Irish Bowing Technique - FREE lesson by Kevin Burke

Comments · 103

• GS

  @gstan471 · 4 days ago

  Great info for someone who lives in an Irish music desert!

• NI

  @nicholashill9302 · 5 years ago

  Been doing it the hard way for thirty years. Who knew? Lol. Thanks for this.

  3

• 21

  @2112CO · 3 years ago

  I love Kevin I have seen him play 5 times.  With my Dad in 1990 or so in San Francisco last in 2003 in Denver such a humble and great player.

  3

• CO

  @colindouglas7769 · 4 years ago

  As a musician who started out with a classical training, I found this up-driven bowing style with the first beat of the bar on an up-bow instead of a down-bow a hard concept to grasp and master when I switched to playing traditional fiddle music because it goes against all the rules I'd had hammered into me from an early age. However it really is this that gives a tune the characteristic "lift/swing" that makes Irish traditional music so distinctively compelling and separates the concert violinist from the traditional fiddler. Kevin draws the apt comparison of patting your head with one hand and rubbing your tummy with the other and it is very much like that at first, but the more you do it; the more natural it becomes to you and you'll eventually be able to do it without having to think about it.

  2

• PA

  @patfiddles · 2 years ago

  Excellent video- loved how you practically just drop the bow onto the violin in the beginning of the video- really demonstrates how light the bow hold needs to be.  My string crossings always sounded so harsh and felt like sawing wood- your subtle interplay between the two strings sounds so much nicer (and less effort on the arm).  Thanks Kevin.

  4

• FR

  @franksfiddle9031 · 4 years ago

  No idea how many times I'll watch this video ... but it will be a lot. Some fantastic, almost throw away, advice. Fantastic - thanks Mr Burke

  2

• BE

  @beckyb8929 · 6 years ago

  it is like learning tongue twisters to novice.  thank you for sharing

  3

• MI

  @midnighttutor · 4 years ago

  This is a very informative presentation.  In particular your discussion of when to use the drone note and de-emphasize the notes on the adjacent string.  This is exactly how the double shuffle e.g. in the Orange Blossom Special is written...the drone on D and G strings never goes away when you hit the notes on the A string.

  2

• JO

  @jodimcfarland1280 · 3 years ago

  This is a pivotal lesson for me. I'm so grateful for the increased understanding!!!

  3

• JI

  @jimbrereton8999 · 5 years ago

  Gold dust, thank you Kevin!

  3

• SE

  @seonaidoriada1013 · 3 years ago

  I so appreciate your taking the time to explain this to us! Right now I’m learning to play from Kathleen Nesbitt’s Fidil tutorial. She plays in the Roscommon style; I’m just learning about regional styles.

  1

• MA

  @malcolmmyatt9092 · 1 year ago

  I love Irish fiddle and have been playing the tunes from dots and have often wondered why the sound I produce isn’t, very Irish. Hopefully , now with your excellent lesson I can go away and start fresh. Initially I used far too much bow making very hard work of it. This I sought to correct with a reasonable degree of success but now I can move forward to making the right noise. Thank you Kevin on this invaluable instruction. I attended a workshop with Mr Cranitch and your contribution here is again next level for me.