2025 Block 1 Fiddle Practice

2025 Block 1 – Fiddle Practice

Welcome to Block 1 of 2025

Weds 15th January – Weds 12th February inclusive.

Wednesday evenings, from 15th January
7.00 – 7.45 pm Fiddle Practice Call
7.45 – 8.30 pm Live Teaching Call

https://us02web.zoom.us/j/87684049535?pwd=L7v1VtjV0H77qffivUPdSmPCG5Tqzn.1

Meeting ID: 876 8404 9535
Passcode: nefs2025b1

Call open from 6.55 pm

From Week 2:
6.45 – 7.00 pm Tune Surgery (from Week 2: call open from 6.40 pm)

Tech Tools Worksheet

NEFS 2025 Block 1 Tech Tools

Arpeggios and 4ths Exercises

NEFS 2025 Block 1 – Arpeggios and 4ths Exercises

NEFS 2024 Block 6 Arpeggio Exercises

Fiddle Practice Call Recordings

  1. 2025 Block 1 Week 1: 15th Jan 2025
  2. 2025 Block 1 Week 2: 22nd Jan 2025
  3. 2025 Block 1 Week 3: 29th Jan 2025
  4. 2025 Block 1 Week 4: 5th Feb 2025
  5. 2025 Block 1 Week 5: 12th Feb 2025

Link to Playlist

Tune Surgery Call Recordings

  1. 2025 Block 1 Week 2: 22nd Jan 2025 – Tune versions (general overview)
  2. 2025 Block 1 Week 3: 29th Jan 2025 – More on tune versions with some examples.
  3. 2025 Block 1 Week 4: 5th Feb 2025 – At what point does a tune stop being that tune?
  4. 2025 Block 1 Week 5: 12th Feb 2025 – Pulse bowing in ‘Five Sheep Four Goats’, as performed by the Danish String Quartet

Link to Playlist

Additional Resources

Tips & Techniques for Folk Fiddlers – from Stewart

Technique Video Playlists – from Stewart

Introduction to Melodic Motifs

Introduction to Bowing Patterns

Introduction to Ornaments – Cuts and Flicks

Introduction to Bow Hold

Stewart’s Finger Positions

Finger Positions (Open String) (pdf)

Open String Hand Frames (images)

  • Primary FInger Position
  • Secondary Finger Position
  • Lesser Finger Position
  • Klezmer Finger Position
  • Greater Finger Position

Open String Hand Frames PDF worksheets: