Irish fiddle Bowing technique

Here are some of the basics of Irish fiddle bowing technique. First I look at the bow hold, the importance of using the wrist, using short bows, and using the right hand index finger to control pressure on the bow. I look at the two most common bowing errors for the beginner- the scratch and the whistle.
I then run though various exercises for jig bowing, emphasising the accent on each of the first of each group of three notes. I look at different ways that slurs can be used to emphasise the first or fourth note of the bar, with some examples from the Tenpenny Bit. I look at string crossing.
I then try out various accents on reels, and several slur patterns which make these accents easier.
I use on-screen sheet music throughout, and a free pdf of the exercises is available to subscribers (see below).
Below are details of further fiddle resources from Chris Haigh
1. Patreon
2. Books
3. Subscription video courses
4. Website
5. Email to request pdf’s.
1. PATREON
This is a platform where anyone can directly help to support creative artists and get closer access to their work. You can join me on Patreon at three levels, for £4, £10 or £40 per month.

At the lowest level you get access to all my pdf’s and tune collections, plus many exclusive tuition videos not available to the public.
At level 2 you can join also me once a month for a group Zoom chat, and can request three backing tracks each month.
Level 3 gives you all the above plus a free lesson once a month, and access to all my backing tracks.
You can find me on Patreon at
/ thefiddlechannel
2. BOOKS
I have eight fiddle tuition books published by Schott, all widely available from the publisher, from Amazon, and many other outlets. All come with audio tracks illustrating the tunes and exercises.
Exploring Jazz Violin
Beginning Jazz Violin
Discovering Rock Violin
Exploring Folk Fiddle
Exploring Klezmer Fiddle
Hungarian Fiddle Tunes
French Fiddle Tunes
Exploring Country and Bluegrass Fiddle
You can order from
bit.ly/31ZWmgm
3. VIDEO SUBSCRIPTION COURSES
I have three video subscription courses
-
MUSIC GURUS- Exploring Jazz Violin. Based on my Schott book
Parts 1 and 2 are each £26 for 26 lessons, covering the first and second halves of the book
Part 1; tidd.ly/3SwHGhb
Part 2 tidd.ly/3SwHGhb
MUSIC GURUS Discovering Rock Violin. . Based on my Schott book
£35 for 46 lessons
tidd.ly/3SwHGhb
MUSIC GURUS Exploring Country and Bluegrass Fiddle. Based on my Schott book. 31 lessons for £31.99
tidd.ly/3SwHGhb
ACADEMY OF FOLK
Includes a folk fiddle primer course, with introductions to basic techniques and concepts plus an Irish Fiddle Course and Scottish fiddle course. A monthly sub of $9.99 gives access to all lessons
academyoffolk.com/
4. WEBSITE
My website is probably the most extensive and detailed summary of fiddle styles on the web, as evidenced by the range of top hits on Google for many fiddle styles.
www.fiddlingaround.co.uk
__________________________________________________________
TO REQUEST PDF’S, or ask any questions, CONTACT ME AT
[e-mail]

[@michabiaowas-fiddlerskrzyp5240]

In my opinion Mr. Chris Haigh is the best teacher fiddle on the world🎻🎻🎻🎻🎻🎻🎻

[@FK_Shaun]

Thanks for these clear explanations on how using the bow for irish music ! I'm a starter and this video will be very very helpful to begin with good vibrations ! thanks again !

[@TheFiddleChannel]

Glad you found this useful!

[@TheWooTubes]

I'm starting playing again after a gap of about 50 years and I was really pleased when you said there was no reason for holding the bow in the 'wrong' place. Then I watched the rest and noticed your wrist is constantly bent. If you bow mostly at the pointy end, with very short strokes, a shorter bow would fix that, or moving your hand, as though it was shorter... :-)

[@marcodanieli2467]

I really like your lessons, you make it clear

[@TheFiddleChannel]

Thanks Marco!

[@seriousros7280]

Thank you for this. I taught myself by ear and have been fiddling for years. I have learnt to play jigs and reels using long bow strokes with the rhythm coming from left hand fingering. Now I want to speed up I've hit a brick wall. Going to be difficult totally altering my bowing technique but I'm determined Thx again for sharing your knowledge.

[@TheFiddleChannel]

Glad this was useful!

[@jasminen273]

Thank you Chris. I’ve learned a lot from your show!

[@edwardtopolnicki6342]

Excellent video for a beginner and a seasoned player. Can't wait to see the follow-up videos on oldtime and bluegrass fiddle bowing. Well done.

[@Randmeister52]

Fine playing and informative. I am a classical violinist, and I watched your right hand with amazement and more than a little shock. I am not convinced that classical technique will not work for this style, with minor adaptation. I will work on it. Thanks for the lesson!

[@TheFiddleChannel]

Glad you enjoyed this!

[@eladto]

I wish all my playing lessons were this informative and clear. truely amzing! keep doing it, and may this level of teaching propegate to other instruments and styles too

[@TheFiddleChannel]

Many thanks Elad!

[@user-si3sd6kw4d]

Glad l found this - really great to have some easy to follow help Thanks

[@TheFiddleChannel]

Thanks Caz!

[@drgerni]

This is the besr of all your instruction!

[@songsabai3794]

Thinking of dynamics in bowing; Persian fiddling comes to mind, makes for an excellent study. Thanks for yet another interesting video! 🙏

[@tomsolar6051]

Was puzzled about this. Thanks for showing me.

[@TheFiddleChannel]

You're welcome Tom.

[@helengibb931]

Great summary which helped a lot. No longer feeling guilty about short bows. Slurring info useful to understand their use. Thanks for your time.

[@TheFiddleChannel]

Thanks Helen. Glad it all made sense!

[@ogstopper]

This is *really* useful for me, Chris! Thank you so much.

[@elizabethdockrell-tyler8798]

Extremely useful and knowledgeable advice - thank you!!

[@arfyf6314]

This is absolutely brilliant! It’s so great to also get some technique rather than just listen and repeat (a lot of that on the internet which is very generous but of its kind). Thank you so, so much for sharing. Great inspiration for adult beginners! I really appreciate it.

[@arfyf6314]

Also, so helpful to show the music 🙏

[@TheFiddleChannel]

Thanks Arfy!

[@avermontlife]

When I was learning Irish fiddle fifteen years ago, I could not find a teacher who could tell me these crucial points. I have spent years doing it wrong, knowing I was doing it wrong, and not knowing how to fix it. I even ran a session with many musicians coming and going for a year, and no one knew how to do it correctly or could tell me how to fix what I was doing. Thank you so much for this. I have found that in tight, crowded sessions, I do not have the room to hold my bow at the frog and throat, and have had to compensate by holding the bow at the winding. Perhaps it is also my arm length.

[@TheFiddleChannel]

Thanks, glad you found this helpful!

[@californiadreamin8423]

@@TheFiddleChannel. Hi Chris. Have you done a video teaching Trip to Pakistan, particularly part C and the type of bowing require ?

[@TheFiddleChannel]

No, I haven't, but I'll take a look at it.@@californiadreamin8423

[@californiadreamin8423]

@@TheFiddleChannel Thanks.

[@CamTarn]

This was incredibly useful, thank you! :)

[@joedunne6737]

Thank you for that, very informative. Shared.

[@TheFiddleChannel]

Thanks for the share!

[@MultiOhioman]

Thank you.

[@estano9111]

Great lesson...Thank you

[@user-ml1bc4hy4i]

Thank you for solving a problem that has caused me sleepless nights till now :) Swung bowing, or not swung bowing in reels... nobody knows! Splendid! I can stop getting stressed about it! :))

[@TheFiddleChannel]

Glad to hear it!!!

[@ecarneylaw]

Thank You!

[@evaveegee64]

Yay, was looking forward to this, getting some more understanding of how to play the Irish bowing, thank you so much for this video. This will keep me busy for the coming time 😅😊

[@TheFiddleChannel]

Hi Eva. Glad you found this useful!

[@emilyyoung4446]

Very Helpful Thank You

[@MollyTea55]

This was SOO useful-1/2 inch bowing and index binger pressure- it's changes my playing dramatically ~ Thank you! I would love to see a clip on accompanying singers and how to be unobtrusive

[@TheFiddleChannel]

Hi Molly. So glad to hear you found this useful. You might want to see this one; kzbin.info/www/bejne/oaG7gayuorZmrKs

[@vincentmcgarvey6895]

Great video. Thanks for sharing

[@TheFiddleChannel]

Thanks Vincent!

[@monicamccloskey]

Thanks so much that was very helpful. It's all about the bowing.

[@TheFiddleChannel]

Hi Monica. it is indeed all about the bowing!

[@ssgiddyup]

This is great even as a refresher. You explain it very well, especially how you can work your bow to the end if you don't compensate with bowing lengths.

[@TheFiddleChannel]

Thanks!

[@stephenpaulpatrick]

Trhank you! This is great for a novice like me … anxious to get better!!!

[@TheFiddleChannel]

Glad you found it useful!

[@iainbremner8909]

Terrific help, Chris. Appreciated. Pleased to have joined your Patreon channel.

[@user-qz7pk9qq2l]

Thanks--this was very helpful and yes, I would like the sheet music.

[@TheFiddleChannel]

Glad you enjoyed this. Send me an email to [e-mail]

[@trstkw]

Would love this for old time!!

[@TheFiddleChannel]

You're in luck! Old time fiddle bowing technique video coming out this month.

[@warnerfiddle]

This is a great bowing tutorial. Looking forward to tutorials for Oldtime and Bluegrass bowing.

[@TheFiddleChannel]

Thanks!

[@gailvcrawford2476]

Excellent thank you 🙏

[@TheFiddleChannel]

Thanks Gail!

[@missspellmane316]

Thank you so much !

[@TheFiddleChannel]

You're welcome!

[@MollyTea55]

Thanks Chris - I watched your video on accompaniment- - you're right just...just what I needed - thankfully I have most of the music requested for St. Patrick's Day - wonderful soprano singer - they handed me the lyrics that's all and the old guitar player is really a horn player and couldn't tell me the chords he was playing oh vay but I know I'll have fun now and will lay low with you great tips- they like my solos and I'll play 2 :)🌈🍀

[@TheFiddleChannel]

Great. Let me know how the gig goes!

[@kevinfarrellUK]

My problem is that I can do the bowing… until I add melody, then it all goes south. I think those small passages you have included here is going to be super useful. Thank you! Ps: Martin Hayes is a great exponent of dynamics, and I think enriches just about everything he plays.

[@StrumHollow]

Excellent instruction! I would love to see some explanation of old time bowing ♪ ♫ ♪ ♫

[@TheFiddleChannel]

Thanks!

[@randkperkins]

Yes, me too😊

[@GabrielBonnin]

Great, thank you very much for all your videos! You could do one to the bowing of Irish violinist Kevin Burke. He made a few tutorials where he explains his way of doing things. It looks like a "smooth Shuffle 3/3/11" with the accents on 2 and 4 Beats, but starting each measure with an up bow😊

[@TheFiddleChannel]

Hi Gabriel. That's a good idea. Early in his career Kevin played a bit of American old time, and I think that may be where he got attached to the shuffle with a strong backbeat. He's very keen on starting with upbows. Personally I find that works really well with jigs.

[@GabrielBonnin]

@@TheFiddleChannel ha yes, I didn’t know about his early career! Here is one of the videos where he explains his bowing strokes, in case you haven't seen it :-) kzbin.info/www/bejne/Z3KwlqaJiayGmpo

[@blissisnow]

Hey Chris! Good video. The flick is something I’m still learning when to apply. There’s usually multiple opportunities in a phrase to do it. Comments? Also, I was hoping to hear you discuss the bow triplet ornament that I hear the cream of the crop of Irish fiddlers use now and them. Again, when to use it. Thank you. Look forward to the old time video.

[@TheFiddleChannel]

Hi Jerry. I tend to think of the flick and the triplet as ornaments rather than bowing features, but yes, maybe I should have mentioned them. Have you seen my video on the bowed triplet? kzbin.info/www/bejne/gKuznn2Vf5VlZ7M

[@philnewton3096]

"Without a microphone " is the most significant comment

[@5fmm007]

❤

[@peterirving9458]

Around 10:00 feels like when I attempted to learn french. Carrying the bow direction over from the last beat to the first beat of the next bar reminds me of liaisons. Im a self taught fiddler, I have mainly been drawn to American old time. It feels the most similar to playing rhythic guitar for me. This (and bluegrass/more melodic styles) seems like wayyy more though goes into bow direction. Is the way to get away from thinking too hard about bow direction is just practicing passages both directions always like you said? Especially in bluegrass, Im flabbergasted by how fiddlers can improvise all over the place and never lose positioning or control of their bow

[@TheFiddleChannel]

Hi Peter. You just have to keep practising the bowing patterns and exercises until the right hand can take care of itself!

[@peterirving9458]

More practice?? haha I'm kidding. Thanks for the insight and quick reply! @@TheFiddleChannel

[@missspellmane316]

We use the same technique to play morning dew ?

[@shantybarry8821]

I have been looking for a chord progression common on the guitar G,C,D, Em. But the Em seems to be missing on most fiddle KZbin lessons, is there a reason for this?

[@TheFiddleChannel]

Hi Shanty. If you're talking about Irish tunes, if they're in G they would tend to start and end on a G. For guitarists, chords might come first, but for tune players, the melody defines the chords.

[@jeffamos9854]

Enjoy your videos. Don’t play much fiddle now. Used to play in sessions in Portland Or in the 80’s. Kevin Burke, John Cunningham, Martin Hayes where a few of the famous fiddlers that swinged by now and then. Think the jig played in the background on this video sounds like Kevin Burke

[@TheFiddleChannel]

Hi Jeff. I'm flattered- that's me playing!

[@kenthatfield4287]

An English accent ha! Well I'm glad not all Englishmen hate the Irish. Do you have any good advice for the fingerboard technique to give it that Irish twang.

[@TheFiddleChannel]

It's all in the bowing and the ornamentation!

[@robertwalker3654]

What is the melody at the beginning of the video?

[@TheFiddleChannel]

Hi Robert. It's my recording of The Banks of Lough Gowna.