You won't believe what I'm gonna say! I've started to learn to play the violin 3 months ago, and my aim is to play this, so based on your video, I practice every day, and I can play the first part with full speed, without scratching! My parents think I'm a crazy prodigy, but the thing is I just really really want to play this cool music, so one more month and I think I'll be able to play the whole piece with full speed (like you in your performance video). Of course my technique is probably not perfect, but I keep practising and I'm going to have a teacher in the summer! (Because of I'm an adult and I want result, I thought I better begin to learn it alone and the teacher will correct my mistakes) so thank you for inspiring me, and beware, your Tam Lin tutorial is my next victim 😉😁🎻
That is awesome to hear! =) I'm happy that you are learning how to play the violin and that you have made great progress on this tune! :D I think the first part is harder than the second part, so you're almost all the way there! : D I hope you have fun learning Tam Lin, too! : D Yay! Having a teacher helping with technique and posture is really important. Once you've become familiar with the concept of the left hand notes and the right hand bow, it's a good idea to find a teacher who can help guide how to properly hold the instrument and bow. Holding the bow and instrument a particular way may not initially seem important, but they become much more important as you try to expand into more difficult violin music. =) Comments like this help inspire me to keep posting videos, so I really appreciate hearing great news like this! =) We are inspiring each other! ^_^
Practice always makes perfect. For me I learned canon in d(which I consider slower) in a week and 3 days based off hearing. I finally got it down in 2 weeks. I’ve been playing for a total of 3 and a half weeks. For me I wake up play sleep play. I can’t go to sleep without our mastering at least 3 measures. But that’s called ambition. If you learn every music piece with the same ambition you had learning this one then you’ll do amazingly
Out of the many lessons i have watched, you break it down the best. I like the way you say the notes, it is not always easy to follow the fingering. I learned much more from your style Thank you!
+Pamela Braach Thank you, Pamela! =) I'm glad that the video helped! I've had to practice a lot saying the right notes while playing, so I'm glad that has been helpful! : D Thank you for your nice comment, and I hope you have fun practicing!
Also, I am very musical and have played the violin for more than two years now but, I haven’t learned to fiddle so, I honestly have found great pleasure in learning the fiddle and my parents are amazed at how I’ve improved with your help. They also think I’m a prodigy.😊😊😊
I am such a fan...you have inspired me to keep practicing. Your gift is not limited to your fingers and bow. I sense a special heart beneath that encouraging smile.
Of all of the online teachers, I think you are one of the best. I'm re-learning the fiddle after decades of neglect and I find your style very refreshing and inspiring. Thanks!
Actually I play guitar, But I just bought a new violin some days ago and this just became the first fiddle playing of my life. Thank you so much for this awesome tutorial. Your lessons are so cool. Every step you make is so clear and easy to understand. I can't express how much I'm loving my violin playing this tune! Thank you so much again. May god bless you with lot more awesome musics.
Thank you for this lesson. This is quite clear! I think I love Irish music and this traditional song would be my first song learned with violin. Hope I'll play nicely soon 😊
I literally bought a violin to play this piece lmao and after I learned some scales and twinkle twinkle little star, I thought I'd give this a try and I actually kinda got the A part down already, just gotta work on it some more cause I mess up if I go too fast but I'm glad this video exists cause I really love this piece
I have to say thank you so much for this video. I'm actually an adult cello student who has to master this piece on the cello and I couldn't find a video that helped me. I've literally been working on this piece for a month and a half and couldn't get the 6/8 timing right (even with a metronome!)! I finally feel like I've finally made progress! So thank you so much!
Thank you for this tutorial video of Swallowtail Jig. You did an excellent job of breaking down the various parts into manageable pieces. I liked the way you showed your left hand fingering while vocalizing the actual notes too. Thanks again. I love your performance videos. You have a innate flair for colour and composition. Keep up the great work. I am a loyal follower of your fiddle video presentations.
Hey, just wanted to tell yea your tutorials are the bomb! Along with your playing. I been playing bass for 35 years, played a lot of places but needed something new! So took up the fiddle 2 1/2 months ago. I can play this song and Druckin Sailor about half speed with your vids. You can tell your a true musician with the time and work you put into everything! Just want to say thanks!
Hi from Australia! I'm a Suzuki violinist who finds it hard to learn things without it being done so by ear and I just want to say your tutorials allowed me to get 98% on an exam. Thank you so much!! ❤
Hi Katy, I've been playing the fiddle for 3 whole weeks and I've trawled youtube for a tutorialthat clearly explained the notes and finger positions for Swallowtail jig, without racing throughit - finally I can learn it. Thank you.
Yay! I'm glad this video is helping! I noticed that there weren't very many videos that played the notes slowly enough for beginners, so I thought I'd try to make some. ^_^ I hope you have fun learning this tune! =)
After watching your other Swallowtail Jig video, I immediately looked for the sheet music for it and found a simple version, but I freaking LOVE the longer PDF file on your site. It's got little stylized differences that you do which I really love! Thanks for all the information and fantastic playing. :D
+ladyeclectic Thank you! =) I'm glad that the PDF is useful! ^_^ There are a lot of possibilities with this tune - I think it's a fun one to make up little variations with the melody! : D I hope you have fun playing the tune! =)
OMG, your video makes me want to play this piece right now. But I need to get my strings fixed first. I've been learning the violin for almost 5 years and I never came across Swallowtail Jig before, until I heard you play it 😄 Thanks for introducing it to me, love Irish music ❤
I really enjoy your tutorials. I’ve only been playing a few months and thought this tune would be out of my reach. Now I feel like I have a good grasp of the bones of the tune.
I know this video is old! but I've just started to learn this and I'm using your video as help when I don't have lessons! I'm so excited 😍😍 I've learnt this on my tin whistle and I'm so freaking buzzed to learn this on the violin 🌼🌼🌼
Ok I'm french and not fully fluent in English but I discovered that with your clear "english" accent evereything was as clear as in my mother tongue. For me E = Mi, A = LA, G=SOL, D = Ré.... I think that by switching from my knowledge to English letters I will know both quickly. I began violin 7 months ago and have some heavy difficulties to progress on even if see a teacher each two weeks. Ok, you understood that I'm a beginner and that your video is built up for a person like me. I like it very much because it is providing me bases on the way of learning this Jig. Everything is described step by step and provide me tools to succesfuly play this Jig. Thank you very much to spend time for beginners and offer us opportunity to improve our practicing. Out of that you bring me happiness and hope to become a better violonist (not a good one at all but better than worst :-) Lovely video.
Thank you! =) I'm glad you were still able to learn some things, even with me speaking English! :D I've tried to learn the Do Re Mi Fa SoI note version because a lot of my viewers use it, but I'm still not quite ready to teach with it yet... It's tricky learning the different note names. I hope you have fun practicing! ^_^
You're a rare violonist who play with happiness on your face and a warm and authentic smile which looks to be a generous gift. So for beginner, what ever if it is hard, by viewing your happiness we can't give up. It is helping me to repeat, again and again without be weary. It isn't only a violin lesson but a life lesson too. I will do my best in the future to bring happiness when I will play violin. Thanks a lot.
Super helpful! You are so encouraging! I have not played many Irish jigs before....I have a German/Nowegian background....but this was so much fun to learn and you broke it down so beautifully that it makes me want to learn more!
Dont get me wrong i just want to see as a begginer positions of the finguers a little bit better on that video but still love this music and Kate tutorials
Thank you sooo much for making this video!! I am learning to play the fiddle and this is such a helpful video for me I also really liked the video where you played it next to the lake and it was really beautiful and fast.
Ive just bought my very first violin :) Ive been playing on an acoustic electric guitar for like 1,5 yr and wanted to try something new. So far your channel is the best among most of them to learn the basic/advanced stuff ^_^
+Gazownikk Wow! I'm happy to hear that you are trying out violin!! : D It's a great instrument to learn - it's a challenging instrument, but definitely worth the effort -- I hope you have a lot of fun learning how to play! =) And thank you - I'm glad that my tutorials help! =) I was really nervous to post tutorials because I know there are far more advanced musicians out there in the music world, but so far everyone has been positive about them. : D Happy fiddling! ^_^
Thank you for these awesome Tutorials, you really make the songs easy to learn! I just started to play the violin and I have so much fun practicing your Tutorials :-)
Thanks for this video Katie, I'm looking forward to learning this tune it will be my next project. It is the genre of music I'm teaching myself violin for. Looking forward to your next performance, you inspire me to play.
I played violin for 13 years and then ended up taking an accidentally long 3 year break from it and looking to get back into playing again. So what better way then to relearn on if the first songs I ever learned.
Hi Katy just found your channel and i love your videos! I've been a self taught violinist for 2 years now and i love learning new things! I think this song will be really fun to learn in jam sessions! :D
+Riderbro1 Thank you for your nice comment! =) Congratulations with 2 years playing!! That's really exciting! : D This song is so much fun at jam sessions - I love when we play it, and it goes great with so many other tunes (Road to Lisdoonvarna. Morrison's jig, Butterfly, Rights of Man..the list goes on forever! ^-^)! (=
Hi Katy- another great tutorial. I've also just been checking out the new website- it's awesome! Really helpful to have access to the sheet music. Many thanks, James.
+James Hanley Hi James! Thank you for your feedback about the tutorial and website! I'm happy to finally have a place to put my music, but now I just need to find time to keep everything updated... lol! =/ I'm glad that the sheet music is helpful - I want to add a lot more sheet music over time. ^_^
I think you play this song better than anyone I've seen! some! I would have to vote for you, as best ever! Some are great also, but you still win! I'm getting better, but you are so smooth1
Here are some timestamps: 0:00 Introduction 0:32 Performance (Full Speed) 1:10 Learn the A part 6:03 Play through A part slowly 6:42 Learn the B part 11:06 Play through B part slowly 12:08 Play the whole tune slowly 13:08 Good bye
Really nice lesson, and very enjoyable to watch. So cute and a lovely personality :). This sounds like a really fun piece of music, going to have fun playing even if I sqeak and squark all the way :)
+halo0rap Thank you! I definitely have a lot more tune tutorial requests coming up! =) I also want to start posting new original tunes soon, too! ^_^ Thank you for watching and listening! =)
Thanks for sharing! I'm 24 and just started taking violin lessons in April. This song is so fun! I hope to be able to play it by next May (for a convention I'm going to). Luckily the notes don't seems too difficult, it's the speed I will really have to practice haha. Also, you remind me a little bit of Felicia Day. :)
Yay! =) I'm happy to hear that you are learning the violin!!! :D I hope you are enjoying the instrument so far. ^_^ I wouldn't worry too much about getting the speed to a super fast tempo. I've learned that audiences prefer listening to a song that is played well with all of the notes more than a song that is played fast but missing parts. This is a really nice little tune, and I hope you have a lot of fun learning it! =) I've had a lot of comments saying I remind viewers of Felicia Day lol! I can see some similarities in our personalities and how we speak. She seems like a nice person! =)
Looks like so much fun to play!!!!!! I've decided to start playing the fiddle, how do you start getting into Irish music, where do you start? It looks exciting but confusing, lol.
That's awesome! The tunes are very sectional so once you figure out the form of which most tunes follow (call, response, call, ending), then you can learn tunes by ear much quicker. Watch your favorite players and copy their bowing patterns and ornamentation. It starts slow but you gain traction fast. Good luck to you =]
Thanks a lot Katy ! I learned this song with your great tutorial, I play violin since 4 months and I posted my first cover today of this song, say me what you think about this :-D Thanks again !
Thank you, recently I had just learned this song and you have really helped me pull it all together. You teach really well. Is there a list of songs you teach on RU-vid? I've been trying to find them. Thanks again!
Hi Katy, I love your tutorials :) I have just accepted a challenge to learn to play this tune :) I am only a beginner, just a quick question. Can I feature your music notes for this tune on my channel? Think it will take few months to play even with normal speed lol
Thanks for the awesome tutorial Katy. I play this jig slightly differently but I like your way. Could I ask what type of violin you play? I have a cheap Yamaha ($600) that was given to me as a gift five years ago. It's been great for learning but I think an upgrade is in order. I installed a new sound post on a friend's handmade violin recently and it played so much easier than mine and this encouraged me to consider changing. The action on mine is heavy even though the nut, bridge and neck seem fine. I love the sound of your instrument (though of course all credit goes to the player) so I wouldn't mind finding out what you have. Thanks again! :)
+Patrick McLaughlin Thank you for watching! I have a German violin from 1899. The label inside says "Copy of Antonius Stradivarius" by Ernst Kreusler. It cost $2300 in 2006, and it was bought from a small local violin shop in Denver, Colorado ("Von's Violin Shop"). I looked all over the state for this violin, so definitely try lots and lots of instruments! I never had any luck looking for violins at big music chain stores, so perhaps try to find smaller, more violin-specialized music stores. My violin is more of a "bright" sounding instrument, but it has a nice, deep low-end, too. Bright instruments seem to have a faster reaction, but they can also potentially sound "shrill" on high notes, so there is a trade-off... Once you've narrowed down to a few favorites, I highly recommend finding someone to play them for you. I was pining away between my current instrument and a Roth violin that was an extra $1000 more.. I asked if my teacher could play both of the violins in a nice acoustic-sounding church so I could hear them, and hands-down my current violin won my leaps and miles. I never would have known that it sounded that much better if I didn't hear them played by someone else from a distance. However, I've noticed that the violin body controls only a small portion of the echoing sound, and that the bow actually seems to change the sound more than the instrument (which is sort of hard to believe..lol! But if you think about it, the instrument doesn't make any sound without the bow!). I recently bought a Luma Coda bow, and it has really changed how my playing sounds! I was specifically looking for a bow that was stiff enough to withstand a lot of arm weight so I could produce a much more powerful sound. Arcus bows did this well, but they also cost an arm and a leg.. x_x The Luma bow seemed like a more reasonable price for a hobbyist like me. ^-^ I used to have a similar slow reaction time like you are mentioning, but in my case it was being caused more by my "muffled-sounding" heavy-ish bow. I've tried using my new bow on my older instrument that is worth around $700, and it really makes a big difference in how clear and nice it sounds! In hindsight, I would have bought a better bow than instrument, but I'm very happy with what I have. (= It might be worth it to look at both bows and instruments, because you might be better off with a better bow than a better instrument (at least I would have been if I knew to look for bows instead of instruments in 2006!).
+Katy Adelson Wow thank you for the comprehensive answer. Plenty of sage advice there. I think I will try a new bow first in that case (pun unintended). What you say makes a lot of sense. The problem is here there are no descent music shops. We have one or two in town but they don't really know anything about violins. I may need a trip to Dublin to find a good bow I can try before buying. Thanks again and keep up the great work! If there is ever a way we can support your work/give something back by buying your music/merchandise etc... let us know! Happy fiddling :)
I have a question, you did a couple extra parts in your original SJ video (a new C part and a "D" part which is the A part an octave higher. Do you have sheet music for at least the C part as I really love your rendition of this song. :)
Katy thanks a lot! In the music sheet there is a part that is missing here, you have played in another video, the one with lake background . Any chance to have that part as a short video? Regads, Jaber from Sweden
Excellent tutorial very professional will deftly be veiwing more(all) of your videos But i have a small request i had a difficult time hearing you speak the notes over the bowing (D's G's E's) sound similar. Your lovely voice blend with your lovely playing ..totaly top knotch Thanks THUMPER
Hey! Quick question- if I were to have a drone on to help would I have it set in E? Totally new to the violin lol.🤷🏼♀️ Your videos are SO helpful! Thank you!