Hi All,

7:00 Ongoing (drop in any time) Class:

The last round of the 7:00 Pacific Time series, there was interest in improvisation. So this time we’ll take a tune and explore approaches to improvising on it. We’ll explore the pentatonic scale, the chordal shape of a tune, improvising melodically, and see how that expands our tools for creativity. Which means this class will be:

Fiddle Tunes with a leap into Improv Theory!

Details on Both Classes:

Erik Hoffman here getting ready to teach two Zoom In on Playing Fiddle Classes again!

Both classes will start on March 8, 2021 via Zoom online.

Cost: $155

Beginning Fiddle II: Repertoire for Beginners

Mondays, 5:30-6:45, beginning March 8.

OK.  You've taken Beginning Fiddle I with me, or you've had a couple lessons.  You sort of know how to hold the bow & fiddle; you’ve successfully played a couple tunes; and you know where fingers find some of the notes.  You more or less know how to get the beast in tune. You Are Ready! Ready to play more Tunes!  In this class you'll learn some tunes that are easy enough for beginners and still played by those of us who have been playing for years. We'll learn to play by ear as well as by observation. And notation, too. You’ll get tips on how to make this easier. And, of course, we will work to develop good fiddle habits by reviewing the nuts and bolts of the fiddle and bow.  Along the way, we will look at the construction of fiddle tunes and how this can make it easier to learn melodies. And we’ll explore how to make a tune our own – with ornaments and style.

    Register Beginning Fiddle II at https://secure.thefreight.org/221/beginningfiddle2

Fiddle Tunes with a Touch of Theory

Mondays, 7:30-8:45 p.m., beginning March 8.

In this class we will learn new tunes, and explore some of the bowings and ornaments that each tune brings up.  We will explore ways to vary a tune within a number of styles: Appalachian, Celtic, French-Canadian, perhaps even a bit Cajun.  We'll explore bowings, and strive to develop what Alasdair Fraser calls "our inner drummer."  Along the way, we'll explore how tunes are made of arpeggios, scales, and discuss how understanding this can make tunes easier to learn by ear and easier to memorize. We’ll explore ways put our personal stamp on it . We can also explore how learning a skeleton from notated tunes can open a wealth of thousands of tunes!

   Register at https://secure.thefreight.org/221/fiddletunes