Phil Berthoud
Fiddle, Guitar & Mandolin Performer, Author, Teacher, Composer, Arranger
07527 006437
contact@philberthoud.com
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Bowing for Irish Reels – St. Anne’s Reel

Bowing for Irish Reels – St. Anne’s Reel

by | Jan 22, 2024 | Fiddle

You want to learn a new reel, and look it up in a tune book or online.  The bare bones of the tune are here, but for fiddle players, a bit more information is needed to really bring it to life – to add that infectious rhythm that just makes you want to move.  That...
Bringing Polkas to Life – Part 2

Bringing Polkas to Life – Part 2

by | Jan 19, 2024 | Fiddle

Continuing on from the previous article where I added bowing to The Glen Cottage Polka, here I’ll add some possible ornaments and variations. 1          Looking now at variations, the first bar contains no slurs giving it a totally different sound to the previous...
Bringing Polkas to Life – Part 1

Bringing Polkas to Life – Part 1

by | Jan 19, 2024 | Fiddle

For this article, I’d like to share with you my thoughts on bringing polkas to life with bowing.  As usual, it’s the bowing that really drives the tune forward.  Variations and ornamentation can come later.  So, we’ll have a look at the great tune called The Glen...
Bringing Hornpipes to Life – Part 2

Bringing Hornpipes to Life – Part 2

by | Jan 19, 2024 | Fiddle

Following on from the previous article, which showed how to add effective bowing to the hornpipe Jim Boulton’s Fancy, here’s another look at the same tune.  This version moves on by showing a few ideas for ornamentation and variation.  Explanations are below....
Bowing for Irish Reels – St. Anne’s Reel

Bringing Irish Reels to Life – Bowing

by | Sep 3, 2023 | Fiddle

Today, we’ll look at a well-known three-part Donegal tune, The Boys of Malin:  I’ll show you how to make this tune come to life on the fiddle with effective bowing.  Firstly, here’s the basic version of the tune as you might find it in a collection or online: This is...