In Ireland there are traditional music based courses offered by universities. The two notable ones that I’m aware of are University Limerick and a university in Cork city. They cover a wide range of subject matter. I personally know one fiddle player and one dancer that graduated from University Limerick and they are very impressive performers.

So maybe that (whatever it is) could be your model. Of course it isn't for the absolute beginner!

Beginner as in never held a musical instrument before?

WEll it depends a lot on if they actually practiced between classes, or if they partied and dated when not in class :-).

HMm, at the end of one semester, I think a student who practices should be able to play some simple nice tunes (not too many notes, not too fast) and not be too squawky/screechy…

At some of the jams i attend we often have 70 yo beginners. I used to wonder what takes someone so long to figure out they want to play an instrument. Anymore I just embrace their musical interests.
I am not a beginner on guitar, banjo or fiddle. Long time jammer and paid giging musician here.
I get a lot of questions from these older beginners. Most common one is ‘you been playing long?’ Clearly they are hoping to sound like me in a couple of years. When I tell them I’ve been playing for 45 years the always seem a bit deflated.
When I tell them that it takes about an hour a day for about 5 years to not sound like a beginner some seem dismissive.
A college course that covers one term would hardly break the ice. Otherwise, there’d be more fiddlers/musicians

The funny thing is that we are always learning something in our everyday life. As we get older we actually get better at learning even though our brains are deteriorating with age and it’s that very learning that helps to curb that deteriorating in our brains. I think that there are as many old age prodigies out there as there are child prodigies, or at least potentially. So many older people have an attitude that it’s too late to learn to play music and that idea is totally wrong! It’s actually the very best thing for their brain to offset dementia. Neurologists all agree that the best way to fight dementia is to learn a new language. Music is a language.

I agree that it would be good to specify whether by “absolute beginner” you mean someone who hasn’t played the instrument before or you mean someone who knows the basics of the instrument but hasn’t played fiddle music before. Those courses would be a lot different.

If you’re starting from the beginning of holding the instrument, then there would be a lot of the same material as you’d get in any teaching method at first. I’d say it takes a very diligent student with good ear about a year of daily practice on average to get to the point where one can play passably with the basics mechanics understood. From there there’s more room for divergence with different approaches.

If the intention is to provide a survey of the characteristics of a style with some basic repertoire building, you could do that in anywhere from a week to a year, depending on the proficiency of the player and the density of the information.

Using an introductory college course as an example and assuming pre-existing proficiency in playing, a year would provide quite a lot of time to cover styles, discuss specific techniques and patterns, and cover a substantial amount of repertoire.

"I agree that it would be good to specify whether by “absolute beginner” you mean someone who hasn’t played the instrument before or you mean someone who knows the basics of the instrument but hasn’t played fiddle music before. Those courses would be a lot different."

No need to worry what an "absolute" beginner is, whether or not they've ever held an instrument or any of that. Beginners can be a varied group. I've noticed a trend here lately to split hairs finer and finer in making definitions for whatever is being discussed. Picayune comes to mind. I think a broader overview of many of these topics could be more meaningful. In my experience beginners diversify quickly depending on many things, especially innate talent. Starting them together won't hold anybody back, and it's the best way to actually assess where they are and how they might advance.

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Originally posted by Brian Wood

"I agree that it would be good to specify whether by “absolute beginner” you mean someone who hasn’t played the instrument before or you mean someone who knows the basics of the instrument but hasn’t played fiddle music before. Those courses would be a lot different."

No need to worry what an "absolute" beginner is, whether or not they've ever held an instrument or any of that. Beginners can be a varied group. I've noticed a trend here lately to split hairs finer and finer in making definitions for whatever is being discussed. Picayune comes to mind. I think a broader overview of many of these topics could be more meaningful. In my experience beginners diversify quickly depending on many things, especially innate talent. Starting them together won't hold anybody back, and it's the best way to actually assess where they are and how they might advance.

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The OP was asking for something comparable to a college course, though, so lumping everything together would make it entirely unlike one. A college 101 course might contain completely new material for students, but it assumes the prerequisite of a grade school education. An instructor shouldn't have to teach the "three Rs" to some of the students while teaching actual college material to others. Just imagine how much of a nightmare it would be for a teacher to have a group of 20 people show up, some already playing proficiently and some not even knowing how to hold a violin. Anyone who could play would be furious at having to cede time for which they paid to the instruction of skills they already possessed. The teacher couldn't develop much of a course syllabus because it would all depend on who showed up. If all 20 were similarly prepared, much ground could be covered, but if not, some participants would quit and demand their money back and the teacher would want to quit because there would be insufficient opportunity to cover the intended material. Asking for big picture descriptions is the opposite of splitting hairs.

The education crisis at the moment is so severe in part because kids are graduating from high school without becoming literate and are then showing up at colleges without the tools to learn. Let's not use that model for teaching the violin as well. 

Well I’m basing my experience on fourth-grade music class!

BUnch of kids, most of us had zero experience playing music. We had string instruments (violin, viola. Cello) with tapes on them, our teacher showed us how to hold/play our instruments and wrote notes on the chalkboard and taught us how to count (quarter note, whole note, etc) and how to read music. By spring, our class put on a 30 minute concert…our music was all quarter notes, half notes and whole notes … very simple, but it sounded nice. ( Mrs Wright, I am eternally grateful to you and music class was the brightest spot in my schoolday! )

I don’t see any reason why adults of any age couldn’t do this too, and I am sure they would enjoy it a LOT. AT the lower levels, the line between what is fiddle and what is violin is not so sharp…for example we played tunes like Amazing Grace and Simple Gifts.

PS
And I’m just fantasizing here, but I’d have it at a community center on Saturday morning or a weekday night and charge an affordable tuition (like $150/semester?) and have a couple of good guitar players or backers to play along…I think people would have a blast, and make friends :-)

My music course involved my father putting a C&C# accordion on my lap (1969), sitting me down in front of the record player and saying learn that. Lucky thing that record players in those days always played a bit sharp so by pure fluke the accordion was pretty close to being in tune.

I’m pretty sure that six months later I still sounded pretty horrible....... I could have used Miss Wright but then again she probably wasn't even born then. 

i got my friend playing Egans Polka in around 6 months. He had never owned a musical instrument in his life. He phoned me the other night from his allotment shed, where him and his friends still gather for a drink and some tunes after about 20-30 years.

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Originally posted by NCnotes

Well I’m basing my experience on fourth-grade music class!

BUnch of kids, most of us had zero experience playing music. We had string instruments (violin, viola. Cello) with tapes on them, our teacher showed us how to hold/play our instruments and wrote notes on the chalkboard and taught us how to count (quarter note, whole note, etc) and how to read music. By spring, our class put on a 30 minute concert…our music was all quarter notes, half notes and whole notes … very simple, but it sounded nice. ( Mrs Wright, I am eternally grateful to you and music class was the brightest spot in my schoolday! )

I don’t see any reason why adults of any age couldn’t do this too, and I am sure they would enjoy it a LOT. AT the lower levels, the line between what is fiddle and what is violin is not so sharp…for example we played tunes like Amazing Grace and Simple Gifts.

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The fourth grade strings program is how the majority of kids get started in NoVA. Since kids are often holding an instrument for the first time, the teachers focus on basic instruction in the areas you described. It provides a starting point for playing. The kids that don't like playing switch instruments or drop out. Those who are ambivalent just pick up what they can from orchestra class and progress slowly. The kids who want to advance find private teachers outside school. As the years go on, the orchestra splits into tracks by ability.

The school strings programs are an introduction to music and instruments for a lot of kids and inspire many to choose careers in it. They do often include some fiddling, rock, jazz, or exotic music in their repertoire to give kids a wider survey.

I think any beginner class should be focused on the mechanics of playing. Getting into styles is something to pursue once those have been covered. It's a mistake to dive into tune learning and playing styles too early and sacrifice technique. 

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Originally posted by pete_fiddle

i got my friend playing Egans Polka edit: etc...in around 6 months. He had never owned a musical instrument in his life. He phoned me the other night from his allotment shed, where him and his friends still gather for a drink and some tunes after about 20-30 years.

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woops meant to edit but re-posted

" It's a mistake to dive into tune learning and playing styles too early and sacrifice technique. "

Technique develops along with playing on a "need to know" basis in an older learner. like Q: Why don't i sound good?... A: One of the reasons is because your bowing is all over the place...etc...etc

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Originally posted by pete_fiddle

" It's a mistake to dive into tune learning and playing styles too early and sacrifice technique. "

Technique develops along with playing on a "need to know" basis in an older learner. like Q: Why don't i sound good?... A: One of the reasons is because your bowing is all over the place...etc...etc

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Doing it that way inhibits progress and keeps a lot of players on a plateau indefinitely. This is why there are so many players at jams who have played for decades and know all the tunes but still haven't learned to play with a passable tone or a steady beat. 

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Originally posted by The Violin Beautiful

I think any beginner class should be focused on the mechanics of playing. Getting into styles is something to pursue once those have been covered. It's a mistake to dive into tune learning and playing styles too early and sacrifice technique. 

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I think I know what you mean, but I think that students need some sense of what they're doing, so even if the beginning lessons focus on technique they should include some stylistic context. For that I think students should start on an actual tune as well as focusing on mechanics.

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Originally posted by The Violin Beautiful

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Originally posted by pete_fiddle

" It's a mistake to dive into tune learning and playing styles too early and sacrifice technique. "

Technique develops along with playing on a "need to know" basis in an older learner. like Q: Why don't i sound good?... A: One of the reasons is because your bowing is all over the place...etc...etc

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Doing it that way inhibits progress and keeps a lot of players on a plateau indefinitely. This is why there are so many players at jams who have played for decades and know all the tunes but still haven't learned to play with a passable tone or a steady beat. 

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Well they're not asking the right questions then. i was/am one of those,but you do get better after a while of enjoying yourself, That's fiddling. 

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Originally posted by Brian Wood

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Originally posted by The Violin Beautiful

I think any beginner class should be focused on the mechanics of playing. Getting into styles is something to pursue once those have been covered. It's a mistake to dive into tune learning and playing styles too early and sacrifice technique. 

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I think I know what you mean, but I think that students need some sense of what they're doing, so even if the beginning lessons focus on technique they should include some stylistic context. For that I think students should start on an actual tune as well as focusing on mechanics.

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That's pretty much how the Suzuki method works. There are tunes from the start, even ones that just use the open strings so that the  students can feel like there is a context. Beginning players are often referred to as "pre-Twinklers" in the absolute beginning and "Twinklers" as they get to the point of being able to play Twinkle, Twinkle, Little Star (the first real melody in Book 1). Most of the instruction methods involve melodic exercises for employing the techniques. I'm not arguing against that, just against diving straight into tunes without learning technique at least at the same time. The "I'll worry about the technique later" attitude tends to pay poor returns. Bad habits get ingrained and are harder to fix.

At a shop where I worked in the past, there was an adult who came in for work on a violin he'd bought. He had decided to take up the violin in his 70s but didn't want to take lessons. He really liked the Bach Sonatas and Partitas, and he came up with the idea that by simply trying to play one piece that he had selected over and over he could teach himself everything he needed to know. He said that since the piece he had chosen was his favorite, he would be happy just learning enough to play it and would be content if he mastered that piece and played nothing else. He'd have an adjustment done or he'd buy a new shoulder rest (he was obsessed with trying shoulder rests) and he'd take a practice room and play for an hour or two, so, with my bench situated somewhat near, I heard a lot of his practicing. He did eventually start to play the notes, but it never sounded much like Bach. A few people tried to gently encourage him to get a teacher, but he was adamant that he could learn everything from one movement of Bach (in his opinion the movement covered everything important and functioned as the perfect primer). I was glad that he was eager to play Bach, but it was painful to hear him struggle so much and make mistakes that could easily have been avoided. A big part of the problem is that, without any feedback from a teacher, he couldn't tell where he was making a lot of his mistakes and didn't know how to correct those he did recognize. His bowing technique made it difficult for him to get an even or clean sound, and sometimes he would conclude that the violin was out of adjustment and needed tweaking. I didn't charge him for adjustments because he was a regular customer, but he would eat up a lot of time. It started to be a problem because the problems were with the player, not the instrument, and the shop owner didn't like me wasting time with a customer who refused to learn how to play properly when there was so much paid work waiting to be done. I remember one of the teachers listening to him  from outside the door for a bit and then telling me it hurt not being able to go into the room and talk to him. 

The "I'll worry about the technique later" attitude tends to pay poor returns. Bad habits get ingrained and are harder to fix.

I had some experience with this attitude; A student who had began learning violin in group lessons, and continued in that group while having private lessons with me. This student had the flattest pancake hand I had ever seen, and every lesson was focused on correcting that problem, but to no avail. It must have been a massive group for the tutors to over look this. I pointed this out to the parent in the hope that they may supervise home practice. They came back the next week with "The tutors said they would fix that later". I thought to my self, I'll try and fix now, but children are like wet cement.

Flattest pancake hand i've ever seen is Johnny Cunningham's, and the worst bow hold was Michael Cleveland's.

Would this also apply to stylistic differences, e.g., if someone's playing sounds too classical for fiddling, correct that early on rather than let them continue with that fundamentally different approach to rhythm, intonation, tone, etc. ? 

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Originally posted by buckhenry

The "I'll worry about the technique later" attitude tends to pay poor returns. Bad habits get ingrained and are harder to fix.

I had some experience with this attitude; A student who had began learning violin in group lessons, and continued in that group while having private lessons with me. This student had the flattest pancake hand I had ever seen, and every lesson was focused on correcting that problem, but to no avail. It must have been a massive group for the tutors to over look this. I pointed this out to the parent in the hope that they may supervise home practice. They came back the next week with "The tutors said they would fix that later". I thought to my self, I'll try and fix now, but children are like wet cement.

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Well, the parents did not say to me, "Teach Johnny to play 'fiddle' music only, we don't want any of that classical stuff", or any words to that effect. I would've told them go find another teacher.

If the student or guardian does not specify a preferred style of music, I teach the lessons with a classical foundation. Even if they do request a specific style, I tell them, 'We will establish good posture first, and then we will delve into the styles you like.

My curriculum uses a classical foundation to teach essential mechanics and proper posture. While I am happy to explore different genres once these core skills are met, I do not offer lessons exclusive to non-classical styles from day one.

"Hypothetical Fiddle Course for Beginners"

in my experience fiddlers learn from each other and for themselves. Idiosyncrasies are part of the fiddle world, which ever genre.

But yeah if you really plateau, studying classical technique is an avenue to explore. Take it or leave it. i wouldn't get hung up about not going through Dancla every day if i was over the age of 20, even young learners can damage themselves with that sort of self inflicted practice.

i actually practice playing flat wristed sometimes, some tunes require it.