Happy Easter! He is Risen!

Jamming is one of the most fun things to do on the fiddle. The blues is one of the most fun and easiest genres to jam to. I’ll show you how to play the blues even with the most basic technique and knowledge of the violin. These step by step videos and interactive audio files will give you the tools and knowledge necessary to start jamming real soon and enjoying yourself immensely right from the beginning. Download or play the interactive blues accompaniments by MGN right off my page and begin working on Fiddlermans blues exercises.

Begin by deciding how you want to listen to the playback. Here are a few very convenient ways of doing it.

• Right click on the file below, by our forums very own “myguitarnow” otherwise known as “MGN”. Download and save the linked file to your computer. Transfer the file to a MP3 player and listen with headphones or plug into your stereo system.
• Connect your computer to your stereo system.
• Save the file on iTunes and stream to AppleTV
• Play directly off this link with your computers speakers or using earphones.

 – I, IV, V progression

2) FIVE NOTE BLUES:

Practice and perfect the first five notes of the “a” minor dorian scale for the second lesson.  Be sure to keep the 2nd and 3rd fingers (B and C natural) together.  Intonation should be as perfect as possible. Play the scale up and down in different tempos and rhythms. Experiment with off beats, swinging and dynamics. Incorporate your own feeling into it. One great blues effect is the “broken record” effect, where you get stuck on a riff and just keep doing it over and over persistently. Turn on MGN’s Blues Shuffle found on this page and have fun jamming with these five notes.

Blues lesson 3 – One Octave A Minor Dorian

Practice the A minor dorian along with MGN’s acoustical guitar blues shuffle. See a close-up demonstration of the scale being played on a violin. Watch how you can utilize the scale while jamming. Practice this dorian and in as many of the popular key signatures as you can. Memorize the patterns so that the improvisation happens automatically. 

Blues lesson 4 – Work on Finger Patterns

Here is an easy A minor dorian pattern you can play with MGN’s acoustical guitar blues shuffle. See a close-up demonstration of the pattern being played on a violin. Practice this pattern and in as many of the popular key signatures as you can. Memorize the patterns so that the improvisation happens automatically.

Blues lesson 5 – Fiddlermans Secret Weapon

Here is my favorite A minor dorian pattern that you can play with MGN’s acoustical guitar blues shuffle. See a close-up demonstration of my secret weapon being played on the fiddle. Practice this pattern and in all popular key signatures. Memorize the pattern so that it happens automatically.

– Lesson 6

Have fun jamming to the brand new playback file provided above by MGN for our enjoyment. Download and playback the blues track in E minor using all the techniques taught in the first 5 lessons.  Add double stops and fifths as demonstrated to your improve.