How an American Fiddler Can Sound More Like an Irish Fiddler

Рет қаралды 1,952

Күн бұрын

Whether you are a classical violinist or coming into Irish traditional music from some other genre, I’m guessing your top questions might be: how do I sound more like an Irish fiddler? How do I capture the authentic sound of Irish traditional music? How do I really play with a lilt?
Today’s video covers my top 4 tips when it comes to sounding more like an Irish fiddler! Even though I’m specifically talking to American violinists who want to sound more like an Irish fiddler, these concepts can apply to any of you who are new to the tradition and not sure how to achieve your ideal Irish fiddle style.
This video is just the beginning! If you’d like further support with your Irish fiddle practice, check out these other resources I offer below!
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Watch this video to see how I made the transition from classical violinist to Irish fiddler: • How I Fixed my Irish F...
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Develop the real feel for Irish fiddling in my online studio here: learn.hannahharrisceol.com
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Irish Fiddle Tutorial Playlist link: • Explaining the Irish F...
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Learn Irish fiddle online via the Free Fiddle Tip Vault! These are quick tips and techniques to help you master the feel of your Irish fiddling, and they’re easy to add into your practice routine!
Sign up for free access to the Vault here: learn.hannahharrisceol.com/pr...
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Say hi on Instagram:
/ hannahharrisceol
KZfaq Video URL: • How an American Fiddle...
Video hashtags: #hannahharris #irishfiddletutorial #irishfiddler

Пікірлер: 55

@backadahand Жыл бұрын

I think if you listen to loads and loads of music your style will develop. I listen to loads of Donegal style, Sligo style, céilí, country, Sliabh Luáchra, bluegrass, as well as electronic and guitar based stuff in my time away from wholesome stuff. Your own personality, what your heart really digs, along with all that stuff you listen to combines to create something altogether yours. All the greats have had influences, they didn't pick it off the bushes. Practicing and playing like a manic helps too 😄

@HannahHarrisCeol Жыл бұрын

Such great tips right there! I agree, we're all built up from our influences. Someone was just saying the other day that it's like all the musical ideas are a kaleidoscope where one twist can reorganize it into some totally new pattern that becomes your own.😊

@backadahand Жыл бұрын

@@HannahHarrisCeol That's a lovely way of putting it, kinda 3D image. Happy St.Patrick's Day from Sligo ☘️

@HannahHarrisCeol Жыл бұрын

@@backadahand Happy belated St. Patrick's Day to you as well! Hope you're recovered from the weekend! :D

@backadahand Жыл бұрын

@@HannahHarrisCeol Paddy's Day's a general balls in Ireland. It's like a ghost getting to wear a white sheet for the day. It's far better craic abroad.

@dougnickerson Жыл бұрын

My friend m Kelly said if you want to play like Tommy Peoples do it if you want to play like Kevin Burke do it and add your own style too - then she made an influential comment “and if people don’t like it , fuck ‘em”

@dougnickerson Жыл бұрын

I had four or five years of lessons , and played second violin in a local symphony - that was 45 years ago 😀 you really have the American music down in addition to your Irish playing which is great

@HannahHarrisCeol Жыл бұрын

Thanks Doug!! Second violinists unite -- I spent a lot of time there in college!

@newt702 Жыл бұрын

Awesome! Thank you so much!!

@davidgunter6106 2 жыл бұрын

Cool juxtaposition of Irish and old-time! Really adds a fun context, stylistically!

@HannahHarrisCeol 2 жыл бұрын

Thanks David! Glad you enjoyed -- I always love comparing styles and seeing how each one influences the other!

@bucketnail6572 Жыл бұрын

My favorite musician and Irish fiddler is Mairead Nesbitt Celtic Violinist. You should give her a listen!😄🎻

@HannahHarrisCeol Жыл бұрын

I certainly have! She was one of my earliest influences :D

@bucketnail6572 Жыл бұрын

She is actually my teacher too; people can sign up for Skype lessons on her website. I have one of her fiddles, also. Right now I am learning the Kesh Jig; she is an amazing teacher and it's been working so well!😄😄🎻

@HannahHarrisCeol Жыл бұрын

@@bucketnail6572 that's brilliant! I'm so happy to hear she's still doing those and that you're enjoying them - keep up the great work :)

@bucketnail6572 Жыл бұрын

🏵🎻😊🏵

@saoirsepaddy 2 жыл бұрын

You right Hannah you don't need a Irish Tweed Cap to play Irish tunes. BUT you need to wear Kelly Green Trousers to Irish tunes !!! LOL Conor O'Neill's in Ann Arbor , Michigan there a Polish Jewish Guy who plays Great Irish Fiddle . There Japanese who plays Irish tunes. Every body is Irish on St. Paddy day ☘☘☘ The WIREDEST thing I came around Germans song Country Western with a German accent.

@HannahHarrisCeol 2 жыл бұрын

Shoot, I'm out of luck with the trousers then! Haha :D. Would love to check out the session at Conor O'Neill's sometime, it's only a couple hours away from me.

@saoirsepaddy 2 жыл бұрын

@@HannahHarrisCeol I learn the hard way ''NEVER say pants in the UK or Ireland people look at ya funny and laugh their arse off. I met this Waxford guy He love taking the piss out of these American coming to Ireland wearing their Kelly Green Trousers & Kelly Green hats. For a pint he will tell you some wild story's. Hannah you was saying you send some time in Cork . Did you go to the Blarney Castle ? I hope you didn't kiss the Blarney Stone ! The local kids get Langers , Ossified, Pissed aka Drunk. They go up there and urinate on the Blarney Stone. The Blarney Stone is the back wall of the Jack Irish slang for John / Crapper/toilet . I love Cork & Galway sadly I never visited the Northern part of Ireland. I love using Irish slang words like craic, jack , gobshite, eejit, feckin & cute hoor politicians. Well Hannah have some Great Craic :)

@saoirsepaddy 2 жыл бұрын

For those who don't know Póg Mo Thóin means Kiss my Arse and That's is from Mrs Brown's Boys is an Irish television sitcom created by Brendan O'Carroll and produced in the United Kingdom by BBC Scotland. Mrs Brown always say ''That's Nice ! meaning to Fu*k Off or Feck Off If people are Offended by colourful words you might want to stay out of Ireland lol

@HannahHarrisCeol 2 жыл бұрын

@@saoirsepaddy the Agnes Brown trilogy is a favorite!

@Finarphin 2 жыл бұрын

I notice you're choking up on the bow. That's also what Mairead Ni Mhaonaigh does, and her daughter. What does that do?

@HannahHarrisCeol 2 жыл бұрын

It's more comfortable and helps to get all of the complex twists and turns with ornamentation in some of the faster tunes! I've found it helps me play more with that "authentic" Irish lilt and be more connected into the string. Definitely one option of many, but I've found the higher bow hold works best for me!

@Melvorgazh 2 жыл бұрын

Ah! Nia! She is an angel 😽 a fine singer too. I saw her with Máiréid and Manus Lunny ona video last year.

@grimshadow4929 Жыл бұрын

I'm a very very very first time beginner violinist / fiddler.😳😐😜

@HannahHarrisCeol Жыл бұрын

Welcome to the fiddle world :D

@grimshadow4929 Жыл бұрын

@@HannahHarrisCeol awesome Thank you 🙂

@dougnickerson Жыл бұрын

What is the name of the jig you played . I played along and my fingers seemed to know the second part ; I either played it at a session or heard it 😀

@HannahHarrisCeol Жыл бұрын

I had to go back and listen haha totally forgot which tune was in my head the day I recorded this! It's the Kerfunken jig :D

@dougnickerson Жыл бұрын

@@HannahHarrisCeol ok , thank you , great I was learning that once will go back and integrate some of your rolls and other stuff if that’s not robbing ha ha . I live in Wilmington , NC

@HannahHarrisCeol Жыл бұрын

@@dougnickerson not robbing at all, that's the way to do it! :D And yay NC -- I grew up in Charlotte!

@dougnickerson Жыл бұрын

@@HannahHarrisCeol i recall you said that in one video . We have an Irish session on Saturdays here . Feeling reinvigorated with new goals after playing with the musicians in Somerville; I be getting my $150 soon and I hope we be working together. Well , first I be setting up a call - working on my rap vernacular too 😀

@dougnickerson Жыл бұрын

@@HannahHarrisCeol come to recall , plying kerfunken with The Woodcock jig is known as the Hammy Hamilton set , my friend from Ireland told me once . Ok played this busking and got $17 - owe you big time 😀

@logannapier8710 Жыл бұрын

The John Sheahan snub

@johnbiggs1095 2 жыл бұрын

I have a request for an episode about flowers of Edinburgh. I am struggling with bowing this tune, and getting it up to speed. The bowing indicated in some of the sheet music seems very clumsy, with a lot of up and down bow, and not in the way that kevin burke might bow it. This may be a more American interpretation of the Bowing. Thank you.

@HannahHarrisCeol 2 жыл бұрын

Hi John! I will put that on my list, thanks for the suggestion! Flowers of Edinburgh does tend to have more separate bows throughout, but there's certainly a way to add more slurs in without it sounding too erratic! This is a broad comparison, but I find a lot more Scottish style tunes have more separate bows and a bit more of a choppy feel, while Irish is more smooth and slurred -- but again, that's pretty generalized! It more has to do with the style that you prefer to play!

@johnbiggs1095 2 жыл бұрын

@@HannahHarrisCeol Thanks very much... I think that tune is actually Irish, not scottish. In some of the videos online, or in books about the tune, the origin is irish, and the "flowers" arent referring to something complimentary ... and that the lilting quality of the tune is reflective of the irish landscape, rather than the jagged landscape of scotland... I dont know if this is 100% true, but it made sense to me. I have a feeling that the books I have with this tune are written by Americans (or english), not irish, and that the style is influenced by American fiddling... so I am interested in your take on either your way or the traditional way to bow this, perhaps depending on which part of ireland it would originate. I'm also trying to determine if there's a value in bowing with the separate bows compared to how i tend to play it, but this is very hard for me to imagine how to get this up to speed. Thanks for responding....... I really enjoy learning from your videos and insights.

@HannahHarrisCeol 2 жыл бұрын

@@johnbiggs1095 It's a tricky one to find the origins for! From my understanding a lot of Scottish reels were adapted to Irish traditional music in the 1800s, and this one is certainly played in both styles. I grew up near the mountains of North Carolina, so when I learned this tune it likely had a Scots-Irish influence! I think the trick with slurring the bows up to speed is to vary the tune a bit so it has a couple more quarter notes instead of some trickier eighth note string crossing patterns -- will demonstrate this soon. Thanks again, happy to have you here!

@johnbiggs1095 2 жыл бұрын

@@HannahHarrisCeol Thanks Hannah. I'm from NC and live here now.

@HannahHarrisCeol 2 жыл бұрын

@@johnbiggs1095 woohoo! Whereabouts? I grew up in Charlotte.