Fiddling at the Drew Robertson Music Studio

What is Fiddling all about?

While Suzuki and classical music are the primary emphasis for students, fiddling is a fantastic opportunity to supplement these skills and share our musical abilities with the community. The Studio offers fiddling group classes and engages in numerous community outreach events such as farmers markets and town festivals where students can perform their fiddle tunes for the public to enjoy! Plus, every studio event or recital seems to have a fiddle jam afterward…

What tunes do you perform?

Our fiddle repertory includes tunes from all around the world, and the selections are designed to provide students with exposure to a wide range of styles and cultures. Our fiddle list includes Irish, Cape Breton, Old Time, & Scottish tunes- along with lesser-known genres such as Cajun, Sea Chantey, Gypsy, Klezmer, and many more! Feel free to browse our standard tune list here!

How do you teach fiddle tunes?

Traditionally, learning fiddle tunes is an ‘oral tradition’ where tunes are learned by ear. Students learn the fiddle tunes during our group classes or at home using reference recordings. As they become more comfortable with the tunes, students are encouraged to improvise or find their own harmony lines. Since our group includes violins and violas, students are often required to transpose tunes up or down a string on the spot! All of these practices are authentic to the fiddling tradition, and provide students with an excellent foundation to pursue further studies in traditional music.