Some of my tunes......

My fiddle recordings so far:

http://www.fiddlehangout.com/myhangout/music.asp?id=8603

old timey fiddle and banjo just don't make sense to me without
a foot stompin'
the groove is the thing
the music is secondary.

In my fiddle
is the key
to beauty

"Sugar Hill"/The Blues

I think my fingers are too fat to play the fiddle I have. I feel like I'm having to do some trange hand contortions. Learning "Sugar Hill" in the key of D. I'm in a bit of a music dry period. Think I needed to slow down. Trying out "Lonesome Road Blues" on banjo lately. I realized that I can feel the blues - and I love singing the blues - it's the vocal equivalent to something.......i don't know....something like....not the jazzy blues stuff....but the old timey blues stuff that was most definitely a precursor - roots music is called "roots" music for a reason. I can't express right now - just know that I love to sing the blues.

"Fiddle Tunes"

The fiddle is, yet again, clicking a little more. Now it is easier for me to play more slowly and more rhythmically precise....whereas before I could only function in super-fast-fiddle mode. The (odd?) syncopations are finding their way into my arm muscles.....I never imagined the syncopations and bowing could be so difficult, but they are. Did a quick learn of The Carolina Chocolate Drops fiddle tune, "A Genuine Negro Jig" that they learned from an old old old manuscript (was it Snowden?) It's not the same as theirs, but it's something new and refreshing and is letting me explore more this A Cross-Tuning. Love that fiddle tuning can be similar to banjo. Want to play in G instead of A? Great - just tune the strings down a whole step and there you go. THE JUNE APPLES (a band I play in) are looking to pull out three fiddle tunes for a gig this week along with plenty of banjo tunes. Well, in old-time music, pretty much all tunes are "fiddle tunes".....

This Country

Learning 'Pretty Saro.' Discovering the genius of Bruce Molsky. Gifted with 5 DVDs from some fiddle friends....three of 'Visits with Tommy Jarrell' (recordings set up inside his house), as well as some performances from Clifftop 2008. When Bruce plays his fiddle, I feel like he's sharing himself rather than the fiddle playing. It seems like he's saying something when he plays.

The fiddle is less alluring to me these days. I've been a little banjo-focused. Which is fine - been needing to learn some new tunes. Still going at 'Shortenin' Bread' on the fiddle....need to move onto 'Sugar Hill'....soon.

Placid

Fiddle work these days is slow. Finally tackling the bass strings. It's strange how it happens, but my notes are getting more and more precise. Playing old time music in isolation doesn't make much sense. It's meant to be played with 2+ people. In case you were wondering, this is a picture of the amazing Rhiannon Giddens of The Carolina Chocolate Drops. She rocks my socks.

revelation

Went to my first old-time jam in Huntsville, TX over the weekend. I'd say it was about time to play my banjo with some good old time fiddle players. We drew in some young kids who had probably never heard of old time music - and it was exciting to see their excitement. A little over a year ago, I didn't know about fiddle and banjo music, either. I didn't realize the fiddle or the banjo could be so cool together.

In other news, those fiddle players informed me that my fiddle is smaller than a full size. Never buy on ebay again. They told me it was a 4/4 - and I had my speculations when I first started playing. Honestly, it's only slightly smaller than a 4/4. It's like a 7/8 - but it's such an awesome smaller fiddle! Even they agreed - said it was a very good fiddle. (for $200 hehe) So I think my plan is to drop my pride and order a really cheap student full size that's not an antique and learn before I make my next big antique violin purchase. Besides, I should buy a fiddle direct anyway...

Today we're putting on a June Apples show for David Rainey. Hoping to pull out a fiddle tune!