Learn Old Time Fiddle for Beginners

Learn Old Time Fiddle By Ear and Develop Skills to Jam With Others

Created byBennett Carpenter

Last updated 10/2024

English

English [Auto],

What you'll learn

Learn to Play Common Old Time Fiddle Tunes
Learn to Set Up Your Violin / Fiddle
Learn How To Jam As A Beginner (Etiquette and Strategies)
Strategies For Learning Tunes By Ear

Course content

7 sections • 31 lectures • 1h 37m total length

Introduction0:57
Course Welcome!
What is Old Time Music?2:22
Tuning the Fiddle in Standard (Violin)3:54
Restringing a Fiddle and What Strings To Buy5:25
Applying Rosin and Rosin Types4:13
Learn how to rosin a fiddle bow, choose between dark and light rosin for climate and tone, and manage rosin on strings to avoid screeching for a clear, grippy sound.
Using a Shoulder Rest and How to Hold the Fiddle3:36
Bow Placement and Pressure5:27

AABB Part Structure3:00
Bowing Essentials1:47
Varying Versions of Tunes3:06
Playing in 4/4 and Crooked Tunes3:17
Learn how old-time fiddle centers on 4/4 time, explores 3/4 waltz timing, and plays crooked tunes with extra or missing beats, plus tips for jam etiquette.
Resources to Listen to Old Time2:03
Explore old time fiddle resources on YouTube, Spotify, and Apple Music with slow-down tools to learn tunes by ear, and SlipperyHill.com for searchable 1930s to 1970s source tunes.
Main Fiddle Keys2:54
Learn old time fiddle basics in keys A, D, and G, with C and F explored later, and apply cross tuning for A or D drone strings and jam-ready keys.

How to Cross Tune Your Fiddle to AEAE2:21
A Scale and Cross A Fingerings5:59
Sawing vs. Slurring and The Shuffle Bow2:30
Learn the difference between sawing and slurring on the fiddle, and master the shuffle bow’s long-short-short-long pattern to achieve authentic old-time rhythm.
A Part: First Half of Bile Them Cabbages Down4:29
B Part: Second Half of Bile Them Cabbages Down3:58
Learn the b part of bottom cabbages down with a four-note shuffle bow, starting on C sharp on the A string and moving to D.
Play Along: Bile Them Cabbages Down Fiddle (Slow)2:39
Play along with the slow version of Bob and Cabbage's Down to play together and reinforce beginner old time fiddle skills.

A Part: First Half of Cluck Old Hen3:14
Learn the first half of cluck old hen in cross tuning as a modal tune, dropping G and C, with the A part's long-short-short rhythm and a shuffle ending.
B Part: Second Half of Cluck Old Hen2:40
Begin the B part of Cluck Old Hen with the long, short, short, long rhythm on the A and E strings, using modal tuning for a chicken-like dissonance.
Play Along: Cluck Old Hen on Fiddle (Slow)1:24
Play along with cluck, old hen on fiddle at a slow tempo, combining both parts and celebrating your progress in fiddling.

D Scale and Key of D Fingerings in Old Time D Tuning3:41
learn the key of d in old time d tuning, using fingerings on the a and d strings to play the d scale and drone notes.
A Part: First Half of Angeline the Baker3:46
Learn the old time fiddle tune Angeline the Baker in the key of D, using cross tuning for a sound and focusing on B and D on the a string.
B Part: Second Half of Angeline the Baker2:26
Play Along: Angeline the Baker on Fiddle (Slow)2:02
Learn to play Angeline the Baker on fiddle, and join in a slow, collaborative play along as you build confidence playing together.

Requirements

No experience needed. Students need a violin (fiddle), bow, rosin, and preferably an electronic tuner.

Description

This course is designed to teach students how to play the violin in the old time fiddle (traditional Appalachian) style. When you have finished the course you will be able to play multiple common tunes in a variety of fiddle tunings. You will also know how to take those tunes to jams where you can apply your skills and learn new tunes by ear.

This course includes an introduction section for absolute beginners with lessons on how to tune and restring a violin as well as how to hold a violin and bow. There is another section dedicated to explaining the process of learning old time tunes, tune structure, and resources to access source recordings. Once you have completed the introduction and background sections, the lessons jump straight into learning tunes.

Each lesson section has each tune split into two smaller digestible lessons for beginners. Rather than focusing on tabs or sheet music, you are taught by ear the way many people learned fiddle in the 1800s. After learning a tune, there are play along and backing tracks for students to practice their newfound skills. Play along tracks include a slow speed as well as a regular speed so you can increase the tempo as you improve.

Other topics covered will be alternative tunings, fiddle specific bowings, how to jam with others, and more.

Who this course is for:

Beginner or Aspiring Old Time Musicians

Learn Old Time Fiddle for Beginners

What you'll learn

Explore related topics

Course content

Introduction and General Setup7 lectures • 26min

Background Information6 lectures • 16min

First Tune: Learn to Play Bile Them Cabbages Down in Cross Tuning (Key of A)6 lectures • 22min

Second Tune: Learn to Play Cotton Eyed Joe in Cross Tuning (Key of A)3 lectures • 7min

Third Tune: Learn to Play Cluck Old Hen in Cross Tuning (Key of A)3 lectures • 7min

Fourth Tune: Learn to Play Angeline the Baker on Fiddle in D Tuning (Key of D)4 lectures • 12min

Jamming and Learning By Ear2 lectures • 7min

Requirements

Description

Who this course is for: