How to get Better Irish Fiddle Bowing Strategy

Bowing is one of the most important techniques you need to master to play Irish fiddle styles well. Watch this brief tip to learn how to anticipate complex bowing patterns in advance and prepare well for them!
To demonstrate this, I'm using a Liz Carroll tune I'm learning called "Sue McNamara's." You'll hear there's a tricky interval to navigate and I'll walk you through my process to get myself set up well in advance to hit this bow pattern each time through the tune.
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Learn Irish fiddle online via the Free Fiddle Tip Vault! These are quick tips and techniques to help you master the feel of your Irish fiddling, and they’re easy to add into your practice routine!
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[@janboon965]

Best teacher ever !

[@HannahHarrisCeol]

Oh you're so kind, thanks Jan! Welcome to the Fiddle Tip Vault by the way, I saw you joined! Let me know what questions I can answer for you.

[@newt702]

Thank you!

[@traditionalirishmusic9550]

I like your playing

[@HannahHarrisCeol]

Well thank you so much! I'm honored!

[@cearuilinjayne745]

I just got it during practice today. You really got to move your body into the note hahahaaa😂

[@DemetraLam]

I grew up playing classical violin and love seeing your explanation of this bowing!

[@HannahHarrisCeol]

Woohoo fellow classical kids! Thanks for watching, Demetra :) I'm sure you're totally familiar with reading ahead then!

[@DemetraLam]

@@HannahHarrisCeol oh yes! :)

[@joanneward6746]

This is great... I teach fiddle and learned classical and people who are classically trained often ask me to write out how I would bow a whole tune. I have been hesitant to do that... What you're doing here is great because you're taking nuggets of pattern - which I would have a specific strategy for - and then isolating that. Much more useful for everyone. I did this but felt like... I was missing something. Getting the bowing natural is really helpful. This video is nice and short and to the point... Unlike this comment 😂

[@HannahHarrisCeol]

Hi Joanne! I'm so sorry I'm only just seeing this! So happy to hear you found this helpful and can apply it directly to your students -- the more fiddle teachers the merrier :D. Also high five to fellow classically trained/fiddlers!

[@nylophone5730]

Kevin Burke mentions not emphasising the melody line. He also plays it on an upbeat. Thoughts?

[@HannahHarrisCeol]

Different styles, different interpretations -- all up to personal preference! There's more than one way to play it well :D

[@TheGavranatar]

bowing pattern discussions in irish music are worse than countermelody discussions in bouzouki forums! Its all witchcraft imo. Kevy Burke is my favourite fiddler although i do think he also changes things around a lot too

[@johncraven4539]

Nice video! Can you tell me where I can find the complete tune (recording or sheet music) for Sue McNamara's?

[@HannahHarrisCeol]

Thanks so much, John! I replied in MemberVault (thanks for joining!), but I'll share a clickable link to Liz Carroll's first tune book, Collected, here for you and anyone else who'd like to get a copy of the sheet music! lizcarroll.com/collected