Balkan Tutorial Blog | Magicviolin

Tiny Balkan Tutorial: Balkan Hijaz with 'Busy Bees' ornaments

This is probably my all-time-favourite ornament. I only can do it when I'm in a regular practicing mode, and my fingers are 'tuned'. And...

Djunjuritsa - Part 2

Last time you practiced the 9/8 rhythm, and I hope that by now, your fingers and your head have gotten themselves around the rhythm, the...

Djunjuritsa - a Bulgarian dance that brings smiles

Today I only share the first part of this piece - there are lots of notes to practice, specially in the 2nd part, so you might need time...

Lamma Bada - moving East of the Balkans and back in time...

I learned this tune a while ago, it's one of those that you can sing round and round without stopping, and it works like a chant... your...

Ottoman Ornament practice in Balkan Hijaz mode

Do we love technique practice? I actually truly do :-) Especially when using Balkan Hijaz scales, in the triplet patters, which snake so...

Silent Fields - a few tips on 'beautifying' this Eastern European tune

Today I would like to share a melody with you which I had forgotten about, just rediscovering it when working on the 2nd edition of my...

Babo Čerkez Čoček - a Macedonian Gypsy Dance piece

This is a mini tutorial for a funky Gypsy dance piece, not a by-ear-tutorial as such so you might need to get the sheet music from the...

Muro Shavo - By-ear-tutorial

This is one of my favourite songs, great to sing and play and ideally both together, on dark and murky days it really brings brightness...

Scale+Ornament Practice: Balkan Hijaz on A

Lets start the new year on a new mission: achieve wild fingers ! Today there is no tune, but some technical exercises. Over the next few...

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