How to Play Fiddle

You have chosen to learn how to play the fiddle.  Congratulations on your choice!  In this article you will learn the basics of choosing a fiddle, identifying your learning style, tuning your fiddle, and establishing a practice routine.  With this information you will be able to embark on a path of musical enjoyment that will last the rest of your life!

Fiddles are available in a wide range of styles and prices.  From 1/16 to 4/4 sizes (depending on the length of your arm) you can choose the instrument that will best suit your needs.  You can expect to pay from $200 to $500 for a beginner model fiddle.  Some vintage model fiddles are considered rare pieces of art and are priced accordingly with the most expensive selling for an estimated $7 million USD in February of 2008.  It is recommended that you start with a beginner’s model and trade up as you become more proficient in learning how to play fiddle.

Your individual learning style is an important consideration in learning how to play the fiddle.  You must determine if you learn best having a paid instructor and a well structured lesson time, or if you thrive on a looser, less structured, learning environment.  No matter your learning style, learning how to play fiddle will only be as rewarding as the time and effort that you devote to it. 

Should you choose to hire a professional teacher, it would be wise for you to have a list of qualifications that you are looking for in your instructor.  You may want to decide if you want a male or a female teacher, not a consideration for most today but it may be a factor for you.  Your teacher’s level of education will come into play, especially as you explore the avenues of study pertaining to music theory.  Does your perspective instructor perform using your instrument of choice (fiddle)? You will also need to determine if the instructor enjoys the genre of music in which you are interested. 

It will be beneficial to your quest of learning how to play fiddle if you know how to tune your instrument.  You should also have a precursory understanding of the proper positioning (how to hold) your fiddle.  You should be able to readily identify the various parts of your fiddle such as strings, tuning knobs, fine-tuning adjustors, neck, waist, etc.  These basic skills can be learned and mastered from a large selection of internet web sites. 

You must be a highly motivated individual to learn how to play fiddle.  This is especially true if you are leaning toward online instruction.  You must be willing to do enough research on your own progress to assure that you are proceeding in a correct manner.  You must establish a routine that fits your individual life style and that you are willing to stick with.  Not only does practice make perfect, you will not learn how to play fiddle without it.

Learning how to play fiddle is an extremely rewarding hobby.  Build your hobby on the foundation of choosing the right instrument, identifying your learning style, and mastering some basic skills such as tuning your fiddle, identifying its parts, and proper positioning, and you will be on your way to learn how to play fiddle!