Where do a fiddle and a kitchen countertop intersect? If you browse through recent Video Exchanges in the ArtistWorks Fiddle School, you might find more kitchen countertops than you expected. 

Before you give up on this post and click on, this isn't just a silly game or challenge.

Using kitchen countertops to steady the arm during fiddle playing (while engaging the wrists and fingers) is a tip acclaimed fiddle instructor, Darol Anger, suggests to beginner students. 

A common issue new fiddle players experience is isolating movement when playing. This means that before you learn chords and your favorite tunes on the fiddle, it's crucial to build a solid foundation on simply how to hold the instrument. 

Though it may seem simple, this is no small task. Students naturally want to pull back their arm, all the way to their shoulder, when playing the bow. Darol Anger knows this is a bad habit to kick quickly. Just recently, one of Darol's students, username dobrodoc1, was facing this very problem- prompting Darol to perscribe his eclectic, yet effective, practice.

Simply by placing the playing arm on a hard surface while playing, a students body is forced to rely more heavily on the wrist and fingers to create sound. Thats exactly what happened for dobrodoc1 when he took a leap of faith and trusted the advice of his expert instructor. You can watch his progress here. 

This entire learning opportunity was made possible through patented ArtistWorks technology: Video Exchange Learning. Through Video Exchange, students can send videos of themselves practicing to their expert instructors and receive personalized feedback (and encouragement). Darol Anger was so proud of dobrodoc1, that he made their Video Exchange the "Featured" exchange in the Fiddle School.

Don't limit yourself on your journey with music. Partner with any one of our 30+ expert, world renowned, instructors. Explore all of our schools here. 

Read more about Video Exchange and ArtistWorks:

How to Make Your Musical Resolutions Stick

11 Ways to Leave Your Musical Level

How to Noticeably Improve Your Playing in 30 Days