Caitlin Warbelow + Tune Supply

In this mini-workshop, we'll use the reel Star of Munster as a case study in how to create subtle micro-variations in your tunes (on the fly, if you want to). To do this, we'll listen to a few versions of the tune, analyze where, how, and why variations occur, and then practice making our own mic...

In this two-part mini-workshop, we'll spend two hours on two consecutive Saturdays building ear training skills - in other words, practicing how to better learn by ear, which is an important skill for all musicians but especially for those who play traditional genres where tunes are passed from p...

This is a mini-workshop I've taught at a number of festivals and camps in response to this extremely common scenario I commonly hear students complain about: "I can play the notes pretty well at home, but when I try to speed up, or when I try to play with others at the session, everything falls a...

I had a lot of possible names for this workshop (which I suspect will turn into a series): Ear Training Tactics, Tune Infrastructure, Blueprinting, How to Learn, etc. But what I'll try to get at in this workshop is the idea that if you can build a mental (and physical) "scaffold" of a tune before...

In this workshop, we'll do two things - we'll learn the notes of the gorgeous slow tune called "Southwind," and we'll talk about how to create basic harmonies as a melody player. You don't have to do both of those things - if you'd like to *just* learn the notes, that's just fine! You'll have the...

In this two-part mini-workshop, we'll spend two hours on two consecutive Saturdays building ear training skills - in other words, practicing how to better learn by ear, which is an important skill for all musicians but especially for those who play traditional genres where tunes are passed from p...

In this mini-workshop, we'll spend an hour learning how to figure out what key your tunes are in! Though you can certainly play trad music as a melody player without knowing what key you're in, having this knowledge will make things make far more sense, both when playing on your own, and playing ...

NOTE: This is a continuation of the first Train Your Ears workshop on Dec. 9th. You're welcome to attend even if you didn't take the first class.

In this mini-workshop, we'll spend an hour building ear training skills - in other words, practicing how to better learn by ear, which is an important...

Whether you're just getting started on the fine art of making sets of tunes, or you've been doing it for a while, this mini-workshop will give you the tools to understand how and why tunes go together (or don't), and how to craft coherent, smooth, and musically exciting sets. We'll talk about cre...

Sometimes people get a little scared of this big Italian word...or think it's just for classical musicians. Not so! Arpeggios, and related patterns (chords, triads, skip-skips, thirds, fourths, etc.), are the absolutely fundamental building blocks of trad. They appear all over tunes...once you se...

In this mini-workshop, we'll spend an hour building ear training skills - in other words, practicing how to better learn by ear, which is an important skill for all musicians but especially for those who play traditional genres where tunes are passed from person to person or from recordings, rath...

Having a good luthier to take your instrument to if it develops a major issue is a must...but it's also important for fiddlers/violinists to know basic skills relating to how care, maintenance, and upkeep of their instruments. Often these topics aren't taught in the course of regular lessons, and...

Keep your tunes in shape with this warm-up, review, and new tune session for advanced beginners (equivalent to IAC's Level 2/3). We'll start with a few painless scales and exercises to get the notes flowing, then play through tunes selected from the list below.

Don't worry if you don't know all ...

In this workout, er, workshop, we'll spend an hour going through a whole ton of warmups and exercises that you'll be able to pick-and-choose from when creating your own daily practice routines.

We'll also spend a few minutes discussing the often-neglected topic of "How to Practice," which will a...

In this mini-workshop, we'll use the D major reel "Bean An Tí Ar Lár" as a case study for discussing various bowing/slurring options in reels. You don't need to know the reel ahead of time - I'll teach it in class - but it's also fine if you know it already. The tune is just the substrate upon wh...

We'll spend an hour warming up and working out everything having to do with the left hand/arm. Topics will include setting good basic posture, efficiency and automation, a variety of exercises to use as warm-ups, speedy finger workouts, and troubleshooting/diagnosing problems students bring to cl...

Transposition, or transposing, is when a musician takes a tune that's in one key and moves it to a different key. Another usage of transposition in trad is to move a melody down or up an octave in order to create a different sound texture without changing the melody/key.

This sounds easy, but it...

Come learn Liz Carroll's new tune "The Rat's Meow," which she composed earlier this year after a series of pranks involving rats and disembodied voices were played backstage between Cherish the Ladies' and Liz Carroll's dressing rooms backstage at the IAC earlier this year. Afterwards, we were ta...

In this mini-workshop, we'll use the E minor jig "Eddie Kelly's #2" (also known as "The Drumshanbo") as a case study for discussing various bowing/slurring options in jigs. You don't need to know the reel ahead of time - I'll teach it in class - but it's also fine if you know it already. The tune...

We'll spend an hour warming up and working out everything having to do with the right hand/arm. Topics will include setting good basic posture, efficiency and automation, a variety of exercises to use as warm-ups, clean string crossings, finding the elusive flex, and troubleshooting/diagnosing pr...

I had a lot of possible names for this workshop (which I suspect will turn into a series): Ear Training Tactics, Tune Infrastructure, Blueprinting, How to Learn, etc. But what I'll try to get at in this workshop is the idea that if you can build a mental (and physical) "scaffold" of a tune before...

When I teach trad ornamentation, slides are not one of the three main types of ornaments I discuss. In fact, if a student asks about slides, I usually say "they aren't used much". But after a very perceptive student recently pointed out to me that this isn't actually true - rather, that trad fidd...

Note: We only got through about half of the material in the ornamentation class on August 23rd, so this is the rest of it! You can register and attend whether you were at the first class or not. I'll send the links to both classes to everyone who registers for Chapter 2, so you've got everything....

In this workshop, we'll get a little philosophical and begin what will likely be a continuing series on the topic of communal musicianship with this most basic but often completely overlooked concept: In order to be a good musician, you have to be as good at (perhaps better at) listening as you a...

In this workshop, we'll do two things - we'll learn the notes of the gorgeous slow tune "Inisheer," and we'll talk about how to create basic harmonies as a melody player. You don't have to do both of those things - if you'd like to *just* learn the notes, that's just fine! You'll have the option ...

This is a mini-workshop I've taught at a number of festivals and camps in response to this extremely common scenario I commonly hear students complain about: "I can play the notes pretty well at home, but when I try to speed up, or when I try to play with others at the session, everything falls a...

It's always good to know both what to do, and what not to do. In this workshop, we'll spend some time discussing and practicing how to set up your body (your torso, your head, and both of your arms!) in a way that encourages ease and efficiency and minimizes the risk of fatigue/pain. Then we'll t...

In this workshop, we'll spend an hour focusing on just Irish fiddle ornamentation. There will be a quick review of the three major types of ornaments (cuts, rolls, triplets) but the bulk of the time will be spent going through a whole bunch of exercises tailored to help resolve the most common an...

In this workshop, we'll learn the evocatively-titled slide "Going to the Well for Water". This is an easy tune that features many patterns and repeated motifs, as well as string crossings, so it's a great one on which to practice your ear training and right hand technique. I will also tell a very...

In this workshop, we'll spend an hour discussing and experimenting with behind-the-scenes factors and variables that influence tone production on the violin/fiddle. We'll start with basic "classical" tone techniques (right-hand setup, pressure, speed, length, contact point, angle, tipping etc.) a...

In this workout, er, workshop, we'll spend an hour going through a whole ton of warmups and exercises that you'll be able to pick-and-choose from when creating your own daily practice routines.

We'll also spend a few minutes discussing the often-neglected topic of "How to Practice," which will a...

This is a continuation of the initial Reel Bowings workshop that took place on Wednesday, July 5th.

In this mini-workshop, we'll use Ed Reavy's flowing G major reel "Maudabawn Chapel" as a case study for discussing various bowing/slurring options in reels. (You don't need to know the reel ahead ...

In this mini-workshop, we'll use the uniquely-named C major jig "I Ne'er Shall Wean Her" as a case study for discussing various bowing/slurring options in jigs. (You don't need to know the reel ahead of time - I'll teach it in class.)

Who's this for: Fiddlers
Level: Advanced Beginner through Adv...

In this mini-workshop, we'll learn two somewhat uncommon slip jigs - Top It Off (D major) and Garrett's Wedding (E minor). If we have time, we'll discuss bowing strategies for slip jigs in the context of these two tunes.

Who's this for: Any melody players
Level: Advanced Beginner/Intermediate/A...

In this mini-workshop, we'll use the reel Star of Munster as a case study in how to create subtle micro-variations in your tunes (on the fly, if you want to). To do this, we'll listen to a few versions of the tune, analyze where, how, and why variations occur, and then practice making our own mic...

Keep your tunes in shape with this warm-up + review session for advanced players. We'll start with a few painless scales and exercises to get the notes flowing, then play through tunes selected from the following list (and suggestions from students):

Joy of My Life, Coming of Spring, Two to the ...

In this mini-workshop, we'll spend an hour discussing and dissecting the illusive concept of "lilt". What is it? How do we physically create this effect on the fiddle? How does it tie in with bowing/slurs, right hand technique, and rhythm?

Who's this for: Fiddlers
Level: Any

In this mini-workshop, we'll spend an hour diving deep into aspects of Irish trad ornamentation on the fiddle, including:

-Reviewing the basics of cuts, rolls, and triplets
-Specific use cases of each type of ornament in various types of tunes
-Exchanging rolls for triplets and vice versa
-Exerc...

In this mini-workshop, we'll use Ed Reavy's flowing G major reel "Maudabawn Chapel" as a case study for discussing various bowing/slurring options in reels. (You don't need to know the reel ahead of time - I'll teach it in class.)

Who's this for: Fiddlers
Level: Intermediate/Advanced (Level 4/5/6)

Keep your tunes in shape with this warm-up + review session for intermediate players. We'll start with a few painless scales and exercises to get the notes flowing, then play through tunes selected from the following list (and suggestions from students):

Bride's Favorite, Yellow Wattle, Sport, C...

We'll gather online to learn the awesome three-part D major slide "The Dingle Regatta".

Who's this for: Any instrumentalists
Level: Advanced Beginner/Intermediate (Level 2/3/4)

First, we'll learn the haunting E minor waltz "Crested Hens". Then, for those who'd like to experiment with harmony, we'll discuss the basics of how to begin accompanying yourself or others on the fiddle (or other melody instrument). Don't worry - if you don't want to deal with harmony, just keep...

Keep your tunes in shape with this warm-up + review session for beginners and advanced beginners. We'll start with a few painless scales and exercises to get the notes flowing, then play through tunes selected from the following list (and suggestions from students):

Road to Lisdoonvarna, Road to...

In this mini-workshop, we'll spend an hour discussing and dissecting the illusive concept of "lilt". What is it? How do we physically create this effect on the fiddle? How does it tie in with bowing/slurs, right hand technique, and rhythm?

Who's this for: Fiddlers
Level: Any

It's always good to know both what to do, and what not to do. In this workshop, we'll spend some time discussing and practicing how to set up your body (your torso, your head, and both of your arms!) in a way that encourages ease and efficiency and minimizes the risk of fatigue/pain. Then we'll t...

This is Chapter 2 of How to Make Tasty Sets of Tunes in the January 2023 Batch.

Whether you're just getting started on the fine art of making sets of tunes, or you've been doing it for a while, this mini-workshop will give you the tools to understand how and why tunes go together (or don't), and...

In this workshop, we'll spend an hour focusing on just Irish fiddle ornamentation. There will be a quick review of the three major types of ornaments (cuts, rolls, triplets) but the bulk of the time will be spent going through a whole bunch of exercises tailored to help resolve the most common an...

We'll spend an hour warming up and working out everything having to do with the right hand/arm. Topics will include setting good basic posture, efficiency and automation, a variety of exercises to use as warm-ups, clean string crossings, finding the elusive flex, and troubleshooting/diagnosing pr...

Note: This is the 2nd part of "How to Play Faster and Better with Others" from the January 2023 Batch

This is a mini-workshop I've taught at a number of festivals and camps in response to this extremely common scenario I commonly hear students complain about: "I can play the notes pretty well at...

Note: This is part 2 of "How to Learn Tunes and Hear Patterns" from the January 2023 batch.

In this mini-workshop, we'll spend an hour building ear training skills - in other words, practicing how to better learn by ear, which is an important skill for all musicians but especially for those who...

Come learn this intermediate/advanced level A minor reel!

Who's this for: Fiddlers (and other melody instrumentalists)
Level: Intermediate/Advanced (Levels 4-6)

In this workshop, we'll do two things - we'll learn the notes of the gorgeous slow tune called "Hector the Hero," and we'll talk about how to create basic harmonies as a melody player. You don't have to do both of those things - if you'd like to *just* learn the notes, that's just fine! You'll ha...

In this workshop, we'll spend an hour focusing on Irish fiddle ornamentation. There will be a quick review of the three major types of ornaments (cuts, rolls, triplets) but the bulk of the time will be spent going through a whole bunch of exercises tailored to help resolve the most common and dif...

Whether you're just getting started on the fine art of making sets of tunes, or you've been doing it for a while, this mini-workshop will give you the tools to understand how and why tunes go together (or don't), and how to craft coherent, smooth, and musically exciting sets. We'll talk about cre...

This is a review of a bunch of advanced-level tunes.

Who's this for: Fiddlers and other melody instrumentalists
Level: Intermediate/Advanced (Levels 5/6)

This is a review of a bunch of intermediate-level tunes.

Who's this for: Fiddlers and other melody instrumentalists
Level: Intermediate (Levels 4/5)

This is a review of a bunch of beginner-level tunes.

Who's this for: Fiddlers and other melody instrumentalists
Level: Beginner (Levels 2/3)

Note: This is the 2nd part of "Deep Dive into Right Hand Technique" from the January 2023 batch.

We'll spend an hour warming up and working out everything having to do with the right hand/arm. Topics will include setting good basic posture, efficiency and automation, a variety of exercises to us...

This is a mini-workshop I've taught at a number of festivals and camps in response to this extremely common scenario I commonly hear students complain about: "I can play the notes pretty well at home, but when I try to speed up, or when I try to play with others at the session, everything falls a...

In this mini-workshop, we'll spend an hour building ear training skills - in other words, practicing how to better learn by ear, which is an important skill for all musicians but especially for those who play traditional genres where tunes are passed from person to person or from recordings, rath...

Come learn this intermediate/advanced-level Canadian G major reel!

Who's this for: Fiddlers and other melody instrumentalists
Level: Intermediate/Advanced (Levels 4-6)

We'll spend an hour warming up and working out everything having to do with the right hand/arm. Topics will include setting good basic posture, efficiency and automation, a variety of exercises to use as warm-ups, clean string crossings, finding the elusive flex, and troubleshooting/diagnosing pr...

Come learn this beginner/intermediate-level D major slip jig!

Who's this for: Fiddlers and other melody instrumentalists
Level: Beginner through intermediate (Levels 2-4)

We'll spend an hour warming up and working out everything having to do with the left hand/arm. Topics will include setting good basic posture, efficiency and automation, a variety of exercises to use as warm-ups, speedy finger workouts, and troubleshooting/diagnosing problems students bring to cl...

Come learn "House of Hamill"!

Come learn "The Old Flail"!

In this mini-workshop, we'll do a deep dive into dissection jig bowings.

Who's this for: All fiddlers
Level: Advanced Beginner through Advanced (Levels 3-6)