A short guide to teaching traditional fiddle

Traditional music is a deeply creative, rich and varied genre. I’ve been teaching folk fiddle (primarily Irish and English tunes) for many years, my approach informed by the many musicians I’ve listened to, learned with, and played alongside. Given its inherent flexibility, there are countless ways to teach it. Here, I share some of the ideas and practices I’ve found useful along the way.

Start by listening. The aural process is absolutely intrinsic to how music is transmitted among traditional players. Notation gives only the merest hint of how a tune might be played; the music (and magic) happens when an individual player introduces, within the framework of their tradition, their own rhythmic and melodic variation and embellishment. Although the vast majority of folk musicians read stave notation these days and will make use of tune books to expand their repertoire, the notation in such collections usually offers no more than the bare bones of the tune. Thus, an ear-based approach is essential for absorbing the feel of the music, understanding emphasis patterns and how to create them, and how and where to use stylistic rhythmic and melodic variation and ornamentation.