Today we’ll talk about quick grace notes — what they are, why they are used, and how to do them both above and below a note, with some exercises and examples, including a few images from an 18th-century tunebook showing how they marked these ornaments in the old days. We’ll conclude with a technique video to help you try all this.
About this post, and an invitation/offer
I like to make everything I offer here free to all, with the exception of a few technique videos that people do pay for on my hands-on learning site at fiddle-online. That site takes all the theory I talk about here and puts it into action! One of the technique videos is included at the end of today’s article as well.
Some of you are paid subscribers, and in these anonymous internet times, I thank you for the communication that implies — you appreciate what you’re getting here and are willing to support it. I myself am reluctant to pay for stuff online, so I get why many of you read these for free.
Often, I write about general topics related to music, and will continue to send those out for free, along with some of the fiddlecentric articles, but some of the more technical aids for fiddlers/violinists are things that people generally pay me for in lessons and workshops or on my fiddle-online site, so in some cases, I’m not sure it’s fair to hand them out for free.
All this is to say that if the following article is only for paid subscribers, it’s not for the purpose of excluding anyone but to honor those who have been in touch with me and paid something as a subscriber, and because I’m not always comfortable giving away all my stuff for free, especially the more technical tricks I’ve developed and taught.
Speaking of useful stuff people pay for, I will be offering an online 8-week class on Mondays in April and May, focusing on ornamentation, which you are welcome to sign up for. You can get details from the fiddle-online info page if you like. Included in the weekly class will be a small, friendly group on Zoom, ten online technique videos, and audio and sheet music for several tunes to apply our ideas to. Get more comfortable with grace notes, slow and quick, mordents/warbles, rolls, birls/triplets, slides, and more.
An invitation/offer
Sometimes it’s hard to write for the silent ones out there (of which I am often one, for other Substacks!). In many ways, the communication is more important than the dollars. If you or someone you know would like to become a paid subscriber (normally only $5/mo or $40/yr), but for any reason feel uncomfortable about it, just tell me how much you would be comfortable with and I’ll arrange it for you.
Quick Grace Notes
Today, we’ll cover quick grace notes, with follow-on posts about cool ways to combine slow and quick (i.e., easy ways to impress your friends and neighbors), and how to use those skills to easily learn a good Irish roll.
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