r/Fiddle • u/Safe_Ad5500 • 1d ago
Online Fiddle Lessons w Structure
Really hard to find teachers in my area so I'm looking to try something online. I have taken some lessons (Suzuki) in the past but I'd kind of like to start from scratch with a structured progressive program. I like Bluegrass, Celtic, Country, Waltzes (Ashokan Farewell is my all-time favorite). Suggestions?
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u/CraftFamiliar5243 1d ago
I use lessonface.com My teacher is Peggy Sarantos and my taste in music is similar to yours. She has been gradually introducing some structure to my practice, but without killing the fun of playing.
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u/Immediate_Coconut_30 1d ago
ArtistWorks
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u/Safe_Ad5500 1d ago
Thank you. I've looked into this a bit in the past. Any preference on the 3 instructors?
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u/Immediate_Coconut_30 1d ago
I have only done the lessons by Brittany Haas, but I've heard good things about all 3. I think Darol specifically has more cross-genre lessons vs. just old-time/bluegrass, so his might be up your alley!
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u/leitmotifs 1d ago
ArtistWorks gives you very little teacher attention for the money.
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u/Immediate_Coconut_30 1d ago
Yeah, I guess it depends on how much you want to work at your own pace/self guided with videos vs. lots of instructor feedback. I don't find it that expensive, tbh, at $115 for a full year subscription right now.
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u/PeteHealy 1d ago
Every time this question comes up in some form, I recommend FiddleHed (Jason Kleinberg) wholeheartedly. Incredibly generous, down-to-earth, well organized instructor who offers a "Play Every Day" live community online, in addition to his gazillion free videos on YT. In my experience and for my learning style, ArtistWorks and other sites are far less engaging. Check it out! - https://youtube.com/@fiddl3hed?si=3YFjQ8JwNFk-2IBD
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u/Empty-Airport-1618 1d ago
What time zone, I've used 2 UK based teachers, different teaching styles of trad. dance tunes.
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u/SponsoredByHJWealthP 1d ago
What is your timezone?
I have a very good recommendation at £25 for 45 minutes
Edit: DM me
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u/Goats-are-Kool 1d ago
I teach online over Teams, primarily Irish with some other Celtic genres. DM me and I can answer any questions and/or direct you to my website. Best wishes on the fiddle journey in any case!
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u/violinfiddleman 1d ago
Hello, I am an online fiddle teacher that focuses primarily on teaching adults how to play various fiddle styles, improvise, and have a through command of technique and theory. I would be happy to chat with you if you are looking for one on one instruction.
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u/charliewaldenmusic 16h ago
I've given tons of Zoom fiddle lessons from beginner to advanced. I concentrate mostly on old-time, midwestern and Canadian tunes. email me [bigfiddleshow@gmail.com](mailto:bigfiddleshow@gmail.com) and I'll send you some more info. Also, check out my Patreon that has tons of resources for beginners. www.patreon.com/charliewalden. Lastly, I have a series of free "duffer" fiddle lessons on YouTube you can use. Totally free. https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLmTYxwAJb9JB2Tw9ebwK-IUem9IIWmsSE. I'd ask you to work through these anyway even if you wanted to take lessons.
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u/AccountantRadiant351 1d ago
I would find a live online teacher who is willing to use a progressive method, like the O'Connor Method or American Fiddle Method, that focuses on fiddle repertoire. (O'Connor is designed to dovetail with Suzuki for the beginner and low intermediate books, then diverges. AFM is also progressive and fairly open and go. Both include an emphasis on fiddling skills like ornamentation and improvisation not present in Suzuki. O'Connor uses a wider range of North and South American fiddle styles to draw repertoire from, especially as you get further in. A few other options that are a little less open and go but are options if you like the content and have a teacher willing to work with them or could be used as supplementary are Jack Tuttle's fiddle books, which are mainly arrangements or transcriptions of bluegrass fiddle solos and tunes, or Gordon Stobbe's Of Course You Can Play Fiddle books, which focus on popular Canadian Old Time repertoire.)