Bellingham Fiddle

It’s about time for another gentle improvisation class, no?

“All right! Fiddle solo!” Terrifying words, when shouted gleefully in your general direction? Yup, been there. March’s Fiddle Lab is all about getting you to a place where a solo feels like a welcome opportunity to cut loose, rather than something overwhelming and scary.

We’ll work on the emotional stuff, as well as some practical, nuts-and-bolts information and exercises to help you decide what to play.

This is designed for people who are totally freaked out by the idea of taking a solo but want to learn–so if that’s you, yay!

And if you’re a bit more confident but would like some new ideas or more chances to practice this skill, I hope you’ll join us, too.

The class is open to other acoustic instrumentalists as well–just be patient with a bit of fiddle-specific teaching from time to time.

Tuesdays
March 5, 12, 19, 26
6:30 – 8pm
$60 (4 sessions)

Register here, won’t you?

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Wednesday March 13, 7:30 PM
Roeder Home
$10 – $15 at the door.

“OK folks – this is a BIG deal! This man’s music makes big tears roll down my cheeks with remarkable consistency. He’s figured out how to sing WITH his fiddle as if the instrument was flesh and blood, part of his own body, blending the resonances till they break my heart. And he teaches other musicians how to think about reaching for that
themselves. I find that listening to his music makes me a deeper human being with better access to my own heart. And the Roeder Home has the finest acoustics of any listening room I know.” – Flip Breskin

“America’s reigning old time fiddler.” – Matt Glaser, fiddler-educator

“The Rembrandt of Appalachian fiddle.” – Darol Anger, fiddler

“There’s an incredible power of history and tradition in his vocals.” – Linda Ronstadt, singer

http://www.brucemolsky.com/

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OK, realistically this happens every year for me.  Maybe it’s the Eastern Washington native in me waiting for snow to start thinking about Christmas.  Anyway, it’s almost here and I forgot to tell you about my holiday duet fiddling book!

The Partridge Book:
19 Holiday Tunes with harmony parts and guitar chords

There’s still time to learn your Grandma’s favorite… right?

PDF download: $7

I also have two physical copies left from last year if you really want one and are able to pick it up.  Those are $10.

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Care to join us?

Tuesdays
Nov 27, Dec 4, 11, 18
6:30 – 8pm
Bellingham’s Cornwall Park Neighborhood (location emailed when you register)

Learn some great swing standards, get some ideas about how to approach improvisation, and pick up some painless music theory and fiddle/violin technique along the way. For lower-intermediate to advanced players.

Class (4 sessions): $60

Add a 45-minute private lesson for $35 (reg. $45):

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Incidentally, you can now register for fiddle labs in advance.

(In fact, there’s even a discount for registering for multiple classes at once.)

To register for three labs (you choose which three) and save $20:

3 classes/12 sessions: $160–save $20

After you complete your payment, just shoot me an email (kat@bellinghamfiddle.com) to let me know which three classes you’d like to take.

Current offerings:
-Late Nov/Early Dec: Swing!
-January: Bow Control
-February: Backing Up Other Musicians II (talk to Kat about this if you didn’t take the first class in this series)
-March: Go Ahead and Take a Solo!

For more details about the above classes, click here.

That’s all for now. See you soon, and happy musicking!

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The next Tuesday night Fiddle Lab starts this week, October 30. We’ll look at a bunch of tune types (such as rags, jigs, hornpipes, and reels) that have particular bowing patterns and techniques. Once you master them, you’ll be able to play them with their proper feel. You’ll never again wonder what the difference is between these types of tunes or why it matters!

This will empower you to read tunes out of books and know what they’re supposed to sound like. You’ll also be able to put in your own bowing markings.

Plus, this will also make it easier to write tunes and solos in certain styles–or to at least to be better at faking the styles you haven’t really devoted time to learning! Not that you would ever do that, of course. Actually, of course you would. It’s part of being a flexible musician who can jam with anyone you want to play with.

For more information, and to register, go here: http://www.bellinghamfiddle.com/upcoming-classes

That’s all for now. See you soon, and happy musicking!

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