Wow, Bob - it sounds like you're me -- I mean, my daughter is eight, just starting violin, and she loves the music I play and listen to, and I need stuff to get her started as well. So, I guess I'm seconding the request. It's not like I can bring her into a session around here -- they're all in bars and start after she goes to bed!
Pick a tune that she knows. She doesn't know any tunes? Play her some until she finds one that she really really loves, and then teach her that one, or at least, help her get it out of her fiddle -- if she really loves it, she'll listen to it until she knows it already before picking up the fiddle. (Bet she could squeak out Happy Birthday and Twinkle Twinkle easily enough.)
Mountain Road
Humours of Tulla
Merry Blacksmith
Anything pretty repetitive is easier to learn, though.
marches such as Roddy Mc Corley, Dawning of the Day etc are always ones I teach to beginners. Its never failed. Then once they grasp those, try a few polkas
I sympathise with Fyffer Guy - my six year old daughter's favourite is "Compliments to Sean Maguire" - however, we managed to persuade her that "The Skye Boat Song" was a better tune to start with! It also has nice words.
As Brad once said, it's all fun and games until someone starts up Britches Full of Stitches. ;) I teach a lot of eight year olds to dance, and easy isn't always the best way with them -- I find they tend to be very decided about what they like and don't. But of course, YMMV -- they're all different at the same time they're all similar!
I vote in favor of that motion. Marches are very easy for a beginner, what with the steady beat and the tendency to a simpler melody. When I was a beginning violinist, lo these many years ago, my mother gave me some Welsh marches to play out my grandfather's Gymanfa Ganu book, and they did me a lot of good.
Although if you have your heart set on britches, the Martin Hayes slow version which is posted on this site as The Britches is a fairly easy way to start. And when she knows it by memory, you can show her how to speed it up --- so she'll not only learn a tune, she'll learn a way to learn a tune.
Thanks all, she's a advance beginner and novice step dancer so when I play a tune I make it mandatory for her to tell what tune it is and the style.
Bob
Oooo, even easier, then. Surely she has a practice cd or two. She probably already knows the tunes on those, whether she realizes it or not -- does she have One More Time?
No she doesn't have that one, she has a couple of tony Nothers and a Pat King one. Only the Tony Nothers one "Stepping Out" has a list of the song titles. You like One More Time? I know I heard it but can't recall any of it right now. We got a feis to go to in a couple of weeks maybe will pick it up then.
Bob
beginning fiddle tunes for a 8 year old
beginning fiddle tunes for a 8 year old
I need a list for some beginner tunes for my eight year old daughter, her fiddle is 3/4 and her hands are small, any tune suggestions.
Thanks,
Bob
# Posted on April 5th 2005 by clawhammerbanjo
Re: beginning fiddle tunes for a 8 year old
Wow, Bob - it sounds like you're me -- I mean, my daughter is eight, just starting violin, and she loves the music I play and listen to, and I need stuff to get her started as well. So, I guess I'm seconding the request. It's not like I can bring her into a session around here -- they're all in bars and start after she goes to bed!
# Posted on April 5th 2005 by FyfferGuy
Re: beginning fiddle tunes for a 8 year old
Try Paul McNevin's book "The Irish Fiddle", especially the early sections.
Trevor
# Posted on April 5th 2005 by Trevor Jennings
Re: beginning fiddle tunes for a 8 year old
Pick a tune that she knows. She doesn't know any tunes? Play her some until she finds one that she really really loves, and then teach her that one, or at least, help her get it out of her fiddle -- if she really loves it, she'll listen to it until she knows it already before picking up the fiddle. (Bet she could squeak out Happy Birthday and Twinkle Twinkle easily enough.)
Mountain Road
Humours of Tulla
Merry Blacksmith
Anything pretty repetitive is easier to learn, though.
# Posted on April 5th 2005 by Zina Lee
Re: beginning fiddle tunes for a 8 year old
Problem is, her fave (right now) is President Garfield's Hornpipe.
Bad key, too.
We'll work on it ....
# Posted on April 5th 2005 by FyfferGuy
Re: beginning fiddle tunes for a 8 year old
Britches Full of Stitches - polkas are a great place to start.
# Posted on April 5th 2005 by Jode
Re: beginning fiddle tunes for a 8 year old
Out on the Ocean is a nice starter.
-Athena
# Posted on April 5th 2005 by act
Re: beginning fiddle tunes for a 8 year old
Mairi's Wedding is a good starter tune. Teach her the words as well.
# Posted on April 5th 2005 by Bill Reeder
Re: beginning fiddle tunes for a 8 year old
marches such as Roddy Mc Corley, Dawning of the Day etc are always ones I teach to beginners. Its never failed. Then once they grasp those, try a few polkas
# Posted on April 5th 2005 by Britney Spears
Re: beginning fiddle tunes for a 8 year old
I sympathise with Fyffer Guy - my six year old daughter's favourite is "Compliments to Sean Maguire" - however, we managed to persuade her that "The Skye Boat Song" was a better tune to start with! It also has nice words.
# Posted on April 5th 2005 by Ron P
Re: beginning fiddle tunes for a 8 year old
As Brad once said, it's all fun and games until someone starts up Britches Full of Stitches. ;) I teach a lot of eight year olds to dance, and easy isn't always the best way with them -- I find they tend to be very decided about what they like and don't. But of course, YMMV -- they're all different at the same time they're all similar!
# Posted on April 5th 2005 by Zina Lee
Re: beginning fiddle tunes for a 8 year old
I'd second Lara, try the old favourites like and then move on to polkas. Just keep in mind jigs before reels.
Good luck.
# Posted on April 5th 2005 by jfiddlerh
Re: beginning fiddle tunes for a 8 year old
I vote in favor of that motion. Marches are very easy for a beginner, what with the steady beat and the tendency to a simpler melody. When I was a beginning violinist, lo these many years ago, my mother gave me some Welsh marches to play out my grandfather's Gymanfa Ganu book, and they did me a lot of good.
Although if you have your heart set on britches, the Martin Hayes slow version which is posted on this site as The Britches is a fairly easy way to start. And when she knows it by memory, you can show her how to speed it up --- so she'll not only learn a tune, she'll learn a way to learn a tune.
http://www.thesession.org/tunes/display.php/277
# Posted on April 5th 2005 by sara g
Re: beginning fiddle tunes for a 8 year old
Thanks all, she's a advance beginner and novice step dancer so when I play a tune I make it mandatory for her to tell what tune it is and the style.
Bob
# Posted on April 6th 2005 by clawhammerbanjo
Re: beginning fiddle tunes for a 8 year old
Oooo, even easier, then. Surely she has a practice cd or two. She probably already knows the tunes on those, whether she realizes it or not -- does she have One More Time?
# Posted on April 6th 2005 by Zina Lee
Re: beginning fiddle tunes for a 8 year old
No she doesn't have that one, she has a couple of tony Nothers and a Pat King one. Only the Tony Nothers one "Stepping Out" has a list of the song titles. You like One More Time? I know I heard it but can't recall any of it right now. We got a feis to go to in a couple of weeks maybe will pick it up then.
Bob
# Posted on April 6th 2005 by clawhammerbanjo
Re: beginning fiddle tunes for a 8 year old
Do, insofar as I'm concerned, it's the best of the whole lot (even though I love Tony Nother to death, what a grand man he is!).
# Posted on April 6th 2005 by Zina Lee
Re: beginning fiddle tunes for a 8 year old
Bob, you can go to http://www.practicestudio.ca/beginners.html
You'll find some starter tunes there, of all sorts, not just Irish.
best of luck,
Scott Donaldson
# Posted on April 11th 2005 by scottythefiddler