Student Learning Groups

Welcome to the page for group learning! The purpose of these groups is to challenge you to try to figure out tunes and playing techniques on your own and in discussion with other students before getting feedback from me. The process of trying again and again and struggling with the material really helps you learn in a deeper way and, by making “mistakes”, find new ideas to use in your playing and expression of the music.

The first step is to choose the tune you want to work on! Then listen to it (I often listen ten or more times before starting to learn a new tune) and try to figure out the notes. Then you will tackle other elements such as bowing, emphasis, variation, ornamentation, etc. Use the discussion board to communicate with each other – ask questions and upload audio or sheet music if it will help you support each other – just remember that it is a public space! If someone (including me) posts sheet music for a tune, remember that you will learn most if you try to figure things out for yourself first. Make your own sheet music and compare it to what someone else has written – incidentally I like working with MuseScore.

As you tackle learning the tune and then going deeper into the playing of it, you may want to experiment with slowing down the audio or video. My page on using computer programs to learn fiddle tunes will help you work with audio. To slow down a YouTube video, click on the gear in the lower right, click on “Speed” and then select .5 or .25.

Helpful links: Using Computer Programs to Learn Fiddle Tunes – Learning by Ear – How I Learn and Practice New Tunes