Welcome to oldtimefiddle.net, home of the Fiddle for All course (now FREE for the first 30 days).
The course is based on the Brainjo Method of instruction, the first neuroscience-based system of musical instruction that’s designed specifically for the adult beginner.
So no matter your age or prior musical experience, you can learn to play.
And anyone can learn how to play the fiddle!
All it takes is knowing the right things to do, at the right time.
Ready to begin building your fiddling brain?
The 3 Key Ingredients To Learning Fiddle (for anyone!)
Most people think learning to play the fiddle is really, really hard. But it doesn’t have to be that way!
The Fiddle for All course for is based on the Brainjo Method, a neuroscience-based musical instruction system specifically designed to maximize the learning potential of the adult brain.
It is a step-by-step course designed to move anyone, regardless of age or musical experience, down the path of fiddle mastery.
But the path to mastery requires that we get 3 key ingredients right. Learn more about the Fiddle for All course, and those 3 key ingredients, in the video above.
The Brainjo Method for Fiddle
The Fiddle for All course is based on the Brainjo Method of musical instruction, the first to integrate the science of learning and neuroplasticity (how our brain changes itself) and specifically targets adult students, or “late life learners.”
Learn more about the Brainjo Method in the video below, including:
- Why you are naturally born being able to learn to play music, including the fiddle
- How this method taps into and fully utilizes your natural ability (even if you’ve never played before), and
- The 2 CORE PRINCIPLES of the Brainjo Method that are essential for success in molding your musical mind
The Music You’ll Be Learning
Let’s face it, you want to learn fiddle to play music, not to run scales or play technical exercises! That’s why you’ll be learning great new tunes throughout the course that are tailored to your evolving skill level.
As you begin your fiddling journey, you’ll be learning a core set of tunes that will help reinforce and cement your foundational techniques.
In addition, the course also includes a growing library of classic fiddle tunes and step-by-step tutorials, so that you will always have new music to add to your repertoire, while continuing to develop your skills.
Below is a preview of just some of the great fiddle tunes taught inside the course (toggle through the playlist on the upper left):
About the Brainjo Method for Learning the Fiddle
Your Course Instructor
We are beyond thrilled to have Adam Hurt as the lead instructor for the Fiddle for All course. Not only is Adam is a world-renowned and highly decorated master of multiple instruments, including old time fiddle, but he is also a master teacher – an extraordinarily rare combination.
We are beyond delighted to have the opportunity to share Adam’s remarkable gifts with the world.
Introducing Your Instructor – Adam Hurt
The Fiddle for All course is currently FREE for the first month, then $28 per month thereafter, and you may cancel at any time. Click the button below to sign up.
About Old-Time Fiddle
Old-time fiddle is the primary style of fiddling taught in this course. Learn more about the key features of this amazing style of music in the video below:
More Questions?
Want to learn more? Below are some common questions folks have about the course, along with samples of some of the course materials. If you have a question and don’t see it below, just click here to let me know.
Question: What is the Fiddle for All course?
Answer: Fiddle for All is a complete, step-by-step course designed to provide anyone, regardless of age or prior musical experience, the most efficient and effective path for learning how to play the fiddle.
Q: I’ve heard that the fiddle is really hard. Is this true?
A: It is true that there are several technical aspects of playing the fiddle that must be mastered early on in order to start coaxing pleasing sounds from the instrument.
That said, once those elements are learned, progress should then be swift and rewarding, provided you have the right learning path.
Furthermore, our goal is for you to start making great music as fast as possible, and, once your initial set of technical skills have been learned, your instruction will almost entirely be through learning new songs. So, as you grow as a musician, so will your repertoire of great music to play.
One of the reasons that fiddling has a reputation for being difficult is because much of the instruction is based on classical violin teaching methods. The problem here is that many of the skills required to play the fiddle – and the brain networks we must build to support those skills – are entirely different than those required to play classical violin.
The capacity of our brain to change itself in response to practice is a remarkable gift; however, we must take great care to ensure that the changes that it makes are the ones we actually want. Put another way, we must ensure that our learning path actually leads us where we want to go.
Q: Do I need any prior experience playing fiddle or other instruments?
A: No, the course begins with the assumption that you are new to the fiddle and to playing music, and so starts at the beginning.
Q: Am I too old?
A: Absolutely not!
Our ability to learn to play a musical instrument, including the fiddle, is grounded in the brain’s ability to change itself in response to experience. And the research in this area is clear: we retain this ability to change our brain throughout our lives.
Multiple students in their 80s and 90s, several with no prior musical instrument, have used the Brainjo Method to successfully learn music.
Even better, learning to play a musical instrument is one of the single best things you can do for the health of your brain.
Q: I play or have played fiddle in the past, but feel stuck. Is this right for me?
A: Absolutely!
The Brainjo Method, and this course, was developed largely because of this problem – because so many people who start out to learn to play music don’t end up succeeding.
And it is a core principle of the Brainjo Method that this is due not to a failure of aptitude, but rather to not having the proper learning path – a path that leads where you want to go, and that makes the most of your brain’s capacity to change itself in response to practice.
Q: What is the Brainjo Method?
A: The Brainjo Method is a system of musical instruction based on neuroscience, specifically on the neuroscience of how the brain learns, designed for the adult student.
Understanding the science of how our brain changes not only shows us what is possible, but provides a roadmap for how we can make the most of this gift.
Q: Who is this course for?
A: The Fiddle for All course is for:
- anyone who wants to learn how to play the fiddle, regardless of age or prior musical experience.
- anyone who wants to avoid wasting time searching for learning materials, figuring out what to learn and when, or learning the wrong things at the wrong time.
- anyone who plays the fiddle but has gotten stuck, and wants to get unstuck.
- anyone who likes instruction that’s placed in a logical, step by step sequence, with clear guidelines on when to move on
With most music instruction, you’re given what you need to learn, and it’s up to you to figure out when and how to learn it. In the Fiddle for All course, the what, when, and how is taken care of for you.
All you have to do is show up, follow the roadmap, and have fun.
In short order you’ll surprise yourself (and your friends and family) with your fiddle playing prowess!
Q: Do I go through the course at my own pace?
A: Yes indeed. The course is designed so that you move at whatever pace works for you. Each lesson has specific criteria to meet before moving on to the next one.
Q: Who’s the teacher?
A: We are extremely fortunate to have Adam Hurt as the lead instructor for the Fiddle for All course. Not only is Adam a world-renowned and highly decorated master of multiple instruments, including old time fiddle, but he is also a master teacher – an extraordinarily rare combination.
Supplemental instruction is also provided by Josh Turknett, founder of Brainjo.
Q: How does the course work?
A: The course is divided into a few separate sections, each with its own purpose.
SECTION 1: The Primary Teaching Modules. In the first several months, you’ll receive a new teaching module each month. Each module covers a particular skill or set of skills, and are placed in a deliberate sequential order. Each module will consist of:
1) a primary teaching video where the skill is taught.
2) exercises for practice and reinforcement.
3) tasks to complete to know when you’re ready to move to the next module.
SECTION 2: Supplemental Learning Modules. These modules cover areas of fiddling and music that aid in your overall development player development, but that do not involve “hard skills” (where the learning sequence is critically important). Things such as tuning the fiddle, music theory, creating arrangements, and so on. As such, members can visit these modules at any point in the learning process.
SECTION 3: The Fiddle Tune Tutorial “Vault”. Having a body of music to learn that you’re inspired to learn and that is appropriate for your skill level is critical to your continued development as a musician. The Vault of tune tutorials exists to meet this need by providing a large and expanding library of songs, with arrangements geared towards the various Brainjo levels to ensure you’re able to make great music regardless of where you are on the Timeline of Mastery.
The library will initially be populated by the most popular songs for old-time fiddle.
Q: What’s the ultimate goal of the course?
A: The goal of this course is to provide you with the tools and resources to take you as far as you wish to go in your fiddle learning journey.
All the way from never having touched a musical instrument – if that’s the case – to being a fluent fiddler, defined as the ability to take imagined sounds in your mind and bring them out into the world through the fiddle.
There are a great many milestones along the way in this journey, and reaching for and achieving those milestones is really where the fun is at. After all, in the end life is a journey, not a destination, so the real goal of this course is to provide you with the musical journey of a lifetime.
Q: I tried playing the fiddle before but became frustrated by my slow progress. Should I go back to basics?
A: First of all, you’re not alone. Most folks who set out to learn the fiddle don’t make it very far.
Not because it’s hard, but because most folks aren’t given the proper path to success.
The sequence and structure of the learning process is important when learning any new skill, but it’s especially important when it comes to fiddling.
So if you’ve tried in the past and found yourself frustrated, you’re exactly who I had in mind when I created this course! Everyone who wants to play music well deserves to be able to do so.
The number one goal with Brainjo is to ensure nobody gets left behind.
Q: What kind of instrument do I need to get started? Is there a difference between a “violin” and a “fiddle”?
A: The only difference between a “violin” and a “fiddle” is the kind of music that’s played on it.
There are many different violin makers, and there isn’t any particular maker or brand that is a preferred choice for fiddlers.
The most important feature of your first instrument is that it is in good condition and is set up well. So buying (or renting) one from a local violin shop or from an online store that sets up the instrument prior to shipping are the best ways to ensure that you have an instrument that plays well (elderly.com typically has a nice selection of new and used fiddles that are set up well).
Q: What happens after I sign up?
A: You will create a unique username and password when you sign up, which you will then use to login to the course (see the login link on the top menu of this page).
After logging in, you will be taken to your member home page, which contains all of your course materials, which will continue to grow over time.
Q: I’m ready to get started! How much does it cost?
A: The course itself is FREE for the first 30 days, which gives you access to all the course materials, and then will renew at $28 per month thereafter.
You can cancel at any time.
Q: How do I cancel?
A: You may cancel your course membership at any time. Once you sign up, you’ll have your own member account page, which has a cancelation link. Alternatively, you can simply contact me via email.
Q: What if I don’t end up liking it?
A: My goal is for you to make consistent progress in learning the fiddle, reach your goals, and have loads of fun along the way. If that doesn’t happen, let me know, and I’ll give you a full refund of your last two months in the course.
Q: What if I have another question but don’t see it here?
A: Just click here to contact me!
