Fiddle 2 (Mon) – week 5

A tune in A modal (in this case, A modal means use notes from the G scale, but guitar chords in A), the well known and much loved Cluck Old Hen.

slow

medium

full speed Cluck Old Hen

Filed under: Fiddle 2, Paul Tyler by Paul | August 4, 2010 | Comments (0)

Fiddle Three: Bonaparte’s Bowing

Hi Fiddle Three-
Here is a video of me playing the B part of Bonaparte’s Retreat. This is good for observing bow phrasing, but keep in mind that I am overdoing the accents for demonstration purposes.

Keep clicking on the small text that says “bonaparte’s retreat, b” (you have to go through two screens).
-Colby

Bonaparte’s Retreat, b part

Filed under: Class, Colby Maddox, Fiddle 3, Teacher by Colby | July 23, 2010 | Comments (0)

Fiddle 2 (Mon) – weeks 4 & 5

Let’s get after Liza Jane. Check out the slow, medium and fast versions on the Hands On CD. (The CD can also be heard free on the Old Town School online jukebox. There’s a link on the Fiddle Page.)

Or here, for fiddle only . . .

slow

medium

Filed under: Fiddle 2, Paul Tyler by Paul | July 18, 2010 | Comments (0)

Old-Time Ensemble (Wed) – week 4

Links to the iTunes store for a couple of songs about hanging . . .

Been All Around This World by the Highwoods String Band

Tom Dooley a unique and early version of the song by Grayson & Whitter.
G.B. Grayson, a blind fiddler from Laurel Bloomery, Tennessee, is the descendant of the Sheriff Grayson mentioned in the lyrics.

Here are the melodies . . .
I’ve Been All Around This World

Tom Dooley

And the lyrics (in pdfs) . . .
I’ve Been All Around This World

Tom Dooley

Filed under: Old Time Ensemble, Paul Tyler, Steve Rosen by Paul | July 18, 2010 | Comments (0)

Fiddle 4 Old-Time (Tue) – week 4

Leather Britches in G. More bow-rocking with the shuffle bow . . .

Every fiddler’s version is unique. Here’s one somewhat close to the way we played it . . .

Leather Britches by Lotus Dickey of Paoli, Indiana in 1987

slow

faster

Here’s the A part of Leather Britches played with a Georgia shuffle . . .

Filed under: Fiddle 4, Paul Tyler, Uncategorized by Paul | July 18, 2010 | Comments (0)

Old-Time Ensemble (Wed) – week 3

A fine Kentucky tune in D. Related to “Rocky Mountain Goat” as played by Doc Roberts.

Mud Fence fiddled by William Stepp of Lakeville, KY. Walter Williams on banjo.

Mud Fence fiddled at medium tempo by Paul Tyler of Chicago, IL. Steve Rosen on banjo.

Filed under: Old Time Ensemble, Paul Tyler, Steve Rosen by Paul | July 18, 2010 | Comments (0)

Fiddle 4 Old-Time (Tue) – week 3

A fun tune in A. Can be played in either standard or cross-tuning.

Indian Squaw by Alva Green of Isomville, Kentucky

slower

faster

Filed under: Fiddle 4, Paul Tyler by Paul | July 18, 2010 | Comments (0)

East Virginia Blues

Hi Fiddle Three-
Here is the melody of East Virginia Blues complete with slides, drones and unison notes. Have fun, and we will work on the rhythm part in class.
-Colby


East Virginia Blues-Melody

Filed under: Class, Colby Maddox, Fiddle 3, Teacher by Colby | July 17, 2010 | Comments (0)

Fun Fiddle stuff at Folk & Roots

It’s the 13th year for the Chicago Folk & Roots Festival, our big party in the park (Welles Park, that is). Come on out for some fiddle-iscious fun this weekend. Actually, you can start tonight, Thursday July 8, at the 8th Midwest Fiddle Championship in Lincoln Square. Fourteen fiddlers have entered the Open Division to compete for $500 in prize money.
Juan Rivera & Gabby Pichardor
Gabby Pichardo & Juan Rivera, 2009
The
Fiddle Contest continues on Saturday, July 10th on the Main Stage, with the Invitational Division. Five fiddle bands have been invited to compete for $1,200 in cash prizes, so long as they bring along some dancers to show how good they are at making people move. The invited bands include the Paulina Hollers, featuring Old Town School fiddle teachers, Elizabeth Lamberti and Jim Becker, the Cajun Vagabonds, Stil Nua (Irish) and Moravska Cimbalovka (Moravian).

Some of your fiddle teachers will also be hard at work at 3:15 on Sunday with a Family Barn Dance in the Dance Tent, including Jonas Friddle, Walter Hojka, Maria McCullough, Steve Rosen and Paul Tyler. Another good community dance takes place at 6:45 with Victor Pichardo and Juan Rivera and the rest of their Sones de Mexico compadres host a Fandango. Come a half hour earlier for a lesson in zapateado (Mexican clogging).

Wait, we’re not done yet. The Steve Rosen Band is playing a set in the concert hall for those who want a break from the heat. (Check the signs for day and time). Danny Miller is leading an old-time slow jam in the Welles Park Gazebo at noon on Saturday. And I, Paul Tyler get another shot on the Main Stage on Sunday at 1:00 with the WAZO County Warblers & the Fly Boys.

To inspire you with the fun of old-time square dancing, here’s a video of a dance I called at a festival in Indiana two weeks ago. Dancing around a big old tree is almost mystical.

Hope to see you there.
You need to a flashplayer enabled browser to view this YouTube video

Filed under: General Interest, Paul Tyler by Paul | July 8, 2010 | Comments (0)

Old-Time Ensemble (Wed) – week 2

A great modal A tune. The 2nd finger note on the A string is sometimes high (a C# in the A part), sometimes low (a C natural in the B part), and sometimes vague. Listen to how Henry Reel plays it. As recorded for Alan Jabbour and the Library of Congress in 1966.

Kitchen Girl
This link takes you to two recordings and a transcription of Henry Reed’s playing. Check out the whole website Fiddle Tunes of the Old Frontier.

fiddle and banjo, slow version

Filed under: Old Time Ensemble, Paul Tyler, Steve Rosen by Paul | July 8, 2010 | Comments (0)