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COMMENTS FROM EMAILS

 

Recently my husband came home with a golden treasure, your beginners book "Of Course you can Play the Fiddle"! Well, it was just the second wind our 9 year old daughter needed to keep on going! She loves it and the accompying CD is just perfect. Since she started out, our 12 yr. old son, who has taken an interest in guitar, has been playing along (thanks for the perfect combo!) - you should see the two of them playing together - it's great! I was so happy to find your website!

I just wanted to thank you personally for giving yourself wholeheartedly to this effort of teaching others and preparing such thoughtful books - (essentially, unselfishly sharing your giftings!). We are also looking forward to ordering the next book in the series.

 

I wanted to tell you that I was impressed by the method in which you teach, young and old alike, with your high level of respect for each musician regardless of proficiency, and with a visible sincerity and interest in the students themselves. I have met many musicians [some with very large egos] but I found your approach very refreshing and down to earth. The comments from the students were all positive. The time you took with the newbies at the jams was impressive. Hope the standard you set and that tradition follows through for all the camps to come.

     
I just wanted to say a hello from the camp in Gibsons. I feel that I got the best instructor for two summers in a row - and I thoroughly enjoyed my time at Roberts Creek. I have learned a lot from you and am excited to put your fiddle books to use with my school and academy groups this year.   I wanted to thank you for your wonderful sense of humor, your square dance calling, bowing instruction, and amazing fiddling/singing. It was a wonderful camp!
     
I was in your Right Hand workshop at the By the Canal Fiddle Camp. You did a great job of teaching that material. I waited until I got home to practice it, because I knew I would make some pretty awful noises, but now I can see it's making a difference. I've been trying to figure out how to do that for so long, and all of a sudden I understand   First let me say how very much I enjoyed having you for a teacher at Hope fiddle camp. Secondly your DVD is excellent! This is the best one I have seen yet!
     

That was just fabulous this morning, the kids and staff REALLY enjoyed it. And I already told you how impressed I was with your presentation and marveled at your ability to not just hold the kids’ attention, but to excite them. It really pays to use the pros I guess.

  Just writing to say thanks for the tips at the Gabriola workshop. The right hand work is paying off already even after just one week.
     
I just had to email to tell you that I have found the method of mandolin chording that you showed us so very valuable.   I recently purchased your book and CD, New Traditions, and am really enjoying The Mad Bulgar. I love the interplay between the two violin parts.
     
I really appreciated the way you listened to the music and helped us beginners play on the jam night - I usually find the jams very frustrating. Again thanx, you are a wonderful communicator - both verbally and with your instrument.   We are a family fiddling band on the BC Coast. Your books have been a bonanza for developing the Canadian part of our repertoire - many thanks for your efforts on behalf of all
fiddlers everywhere ! and us in particular !
     
I want to thank you for a fantastic class. I learned a lot, and am working on scales and arpeggios. When I sent in my registration I was so in hopes of being in your class, and the fiddle gods heard my wish!!! Yeah!!! Really appreciated your
patience and sense of humor.....and incredible musical abilities....
  I just wanted to thank you for adding us to your itinerary, my students were so tickled, and completely inspired. The concert was magical, and the fiddlers were so excited to have been incorporated in it from the audience the way you did. Thank you seems so empty compared to how we all feel from the time you spent with our fiddlers.
     
Just had to write and tell you that Gordon Stobbe was an AMAZING adjudicator with both family and fiddle classes.I think he was the best adjudicator I have ever witnessed in all my years at festivals!
The kids left so positive and energized and smiling.He was fantastic at talking to the kids in a way they could understand and be energized by. I hope you will get him again in future.A huge success! I heard similar comments from parents(and they all loved that classes were noncompetitive too.)
Kudos to you for having such a fabulous adjudicator!
  Thank you for the wonderful instruction you gave my daughter at the Arlington Beach Fiddle Camp. I was impressed with the way you worked with a group of students with such wide ranging abilities. In addition to improving her skills you helped build her confidence.
     
Both my friend and I would like to congratulate you on your fine work and the effort you are making to preserve and teach these fiddle tunes. Great work!   I thought this was a fantastic weekend with your workshop and dance!!! It was such an amazing opportunity for everyone, and the whole weekend was very inspiring for me both as a teacher and a fiddler. I felt the kids really thrived as well - they were incredible both in the classes as well as at the dance. It was
all so awesome, and I too feel very lucky and thankful to have been able to participate in this weekend.
Thanks very much for everything!

 

COMMENTS ON GORDON'S PRODUCTS FROM EMAILS

 

Just had to dash off a note to tell you how thrilled I am with Gordon Stobbe’s DVD. As you know, I am a “collector” of such instructional videos and Gordon’s DVD has got to be one of the most effective tools I have had the pleasure to study. He takes nothing for granite (what the student may or may not know) and then methodically introduces one spoon of information at a time: First a spoon of science, sift for a while, then gradually blend in a spoon of art and then presto -- a musical soufflé emerges.

The imagery of the wrist and finger action on this DVD is priceless – there ought to be a prize for this man’s work.
I will undoubtedly wear this DVD out over the next few weeks & months.

 

I purchased your DVD "12 Things" etc. at Tamworth, Ontario last Fall. It is sensational and I love it. You've done an excellent workshop on this DVD. I thought I'd drop you a short note letting you know how happy I am to have this DVD.

It is helping me a great deal.
And again, thanks. You are brilliant!

     
I have been recommending your DVD to every fiddler in the "fiddlerhangout" website who has a bowing problem. So far, everybody who bought the DVD felt that it has improved their playing. My playing has improved tremendously. Less work, better sound. Increased my speed 40 - 90 BPM.   I have over a dozen instructional videos in my collection and yours is definitely a breakthrough approach – which I needed badly!
Your video provides a multitude of precise visual and tactile cues with respect to generating a consistent and colourful tone. I really appreciate the thought you have put into every aspect of this video – the language, the analogies, the imagery, and the exercises, not to mention the very clever practice bowing jig.

Many many thanks from the bottom of my bowing heart.
     

After spending a lot of money on lessons, I am finally becoming satisfied with my bowing technique. Thanks to your DVD, I was able to make the changes which were necessary to solve my bowing problems. I have read articles where people discussed the things you describe in the DVD, but apparently your DVD can more easily be understood. I am diligently practicing your bowing exercises and I am surprised by how quickly a comfortable and effective bowing technique becomes automatic.

  THANK YOU so much for sending the DVD on the right hand. I am using it everyday and immediately noticed a total different "playing presence" when I played a few tunes.

Gordon, you are such a great teacher, with very clear instruction and advice.

Thank you so much, the DVD is a breakthrough for me.
     

I played a lot of fiddle 20-30 years ago. I've been trying to start up over the past 5 years but kept getting frustrated and stopping because my hand would lock up in complete pain after a while. I bowed with a real death grip.

Low and behold, after about 5 -10 minutes of this DVD I realized my wrist didn't hurt and my hand was pretty relaxed. I'm not sure I have really digested this yet but I'm very excited about it.

Still have a long, long way to go but this is encouraging!!!

Thanks for making this DVD lesson!!!

 

Just a few lines to thank you so much for making Twelve Things Your Right Hand Should Know.
As an adult beginner on violin I have found this a great resource. I am also enjoying Of Course You Can Play the Fiddle book 1 and soon will order book 2.

Thank you again for what you are doing to help all of us who have a passion to learn to play well. I'm off to practice!

     
I just wanted to thank you for the education in Of Course You Can Play the Fiddle Book Two. I bought your book (2) a month after the camp and have been working through it faithfully each day for about an hour. It has been an excellent tool, perfect for my novice talent.   Last month I picked up your Learn to Play Fiddle Book with the CD and it's amazing the progress I've made in such a short time. The bow actually feels comfortable in my hand and the notes are clear. There is so much useful information in your book, now, I understand why scales and arpeggios are so important.
     
I love your new CD. It is so musical and I keep listening to it over and over again!   I've played from a number of your books but that evening purchased the new harmony book. All I can say is WOW!
     
I just ordered Canadian Old Time Fiddle Hits book 3 because I was so impressed with books 1 and 2. Your books have really helped me out. Thank you for publishing such excellent books and CDs!   the video arrived yesterday. wow! what a great workshop. it has already helped me immensely. thanks for putting out a great product!
     
     

 

COMMENTS FROM THE FIDDLER'S HANGOUT

 

If you are seriously interested in your bowing, the best thing you could do is get the Canadian fiddler Gordon Stobbe's instructional DVD on bowing. This DVD will explain in detail the mechanics of bowing, and provide exercises which help develop good bowing technique, and other exercises which help correct bowing problems. I bought the DVD and allowed me to start using an comfortable and effective bowstrokes.

I just feel that his instructional DVD is the best fiddler bowing instructional I have seen. If I were teaching fiddle, I would suggest that students start learning how to bow using this DVD. Lots of great ideas and something you can watch whenever you want. GET THE GORDON STOBBE DVD.

 

Well based on all of the treads on this topic, I too took the plunge and purchased Gordon Stobbe’s Twelve Things the Right Hand Should Know. I previewed it last night. Based on what I saw last night, the Hype about this DVD isn’t just Hype. It is FACT. This guy knows his stuff. Better yet, he explains things clearly and then reinforces his explanations with clear and simple drills and exercises that I can’t wait to start practicing tonight! If only I had found this DVD a year ago!! I have no doubt that this DVD will improve my playing dramatically! Great tip guys!

     
The first day after I watched it my bowing loosened terrifically. I loved it. I switched from TUF to TUS and like it better now than I did before.   This DVD made a tremendous change in my bow hold and how to bow smoothly. I recommend it to any beginner!
     
I received my Stobbe video a couple days ago and it didn't take long for Gordon to reinforce my thought that I was doing pretty much everything wrong! And yes, he does make it look easy! But after much practicing with the dowel trick it does start to come.   Well my Gordon Stobbe video arrived yesterday and it has a bunch of really good advice. The one BIG thing that I have learned right off relates to my "loosey goosey" post a week ago. It turns out that the motion of the fingers is actually happening. It's just that I saw it as being a side to side motion while it is rather a scrunching in and out motion. Flexing out on the upbow and scrunching in on the downbow. This concept of understanding how the movement should occur is a big thing for me. Gordon describes it well. ....thank you for your recommendation on the Stobbe video.
     
I just finished watching Gordon Stobbe's "Twelve Things Your Right Hand Should Know" instructional DVD. If you have any desire at all to improve your bowing technique, this DVD is a good investment. Most of the bowing questions I have read in FH are addressed in this DVD. Very easy to understand and no unanswered questions. Be warned, this DVD does NOT teach tunes. In fact, there isn't any music played on the DVD. Gordon only demonstrates how to use your fingers/hand/wrist forearm, and provides exercises which can be used when practicing.    

 If you would like to send your comments or questions please email Gordon at gstobbe@fiddlebooks.com.

 


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