are my Fiddle Studio books and my website Fiddle Studio where you can find my courses and mailing list and sign up for my Top 10 Fiddle Tunes!
An interview with Jenna Moynihan, a fiddler and an extraordinary member of the Boston music community. Jenna performs with harpist Mairi Chaimbeul, the Seamus Egan Project, the Hanneke Cassel Band, and has appeared as a soloist at Symphony Hall with the Boston Pops. In addition to touring, recording and teaching at fiddle camps, Jenna is also an Assistant Professor in the String Department at Berklee College of Music.
Jenna Moynihan: https://www.jennamoynihan.com/
Bandcamp: https://jennamoynihan.bandcamp.com/
Mailing List: https://www.jennamoynihan.com/schedule
The tune for this week is Brenda and Bill's a slow reel by Jenna Moynihan and Mairi Chaimbeul from the album One Two.
Email me at meganbeller@fiddlestudio.com.
Listen and subscribe on Apple Music, Spotify, or Buzzsprout. Find me on YouTube and Bandcamp.
Here are my Fiddle Studio books and my website Fiddle Studio where you can find my courses and mailing list and sign up for my Top 10 Fiddle Tunes!
Let's talk about the different kinds of fiddling you find around the US and Canada. I share what I know about the genres more closely related to dancing and dance music, and a little about fiddling along with songs.
Our tune for today is a version of Billy in the Lowground in the key of A, played in either Calico (AEAC#) or Cross A (AEAE) tuning. I use cross A.
Email me at meganbeller@fiddlestudio.com.
Listen and subscribe on Apple Music, Spotify, or Buzzsprout. Find me on YouTube and Bandcamp.
Here are my Fiddle Studio books and my website Fiddle Studio where you can find my courses and mailing list and sign up for my Top 10 Fiddle Tunes!
What?! Stop playing the fiddle? Why would I ever do a podcast on that topic, and who am I to tell anyone what they should do or not do?
Our tune for today is Chinquapin Hunting, a three part tune in A, played in cross A tuning. (I originally put the wrong tune up- even I can't keep these Old-Time tunes straight- but it should be Chinquapin Hunting now!)
Email me at meganbeller@fiddlestudio.com.
Listen and subscribe on Apple Music, Spotify, or Buzzsprout. Find me on YouTube and Bandcamp.
Here are my Fiddle Studio books and my website Fiddle Studio where you can find my courses and mailing list and sign up for my Top 10 Fiddle Tunes!
Listen in to hear how you can supercharge your practicing, or at least give it a refresh. This is the last podcast devoted to a topic from my new course How to Play Faster, which is available now on Fiddle Studio!
A quick addendum to the description of mindful practice: I somehow blanked on the best use of slow, mindful practice: improving your tuning!
Our tune for today is Old Granny Rattle Trap, interpreted from the fiddling of Natalie Padilla from an Old-Time jam in Northampton, MA. I play the tune in cross A, strings tuned to AEAE. See the sheet music for some fingering suggestions in cross A.
Email me at meganbeller@fiddlestudio.com.
Listen and subscribe on Apple Music, Spotify, or Buzzsprout. Find me on YouTube and Bandcamp.
Here are my Fiddle Studio books and my website Fiddle Studio where you can find my courses and mailing list and sign up for my Top 10 Fiddle Tunes!
Janie Rothfield is a powerhouse Old-Time fiddler and banjo player who performs and teaches at camps and weekends all over the country and the world! Janie shares what she thinks is important for fiddlers to learn and work on. Is it the fingering or the bowing? Hear all about Janie's Jumpstart camps and about her current projects.
The tune today is Waiting for Sandy from Janie's album Out of Thin Air.
Check out Janie's website to get the dates of her upcoming camps and performances!
Email me at meganbeller@fiddlestudio.com.
Listen and subscribe on Apple Music, Spotify, or Buzzsprout. Find me on YouTube and Bandcamp.
Here are my Fiddle Studio books and my website Fiddle Studio where you can find my courses and mailing list and sign up for my Top 10 Fiddle Tunes!
Any time you mess with the left hand technique it's going to interfere with your playing. With this in mind how are some ways you can work on unlocking your hand gradually, or consider what's it like to drop everything and completely relearn the left hand.
I made a mistake with the tune. I call it Fred Finn's in the podcast. That is a different reel. This reel is Fred Finn's #2, better known as Preston's.
Email me at meganbeller@fiddlestudio.com.
Listen and subscribe on Apple Music, Spotify, or Buzzsprout. Find me on YouTube and Bandcamp.
Here are my Fiddle Studio books and my website Fiddle Studio where you can find my courses and mailing list and sign up for my Top 10 Fiddle Tunes!
Slow practice and rhythms are two different ways to practice and make your playing faster. But how does slowing down help? And how is that different from practicing with rhythmic variations?
Our tune for today is Ne'er Shall I Wean Her, a jig from a session at the ArtHouse bar in Baltimore, Maryland.
Email me at meganbeller@fiddlestudio.com.
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Here are my Fiddle Studio books and my website Fiddle Studio where you can find my courses and mailing list and sign up for my Top 10 Fiddle Tunes!
How to create speed by taking the thinking out of the left hand. My current favorite exercise for beginning and intermediate players.
The tune for today is Tommy Mulhaire's, a jig by Tommy Mulhaire (or maybe by Martin his son).
Email me at meganbeller@fiddlestudio.com.
Listen and subscribe on Apple Music, Spotify, or Buzzsprout. Find me on YouTube and Bandcamp.
Here are my Fiddle Studio books and my website Fiddle Studio where you can find my courses and mailing list and sign up for my Top 10 Fiddle Tunes!
When I play out in the community and see folks who are still learning to play the fiddle, what is the biggest mistake I see them doing? Listen and find out!
The tune today is The Birds, from a session with Brendan Hearn, Connor Hearn, and Dan Isaacson at the ArtHouse in Baltimore.
Email me at meganbeller@fiddlestudio.com.
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Here are my Fiddle Studio books and my website Fiddle Studio where you can find my courses and mailing list and sign up for my Top 10 Fiddle Tunes!
An interview with fiddler and clawhammer banjo player Brad Kolodner. We talk a lot about the banjo, but Brad does more than just banjo. Topics include growing up as the children of folk musicians, the commercialization of Old-Time music, and the lack of women on bills at Old-Time Festivals. Hear all about Brad's upcoming projects, links below.
Features the tune Stony Run by Brad Kolodner from the album Stony Run from Ken and Brad Kolodner.
Brad's website: https://www.bradkolodner.com/
Charm City Junction: https://www.charmcityjunction.com/
The Baltimore Old-Time Festival: https://www.baltimoreoldtimefest.com/
Email me at meganbeller@fiddlestudio.com.
Listen and subscribe on Apple Music, Spotify, or Buzzsprout. Find me on YouTube and Bandcamp.
Here are my Fiddle Studio books and my website Fiddle Studio where you can find my courses and mailing list and sign up for my Top 10 Fiddle Tunes!
FIRST AIRED ON JANUARY 10th 2023 (BEST OF)
Let's talk about how to improve your tuning on the fiddle. If you're struggling with this, you're not alone! We'll explore three key elements in tuning your hand on the fiddle; where your hand is on the fingerboard, finger spacing and placement, and the art of micro-adjustments.
This episode presents a setting of The Kilmovee from a session at the Arthouse Bar and covers how Megan works with her students on playing in tune.
I mentioned Music Learning Theory, Alice Kanack, and the fiddler Dermot Grogan.
Email me at meganbeller@fiddlestudio.com.
Listen and subscribe on Apple Music, Spotify, or Buzzsprout. Find me on YouTube and Bandcamp.
Here are my Fiddle Studio books and my website Fiddle Studio where you can find my courses and mailing list and sign up for my Top 10 Fiddle Tunes!
What is it that makes fiddling sound like dance music? Why does it sound so different when you hear a classical violinist play a fiddle tune, what's missing? We're talking about the variety of accents, volume, and quality of tone within the running notes of a fiddle tune. It's what makes the music sound like fiddling!
We present a setting of the French Canadian fiddle tune La Moquine by Claude Méthé that I learned at a jam at Fiddle Hell.
Email me at meganbeller@fiddlestudio.com.
Listen and subscribe on Apple Music, Spotify, or Buzzsprout. Find me on YouTube and Bandcamp.
Here are my Fiddle Studio books and my website Fiddle Studio where you can find my courses and mailing list and sign up for my Top 10 Fiddle Tunes!
How does jamming help with your fiddle playing and how does practicing help your fiddle playing. We dive into this topic, exploring how each can help you improve on the fiddle and when one might be a little more useful to meet a specific playing goal.
Our tune this week is called Sleeping on the Floor, from the French Canadian song Ma Pallaissse by La Bolduc. UPDATE: I discovered Mary Bolduc's connection to this tune after I recorded the podcast, so the composer/collector note is an update to what I said in the podcast. Thanks!
Email me at meganbeller@fiddlestudio.com.
Listen and subscribe on Apple Music, Spotify, or Buzzsprout. Find me on YouTube and Bandcamp.
Here are my Fiddle Studio books and my website Fiddle Studio where you can find my courses and mailing list and sign up for my Top 10 Fiddle Tunes!
This week we hear from New England fiddler Lissa Schneckenburger. Lissa has been performing and recording New England fiddle and folk music for the past 20 years. Her fiddling is one of a kind, intensely danceable, with virtuosic technique and fluidity. She shares what it was like to fiddle as a kid, traveling to fiddle contests in Maine, her experiences studying music at the New England Conservatory, and her latest projects to come out of the period of the pandemic.
Lissa Shneckenburger is well known for teaching adult fiddlers how to learn by ear, and she breaks down the different roadblocks her students run into when trying to get the hang of it.
We present the tune For Grada from Lissa's album Falling Forward.
Lissa's Website: https://lissafiddle.com/
Bandcamp: https://lissafiddle.bandcamp.com/
Mailing List: https://lissafiddle.com/contact/
Ear Training Course: https://lissafiddle.com/store/learning-by-ear-video-series/
Email me at meganbeller@fiddlestudio.com.
Listen and subscribe on Apple Music, Spotify, or Buzzsprout. Find me on YouTube and Bandcamp.
Here are my Fiddle Studio books and my website Fiddle Studio where you can find my courses and mailing list and sign up for my Top 10 Fiddle Tunes!
The bow hair can be flat. The bow can tilt away from you. The bow can tilt towards you. How does tilting the bow affect your tone and why and how do different players in different genres use this technique?
The tune today is Half Past Four, a tune played by blind fiddler Ed Haley from West Virginia. This setting is from the Baltimore Old-Time Jam.
Email me at meganbeller@fiddlestudio.com.
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Here are my Fiddle Studio books and my website Fiddle Studio where you can find my courses and mailing list and sign up for my Top 10 Fiddle Tunes!
Harmonies are a great addition to fiddle tunes, in most cases, and with some exceptions and guidelines. Get the lowdown on when it's appropriate and welcome to harmonize, a little about why you might not want to harmonize in an Irish Jam, and how to get started learning and creating your own harmonies.
Our tune is a setting of Boys Them Buzzards are Flying by Gary Harrison from the Baltimore Old-Time Jam at the Peabody Heights Brewery in Baltimore, Maryland.
Email me at meganbeller@fiddlestudio.com.
Listen and subscribe on Apple Music, Spotify, or Buzzsprout. Find me on YouTube and Bandcamp.
Here are my Fiddle Studio books and my website Fiddle Studio where you can find my courses and mailing list and sign up for my Top 10 Fiddle Tunes!
Does playing faster make it better? As a fiddle teacher, I've got a lot to say about this. It's pretty common for intermediate students to play faster just because they can, but I'm here to suggest a better way.
Our tune is a setting of Gilsaw, a tune collected from Pete McMahon as played at the Baltimore Old Time Jam.
Email me at meganbeller@fiddlestudio.com.
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Here are my Fiddle Studio books and my website Fiddle Studio where you can find my courses and mailing list and sign up for my Top 10 Fiddle Tunes!
Casey Murray is a cellist who fiddles on the cello! They also play fiddle, banjo, guitar, and mandolin. They teach and perform in the Boston area with the band Corner House, play contra dances, and collaborate with a wide range of folk and trad musicians. Hear how the cello, an unusual instrument in folk music, became Casey's voice and passion and what it was like to study folk music at the Berklee School of Music.
Casey's website
Casey's instagram
Album After the Sky Weeps
The tune this week is Caribou Party, a tune by Casey Murray from their album After the Sky Weeps with Molly Tucker.
Email me at meganbeller@fiddlestudio.com.
Listen and subscribe on Apple Music, Spotify, or Buzzsprout. Find me on YouTube and Bandcamp.
Here are my Fiddle Studio books and my website Fiddle Studio where you can find my courses and mailing list and sign up for my Top 10 Fiddle Tunes!
Cross Tuning is changing the tuning of the strings of the fiddle from the traditional G-D-A-E to better match the key of the tune. It's mostly used in Old-Time music. We talk about different ways to cross tune, why it's done, and how it feels to play in a different tuning. It's not as hard as it sounds!
We present a setting of All's Quiet from Meg's new album Broke the Floor, from Meg Wobus and Charley Beller. Find the album here: megwobus.bandcamp.com.
Email me at meganbeller@fiddlestudio.com.
Listen and subscribe on Apple Music, Spotify, or Buzzsprout. Find me on YouTube and Bandcamp.
Here are my Fiddle Studio books and my website Fiddle Studio where you can find my courses and mailing list and sign up for my Top 10 Fiddle Tunes!
Let's talk about playing by ear. How to start learning it, how to get better at it, and what the challenges are. Playing by ear is an integral part of fiddling in all folk traditions. For some it comes naturally, but others of us have the learn to do it from scratch.
We also present a setting of Heater Don't Stop from Meg's new album Broke the Floor.
Email me at meganbeller@fiddlestudio.com.
Listen and subscribe on Apple Music, Spotify, or Buzzsprout. Find me on YouTube and Bandcamp.
Here are my Fiddle Studio books and my website Fiddle Studio where you can find my courses and mailing list and sign up for my Top 10 Fiddle Tunes!
In this episode we cover how and why we put sets of fiddle tunes together, both for contrdances, and in Irish sessions. How do fiddlers decide what tunes, what order, and how to string them together?
We also present a setting of Charley's Waltz from Meg's new album Broke the Floor. Find the album here: megwobus.bandcamp.com.
Email me at meganbeller@fiddlestudio.com.
Listen and subscribe on Apple Music, Spotify, or Buzzsprout. Find me on YouTube and Bandcamp.
Here are my Fiddle Studio books and my website Fiddle Studio where you can find my courses and mailing list and sign up for my Top 10 Fiddle Tunes!
Is it better to sit or stand to play the fiddle? Sure, we know that in the end you should do whatever works for you, but there must be a reason classical violinists always stand to play except in orchestra. But fiddlers always seem to be sitting unless they are performing. What's the deal?
We present a setting of On the Loose from Megs's new album Broke the Floor from Meg Wobus and Charley Beller.
Email me at meganbeller@fiddlestudio.com.
Listen and subscribe on Apple Music, Spotify, or Buzzsprout. Find me on YouTube and Bandcamp.
Here are my Fiddle Studio books and my website Fiddle Studio where you can find my courses and mailing list and sign up for my Top 10 Fiddle Tunes!
Discover the captivating journey of Irish fiddler Joanna Clare, from her first toe-dip into the world of music through the Suzuki Method to the high-stakes sphere of traditional Irish music competitions. Hear about Joanna's years of lesson with legendary teacher Brian Conway and how it shaped her approach to the fiddle. Joanna also fills us in on her musical collaborations in Baltimore with Billy McComisky and others, and her passion for composing fiddle tunes.
This episode features the g minor hornpipe Amédée by Joanna Clare from her project with Richard Osban. Find Joanna online at joannaclare.com.
Email me at meganbeller@fiddlestudio.com.
Listen and subscribe on Apple Music, Spotify, or Buzzsprout. Find me on YouTube and Bandcamp.
Here are my Fiddle Studio books and my website Fiddle Studio where you can find my courses and mailing list and sign up for my Top 10 Fiddle Tunes!
Step into our shoes as we guide you along creating an album as independent musicians. Brace yourself for a fascinating dive into the artistic process, engaging in discussions about the significance of selecting music that resonates, arranging that music into a harmonious blend, and maintaining the rhythm with the help of a metronome. We reveal the trials and triumphs of long practice sessions, the anxiety of studio recordings, and the meticulous task of putting together the final masterpiece.
This episode presents a setting of the tune Home Ruler, by Frank McCollum, from the Arthouse Bar in Baltimore, Maryland.
Email me at meganbeller@fiddlestudio.com.
Listen and subscribe on Apple Music, Spotify, or Buzzsprout. Find me on YouTube and Bandcamp.
Here are my Fiddle Studio books and my website Fiddle Studio where you can find my courses and mailing list and sign up for my Top 10 Fiddle Tunes!
Ever felt the stirring call of the fiddle after a prolonged break, but felt anxious about picking it up again? Today, we're going to hold your hand through this journey. We'll share effective strategies to help you ease back into practice, while tackling the physical and mental challenges that come with it. We'll talk about revisiting old tunes, exploring new music related to your current life phase and even creating your own compositions. The key is to be gentle with yourself, take it slow and keep an open mindset - it's not going to be easy, but it will be worth it.
We present a setting of the hornpipe Kitty's Wedding from a session at the Arthouse Bar in Baltimore, Maryland.
Email me at meganbeller@fiddlestudio.com.
Listen and subscribe on Apple Music, Spotify, or Buzzsprout. Find me on YouTube and Bandcamp.
Here are my Fiddle Studio books and my website Fiddle Studio where you can find my courses and mailing list and sign up for my Top 10 Fiddle Tunes!
This episode discusses what to do about a locked-up right wrist. If your bow arm is stiff and you're not sure why and you don't know how to fix it, get some tips on why a loose, flexible arm can help your tone and the best ways to work on it. We present a setting of Tighe's Rare form the Arthouse Bar in Baltimore Maryland.
Support the showFind the sheet music for this fiddle tune on the Fiddle Studio blog. Get more information about Meg's books, courses, and membership for learning to play the fiddle at fiddlestudio.com.
Keep in touch with Meg at meganbeller@fiddlestudio.com.
Noah VanNorstrand, a fiddler, singer, mandolin player, and percussionist joins us to discuss his unique approach to music and fiddling. Alongside his brother Andrew, Noah spent his childhood homeschooling and playing for contra dances, where he developed a habit for creating his own tunes instead of practicing existing ones. Hear all about Noah's new debut solo album Share the Moon. We present the tune Sure Does! from Noah's album.
Find Noah's music at greatbearmusic.com.
Support the showFind the sheet music for this fiddle tune on the Fiddle Studio blog. Get more information about Meg's books, courses, and membership for learning to play the fiddle at fiddlestudio.com.
Keep in touch with Meg at meganbeller@fiddlestudio.com.
Ever had a fiddle mishap that made you gasp, or laugh out loud? Welcome aboard! This episode delivers a hilarious set of instrument horror stories from the Facebook Fiddlers Association. From snapped bows to fiddles left in hot cars and even those accidentally run over, you'll find yourself either cringing or chuckling at these tales. And yes, your host Meg Wobus Beller has her own horror story to share.
This episode also presents a setting of Jaybird from the Baltimore Old-Time jam at the Peabody Heights Brewery.
Support the showFind the sheet music for this fiddle tune on the Fiddle Studio blog. Get more information about Meg's books, courses, and membership for learning to play the fiddle at fiddlestudio.com.
Keep in touch with Meg at meganbeller@fiddlestudio.com.
The bow is a crucial if under appreciated component of fiddling, and in this special Bow Studio episode, we dive into the whys and hows of bow selection, care, and handling. We'll touch on everything from the nuances of holding rosin, to the significance of tightening and loosening, and even the fascinating materials used in their creation.
This episode features the tune New Five Cent Piece from a Baltimore Square Dance at the Mobtown Ballroom.
Support the showFind the sheet music for this fiddle tune on the Fiddle Studio blog. Get more information about Megan's books, courses, and membership for learning to play the fiddle at fiddlestudio.com.
Keep in touch with Megan at meganbeller@fiddlestudio.com.
Is speed really a necessity when it comes to playing the fiddle? We're about to challenge your preconceived notions in this comprehensive episode that dives into fast fiddle playing methods. Mastering fast reels isn't an overnight project. By the end of this episode, your perception of speed will be transformed and you'll have tips to play fast, feel settled, and never be in a rush.
This episode also presents a setting of Hollow Poplar from the Baltimore Square Dance at the Mobtown Ballroom.
Support the showFind the sheet music for this fiddle tune on the Fiddle Studio blog. Get more information about Megan's books, courses, and membership for learning to play the fiddle at fiddlestudio.com.
Keep in touch with Megan at meganbeller@fiddlestudio.com.
Ever felt like an outsider at a music jam? How about worrying that your age — too young or too old — could be a barrier to acceptance? You're not alone. Today, we unravel the tension, anxiety, and complexities of "jam drama" - those feelings of exclusion and self-consciousness that musicians often grapple with.
This episode features the tune Walking in My Sleep from the Baltimore Square Dance at the Mobtown Ballroom.
Support the showFind the sheet music for this fiddle tune on the Fiddle Studio blog. Get more information about Megan's books, courses, and membership for learning to play the fiddle at fiddlestudio.com.
Keep in touch with Megan at meganbeller@fiddlestudio.com.
This episode presents a setting of Polska från Tenala from the EP Postcards by Alyssa Rodriguez and dives into Alyssa's history as a fiddler and composer, and her study of Scandinavian music and nyckelharpa. Alyssa's website is alyssafiddle.com and you can find her preorder and backing for the Tales and Tunes book on Kickstarter.
Support the showFind the sheet music for this fiddle tune on the Fiddle Studio blog. Get more information about Megan's books, courses, and membership for learning to play the fiddle at fiddlestudio.com.
Keep in touch with Megan at meganbeller@fiddlestudio.com.
This episode presents a setting of The Hunter's Purse from a session at Fergie's Pub in Philadelphia and gives tips for how to practice scales, for beginning fiddlers to advanced.
The artists mentioned are Talya Raitzyk, Paddy Killoran, John Glatt, Paddy Maloney, Pat Kilduff, Kevin Burke, Hanneke Cassel, Megan Lynch Chowning and Andre Brunet. The Scale books are Barbara Barber's Scales for Young Violinists and Scales for Advanced Violinists, the Carl Flesch Scale System, and Meg's book Fiddle Studio Book 2: Fiddle for the Advanced
.
Support the showMeg and Charley need your help with their album kickstarter! Please chip in and share if you are able.
Find the sheet music for this fiddle tune on the Fiddle Studio blog. Get more information about Megan's books, courses, and membership for learning to play the fiddle at fiddlestudio.com.
Keep in touch with Megan at meganbeller@fiddlestudio.com.
This episode presents a setting of Bill Malley's from a session at Fergie's Pub in Philadelphia and give you tips for taking- or giving- a fiddle lesson.
The artists mentioned are Bill Malley, Martin Hayes, Joe Bane, and John Naughton.
Support the showMeg and Charley need your help with their album kickstarter! Please chip in and share if you are able.
Find the sheet music for this fiddle tune on the Fiddle Studio blog. Get more information about Megan's books, courses, and membership for learning to play the fiddle at fiddlestudio.com.
Keep in touch with Megan at meganbeller@fiddlestudio.com.
This episode presents a setting of New Mown Meadows from a session at Fergie's Pub in Philadelphia and describes the challenges of using the left hand pinky and how to get better at using it.
The artists mentioned are Miguel Oliveira, Lynn Blakeslee, and the etude book is School of Violin Technics by Henry Schradiek.
Support the showMeg and Charley need your help with their album kickstarter! Please chip in and share if you are able.
Find the sheet music for this fiddle tune on the Fiddle Studio blog. Get more information about Megan's books, courses, and membership for learning to play the fiddle at fiddlestudio.com.
Keep in touch with Megan at meganbeller@fiddlestudio.com.
This episode presents a setting of Pat Mahon's Jig from a session at Fergie's Pub in Philadelphia and discusses Irish Session Etiquette and where it can go wrong.
The artists mentioned are Contranella, Pat Mahon, Dermott Grogan, Brian Boyce, Darin Kelly, and Eaman Kelly.
Support the showMeg and Charley need your help with their album kickstarter! Please chip in and share if you are able.
Find the sheet music for this fiddle tune on the Fiddle Studio blog. Get more information about Megan's books, courses, and membership for learning to play the fiddle at fiddlestudio.com.
Keep in touch with Megan at meganbeller@fiddlestudio.com.
This episode presents a setting of Candy Girl from a jam at the Peabody Heights Brewery and talking all about different kinds of shoulder rests and options for using them.
The shoulder rests I talk about are a foam shoulder rest, a KUN, Bon Musica, viostrap, and Piestro.
The artists mentioned are Uncle Bunt Stephens, Uncle Jimmy Thompson, Brittany Haas, and Mike Seeger.
Support the showFind the sheet music for this fiddle tune on the Fiddle Studio blog. Get more information about Megan's books, courses, and membership for learning to play the fiddle at fiddlestudio.com.
Keep in touch with Megan at meganbeller@fiddlestudio.com.
This episode presents a setting of Farewell to Princeton from a jam at the Peabody Heights Brewery and talks about high and low 2s on the fiddle.
The artists mentioned are Clyde Davenforth, Ray Aldon, and Emily Shaad.
Support the showFind the sheet music for this fiddle tune on the Fiddle Studio blog. Get more information about Megan's books, courses, and membership for learning to play the fiddle at fiddlestudio.com.
Keep in touch with Megan at meganbeller@fiddlestudio.com.
This episode presents a setting of Five Miles of Ellun Wood from a jam at the Peabody Heights Brewery and dives into that age old question, what is the difference between the violin and the fiddle?
The artists mentioned is Bruce Greene and his CD Five Miles of Ellun Wood: Old Time Kentucky Fiddle Solos.
Support the showFind the sheet music for this fiddle tune on the Fiddle Studio blog. Get more information about Megan's books, courses, and membership for learning to play the fiddle at fiddlestudio.com.
Keep in touch with Megan at meganbeller@fiddlestudio.com.
This episode presents a setting of Money Musk from a jam at the Peabody Heights Brewery and talking all about how shifting up into positions works on the violin or fiddle.
The artists mentioned are Rodney Miller, Paul Gifford, Jean Carignon, The Highwoods String Band, The New Lost City Ramblers, Delaware Water Gap, and Cranberry Lake.
Support the showFind the sheet music for this fiddle tune on the Fiddle Studio blog. Get more information about Megan's books, courses, and membership for learning to play the fiddle at fiddlestudio.com.
Keep in touch with Megan at meganbeller@fiddlestudio.com.
This episode presents a setting of Chips and Sauce from a jam at the Peabody Heights Brewery and discusses positions on the fiddle, what they are and what they are used for.
The artists mentioned are Ira Bernstein, Earl White, and the Onlies.
Support the showFind the sheet music for this fiddle tune on the Fiddle Studio blog. Get more information about Megan's books, courses, and membership for learning to play the fiddle at fiddlestudio.com.
Keep in touch with Megan at meganbeller@fiddlestudio.com.
This episode presents a setting of Flatwater Fran by Phil Cunningham from a session at the Arthouse Bar and covers strategies for starting the fiddle from scratch, or as a complete beginner.
The artists mentioned are Phil Cunningham, Johnny Cunningham, Planxty, Silly Wizard, and Aly Balin.
Megan's book for beginners is called Fiddle Studio Book 1 and her course is Fiddle Studio Course 1: Starting From Scratch.
Support the showFind the sheet music for this fiddle tune on the Fiddle Studio blog. Get more information about Megan's books, courses, and membership for learning to play the fiddle at fiddlestudio.com.
Keep in touch with Megan at meganbeller@fiddlestudio.com.
This episode presents a setting of In Memory of Coleman by Ed Reavy from a session at the Arthouse Bar and dives into everything we know about how fiddle tunes get composed.
The artists mentioned are John Wobus, Taylor Swift, Rick Rubin, Mark Irwin, Ed Reavy, Michael Coleman, Joe Reavy and Tommy Caulfield. Find links on the Fiddle Studio blog.
Support the showFind the sheet music for this fiddle tune on the Fiddle Studio blog. Get more information about Megan's books, courses, and membership for learning to play the fiddle at fiddlestudio.com.
Keep in touch with Megan at meganbeller@fiddlestudio.com.
This episode presents a setting of Forget Me Not by Larry Redican from a session at the Arthouse Bar and discusses the dos and don'ts of violin and fiddle bowgrips.
The artists mentioned are Larry Redican, Frank O'Higgins, Jack Coen, Paddy O'Brien, and the dance teachers Peter and Cyril McNiff. Find links on the Fiddle Studio Blog.
Support the showFind the sheet music for this fiddle tune on the Fiddle Studio blog. Get more information about Megan's books, courses, and membership for learning to play the fiddle at fiddlestudio.com.
Keep in touch with Megan at meganbeller@fiddlestudio.com.
This episode presents a setting of Tatter Jack Walsh from a session at the Arthouse Bar and talks about the different ways you can play backup on the fiddle.
The people mentioned are Noah VanNorstrand and John Mac Walter.
You can find the sheet music for Tatter Jack Walsh at fiddlestudio.com and get more information on Megan's books, courses, and memberships for learning to play fiddle.
Keep in touch with Megan at meganbeller@fiddlestudio.com.
This episode presents a setting of Winder Slide by Joe LaRose from a jam at the Peabody Heights Brewery and dives into why fiddle tunes have repeats (and if you have to do them).
The artists mentioned are Donna Herbert, Becky Tracy, Joe LaRose, Bruce Molsky, Rayna Gellert, and Bill Dillof.
You can find the sheet music for Winder Slide at fiddlestudio.com and get more information on Megan's books, courses, and memberships for learning to play fiddle.
Keep in touch with Megan at meganbeller@fiddlestudio.com.
This episode presents a setting of Buck Mountain from a jam at the the Peabody Heights Brewery in Baltimore and discusses what vibrato is, when to use vibrato in fiddling and how to get started learning to vibrate!
The artists mentioned are Alice Kanack, Napoleon Bonaparte Chisholm "Uncle Nip", The Virginia Vagabonds, and Armin Barnett .
You can find the sheet music for Buck Mountain at fiddlestudio.com and get more information on Megan's books, courses, and memberships for learning to play fiddle.
Keep in touch with Megan at meganbeller@fiddlestudio.com.
This episode presents a setting of Sadie at the Back Door by Jere Canote from a jam at the the Peabody Heights Brewery in Baltimore and gives you advice on how to improve your tone on the fiddle or violin!
The artists mentioned are Jere Canote and Greg Canote.
You can find the sheet music for Sadie at the Back Door at fiddlestudio.com and get more information on Megan's books, courses, and memberships for learning to play fiddle.
Keep in touch with Megan at meganbeller@fiddlestudio.com.
This episode presents a setting of Booth Shot Lincoln from a jam at the Peabody Heights Brewery in Baltimore and discusses discusses scales, what they are good for and why play them (or not)!
The artists mentioned are Bascom Lamar Lunsford and Marcus Martin.
You can find the sheet music for Booth Shot Lincoln at fiddlestudio.com and get more information on Megan's books, courses, and memberships for learning to play fiddle.
Keep in touch with Megan at meganbeller@fiddlestudio.com.
This episode presents a setting of The Coming of Spring by Paddy O'Brien from a session at the Arthouse Bar in Baltimore and discusses discusses up and down bows, what they are, na dhow to use them in fiddle tunes!
The artists mentioned are Paddy O'Brien, Seána Davey, Stephen Doherty, and Líosa Murphy.
You can find the sheet music for The Coming of Spring at fiddlestudio.com and get more information on Megan's books, courses, and memberships for learning to play fiddle.
Keep in touch with Megan at meganbeller@fiddlestudio.com.
This episode presents a setting of Trip to Birmingham, a reel by Josie McDermott from a session at the Arthouse Bar in Baltimore and discusses addresses the question of why fiddlers might want to learn to read music!
The artists mentioned are Rachel Eddy, Matt Muloy, and Josie McDermott.
You can find the sheet music for Trip to Birmingham at fiddlestudio.com and get more information on Megan's books, courses, and memberships for learning to play fiddle.
Keep in touch with Megan at meganbeller@fiddlestudio.com.
This episode presents a setting of Fly in the Porter, a jig by Paddy O'Brien from a session at the Arthouse Bar in Baltimore and discusses how to getstarted making up your own music and your own tunes on the fiddle!
The artists mentioned are Alice Kanack, Lynn Blakeslee, Paddy O'Brien, and Billy McComiskey.
You can find the sheet music for Fly in the Porter at fiddlestudio.com and get more information on Megan's books, courses, and memberships for learning to play fiddle.
Keep in touch with Megan at meganbeller@fiddlestudio.com.
This episode presents a setting of Grieg's Pipes from a session at the Arthouse Bar in Baltimore and discusses playing fiddle for live dancing and dancers!
The artists mentioned are Rachel Eddy, Ken Kolodner, David Smuckler, Richard Osban, and the Flanagan Brothers.
You can find the sheet music for Grieg's Pipes at fiddlestudio.com and get more information on Megan's books, courses, and memberships for learning to play fiddle.
Keep in touch with Megan at meganbeller@fiddlestudio.com.
This episode presents a setting of Hob Dye from a jam at R House in Baltimore and discusses how to get really, really good at the fiddle!
My weight lifting coach is Emily Socolinsky, my husband the flute player is Charley Beller. The artists mentioned are Kenny Hall and Jim Ringer and the website is Slippery Hill. Check out the Wikapedia article on hobs.
You can find the sheet music for Hob Dye at fiddlestudio.com and get more information on Megan's books, courses, and memberships for learning to play fiddle.
Keep in touch with Megan at meganbeller@fiddlestudio.com.
This episode presents a setting of Jefferson City by Bill Katon from a jam at the R House in Baltimore and discusses how to amplify a fiddle in the studio and on stage.
The artists mentioned are Contranella, John Wobus, Pete Showman, Bill Katon, and Howard Marshall.
The microphones are the Piezo Pickup, Audio-technica onboard mic and the Superlux trumpet mic. Pete Showman's website is showman.org.
You can find the sheet music for Jefferson City at fiddlestudio.com and get more information on Megan's books, courses, and membership for learning to fiddle. Keep in touch with Megan at meganbeller@fiddlestudio.com.
This episode presents a setting of Shenandoah Falls from a jam at R House in Baltimore and discusses how much your string matter for playing the fiddle
The strings mentioned are Dominant, Obligato, and Pirastro strings. The artists mentioned are Pete Sutherland, Carol Robinson, Jeremiah McLane, and Leah Blackwell and the band the Clayfoot Strutters.
You can find the sheet music for Shenandoah Falls at fiddlestudio.com and get more information on Megan's books, courses, and memberships for learning to fiddle.
Keep in touch with Megan at meganbeller@fiddlestudio.com.
This episode presents a setting of Little Billy Wilson from a session at the R House in Baltimore and discusses all the aspects parts of Old-Time fiddle style.
The artists mentioned are Brad Kolodner, Ken Kolodner, Uncle Jimmy Thompson, and Eck Robertson.
You can find the sheet music for Little Billy Wilson at fiddlestudio.com and get more information on Megan's books, courses, memberships for learning the fiddle.
Keep in touch with Megan at meganbeller@fiddlestudio.com.
This episode presents a setting of Give Me Your Hand by Rory Dahl O'Kane from a session at the Arthouse bar in Baltimore and discusses how to get better at playing the fiddle without actually playing.
The artists mentioned are Liz Carroll, Turlough O'Carolan, Rory Dall O'Kane, Rory Dall Morrison, and Francis O'Neill
You can find the sheet music for Give Me Your Hand at fiddlestudio.com and get find out more about Megan's books, courses, and membership for fiddlers.
Keep in touch with Megan at meganbeller@fiddlestudio.com.
This episode presents a setting of Dinny O'Briens by Paddy O'Brien from a session at the Arthouse bar in Baltimore and discusses how fiddle tunes look different written down from how they sound, and how to learn fiddle style if you can't read it off the page!
The artists mentioned are Andrew VanNorstrand, Paddy O'Brien and his father Dinny and daughter Eileen, and Joe Madden.
You can find the sheet music for Dinny O'Brien's at fiddlestudio.com and get more information on how to become a member of Fiddle Studio. Keep in touch with Megan at meganbeller@fiddlestudio.com.
This episode presents a setting of Maudabawn Chapel from a session at the Arthouse Bar and explains how Megan helps her students deal with stage fright and nerves.
The artists mentioned are Ed Reavy, Kevin Burke, Martin Burns and Brendan McGlinchey.
You can find the sheet music for Maudabawn Chapel at fiddlestudio.com and get more information on how to become a member of Fiddle Studio. Keep in touch with Megan at meganbeller@fiddlestudio.com.
This episode presents a setting of The Kilmovee from a session at the Arthouse Bar and covers how Megan works with her students on playing in tune.
I mentioned Music Learning Theory, Alice Kanack, and the fiddler Dermot Grogan.
You can find the sheet music for The Kilmovee at fiddlestudio.com and get more information on how to become a member of Fiddle Studio. Keep in touch with Megan at meganbeller@fiddlestudio.com.
This episode features the fiddle tune Stool of Repentance and covers Megan's advice for violin players interested in getting into fiddling.
The artists mentioned are Jenna Moynahan, Daphne Pickens, and Bruce Molsky.
You can find the sheet music for Stool of Repentance at fiddlestudio.com and get more information on how to become a member of Fiddle Studio. Keep in touch with Megan at meganbeller@fiddlestudio.com.
This episode covers Megan's advice for helping keep your right and left hands coordinated and presents a setting of Reel de mon Gibard from a workshop with Eric Favreau at Fiddle Hell.
The artists mentioned are Eric Favreau and Louis "Pitou" Boudreault.
You can find the sheet music for Reel de mon Gibard at fiddlestudio.com and get more information on how to become a member of Fiddle Studio. Keep in touch with Megan at meganbeller@fiddlestudio.com.
This episode covers how Megan helps her students learn to play double stops and drones and presents a setting of Tail Toddle from a workshop with Jeremy Kittel at Fiddle Hell.
The artist mentioned is Jeremy Kittel.
You can find the sheet music for Tail Toddle at fiddlestudio.com and get more information on how to become a member of Fiddle Studio. Keep in touch with Megan at meganbeller@fiddlestudio.com.
This episode covers Megan's first time at the fiddle convention Fiddle Hell and presents a setting of La Galope de lac St Charles from a workshop with Becky Tracy at Fiddle Hell.
The artists mentioned are Becky Tracy, Eric Favreau and Jos Buchard.
You can find the sheet music for the La Galope de lac St Charles at fiddlestudio.com as well as more information about becoming a member of Fiddle Studio. Keep in touch with Megan at meganbeller@fiddlestudio.com.
This episode presents the fiddle tune Apple Brewer's Reel and features an interview with fiddler Tim Ball about his upcoming album Upstate Crossing and the Upstate New York fiddling tradition.
You can get more information about Tim Ball and Upstate Crossroads at www.timballmusic.com.
You can find the sheet music for Apple Brewer's Reel at fiddlestudio.com as well as more information about becoming a member of Fiddle Studio. Keep in touch with Megan at meganbeller@fiddlestudio.com.
This episode features the fiddle tune North Carolina Breakdown and dives into how violinists feel about fiddling and what fiddlers have to say about being a violinist (spoiler- the two camps don't always get along!). But we're all musicians playing music we love, right?
The fiddlers mentioned are Mark O'Connor and Fiddlin' Arthur Smith.
You can find the sheet music for North Carolina Breakdown at fiddlestudio.com. Keep in touch with Megan at meganbeller@fiddlestudio.com.
This episode addresses how Megan handles fiddle tunes that come out of the tradition of minstrel music and minstrel shows.
The other tune discussed is Golden Slippers by James A. Bland. The websites mentioned are bluegrassmessengers.com and Tater Joe's. The performers mentioned are the Bucking Mules and Edward Winter and I also mention the fiddler and caller David Smuckler.
You can find the sheet music for Climbing the Golden Stairs at fiddlestudio.com. Keep in touch with Megan at meganbeller@fiddlestudio.com.
This episode dives into whether it's ok to play fiddle with a bent wrist or if you should try to straighten your wrist.
The albums historical fiddlers mentioned are Samantha Bumgarner and Frank George. Also mentioned are Rayna Gellert and Frank Blevins and the Tar Heel Rattlers.
You can find the sheet music for Fly Around my Pretty Little Miss at fiddlestudio.com. Keep in touch with Megan at megan@fiddlestudio.com.
This episode dives into why Megan stopped booking contra dances after the pandemic, and why she recently started again.
The dances mentioned are the Baltimore Wednesday night contra dance, the Glen Echo contra dance. The musicians mentioned are Brad Kolodner and Ken Kolodner.
You can find the sheet music for Big Scioty at fiddlestudio.com. Keep in touch with Megan at megan@fiddlestudio.com.
This episode describes old-time music and what it's like to attend an old-time jam and Megan tells her favorite old-time tune joke.
The albums mentioned are In the Dance Tent by the Horseflies and Ways of the World by Rayna Gellert. You can find field recordings at slippery-hill.com. The location of the Baltimore old-time jam is R House on Tuesday nights.
You can find the sheet music for Shove The Pig's Foot a Little Further in the Fire at fiddlestudio.com. Keep in touch with Megan at megan@fiddlestudio.com.
This episode describes working with the metronome and how it could help your fiddling, and presents a setting of House of My Own from a session at The Arthouse in Baltimore, Maryland.
Slow tempos for fiddling are 70-80 bpm (beats per minute) and tempos for dancing are 110-120 bpm.
You can find the sheet music for House of My Own at fiddlestudio.com. Keep in touch with Megan at megan@fiddlestudio.com.
This episode has Megan's thoughts on how hard it is to learn the fiddle, and why people think it's so hard, and presents a setting of Na Ceannabháin Bhána from a session at The Arthouse in Baltimore, Maryland.
The fiddlers mentioned are Noah VanNorstrand and Meghan Mette.
You can find the sheet music for Na Ceannabháin Bhána at fiddlestudio.com. Keep in touch with Megan at megan@fiddlestudio.com.
This episode tells you all about Megan's fiddle and the story behind it, and presents a setting of Chief O'Neill's Favorite from a session at the Bru House in Dublin, Ireland.
Megan's violin was made by Ivy Rimmer Owen. The music collection mentioned is O'Neill's Music of Ireland.
You can find the sheet music for Chief O'Neill's Favorite at fiddlestudio.com. Keep in touch with Megan at megan@fiddlestudio.com.
This episode discusses Megan's trip to Ireland and the session she went to in Dublin and presents a setting of St. Anne's Reel from a session at the Bru House in Dublin, Ireland.
The neighborhoods mentioned are Clontarf and Fariview, and the songs mentioned are Wild Mountain Thyme and The Ballad of St. Anne's Reel.
You can find the sheet music for St. Anne's Reel at fiddlestudio.com. Keep in touch with Megan at megan@fiddlestudio.com.
This episode covers why Megan started the Fiddle Studio website presents a setting of The Flowers of Edinburgh from a session at the Bru House in Dublin, Ireland.
The music school in Rochester is the Kanack School of Music and Artistry.
You can find the sheet music for The Flowers of Edinburgh at fiddlestudio.com. Keep in touch with Megan at megan@fiddlestudio.com.
This episode covers what you can get out of going to a camp in the summer and presents a setting of Sí Bheag, Sí Mhór from a session at the Bru House in Dublin, Ireland.
The camps mentioned are the Kanack School Fiddle Camp, Pinewoods and Ashokan.
You can find the sheet music for Sí Bheag, Sí Mhór at fiddlestudio.com. Keep in touch with Megan at megan@fiddlestudio.com.
This episode covers how Megan got into the fiddle and fiddling and presents a setting of The Lark on the Strand from a session at the Bru House in Dublin, Ireland.
The artists mentioned are Rodney and Randy Miller, Liz Carroll, Jean Carignon and Contranella.
You can find the sheet music for the Lark on the Strand at fiddlestudio.com. Keep in touch with Megan at megan@fiddlestudio.com.