86 episodes
Fiddle Studio Meg Wobus Beller
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- Music
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4.9 • 21 Ratings
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The glasses clink and the talk and laughter grow louder. In the corner of the pub, musicians sit and play traditional dance tunes that make your feet want to stomp and slide. Join fiddler Meg Wobus Beller as she brings you along into the world of fiddling and traditional music, from bow-grips and double stops to Old-Time tunes and Irish jigs.
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Tapes on the Fiddle (Broken Down Gambler)
We're talking about tapes on the fiddle, or stickers, or fingerboard stick on charts, or whatever you're curious about. Did you use tapes when you started? What are they useful for and how long does it make sense to use them?
Our tune is Broken Down Gambler, an Old-Time reel in G.
Email me at meganbeller@fiddlestudio.com.
Listen and subscribe on Apple Music, Spotify, or Buzzsprout. Find me on YouTube and Bandcamp.
Here are my Fiddle Studio books and my website Fiddle Studio where you can find my courses and mailing list and sign up for my Top 10 Fiddle Tunes! -
Articulation on the Fiddle (Dusty Miller)
When I talk about articulation I'm referring to the beginning of the note, or the attack, and how long the note is generally. Articulation, or catching the string, or getting a "scrubby" sound, has a huge effect on your sound.
Our tune is Dusty Miller, an Old-Time modal reel in A.
Email me at meganbeller@fiddlestudio.com.
Listen and subscribe on Apple Music, Spotify, or Buzzsprout. Find me on YouTube and Bandcamp.
Here are my Fiddle Studio books and my website Fiddle Studio where you can find my courses and mailing list and sign up for my Top 10 Fiddle Tunes! -
Signing up for a Fiddle Competition (Old Billy Hell)
Have you wondered what it's like to compete in a fiddle competition? So have I. So I signed up for one and we'll see how it goes. I talk a little about how I'm planning to prepare.
Our tune for this week is Old Billy Hell, a half length crooked Old-Time tune.
Our album release party contra dance will be May 30th at 7pm in Baltimore at the Mobtown Ballroom. Come on down!
Email me at meganbeller@fiddlestudio.com.
Listen and subscribe on Apple Music, Spotify, or Buzzsprout. Find me on YouTube and Bandcamp.
Here are my Fiddle Studio books and my website Fiddle Studio where you can find my courses and mailing list and sign up for my Top 10 Fiddle Tunes! -
BEST OF: Practicing With the Metronome (House of my Own)
A repeat this week, as my family is on spring break. This very early episode has been pretty popular, and has a lovely slip jig for the Irish fiddlers. It's never a bad time to break out the old metronome. I'll be back with Old-Time tunes for you next week! -Meg
This episode features the fiddle tune House of My Own and describes working with the metronome and how it could help your fiddling.
Slow tempos for fiddling are 70-80 bpm (beats per minute) and tempos for dancing are 110-120 bpm.
Email me at meganbeller@fiddlestudio.com.
Listen and subscribe on Apple Music, Spotify, or Buzzsprout. Find me on YouTube and Bandcamp.
Here are my Fiddle Studio books and my website Fiddle Studio where you can find my courses and mailing list and sign up for my Top 10 Fiddle Tunes! -
Tricia Spencer (Big Taters in the Sandy Land)
This week we have an interview with Tricia Spencer! Tricia is a well known, award winning Kansas fiddler who grew up on her family’s farm learning the tradition of old-time fiddling knee to knee from her grandpa and grandma, Vernon and Iona Spencer.
Tricia takes us on a deep dive into Kansas and midwest fiddling, how she thinks about the left hand and the fingerboard, and a primer for finding your place in the Old-Time community. And I didn't forget to ask what it's like having another fiddler as a partner in music and in life.
You can't listen to Tricia talk about the fiddle without hearing the deep love, respect and enthusiasm she has for this instrument and the music we make on it.
The tune this week is a version of Big Taters in the Sandy Land.
Check out Tricia's book the Fiddle Garden and opportunities to learn with her: https://www.triciaspencer.com/
Learn more about power duo Spencer and Rains: https://www.spencerandrains.com/
Spencer and Rains on bandcamp: https://spencerandrains.bandcamp.com/music
Email me at meganbeller@fiddlestudio.com.
Listen and subscribe on Apple Music, Spotify, or Buzzsprout. Find me on YouTube and Bandcamp.
Here are my Fiddle Studio books and my website Fiddle Studio where you can find my courses and mailing list and sign up for my Top 10 Fiddle Tunes! -
Problematic Tune Names (Magpie's Nest)
Have you ever been uncomfortable saying the name of a fiddle tune? How about tunes with slurs in the title or the Irish tune I Buried My Wife and Danced on her Grave?
Without using racial slurs, I discuss problematic fiddle tune names, how I think about them and approach them.
Find the Contranella album here: https://megwobus.bandcamp.com/album/contranella
Our tune is Magpie's Nest, an Irish reel.
Email me at meganbeller@fiddlestudio.com.
Listen and subscribe on Apple Music, Spotify, or Buzzsprout. Find me on YouTube and Bandcamp.
Here are my Fiddle Studio books and my website Fiddle Studio where you can find my courses and mailing list and sign up for my Top 10 Fiddle Tunes!
Customer Reviews
Digestible and practical fiddle tips
This is one of my go-to podcasts for fiddle advice! Meg presents ideas and tunes that are useful for all levels in a super down to earth way. Give it a listen!
Absolutely delightful & extremely helpful!
What a treat to spend time with a fiddler (and first-rate fiddle teacher) who makes you feel like you’re in the welcoming company of a generous, experienced mentor who wants to help you along in your own musical journey.
I have spent many hours with Meg’s fine, three-book instruction series, both the print and Kindle versions and have learned a ton from them. These podcasts are indeed icing on that tasty cake, taking one deeper into the learning process and opening a door into how this talented musician approaches the world of fiddling.
Look forward to this podcast every week
I love this podcast because it has so many great tips that cross over and in between the different areas of fiddling and violin playing - classical, Irish, old time, contra – it all fits together. It’s perfect that Meg has such an extensive classical background but has spent her entire life fiddling too. That blending and experience is so useful. Plus the podcast is fun and entertaining! I really appreciate the tune recordings and music at the end of each podcast. The Fiddle Studio website is a great resource too. Thank you!