A Fiddler's Guide to Waltzes, Airs and Haunting Melodies

Jay Ungar is the Mr. Rogers of instructional fiddle DVD, and I mean that as a compliment. So reassuring, simple, and clear; unassuming, patient, a good teacher of what's important, respectful and kind to his accompanist on the guitar. I liked the clear description of pulse, tone, and expression. He described how to create doublestops in 6ths (inverted 3rds), and to practice by playing scales in 6ths, in a way that translated theory to actual physical keyboard layout and finger placement that made sense and dissipated the despair I had been feeling about ever understanding chord progressions on the fiddle. The video focuses helpfully on what he is actually doing on the fingerboard and with the bow, in ways that made it possible to see and mimic. The DVD is organized in a way that makes sense - song by song, and breaking down each song in a way that makes it easy to stop the DVD, practice what he just showed, and move on to learn the next component. Not every teacher understands what it is that a beginner/intermediate needs to see and learn in order to do what the teacher is showing, or the progression of building skill on skill until you can do the whole thing - but Mr. Ungar seems to.

Jay Ungar is a brilliant fiddler, and adds a lot of ornaments to his playing that make his style very distinctive. This teaching DVD allows you to see how he adds those extras to his fiddling, and he is a very good teacher. He goes slowly, breaking songs down into small pieces, and gives explanations about the best ways to play a song. This DVD might be somewhat difficult for new beginners, but players who have some knowledge of scales and rhythm will be able to follow it. No music reading is required, Ungar teaches by ear. I really like this DVD because you can play along, pause and then hear someone play it back to you, as well as getting instruction. If you're interested in fiddle ballads or the slower, more expressive side of fiddle, this is an excellent resource.

This is a wonderful DVD and absolutely would recommend it to anyone who not only wants to learn some nice fiddle tunes, but to also just watch a master at work. Jay Unger, accompanied by his wife, Molly Mason, demonstrate some beautiful waltzes in a very laid back manner. You feel you are sitting in their living room for a personal jam. Jay Unger is incredibly talented, and I like that he spends some time discussing the subtleties of emotion when playing certain songs. I.e. The Tennessee Waltz is really sad and think about the words while you're playing. You will NOT be disappointed with this instructional DVD. I am a beginner fiddler and was able to start learning the waltzes by simply watching Jay play note by note. I learn by ear so for me this was great, but for those who only read music, he tells you each note he's playing and there are great closeups of his fingering technique.

Jay Ungar does an excellent job of teaching the tunes on the DVD and gives other helpful tips to playing the fiddle. He goes slow enough so you can follow what he's doing and the cameraman also did a good job in focusing on his hands so you can see what he's doing. Jay's wife, Molly Mason, accompaniment on the guitar is also a plus. I have just started playing the fiddle, but I found that I could follow it and I think that it is would be useful for those that are beyond the beginner stage as well.

This is an Excellent choice for a beginner to intermediate fiddler. He teaches the songs in a way that a beginner can learn the base song and then build upon that with double stops, slides, bowing, ect. I like that his wife plays the guitar along with it so you can keep time better than with a metronome. You will get your moneys worth with this dvd.

Very helpful to a beginner-intermediate fiddler. Ungar is an excellent teacher and one can learn a great deal from watching him repeatedly, which is what a DVD allows. Very well worth the price for 5 private workshops with a master fiddler.

This is a really nice teaching DVD! The tunes he plays are beautiful. The manner in which they are presented is such that an intermediate violin student can follow the instruction. I really have enjoyed it. But then just about anything that Jay Ungar does is "tops" to me.

Jay Ungar is a fiddler of the highest calliber. When he teaches, he does it in a very clear manner and does not reflect any arrogance. If you follow his instructions to the letter, you will find you are able to play the tunes in a very effective manner. This is a superb choice for anyone serious about learning to play fiddle.

Good presentation for all the tunes.

Very helpful instruction re techique

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