Fiddling - Getting into the style

October 10, 2006 at 04:57 AM · The thing to do is to imerse yourself in the idiom. If bluegrass is your passion check out Stuart Duncan, Bobby Hicks, Vassar Clements, Randy Howard, Chubby Wise. Learn some basic chord theory and the chord pogressions of the songs you want to learn. Study the tunes and solos that you really like and see how some of the masters improvise over basic melodies and chord pogressions of these songs. You will soon learn that there is a basic vocabulary of licks and musical statements and it starts to make sense. I know it seems like a lot but that is the process in short form. There are some excellent instructional videos out there too.

David Blackmon

October 13, 2006 at 07:40 AM · I agree that immersion works best and I've found that the various weeklong ole time or bluegrass camps are invaluable. This music seems more body centered and less cerebral. Seeing it and being part of a music event live is probably the quickest and most enjoyable way to get in the groove. The next best thing I think would be any number of great instructional DVD's. I'm having alot of fun with Alan Jabbour's music of Henry Reed. Alan is a great scholar and musician. The very hardest part for those who are paper trained is learning by ear and using the bow in a very different manner.

October 13, 2006 at 01:21 PM · Master the pulse first.

That holds true for ANY style of violin playing, classical music included.

October 13, 2006 at 05:16 PM · Absorbing the idiom is so important. Irish fiddling is just as different as Bluegrass is to classical. The timing nuances, the use of vibrato, bowing style are all so different. It is almost like learning another instrument.

David B

October 14, 2006 at 07:25 PM · Having tried to transition from classical trianing to fiddling myself, I understand how daunting the task seems. For me, books and CD's helped a bit, but they certainly didn't get me where I wanted to be. The things that helped me most were to go to live performances and to get a fiddle teacher. I'm sure there are bluegrass teachers in your area and they shouldn't be to hard to find, either through local music shops or the papers. Also, the live performances that I'm referring to aren't so much the big concerts as much as local fiddle competitions and performances. I found when I went to these kind of performances, I got a good idea of what the playing should feel like so I knew when I was doing it correctly. The final thing that helps is to avoid reading sheet music as much as possible. For the songs I like, I only use the music while I'm memorizing and as soon as I can play from memory, I close the book. The reason is the song has a feel the paper distracts you from. I'd also reccomend buying The Fiddler's Fakebook. Just about every good fiddler I have met owns this and plays songs from it.

October 17, 2006 at 09:30 PM · Hello,

I can only very much enforce the answer of Brian Neil, I played classical and a lot of other things like Tango, irish, Kletzmer from sheet for 8 years now and have come back from a seminar in irish fiddling 2 weeks ago:

first impression: that was not at all what I wanted, the core of it was training to play 5 tunes by heart (starting with hearing and having to work out positions and everything by ear), the seminar was 4 days of really hard work 6 hours a day until headache on only 5 easy tunes (which I failed to remember completely to the last day). What I originally wanted, was good "tips and tricks" from a good player.

second impression: that was exactly what I needed! I overcame in the meantime (after 2 weeks at home playing them dayly) my very big problem of remembering tunes and by playing by heart I have got so much better in tone, speed and feeling!

So: there are many ways, but the traditional Folk way to learn by the ear and with a teacher is certainly to be preferred if possible!!!

kind regards

October 18, 2006 at 02:09 PM · I agree with the ideas posted. My suggestions are to listen all the time to the styles you want to play. This gives you a working vocabulary to "sound right". And try to get away from sheet music. Choose a couple tunes to listen to, and keep listening till you think they're in your head, then play back what you hear. This worked for me. I was very attached to my sheet music but by luck ended up at a fiddle camp (Ashokan) where everyone is a by-ear player. It was a huge struggle and a revelation. Six years later, I have really good by-ear skills and play a decent, authentic Cajun-fiddle sound. Playing by ear is so different than memorizing. Must be great for brain growth. I have just started a yahoo group, FiddleOK, especially for folks with your background. You can read about it by going to their homepage and typing FiddleOK where it says "find". They include directions to request membership if you're interested. Luck! Sue

October 18, 2006 at 03:05 PM · Sue, did you happen to see the German film, subtitled in English, called "Shultze Gets the Blues"? If not, you should see it, if for nothing else but the short clip of Cajun fiddling on it. I'd be curious to hear what you think of that clip.

October 18, 2006 at 04:38 PM · A great place to start listening for Bluegrass fiddle is to get Kenny Baker Plays Bill Monroe.

Mos t of the tune on this recording are classic Bluegrass standards and Kenny stays very true to the melody on all the songs. Kenny was one my mentors when I was young. He was a fantastic teacher.

David B.

October 18, 2006 at 04:48 PM · If it's Bluegrass you want, proceed as if you were infiltrating an underground. A lot of their secret meetings reportedly take place in parking lots.

October 18, 2006 at 05:08 PM · Jim: :-D

David: Wow! Kenny baker is amazing. A fiddler who comes to the CTBMA jam sessions took an interest in my son's interest in fiddling and lent us two Kenny Baker albums. That is one of them. My son was really taken with the "Roxanna Waltz" and so he made his own interpretation and has played it to good effect (as an 8 and now 9 year old) busking. It seems that every time he plays that tune in public (for recitals, busking etc) somebody gets moved to tears. That's all Kenny Baker's doing.

Wow, and you were mentored by Kenny Baker. That is really excellent.

(If only I could find a great mentor for my son. He is very fiddle-oriented.)

**edit**

(I looked you up. Even more wow. I am impressed.)

October 18, 2006 at 06:13 PM · Evan,

It helps if you own a truck tha is at least 20 years old, don't have all your teeth, and sleep with your cousin.

-just kidding, of course.

There are a number of excellent DVD's on fiddle & bluegrass technique. Some cover important basics, like set-up, string choices, etc. A few I'd recommend:

"Bluegrass Fiddle" by Kenny Kosek

"Learn To Play Old-Time Fiddle" by Brad Leftwich

"String groove" by Rushad (amazing)

"The Fiddle According to Vassar" -by Mr Clements, of course. A little beyond my capabilities right now, but very inspirational.

=========

Also don't overlook Cajun and Irish/folk styles.

To absorb the bluegrass style, listen religiously to Vassar, and also Mark O'Connor & the Nashville Cats. Pop on the headphones & have yerself a chaw. Yeeee -hawwww!

October 18, 2006 at 06:23 PM · "It helps if you own a truck tha is at least 20 years old, don't have all your teeth, and sleep with your cousin.

-just kidding, of course."

Pretty ignorant.

October 19, 2006 at 01:23 AM · Bill, Did not see that film, though I have heard of it. Curious now to see if I can rent it. I listen to re-mastered field recordings a lot, and try to figure out what those guys were doing- except for tone. Can't bring myself to scrape around that much. Sue

October 19, 2006 at 04:42 AM · Jim, you DO realize that was a joke, right?

Prunes. many, many prunes.....

October 19, 2006 at 09:47 AM · A man will go far on prunes and chitlins.

October 19, 2006 at 09:59 AM · Allen, of course it's a joke, just like the funny jokes about blacks and jews.