Thank you Mr. Burke for your continued generosity in sharing your insight with us. Your dedication to teaching over the years has helped countless newcomers enjoy the beauty of Irish fiddle music. You are a treasure, a master, an inspiration, and a wonderful human being. We love you!
I adore Kevin. I have learned so much from his instructional videos and just listening to his recordings (I listen to "If The Cap Fits" at least once a week, and every time I hear something new). If you like these videos, his instructional DVD'S are absolutely mind boggling. And do yourself a favor and listen to his solo recordings, his work with Celtic Fiddle Festival and for God's sake listen to the Bothy Band. If you don't hear Kevin on Bothy Band recordings you're going to hear Tommy Peoples or Paddy Glackin, and you can't go wrong with any of them. Kevin, if you're out there reading this, thank you so much for your work and what I continue to learn from it.
I also find that slow practice can get in the way as much as it helps - playing fast is simply different. Good to know that an exponent as skilled and thoughtful as Kevin Burke is teaching the same idea. For really tricky passages an extra tip is to play each phrase to speed, but pause a little between them to give your brain time to prepare, and then to work at shortening the pauses. The other factor I've found helpful to work on is relaxation and efficient movement. As the violin teacher Simon Fischer advises, when you can play something to speed, then concentrate on doing it with half the effort. In the end you're aiming for a sense of unhurried ease and control - something much easier said than done!
This was such an insightful and inspirational presentation Mr. Burke! It has opened up to me a whole new perspective in my approach to learning and getting up to speed on the tunes! We met in person in Phoenix Arizona a few years back! You held a small workshop the day before performing at a house concert and honored me in having a photo taken with you after the lesson! I will never forget your kindness and encouragement! I am forever indebted to you! However, it was not the first time we met! I was the sound engineer who ran sound for you back in the late 80s - early 90s sometime during a performance you did at the Rose and Thistle in Winston-Salem, NC sponsored by the Fiddle and Bow Music Society. I served on the Society's Board for several years at the time. You have been my mentor since the time I decided to learn to play Irish Fiddle back in 93! My first introduction and lesson book was your blue paperback , "Learn to Play Irish Fiddle"! I can't thank you enough for your music, your inspiration, and for your encouragement! You sir are a treasure indeed! 🙏
@FIDDLEVIDEO. Thanks a lot Máistéir Kevin. I asked also Shannon and Matt Heaton tips to play faster flatpicking guitar. I shall try your method, thanks a million. I hope you shall make a lesson on Padrig Sikard en-dro tunes some day. Kenavo
Thank you so much, my family had great fiddle players who could have taught me but they've all passed on to the next stage of life. I need every little bit of fiddle knowledge. 🌹 🌹
The concept of breaking learning down into chunks is universally useful. No matter your obstacles in life, face them one small step at a time, slowing down your thinking and practice so you appreciate nuances and small details. And DON'T PRACTICE WRONG! If you learn something wrong, it takes 5X more time to "fix" it in your mind.
Thank you so much, Kevin! Tunes I've learned slowly in classes or workshops seem to be stuck in my head slowly so it's really difficult to translate them to speed. Going to apply this method to those tunes now and to future tunes so I learn them correctly from the get go. You're the best.
Thank you for solving that bowing problem - I had noticed that I get tangled up in bowing sometimes, not realizing it is precisely because I was playing the tune much faster without having adapted a bowing for the new speed. I found the comments on thinking of the note combinations as words etc., very helpful. I'm doing that instinctively now, but it has taken decades of playing Irish trad to come to it; wish I'd had that guidance when I was starting out. Nevertheless, having it put into words and images helps even at this late stage, and I think I will notice an improvement in my playing even after all these decades. There's always something new to learn, and that keeps it fun.
Really helpful for me as a beginner fiddle player, trying to not get stuck with bad habits! Hoping to find more on your channel (especially about learning to read the music instead of the violin tab)
With speed changes, “The bowing changes” this is true for flute as well, the breathing (spots where you’d take a breath) changes, also for concertina, how long the bellows last changes too
Wow! This goes so strongly against everything I’ve been taught by all of my music teachers over the years! But I certainly don’t want to challenge a fiddler if Kevin’s stature. I’m curious what my teacher will have to say about this, he’s been pushing for slow practice for years.
Hi there, Laura. That's The Sligo Maid. Kevin recently recorded a fiddle lesson teaching that tune, and it will be available on the Fiddlevideo.com website in the future. One of our other instructors, Niall Murphy, already teaches the tune on the site: www.fiddlevideo.com/the-sligo-maid-reel-trad-irish-fiddle-lesson-niall-murphy/ All the best!!
