Fiddle Lessons.
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version, which allows the bow to more easily slide across multiple strings at a time. Many fiddles are also strung with 100% steel strings, rather than the synthetic strings found on classical violins.

If you have your instrument and you're ready to start fiddle lessons, it's a good idea to think about what style of music you ultimately want to play. Although you'll learn many of the same concepts and techniques in beginner lessons — whether learning fiddle or classical violin — the similarities stop fairly soon. You'll want to begin perfecting the form and playing techniques appropriate for fiddle music as early as possible. 

Why Learn to Play Fiddle?

Whether you play like Charlie Daniels or Alison Krauss, fiddle music's fun, energetic, twangy, and sweet. Plus, it gets people moving and dancing to a beat. Whether you're playing at a square dance, hoe-down, or by a campfire outside, fiddle music brings people together. Learning the fiddle also makes it simpler to pick up the techniques of classical violin, expanding your range, abilities, and professional opportunities as a musician. 

Apart from creating toe-tapping music, playing the fiddle imparts a variety of mental and physical benefits. You'll improve your memory, listening skills, dexterity, and hand-eye coordination. Practicing fiddle also strengthens posture, as proper technique requires a player to stand up straight. Good posture is healthy for a variety of reasons, including greater lung capacity, better circulation, and reduced pain. 

The Best Way to Learn Fiddle and What You'll Study in Classes

There are lots of ways you can learn fiddle. An online search reveals scads of free fiddle classes online and opportunities to study in group lessons. The best way to learn fiddle, however, is by taking lessons with a private fiddle tutor. You'll benefit from course materials and teaching methods tailored to your abilities and preferred learning style. For example, fiddle lessons for adults differ greatly in terms of content from fiddle classes for children. In private lessons, you'll receive immediate feedback, banish bad habits, and quickly overcome challenges, while studying the style of music you love most. 

Sample Curriculum for Beginner Fiddle Classes

If you have little or no previous experience playing the fiddle or violin, then beginner lessons are for you! In beginner classes, you'll the basics of playing fiddle and build a strong foundation of music knowledge and skill. Your fiddle teacher might choose to cover some of the following topics:

• Fiddle anatomy and care
• Proper hold and posture
• Bowing techniques
• Basic fingering
• Introduction to music theory
• Reading musical notation

Sample Curriculum for Intermediate Fiddle Lessons

Intermediate lessons are designed for students who are familiar with the basics of playing violin or fiddle and are ready to move onto learning specific fiddle techniques. In intermediate lessons, your instrument will start to sound less like a violin and more like a fiddle, as you learn the techniques and styles that are unique to various genres of fiddle music. In intermediate fiddle lessons, your teacher might cover some of the following topics:

• Fulcrum pulses
• Figure-eight and circular motion
• Slides
• Grace notes
• Drones
• Turns

Sample Curriculum for Advanced Fiddle Classes

Advanced lessons are intended for students who know their way around a square dance, so to speak. You'll approach virtuoso-level playing, as you practice and hone your fiddle skills. Topics covered in advanced fiddle lessons depend greatly on the individual student's interests. For example, bluegrass versus Irish genres. Your fiddle tutor, however, might choose to cover some of the following topics:

• Composition
• Experimentation and improvisation
• Techniques for soloing and accompaniment
• Audition coaching
• Performance Preparation
• Music business counseling

How to Find a Private Fiddle Teacher

On TakeLessons, finding a fiddle tutor is easy. A quick search will lead you to a variety of highly rated instructors with loads of experience teaching and working in the music business. Most teachers charge a time-based rate, but the cost of fiddle classes varies between teachers. We recommend browsing several profiles and reading reviews left by other aspiring musicians before choosing the fiddle teacher who's right for you. When you learn to play fiddle with a private fiddle tutor, you'll be surprised how fast you learn to make an audience slap their knees!