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| Getting back to the fiddle - Fiddle - Other Instruments - ezFolk Forums | |||||||||||||||
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vrteach Approved 
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Well, quite some time ago I made a try at learning fiddle. I never quite got past "Godawful", mostly because of bowing. The fiddle I'm working with is a pretty good one which had belonged to my Great Grandfather who probably played it as a young man in the 1880-90s. On opening the case a couple of years ago I found that something had eaten a good bit of the hair on the bow, so a couple of weeks ago I took it to a repair shop, and they did a number of things that have the instrument and bow back in tip-top condition. I picked it up on Saturday, but was a too scared to put bow to string until Sunday evening. When I finally did--well, I'm still "Godawful" but it could be worse. My intonation isn't too bad, and with the fix up even my bowing wasn't as bad as I expected. But I had very low expectations. But, to my questions. First, the main book that I used and am using is Alan Kaufman's Beginning Old-Time Fiddle which I really like. However, the little vinyl soundsheet of my copy is long gone, or at least deeply buried in an unknown place in an unknown closet. Does anyone here have a digitized version of the sheet that they could share? I see the book is still available and now comes with a CD. Edit: Nevermind, I found it. Second question. Has anyone here tried any of the following? The American Fiddle Method, vol 1 Old-Time Fiddle for the Complete Ignoramus (Wayne Erbsen) Mel Bay Old Time Fiddling Across America (David Reiner) If so, any opinions? Last edited on Mon Apr 30th, 2007 09:07 pm by vrteach ____________________ Erich -- http://www.ezfolk.com/audio/bands/956/ http://vrteach.freepgs.com/banjo/ |
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patti Rickman Approved
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Hi, I'm just wanting to get the word out about PEACH BOTTOM FARM FIDDLE & STRINGS CAMP World class instructors, great food and gorgeous surroundings, what more could there be? I hope you consider posting this (attachment) and/or pass along to anyone you think would be interested. PEACH BOTTOM FARM FIDDLE & STRINGS CAMP WHEN: June 8 - 12 2007 WHERE; Independence, Virginia. The heart of the "birthplace of Old Time music", near Merlefest & Galax. INSTRUCTORS; DANIEL CARWILE: danielandamycarwile.com AMY CARWILE: danielandamycarwile.com SHANE COOK: shanecook.com APRIL VERCH: aprilverch.com Local renowned musicians TBA! Intensive & fun-filled music instruction, deep in Virginia's ancient Appalachian Mountains. Bring your favorite stringed instrument and/or dancing shoes and enjoy our staff of World class professional instructors on the lovely & pastoral 200 acre Peach Bottom Farm. PLEASE VISIT: http://www.peachbottomfarm.com EMAIL Patti: peachbottomfarm@yahoo.com Thank you! Patti PeachBottomFarm.com
____________________ Patti PeachBottomFarm.com |
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patti Rickman Approved
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Hi, I'm just wanting to get the word out about PEACH BOTTOM FARM FIDDLE & STRINGS CAMP World class instructors, great food and gorgeous surroundings, what more could there be? I hope you consider posting this (attachment) and/or pass along to anyone you think would be interested. PEACH BOTTOM FARM FIDDLE & STRINGS CAMP WHEN: June 8 - 12 2007 WHERE; Independence, Virginia. The heart of the "birthplace of Old Time music", near Merlefest & Galax. INSTRUCTORS; DANIEL CARWILE: danielandamycarwile.com AMY CARWILE: danielandamycarwile.com SHANE COOK: shanecook.com APRIL VERCH: aprilverch.com Local renowned musicians TBA! Intensive & fun-filled music instruction, deep in Virginia's ancient Appalachian Mountains. Bring your favorite stringed instrument and/or dancing shoes and enjoy our staff of World class professional instructors on the lovely & pastoral 200 acre Peach Bottom Farm. PLEASE VISIT: http://www.peachbottomfarm.com EMAIL Patti: peachbottomfarm@yahoo.com Thank you! Patti PeachBottomFarm.com
____________________ Patti PeachBottomFarm.com |
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vrteach Approved
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Thanks for the ad, and I had been thinking of it before. But, I'm pretty full up right now with Midwest Banjo camp happening the prior weekend. I'm thinking of Kentucky Music Week. http://www.kentuckymusicweek.com/
____________________ Erich -- http://www.ezfolk.com/audio/bands/956/ http://vrteach.freepgs.com/banjo/ |
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banjo brad Super Moderator 
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Erich- AFM books and CDs are good. There are companion DVDs available for them also. The CDs have Wickman playing the tunes with his band, and are good jamtunes. The DVD's present more of the teaching, with him going through how he does a tune, showing different bowings, etc. Tunes are shown in notation. Good method. I also recommend Wayne Erbsen's "Old Time Fiddle for the Complete Ignoramus." Book and CD, concentrates on pretty much a shuffle bowing technique and presents a good selection of tunes, all presented simply. The CD plays each tune up-to-speed, and then slowly. Tunes are presented in a fairly clear, if unique, tab and also in notation. No DVD. Good method. I also started with the "Beginning Fiddle" VHS tape by Michael J Taylor. Comes with 8 tunes in tab and on the tape. It's for sale on my "store" page here. The tab can be confusing until you get used to it. I didn't really find it useful to me, mainly due to the tab. Fair method. I have come to the conclusion that for the fiddle, notation is the way to go instead of tab. Unless you learn by ear, and I don't play with fiddlers often enough to be able to do that. Good luck with your fiddle, I'm looking forward to hearing some of your work! Brad (If I was pressed to recommend a sequence for the above methods, I would go with Erbsen's method first, then the AFM books next. The VHS I would only recommend as a cheap way of getting a basic introduction to the instrument.)
____________________ ezFolk Help Brad Prickly Pear Music Banjo Brad's ezFolk page TOTMC |
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vrteach Approved
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Thanks. I like shuffle bowing. I like shuffle bowing alot. So, the Wayne Erbsen offering as you describe it sounds good to me. As far as what I sound like, I'll see if I can submit an early example. Probably will be "Whiskey before breakfast" or "Angeline the Baker". Whichever, I'll have to play it slow and even on the banjo so I can follow along on fiddle. I don't keep the tempo steady otherwise, but I haven't tried the play-along thing yet. Last edited on Mon Apr 30th, 2007 10:24 pm by vrteach ____________________ Erich -- http://www.ezfolk.com/audio/bands/956/ http://vrteach.freepgs.com/banjo/ |
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banjo brad Super Moderator
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Yeah, I liked the Erbsen book a lot. He has a unique tab style that is easy to read - the fiddle strings are named, and each note name is inserted on the string: E - - - - - -G - - F# etc. The notation is right under the tab - I have to force myself to drop to that line instead of the tab. He starts with a bunch of D tunes, then adds D Dorian, A, Am, G, and C. Hey, I am just starting to get Angelina Baker on the fiddle, maybe I'll put it up soon! Whiskey is still a bit beyond me on fiddle, yet. Brad Missed the bit about the hair-eaters the first time. Be careful about that case. There was quite a thread on FiddleFork about hairbeetles and how to get them out of the case. I'll look for the thread for you. Last edited on Tue May 1st, 2007 01:00 am by banjo brad ____________________ ezFolk Help Brad Prickly Pear Music Banjo Brad's ezFolk page TOTMC |
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vrteach Approved
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As far as the bow-mites go, I had asked about the damage a while back on Sugar in the Gourd and learned about the pests. So then I went to our entomologist (who is the pest control person for the collections where I work) and he gave me a no-pest strip to fumigate case & fiddle. After doing that I replaced the old coffin-shaped case with a better one, so I am probably clean now. Ok, I figured one just has to dive in and do these things, so I recorded myself on banjo & fiddle. Not one of those I thought, as I could not manage to move slow enough on the banjo to accomondate myself on fiddle. So, here is Loch Lomond in G. http://vrteach.freepgs.com/banjo/index.php?TuneID=95 I think I gave my Fostex recorder a bit of indigestion--there is a little hiccup. Maybe it was the amplify filter in audacity. Last edited on Tue May 1st, 2007 04:11 am by vrteach ____________________ Erich -- http://www.ezfolk.com/audio/bands/956/ http://vrteach.freepgs.com/banjo/ |
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banjo brad Super Moderator
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Erich- Nice job. You are able to start and stop the bow, which is a problem of mine. I get it going back and forth and those halts are really hard for me! Now I have to try to get "Angelina Baker" up. Brad
____________________ ezFolk Help Brad Prickly Pear Music Banjo Brad's ezFolk page TOTMC |
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Lyle Konigsberg Approved 
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Hey Erich, Way to go! I really like that Kaufman book, having picked it up last year at a used bookstore (sans vinyl). I cut my teeth on Miles Krassen's "Appalachian Fiddle" because that's about all there was back when I started playing (1978) and because I liked his clawhammer book. To me the hardest part has always been, and probably will continue to be, the bowing. Eventually the intonation will fall about 95% in place, leaving that 5% that makes your fiddling "authentic" (i.e., painful) sounding. But the bowing is entirely a different matter. I play with a very choppy bowing pattern that maybe I can blame on my years in the Midwest. I'd like to play more of a "Kentucky long bow" style but it's almost impossible after so many years of playing with a different bowing style. On a related matter, have a look at: http://www.indianafiddlersgathering.org/FestivalInfo.html I'm pretty sure we will be going on Saturday. The workshops there are generally quite good, though I've not tried the fiddle workshops.
____________________ ezFolk page: http://ezfolk.com/audio/bands/1084/ Some Tabs at: http://lylewk.home.comcast.net/ |
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patti Rickman Approved
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Hi, I'm just wanting to get the word out about PEACH BOTTOM FARM FIDDLE & STRINGS CAMP JUNE 8 - 12, 2007 World class instructors, great food and gorgeous surroundings, what more could there be? I hope you consider posting this (attachment) and/or pass along to anyone you think would be interested. WHERE; Independence, Virginia. The heart of the "birthplace of Old Time music", near Merlefest & Galax. INSTRUCTORS; DANIEL CARWILE: danielandamycarwile.com AMY CARWILE: danielandamycarwile.com SHANE COOK: shanecook.com APRIL VERCH: aprilverch.com Local renowned musicians TBA! Intensive & fun-filled music instruction, deep in Virginia's ancient Appalachian Mountains. Bring your favorite stringed instrument and/or dancing shoes and enjoy our staff of World class professional instructors on the lovely & pastoral 200 acre Peach Bottom Farm. PLEASE VISIT: http://www.peachbottomfarm.com EMAIL Patti: peachbottomfarm@yahoo.com Thank you! Patti PeachBottomFarm.com
____________________ Patti PeachBottomFarm.com |
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vrteach Approved
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Thanks Brad & Lyle. Brad, in your beginning fiddle blog you mention having trouble with your fingers touching the adjacent strings. Did you do anything physical to the fiddle to take care of this? Or, is it just something that one learns not to do? Lyle, I'll put the Indiana fiddle gathering in the list of possibilities. It's not too far from me. Last edited on Wed May 2nd, 2007 03:41 pm by vrteach ____________________ Erich -- http://www.ezfolk.com/audio/bands/956/ http://vrteach.freepgs.com/banjo/ |
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banjo brad Super Moderator
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Erich- I still have the problem, but not as bad. I think practice has a lot to do with it, besides a good setup. I did have the fiddle set up, but I don't think he separated the strings any. It is important to get used to using the tips of your fingers and to concentrate on coming straight down on the strings - the wrist really needs to be well under the neck for proper positioning. Brad
____________________ ezFolk Help Brad Prickly Pear Music Banjo Brad's ezFolk page TOTMC |
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vrteach Approved
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Yup, I figure that my hand position is not correct. I have a couple of local fiddlers from whom I can bum a little free advice.
____________________ Erich -- http://www.ezfolk.com/audio/bands/956/ http://vrteach.freepgs.com/banjo/ |
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banjo brad Super Moderator
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I see I said 'wrist' - I meant 'elbow!" I just picked up a book this morning: "Aerobics for Fiddlers." With CD. Looks like it is going to be worth the $15! Brad Last edited on Thu May 3rd, 2007 12:40 am by banjo brad ____________________ ezFolk Help Brad Prickly Pear Music Banjo Brad's ezFolk page TOTMC |
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fretfulchild Approved
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The Erbsen book is very, very good, I think. He combines a sense of humour with good material, and I really like his tablature style. Instead of using just numbers for which finger, as you've seen before, he writes the actual note you're playing on the tab itself, so instead of just a number, you keep up and reinforce your knowledge of notation. I started with Erbsen's book and I think it's THE one to begin with for what I've stated plus other reasons I won't go into now. On the other hand, I thought Wicklund's AMF book was a big disappointment. I was not impressed, even though it's been mentioned several times on these forums. For one thing, he never slows down on the CD. He just races on with the tune, whereas Erbsen gives you a slowed down version. Plus, alot of his instruction in the book is not contained on the CD. The CD just has music and there are no demonstrations of techniques covered. I think Volume I of the AMF is highly overrated. There is little, if any, real 'teaching' going on. Stick with Wayne Erbsen and then move on from there. You won't be disappointed. Last edited on Sat May 24th, 2008 08:17 pm by fretfulchild |
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| ezFolk Forums > Other Instruments > Fiddle > Getting back to the fiddle | |
