Fiddle Hangout - Music Theory Forum Feed

What Key?

eric@fiddlehangout.com — Sun, 5 Feb 2012 18:47:03 CST

If I have a key of G tune and it starts on an open D, what would the key be if I started on open A, also on open G? The tune in question and would apply to others, is "Will the circle be Unbroken" I can start it on G. D or A, I just don't know what to call the key. Can this be determined by the circle of fifths?

Lydian, where have you been all my life?

eric@fiddlehangout.com — Fri, 27 Jan 2012 10:56:23 CST

Lydian was the only mode I didn't have a grasp on... until I recently got into youtube guitar teachers/players. I knew the Lydian scale (in C would be: C D E F# G A B C) but I could never really "hear" it until I started to listen to it played over the appropriate Major Chord family. It is an absolutely wonderful mode! Some describe it as a mystical ethereal sound but with the positive energy of the major key.

I discovered that guys like Joe Satriani work in Lydian quite a bit and there are quite a few pretty incredible Lydian guitar solos on youtube.

also sounds pretty cool on violin with the appropriate chord progression.

no matter what genre you're into, it's always a great feeling when a door opens and you turn the light on in the next room.

min7b5 arpeggios over any mode

eric@fiddlehangout.com — Fri, 27 Jan 2012 10:28:26 CST

I recently discovered this thru a youtube guitar teacher David Walliman. The min7b5 arp is a Locrian mode, and because of the nature of this beast, the applicable Locrian arp can be very effectively blended in with ANY mode scale.

eg: if in C dorian, the applicable locrian arp would be Amin7b5 - A C Eb G A C Eb G....

the locrian arps will only hit on notes that are contained in the given mode scale. The amazing thing is, the arps will take on the color of any given mode and then walk it a little ways outside.

but the real kicker for me was... when this David Walliman fellow was explaining this, I realized I've known about these arpeggios for 20 years but thought of them as min6 arps. Turns out they're exactly the same thing, just inversions. I was blowin' my mind when the light started to go on cuz I've got all these arps memorized over 4 strings in 6 or 7 keys. Thing is, I only had applications for them over a blues IV chord. never knew they could be applied over any mode.

There are LOT'S of guitar players into this. Fiddle players, not so much. Jazzers do this but I believe they tend to think of it in different ways.

When I get home tonight, I'll type out a link to that vid for anyone interested.

triple violin solo on Gershwin's "Lady Be Good"

eric@fiddlehangout.com — Sun, 8 Jan 2012 15:19:46 CST

As requested by user Reilly-Byrne, I transcribed Michel Warlop, Stephane Grappelli and Eddie South's solos on Lady be Good, and posted the transcription on my jazz blog. Check out the full post here: <http://www.sokillingman.com/transcriptions/warlop_grappelli_south_lady_be_goo/>. It dawned on me that this might not be the right recording, as Grappelli has recorded this tune numerous times, and if that's the case I'm sorry and I hope you enjoy this one instead!

This is a really cool juxtaposition of three amazing fiddlers and I've included a brief comparison of their playing styles as well as an analysis, so let me know what you think! I don't know much at all about Warlop and South so any info on them is very welcome.

Thanks, and enjoy!

Need help to work out this music note.

eric@fiddlehangout.com — Fri, 6 Jan 2012 11:15:29 CST

Hi there people sorry i havent been on in a while but now I'm back. I am starting to do songs on my own now and am a bit stuck on 1 of the notes, I have got tabledit program so i converted a song to the fiddle bu1 of the notes I don't understand and it's a 3(H) note as was wondering if anyone knows what the H means. If anyone can help that would be awesome.

Thank you

Careane

Alternative Tunings for Fiddle b-flat

eric@fiddlehangout.com — Tue, 3 Jan 2012 09:15:09 CST

To All,

Can someone supply me the fiddle tuning for b-flat.

I see alot of post for other alternative tunings and the string tunings. But have not found the tuning for b-flat ?

Thanks

fordraiders

violin flash cards - on line

eric@fiddlehangout.com — Fri, 30 Dec 2011 10:48:52 CST

for those of us learning how to read music ... who need all the help they can get:

http://violinflashcards.com/

How To Know What Key a Tune Is In Without Sheet Music??

eric@fiddlehangout.com — Sat, 24 Dec 2011 14:39:10 CST

Ok, this may seem like a really silly question coming from a fiddler who has been playing for 13 years.......BUT - (please read all the way through before replying!)

How can I tell what key a tune is in when I don't have the sheet music? I'm asking because I often learn tunes by ear from CDs etc., then later will 'type' the tune up as I hear it using Musescore. I write down every note with the correct rhythm so the MIDI file sounds just like it, (I'm not totally theory ignorant!), but it frustrates me when I don't have it in the right key and it plays it back to me with one wrong sharp and/or flat.

What I need is a SIMPLE breakdown, like a chart I can look at or something, that tells me what the different keys are with what sharps/flats. With a book in front of me I can eventually figure it out (hopefully!) -- Like I know the key of G has the 1 F#, key of A has F# C# & G#...I can read music fine, but have always found this part of theory difficult to remember, but I would like to understand it better. Help?!

I think I read somewhere that it is common for a fiddler not to know what key they're playing in - But if they're a real good fiddler everyone's ok with figuring it out for them......

Stéphane Grappelli solo on 'After You've Gone'

eric@fiddlehangout.com — Sun, 18 Dec 2011 23:04:18 CST

Hey all - if you're interested, check out this solo transcription I posted on my blog <sokillingman.com>. One might not consider Hot Club Jazz to be fiddle music, but I think if you give it a close look/listen you'll find that Grappelli draws a lot of influence from folk fiddling, and influenced quite a few players in the course of his career and beyond.

<http://www.sokillingman.com/transcriptions/stephane-grappelli-after-youve-gone/>

Anybody have a favorite solo of Grappelli's? I'd love to have some suggestions for my next transcription!

transcribe piano to fiddle

eric@fiddlehangout.com — Fri, 9 Dec 2011 06:18:47 CST

I have some piano music I'd like to play on my fiddle. I'm not sure how to play it because there are many piano chords in the notation. Any suggestions how to do this? Play the highest note? Middle note? Lowest note?

How many teach by ear?

eric@fiddlehangout.com — Wed, 9 Nov 2011 06:41:02 CST

I just started teaching fiddle to a person in town. Never really given lessons, but I don't read music well and surely can't teach it well. So, I'm showing exercises to work on left hand and bowing techniques for right. We're putting them together and working on tunes.

How may others out there teach people to play by ear? Curious to hear what and how you're going about it.

Twin fiddle parts

eric@fiddlehangout.com — Thu, 20 Oct 2011 13:59:39 CST

A friend and I are in the process of working out twin fiddle parts for a few Bluegrass tunes. Neither of us has much experience at it but it's interesting and a lot of fun to arrive at a consensus. We finally settled on a couple of good sounding harmonies through trial and error and a lot of repetition. All I can say about the process is that if it sounded "Chinese" we skipped over that note and tried the next one in the scale, or started the harmony over with a different starting tone. We tried to keep the lines moving parallel, but oddly, certain melody notes just could not be reconciled and required the second part to stay put or move out of parallel. Anyway, the really strange thing is that the good harmonys, when played alone are, for lack of a better word -bizarre! and nothing like what you would think they would be. Add the melody and suddenly it's so right. Is there a method to this madness or just an acquired ear skill? Whatever sounds right (I suspect).

Slurs, phrases and bowing

eric@fiddlehangout.com — Tue, 4 Oct 2011 17:21:44 CST

Hi! I've been using Mel Bay's Deluxe Fiddling Method to learn how to fiddle. It's going fairly well. But when I started "Fisher's Hornpipe" I ran into something I couldn't figure out.

I'm confused by the use of slur/phrase markings for the first five notes. Up to this point, it's been very clear that this meant to continue bowing in the same direction. There haven't been any "phrase" markings up to this point.

But the overlapping of the markings makes me unsure of what I'm supposed to do here. Are the first five notes played in one long stroke? Should I upstroke the fourth and fifth notes?

I'm sure there are lots of ways this is played, but I'd prefer to do it the "correct" way (the way the sheet music intends). I'm just not sure what that is. Thanks for any help!

FiddleTuning Standard "fourths"

eric@fiddlehangout.com — Wed, 28 Sep 2011 10:39:18 CST

Frank Fairfield plays The Blackberry Blossoms in what he describes as standard "fourths" tuning. Sounds like his G is tuned to an F after that - who knows. Is anyone familiar with such tunings?

minor 6th arps over the IV chord

eric@fiddlehangout.com — Thu, 15 Sep 2011 14:14:36 CST

something I stumbled across quite a few years ago and think it sounds very nice.

So for your basic 12 bar blues, say in A. Over the IV chord (D) use an Amin6 arp 1 b3 5 6 (A C D F#)

I think it works well running them right up and/or down over all 4 strings, or sounds good mixing it up over 2 or 3 strings.

Not sure but this might be some kinda 9th inversion or something like that. but just seemed easier for me to think of it as a min6 arp, ie: key of A ... Amin6 arp... only do it when you get to the IV chord...easy to remember which min6 arp yer supposed to do cuz same as the root.

liked this so much I memorized and practiced the patterns over 3 octaves for G D A E C so they're second nature by now. Some keys the fingering is close together, other keys require a bit of stretching. I just do open strings where ever the note occurs in the first position. I think the total effect is better if played fairly fast, usually do 16th notes if the song tempo isn't already too fast. I like my little min6 buddies a lot!

Had my second lesson.

eric@fiddlehangout.com — Fri, 2 Sep 2011 06:50:26 CST

Well I had my second lesson yesterday and it went very well. My teacher learnt me all the names of the chords and he said he was very impressed at how well and quickly I'm learning, He also said i my index finger and middle finger are getting very quick on the strings, He also went on to say he would go as far as to give me my first song but didnt want to get me confused so a little bit more practice for me then my next lesson i should be given a song.

Careane

I had my first fiddle lesson today

eric@fiddlehangout.com — Mon, 15 Aug 2011 06:46:40 CST

My first fiddle lesson today and it went very well, My teacher Addy Harper taught me how to hold my fiddle which i found out i was holding wrong, put some markers on my fiddle so i know were to put my fingers, also just to practice holding the bow and on each open string count 4 times up and down getting gradually faster and also how to rest my hand on the neck just the basic stuff for now and hopefully in my next lesson i will be taught how to read tabliture

But all in all he was impressed at how fast i had picked things up which gave me a bit of a boost.

Careane

Circle of Fifths

eric@fiddlehangout.com — Tue, 9 Aug 2011 17:48:21 CST

It's in the back of a violin scale arpeggio book, with no explanation as to how to use it. Anyone know....?

Free online counting game

eric@fiddlehangout.com — Thu, 7 Jul 2011 20:35:03 CST

Hi everyone. I want to share a new "Rhythm Counting Game" that I have been working on to help those who have difficulty counting or just want to become better.
Feel free to give this game a shot and share with anyone you like. Unfortunately Flash has limitations that don't allow me to add everything I wanted to and can lag if too many programs are open. Also it plays differently from computer to computer but I believe that it can be very beneficial for lots of musicians.

Fiddlerman

Minor Key transpose to Fiddle-Friendly?

eric@fiddlehangout.com — Sat, 11 Jun 2011 08:36:48 CST

Don't ask why, but I was noodling around this morning with this old instrumental "Love Is Blue":

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7IKT1duCQAc

AFAICT, it is played in Am, with the the first part of the melody following this chord progression:

Am D G C, Am F G C

Any suggestions on a "fiddle friendly" transpose?

Three tones of a Major Chord

eric@fiddlehangout.com — Mon, 6 Jun 2011 14:03:31 CST

Hey Y'all,

Another quick question:

So, I was debating with a friend of mine the other day about what tones make up a major chord. Traditionally, I have always heard it is the First, Third, and Fifth. (Technically a major Third and perfect Fifth) He was telling me this is a "non-educated" way to look at it. Instead, he said the Major Chord is made up of a First, Third and Augmented Second. I was always taught that the tones are all named relative to the root tone. For instance, in the key of G, the Second would be A, Third would be B, and so on... But he was saying you name the tones as First, Third and Augmented Second because the Augmented Second is 3 half-steps up from the Third.

For instance: G B D, where B is the Third tone, and D is labeled as the "Augmented Second" because its three halfsteps up from B.

I mean technically, it is three halfsteps above B, but do people actually name the three tones "First, Third, and Augmented Second"? I've always heard it called First, Third, and Fifth.

Thanks!

Advice on knowing the keys.

eric@fiddlehangout.com — Sat, 28 May 2011 08:50:41 CST

Hello,

I have a good understanding of theory, however I have always applied it in relation to the key of C or G.

I can apply it all keys. but just not as quickly , I can tell you how many sharps or flats there are in most keys with out thinking to long about it

but the other keys i have to either think longer or write it out.

My wording is " I have learned them all, but now I have Know them " does this analogy make sense to you.

For example if I am playing in C or G, I know were all the notes are on the fingerboard, I know the chord triads, chord substitutes, the extension notes,

relative minors, etc, and I can do this while I am jamming " provided the tempo is not too fast and I am familiar with the tune or song. "

So for those of you that KNOW all the keys and are able to apply theory to them on the fly, How did you get them into your head ?

For me C and G came after playing them for so long then one day I noticed that i KNEW them, but I was not making a conscious effort, but it took years

is there a more active way to get the keys in my head?

Thanks

John

Chord Construction

eric@fiddlehangout.com — Sat, 28 May 2011 06:10:48 CST

I posted this in the Fiddle Forum a while ago and thought it might be useful here. It's about building chords once we know the scale. We all know what the do-re-mi bit sounds like, and we all know that we should strive to play this in all keys. But once you figure out the major diatonic do-re-mi scale within a given key, the notes are:

Do	Re	Mi	Fa	So	La	Ti	Do
1	2	3	4	5	6	7	8 (or 1)

Chords are shown below in roman numerals, capital for major and lower case for minor. Notes are shown in arabic numbers. The nice thing about using the numbers is getting one thing to remember that works in all keys.

So the chords built on the notes of a given diatonic scale (C in this case) are:

I	Major Seventh	I maj 7	CMaj7	1 3 5 7	C E G B
II	Minor Seventh	ii min 7	Dm7	2 4 6 8	D F A C
III	Minor Seventh	iii min 7	Em7	3 5 7 9	E G B D
IV	Major Seventh	IV maj 7	FMaj7	4 6 8 10	F A C E
V	Dominant Seventh	V7	G7	5 7 9 11	G B D F
VI	Minor Seventh	vi min 7	Am7	6 8 10 12	A C E G
VII	Minor Seventh Flat Five	vii min 7 b5	Bm7b5	7 9 11 13	B D F A

The notes are all even numbers or they're all odd, it's all stacked thirds. 8 is the same as 1 but an octave above (eg, the next higher C), then 9 is a D (same as 2), etc, and we just have to subtract 7 if that makes it easier to think of the notes in these chords. A nice exercise is to play all seven chords as an arpeggio in as many keys as you can.

Chords are built upon a root (the 1 note) like this:

Chord Name	Spelling	Notation (Built on C)
Major Triad	1 3 5	C
Minor Triad	1 b3 5	Cm or Cmin or C-
Major 7th	1 3 5 7	CM7 or CMaj7
Dominant 7th	1 3 5 b7	C7
Minor 7th	1 b3 5 b7	Cm7
Ninth	1 3 5 b7 9	C9
Major Ninth	1 3 5 7 9	CM9 or CMaj9
Eleventh	1 3 5 7 9 11	C11
Thirteenth	1 3 5 7 9 11 13	C13
Diminished	1 b3 b5 6 8	Cdim
	(stacked up minor thirds)
Other Chords:
Suspended 4th:	1 4 5	Csus
Augmented 5th:	1 3 #5	Caug or C+
Sixth	1 3 6	C6
Add 9	1 3 5 9	Cadd9
6 9 chord	1 3 6 9	C 6/9
For the odd ones, you just start reading the charts, e.g.,
Minor 7 b5	1 b3 b5 b7	Cm7b5
Minor-Major 7th	1 b3 5 7	Cm-Maj7

When you see a 7th in a chord, they always mean a b7, also called a dominant. A major 7th is always called major at least in chord notation, meaning the 'ti' note or a B natural in the C scale. Some scores show a major 7th as a superscript triangle, and sometimes you see diminished noted as a superscript circle. Half-diminished is sometimes shown as the same circle with a slash through it. Half-diminished is a m7b5 chord, and diminished is m6b5. Sometimes you also see "altered" chords that use either a sharp or flat 5 and/or 9. If it just says 'alt,' play the b7 or the 3rd and not 5 or 9 unless you know exactly which type of 'alt' is being played. You should even stay away from the one note with an alt chord in case there's a b9 coming up. If you play a C and the vocalist is singing a Db, then you may not be invited back for the next gig. Maybe not even after the break. But the dominant seventh and the major third will always be 'in' with an alt chord.

As a sideline, look at the augmented chord, 1 3 #5, and then think of an Eaug chord, which would be E, G#, and B#. I believe that properly speaking, it would be "spelled" on a staff using the B# instead of a C note. Nobody would write a whole piece in the key of B# but there is definitely a place for the note. It helps to make the written music more readable and thus more easily playable if we write the notes the way they are functioning. The #5 should not be written as a b6.

I got started on all this because of an astute guitar teacher who gave me a puzzler once - we were working on a tune in E and I referred to an Ab note at one point. He looked at me funny and said, "There's no such thing as an Ab!" I probably said something like, "Oh, the G# then," and we continued, but then I had this nagging question for a long time. Of course Ab exists but why would he say that? 30 years later I'm beginning to realize that a diminished fourth doesn't have much utility in western harmony. I just doesn't work that way.

That sums up some music theory in a way I can use - probably everybody thinks in different ways but this is what works for me.

Cross tuned C

eric@fiddlehangout.com — Sun, 22 May 2011 09:44:32 CST

I've played in cross tuned A -AEAE. How to you cross tune C?

Horizontal V above note in music notation?

eric@fiddlehangout.com — Thu, 12 May 2011 19:03:33 CST

What does the horizontal V above a note in music notation mean?

Seems some time ago I heard it is suppose to be accented, but if that is the case, how do you do it?

Thanks in advance

Theory thing

eric@fiddlehangout.com — Wed, 11 May 2011 08:03:14 CST

I'm doing an the EB Exam and i need a little help i need to know how many beats are in every rest and note thx if you can help

I need help with sheet music for a song

eric@fiddlehangout.com — Mon, 9 May 2011 07:56:12 CST

My grandpa wants me to learn a song called Smoky Mountain Break Down if anyone has the sheet music that would be awesome

Diatonically Occurring Arpeggios

eric@fiddlehangout.com — Fri, 6 May 2011 19:08:12 CST

I have been to a few workshops run by experts in jazz/swing fiddle in which they've recommended practicing "diatonically occurring arpeggios" in order to have some licks under your fingers for improvisation. I've done this, starting on each note of the key I'm in and including the 7th in each arpeggio, and I've certainly got the sound of that in my ear now. But I'm not sure how to practically incorporate this into my playing. Does anyone have a simple example of how you might use diatonically occurring arpeggios in a simple three-chord bluegrass tune?

I ask because I feel very stuck in a rut when it comes to improvising... all I can comfortably do is run up and down pentatonic scales, and it gets boring!

sharps naturals flats

eric@fiddlehangout.com — Thu, 5 May 2011 18:33:56 CST

Does anybody know where I can find a nice fingering chart for a particular key? for instance, where are the sharps and the fingers placed in the key of A or C and so on

Creating a Fiddle Style Analysis Form: What would you do?

eric@fiddlehangout.com — Mon, 2 May 2011 10:40:02 CST

Hello,

If you had to create a form or stylesheet to use when filling out an analysis of many different fiddling recordings, particularly from the 1920s, how would you go about it? What would your categories and subcategories be?

I am participating in a research project and wanted to get more ideas about ways to approach this.

Cheers,

Trae

Umm what is it called?..

eric@fiddlehangout.com — Mon, 2 May 2011 09:53:04 CST

When you take single saw strokes and you lift the bow for each note?. And what is a good way to practice this??.

Cheers

Jamie.

What's the difference between playing harmony vs a different key

eric@fiddlehangout.com — Sun, 1 May 2011 09:29:07 CST

First I don't play harmony yet. But I do play with others that do.

But I was thinking about this and wondered if say a group is playing in the Key D major and someone decides to play in harmony say a 5th down.

Is that EXACTLY the same as playing in the Key of A major?

Likewise someone could play in harmony a 5th down or up just by shifting over a string? Will it always "work" (i.e. assuming you don't run out of strings)

Drone question

eric@fiddlehangout.com — Wed, 27 Apr 2011 12:15:54 CST

Whenever playing a drone, it is best to drone a note that is one of the notes of the accompaniment chord, yes? For example, let's say you're playing in D, and in the first three measures the accompanist plays a D chord - in this situation, it would sound most "harmonic" if you played a D, F#, or A note as the drone, right? And if in the fourth measure of the tune the accompanist played a G chord, it would be best to play a G, B, or D note as the drone if possible?

thanks

transposing tune

eric@fiddlehangout.com — Thu, 14 Apr 2011 06:43:29 CST

Okay so the song I want to transpose is dirty old town. I can play a melody of the song that i like that has 4 #sharps. As seen here for example :

http://www.8notes.com/scores/4216.asp

I found chords for the song (as follows below). I want to record myself playing the chords and the melody seperately. Since theese chords are in a different key which way do i go with them . My extent with transposin is to walk up or down a number of steps with each melody note.

VERSE 1: G
I met my love by the gas works wall C G
Dreamed a dream by the old canal

I Kissed my girl by the factory wall D Em
Dirty old town, dirty old town

VERSE 2: G
Clouds are drifting across the moon C G
Cats are prowling on their beat

Spring's a girl from the streets at night D Em
Dirty old town, dirty old town

INSTRUMENTAL

VERSE 3: G
I Heard a siren from the docks C G
Saw a train set the night on fire

I Smelled the spring on the smoky wind D Em
Dirty old town, dirty old town

VERSE 4: G

I'm gonna make me a big sharp axe C G
Shining steel tempered in the fire

I'll chop you down like an old dead tree D Em
Dirty old town, dirty old town

VERSE 5: G

I met my love by the gas works wall C G
Dreamed a dream by the old canal

I kissed my girl by the factory wall D Em
Dirty old town, dirty old town D Em
Dirty old town, dirty old town

transposing tune

eric@fiddlehangout.com — Thu, 14 Apr 2011 06:43:25 CST

Okay so the song I want to transpose is dirty old town. I can play a melody of the song that i like that has 4 #sharps. As seen here for example :

http://www.8notes.com/scores/4216.asp

"Sock guitar" chord progression

eric@fiddlehangout.com — Tue, 12 Apr 2011 08:06:16 CST

Every fiddle contest I go to, much of the time the guys playing guitar backup play a walking chord progression. They all play the same chords, so I presume it's a standard swing progression. Never have been able to get anyone to show it to me. Can anybody simply give me the Nashville notation for these progressions over the I, IV, and V chords, plus maybe the vi?

I'm going to be entering some contests this year, come what may, and it's customary to for fiddlers to back each other up. I played guitar for a long time, but quit 20 years ago due to a hand injury. Time to start finding some chops again.

Seconding a third below the lead

eric@fiddlehangout.com — Sun, 10 Apr 2011 20:24:19 CST

How is this done? Is it usually just a unison melody played a third below (i.e., playing the melody in E if the lead is in G)?

Though I'm sure it's more complex than that, right?

Another quick sheet music question.

eric@fiddlehangout.com — Thu, 7 Apr 2011 21:51:20 CST

Real quick question: what does the curve with the dot under it mean in the fifth measures of both parts mean?

http://folktunefinder.com/tune/178000/

Musically Correct Bass Line?

eric@fiddlehangout.com — Mon, 28 Mar 2011 13:51:21 CST

For playing a bass line, in the key of D, consider a D-A chord-change walkdown using these notes: dcba . But when walking back up to the D chord, I like to use the notes: abc#d . To my ears, in the downward walk, using the c natural sounds OK. It's almost better than using c#, but the c natural note is neither in the D scale nor either of the chords D and A. Am I making a music "mistake" by doing this?

12/8 vs. 6/8

eric@fiddlehangout.com — Sat, 26 Mar 2011 17:06:02 CST

Okay, here's another time signature question. I looked up Road to Lisdoonvarna and was surprised to see that some versions of it are in 12/8 time, which I had never heard of before. http://folktunefinder.com/tune/127238/ This sounds the same to me as 6/8 time, but I'm sure there's something subtle there that I'm missing. What's the difference between 6/8 and 12/8?

Dealing with "Capo Cowboys"

eric@fiddlehangout.com — Mon, 21 Mar 2011 13:25:18 CST

OK, with only a couple of years playing under my belt, I need advice from some of you lifelong players, jammers, and performers. How do you deal with what I call “Capo Cowboys” at jam sessions? I’ll learn a song or tune and have a basic melody based fiddle break ready to go in my mind that might include a drown or two only to have someone decide to play it in some odd ball key. Suddenly all the color drains from my face and my pulse starts racing because I realize that in the suggested key, I AM CLUELESS!! The guitar and banjo players don’t’ think twice about it because they just slap on the old Capo and keep right on going. Switching from the key of G to D or vice versa is simply moving over a string one way or the other but to do it in B flat or C now involves changing EVERYTHING. What is the proper jam etiquette in this situation? Should I risk being a jam buster and speak up and mention that I’m not able to play the tune in the suggested key or should I just politely sit there and not play at all? The other fiddle players and I as well as the mandolin players have all quietly agreed that there would be a lot less keys used at jam sessions if EVERYONE’S capo was confiscated at the door. Should I learn EVERY tune I know in EVERY key in order to combat the Capo Cowboys?

Pentatonic Scales Cheat Sheet

eric@fiddlehangout.com — Mon, 21 Mar 2011 12:33:28 CST

I put together this "cheat sheet" for pentatonic scales in 3 selected keys. I try to memorize a few of them because they can come in very handy for improvising at jams. I was hoping to solicit constructive criticism, checks for accuracy, and to share with anyone else who may find this chart useful.

Great double stop info for learners

eric@fiddlehangout.com — Sat, 19 Mar 2011 20:28:55 CST

Hey, I had a friend give me a copy of this person's work on recognizing double stop patterns. It is done by a lady who goes by the name Pickloser from the mandolin cafe. It is written for mando but most certainly relates to fiddle. I've been reading through it and I really think it will help me make associations and learn my double stop chords easier. Enjoy: http://www.mandolincafe.com/forum/showthread.php?50382-Double-Stops-for-newer-players&s=ac825715b1853f1f8114d8072ea7304f

quick sheet music question

eric@fiddlehangout.com — Sat, 19 Mar 2011 20:00:25 CST

What do the dots floating floating above the 8th notes in measures 1-2 and 4-5 of the A part in this mean? http://folktunefinder.com/tune/149534/

2/4 vs. 4/4 vs. 2/2

eric@fiddlehangout.com — Wed, 9 Mar 2011 21:21:37 CST

Could someone provide me with an easy to understand explanation of the differences between these three time signatures (2/4, 4/4, and 2/2)? They sound the same to my untrained ears... My knowledge of theory is very limited.

minor 7 scales for fiddle

eric@fiddlehangout.com — Tue, 8 Mar 2011 13:22:16 CST

what website has a good visual of minor 7 scales? Moved topic from Playing Advice forum - wormbower

Chord progressions...

eric@fiddlehangout.com — Tue, 22 Feb 2011 12:12:33 CST

Anyone have suggestions on how to learn about standard chord progressions, such as the l, lV, V progression of many songs? I am mainly looking at getting some advice for my son regarding playing fiddle in bluegrass jams. Trying to get him some help on playing along on songs by ear. Also my daughter is starting to learn the standup bass. Any good books or DVDs that teach this kind of thing? Thanks, Nathan

Playing Harmony with another fiddle

eric@fiddlehangout.com — Mon, 21 Feb 2011 08:54:12 CST

Fiddlers, I cannot play harmony I don't think. I have a friend who is trying to harminize with me. Sometimes, I think it is a gift to do that. Any advice would be appreciated. Thanks. Barry

diminished scales in 12 bar blues

eric@fiddlehangout.com — Sun, 20 Feb 2011 20:13:03 CST

I was talking with another player today and found out that we both liked throwing some dims into a 12 bar. It was over the net and I'm sure he's better at it than I am. I started working on this a few months ago, worked at it for a while and then let it slide. But the conversation prompted me to spend a couple of hours going over the 3 scales and remembering which one fit where in a I IV V. I've never went to school or nuthin to study theory, and I get mental blocks with stuff I can't seem to figure out. But after the workout tonight, felt like I was on the verge of grabbin a dim scale by the tail and going on instinct rather than thought.

What differenciates Old Time and Classical Sound

eric@fiddlehangout.com — Sat, 19 Feb 2011 10:11:35 CST

I love the sound of the fiddle, expecially the Old Time Style. As a new "fiddler", taking lessons in the Suzuki method, I would love to learn what creates that sound difference that characterizes OT. It is my favorite style. Why does it sound so different from Classical?