2009 July : Flog (Fiddle Blog)

Fiddle 1 (Tues) – catching up

Here are some recordings of “Boil Them Cabbage” down, with both the A and B parts.
We only learned the A part. The B part is a bonus. See how much you can figure out.
We were focusing on bow and the shuffle bowing rhythm (bum-ditty, bum ditty).

slow

medium

full speed

Then we worked on the scale (do-re-mi-fa-sol-la-ti-do) in the key of D (D = do).
A good thing to practice is 3, 4, and 5 note runs of the scale startin on each step in turn.
Put these together to make the tune “Do, a Deer” from The Sound of Music.

slow

medium

Jordan will be subbing for me this week. Have fun. I’ll see you in two weeks.

Filed under: Fiddle 1,Paul Tyler by Paul | July 26, 2009 | Comments (0)

Old Time Ensemble (Wed) – Weeks 4 & 5

I almost forgot “The Song of the Doodle”

from the Georgia Yellow Hammers (circa 1928)

The Doodle Bug Song
The Georgia Yellow Hammers

When I was a kid this is what I did
To pass the time away
I’d look all around until I found
A doodle hole, then I’d say

Doodle doodle doodle. Hop, hop, hop
Doodle doodle doodle. Hop, hop, hop
Doodle it’ll jump up and look all around
Then doodle back into the ground

What a pleasure to me it was to see
That doodle coming out
I’d gaze down, as in that ground
It’d twist its head about

I don’t know why to that doodle I’d lie
But this is what I’d say
Your house is on fire and your children are crying
O, doodle, come up this way

Filed under: Old Time Ensemble,Paul Tyler,Steve Rosen by Paul | July 26, 2009 | Comments (1)

Fiddle 3 (Thurs) – Week 2

The late Paul Tyler is finally getting around to posting the tune he taught to the absent Steve Rosen’s class. The tune is “Little Billy Wilson” in A (with 3 parts).

slow

medium

Filed under: Fiddle 3,Paul Tyler,Steve Rosen by Paul | July 26, 2009 | Comments (0)

Old Time Ensemble (Weds) – Week 5

If you haven’t listened to Alexander Campbell “Eck” Robertson, what are you waiting for? There’s a CD out from County Records that contains all of his 1920′s recordings. It’s called Old Time Texas Fiddler (1922-1929). It was in 1922, that Eck Robertson and Henry Gilliland made what were arguably the very first recordings of real country fiddling. In the mid-1980s, County issued an LP from later in Eck’s life and billed it as perhaps the last vinyl recording by an authentic old-time fiddler. It’s worth finding and adding both of these recordings to your collection.

Here’s Eck playing Great Big Taters [link to iTunes store]

And here’s a slower version, by Steve & Paul of Great Big Taters in the Sandy Land.

Eck may have played the tune in cross tuning (GDGD or AEAE). I taught it in standard tuning with fingering in the key of G. That may have been Eck’s way as well.

Filed under: Old Time Ensemble,Paul Tyler,Uncategorized by Paul | July 23, 2009 | Comments (0)

Old Time Ensemble (Weds) – Week 4

Steve taught two great tunes in D.

Oklahoma Rooster

The Oklahoma Rooster is from Uncle Dick Hutchison, who, I believe, lived in Oklahoma. It’s related to an older quadrille piece called “Ten Strike.” Performances of these tunes can be heard on this post on the Fiddle Club of the World blog.

Gilsaw

Our source for the tune is Pete McMahan from Bluffton, Missouri

(Click on the arrow to listen to the tunes, or right click on the pretty color to download and save the linked soundfile.)

Filed under: Old Time Ensemble,Paul Tyler by Paul | July 23, 2009 | Comments (0)

Old Time Ensemble (Weds) – Week 3

Trying to catch up . . .

Here’s “Katie Bar the Door”

by Rayna Gellert with Susie Goehring [link to iTunes store]

by Steve & Paul

(Click on the arrow to play, or on the red title to download.)

Click here to contribute to the “buy Paul a new tuner” fund.>

Filed under: Old Time Ensemble,Paul Tyler by Paul | July 23, 2009 | Comments (0)

Fiddle 1 (Mon) Week 4

July 15, 2009

Hi all!

We had a big day on Monday, it was fun playin’ outside with you.

We worked on the A Part of Angeline the Baker, you’re task is to learn the B part…

We also reviewed Oh Susannah, Bile Em Cabbage, Shortnin’ Bread and Twinkle….you can check out all of the tunes at oldtownschool.org/fiddle/fun

And everyone is gonna’ learn a verse for I’ll Fly Away (you can google the lyrics for sure)

Did I forget anything?

I’m off to Cuernavaca for the weekend to learn some music from some really awesome people, I’ll see you on Monday!

Maria

Filed under: Fiddle 1,Maria McCullough by Maria | July 15, 2009 | Comments (0)

Fiddle 2 (Mon) Week 4

July 15, 2009

Hi all!

We worked on the A Part of California Waltz, and your task is to learn the B part

and everyone is gonna’ learn a verse for I’ll Fly Away (I passed out the sheet, but if you don’t have it, you can for sure find the lyrics on line)

We also experimented with playing Waterbound and Liza Jane in open A tuning, so you’re strings will be A E A E ( you tune the G string up a step and the D string up a step)

We also worked on La Vals de Cherokee, with the lights off so we could listen with our ears better

I’m off to Cuernavaca to learn some music this, I might bring a special guest to class on Monday, keep your fingers crossed.

Maria

Filed under: Fiddle 3,Maria McCullough by Maria | July 15, 2009 | Comments (0)

Folk & Roots 2009 is a Fiddle Fest!

Hei, Fiddlers and Friends,

You don’t want to miss the Folk & Roots Festival in Welles Park, July 11 & 12. Check out all the fiddle music you can hear at this post on Fiddle Club of the World blog.

It all starts on Thursday night with a Dance Tent preview in Giddings Plaza in Lincoln Square. The two bands featured there include four Old Town School fiddle teachers: Maria and Paul in the Fantastic Toe Trippers Orchestra, Walter and Jordan in Dr. Hojka’s Medicine Show.

And the Fantastic Toe Trippers can warm you up for a fiddle-filled week with an appearance at Phyllis’s Musical Inn on Sunday, July 5 at 9 pm. (Come early and here early country music by a group of fellow Old Town School students and friends, Nobody Nobody Sent.) Phyllis’s Musical in is at 1800 W. Division. Here’s a map.

Rosin those bows.

Filed under: General Interest,Paul Tyler by Paul | July 3, 2009 | Comments (0)