Fiddle Hangout - Other Fiddle-Related Topics Forum Feed

Mitch Miller Explains Berks Fiddle Playing Contest, Plays Some Tunes

eric@fiddlehangout.com — Sun, 7 Jun 2026 15:17:04 CST

Mitch Miller, Hannah Violet, and Jansen Wendell take the stage at Berks Fiddle Fest for Mitch to explain the fiddle playing contest rules and for the trio to play some great old time tunes.

BOBBY BRUCE MUSIC

eric@fiddlehangout.com — Sat, 6 Jun 2026 09:47:28 CST

I'm trying to locate a recording of his, "Country Dance Waltz." Thanks

Musical bridges

eric@fiddlehangout.com — Wed, 3 Jun 2026 09:47:26 CST

On my drive to work this morning I was listening to the Leake County Revelers’ 1927 recording of “The Old Hat”, trying to decipher some of the more opaque lyrics. Before walking into the building, I sat down in a break area and talked with one of the housekeeping staff, a black woman of about 65-70 years of age. Without any prompting from me, the topic turned to family history lost to age and time. She told me about her grandmother singing “crazy songs” to her as a child and recited two verses from “The Old Hat” involving a raccoon and a ‘possum almost verbatim from the Revelers recording!

This probably shouldn’t be that surprising. They are somewhat floating lyrics and originated (?) in this area, but it was just so serendipitous and unexpected that it brought tears to my eyes thinking of the paths of history and cultures that led to two people of disparate races and economic status sitting in front of a Mississippi chicken plant in 2026 trading lines from a now-obscure 100+ year old song.

Kate Bush "Jig Of Life" Genius

eric@fiddlehangout.com — Mon, 1 Jun 2026 14:55:07 CST

Almost makes me believe in Woo Woo...( well worth waiting for the fiddle tune) https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ntIlVNDpLW8

Player Zero…

eric@fiddlehangout.com — Mon, 1 Jun 2026 09:56:42 CST

Yesterday at session, a fiddler friend who I had not seen for awhile played a jig she had just learned (Kitty Lie Over, which is also a song). I first learned that jig off an album, and when I played it at session, I was utterly alone and solo - nobody knew it- people kind of knew the song, but nobody “played” it. SInce then, the Kitty Lie Over jig has apparently come into local repertoire :-) and people are learning it! So I guess I was Player Zero … aka “Patient Zero”, in viral terms…

I once started a set of tunes I had heard around and learned, and the master flute player at session joined in…afterwards she said, “I like that set too! I got it off Mike Rafferty.” So I think I accidentally found Player Zero for that set! That was a fun discovery. :-D

I like how the tunes get passed around, almost like a virus…with some sleuthing/asking of the older players, you can usually find who first brought it to our area!

Lethargy

eric@fiddlehangout.com — Wed, 27 May 2026 12:12:01 CST

Come on guys i had to go back to last week to find a post!!

Martin Hayes on Slow vs Fast

eric@fiddlehangout.com — Tue, 26 May 2026 13:04:02 CST

For those who don't know, Martin Hayes is one of the great, living Irish fiddlers, known for his 'slow' playing. Here are some of his thoughts on the subject: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-woPQ90mxzE

How do y'all keep your tunes and tune data in order?

eric@fiddlehangout.com — Fri, 22 May 2026 08:46:51 CST

Curious how people here actually keep track of tunes these days.

Do you use spreadsheets? YouTube playlists? Phone recordings from jams? Notes apps? PDFs? Set lists? Something else?

I realized over the years I ended up with tunes scattered across all of those and started building something for myself to keep recordings, keys, tunings, references, versions, and shared repertoire attached to the actual tune instead of spread across apps.

But now I’m wondering if I’m solving a weird personal problem or if other people organize music this way too.

What’s your current system and what annoys you most about it?

AI again.... Heres what its good at..

eric@fiddlehangout.com — Fri, 15 May 2026 09:28:52 CST

Just spent a happy afternoon with AI and it came up with a tailor made fiddle scales program just for me! Edit: all the buttons work! going to try to make it play tomorrow. the physics button displays how it physically looks on the fiddle ie: positions getting smaller!

Performing Hangout fiddlers...on Facebook

eric@fiddlehangout.com — Thu, 14 May 2026 12:25:13 CST

Performing Hangout fiddlers... Do you have a public/professional Facebook page for yerself or yer band?

I thought it might be fun to follow each other... get some interaction going...

My trio has a new page and if you follow it, we'll follow you back... Share yer links...

https://www.facebook.com/thegreenbriarband

Something about a Bass

eric@fiddlehangout.com — Tue, 12 May 2026 14:54:36 CST

I brought my $80 electric bass to the weekly jam. I have a little microcube I put under my chair. A bass is so welcome it's one of the few amplified instruments allowed at our jams. Our circle is about twelve feet at the longest. So a bass tightens up the rhythm, as we're all a bit hearing impaired. I played one fiddle tune, the bass was so well received.
So I'm back in learn mode. I know my 1, 4, 5 in all the common keys, but need to add the minor 3 and 6. It'll come in time. It's almost like work, but still fun.

I spose everyone here knows how to play bass but chooses not? Yes? No?

Leaning on a Wall

eric@fiddlehangout.com — Tue, 12 May 2026 07:48:24 CST

I learned this tune from a recording by Dirk Powell ("Hand Me Down") - great tune. But I've been kind of reluctant to play it out - I've never heard anyone else play it, and so - I figured it was a tune composed by Dirk. He has written a few other nice tunes.

But now I'm learning that it is a traditional tune from Kentucky and West Virginia. But there is no other recording available in the public - that I have found. Apparently Bruce Greene used to play it and did teach it at one time - but no digitized recordings online.

Apparently, it only shows up in a few Eastern Kentucky tune lists, West Virginia modal tune inventories, a few handwritten fiddlers’ notebooks, and collector notes from the 1970s–80s. No fiddler is given credit for the tune. The written version seems to show it to have been a slightly crooked tune, played in D. Dirk's version is not crooked, and he plays it in G.

No - none of this is that important... but I sure would love to know a bit more - and would really love to hear a recording of it played "crooked in D".

Can anyone add anything? ...has a recording? (never know until you ask)

bow hair

eric@fiddlehangout.com — Sun, 10 May 2026 10:13:49 CST

I'm sure most all of us have had to have a bow re-haired. I've had several through the years.

Unless I was mis-informed about a few issues I've had through the years, there is a few things that I've learned about the different grades, types. color, methods used to install.

I used to go through hairs pretty quick, so... on a few occasions, I thought it would be wise to learn how to do this for myself. But I don't need it as often now - so - no more than what I would need to do it, I would never get enough experience to "master" the art. And I have found a good luthier that I trust.

Reason for the post here: I'd like to hear what you have learned through the years - about all of those things we should know to get the best hair to compliment how we fiddle.

I'll save mine for a little later. I'd rather hear some things first. Please...

The “History” of the Folk Revival

eric@fiddlehangout.com — Sat, 9 May 2026 08:53:42 CST

This video is part of a series I’ve come across recently that goes into the origins of bluegrass, country, and Old Time music. It’s intriguing to hear the story of how music that came to be considered foundational was so carefully curated and industrialized. It’s also interesting to see how many of the figures in the history were not just Bohemian creatives or simple country bumpkins but were often savvy businessmen who capitalized on trends they saw. It also shows how much a lot of the people who were making the music who weren’t as savvy were scalped and cannibalized by the New England folk revivalists who wanted to co-opt the music to suit their own purposes.

youtu.be/JJlZGpEtA1E?si=NeKyMlr0fUf33iV4

Looking for Jams, or any Get Togethers, close by in Missouri

eric@fiddlehangout.com — Mon, 4 May 2026 05:08:12 CST

Been trying to find others in my area for quite a while, and I've put the word in Facebook groups as well.
My dilemma: I've been trying, and re-trying, to teach myself old time fiddle for a number of years. Always starting, stopping and re-starting. Recently I decided to get out of my comfort zone and attend a jam in St Louis. It was great, although I was a bundle of nerves at first. Problem is it is a 2 hour drive (I'm in Pulaski County). In fact, ALL the known (to me) jams are a 1.5-2 hr drive, usually on a worknight, which includes Springfield area, McClurg, St Louis and Columbia....and I'm smack dab in the middle, in a fiddling DEADZONE it seems.
I'm gonna try one in Ozark this Friday, being that it is slightly less of a drive. But, as gas is getting out of hand this may me short lived as well.
It really sucks, because I really enjoy playing with others.

So, now I'm putting the question out here: Does anyone know of any open old time jams closer to my area, or of any players in this area, who might be willing to get together somewhere in the area?

Surrounding counties are: Laclede, Camden, Dallas, Webster, Pulaski, Wright, Texas

The Fiddle Shop

eric@fiddlehangout.com — Tue, 28 Apr 2026 10:25:18 CST

I'm thinking that "The Fiddle Shop" (Brian Christianson) in Nashville has gone out of business. At least - its not showing up in any searches...

Does anyone know for sure?

I've heard rumors - that he once worked as a luthier at Fred Carpenter's "The Violin Shop" and later opened his own business. I went to his shop a few times over the years- and wanted to stop by again - since (in my silly mind) - he was pointing to fiddles instead of violins in his business. But I knew he maintained a good relationship with Fred. I'm still looking for "my" fiddle.

Did he go back to the Violin Shop - or has he moved on... I know he was a really good fiddler.

Pretty Little Cat (and friends)

eric@fiddlehangout.com — Tue, 28 Apr 2026 07:36:31 CST

A friend shared a version of "Pretty Little Cat" that I enjoyed working out on banjo this morning (fiddle is next). It's the Foghorn Duo version [1]. That led me to a rabbit hole, of course, where I came across the one on Slippery Hill from Wilson Douglas [2] and the Traditional Tune Archive annotation connecting it to "Pretty Little Dog" and "Henry Reed's Breakdown" [3]. Oddly enough, earlier today I was watching a video with Alan Jabbour and Ken Pearlman where they play "Henry Reed's Breakdown" [4], which I had never heard either.

The tune's similarities to "Kitchen Girl" (at least that Foghorn version), "June Apple" (the Douglas version), Dwight Diller's "Muddy Roads", and so many others are pretty fascinating, but none of these really seem to match up with the Foghorn one quite right. I'm curious, are there well worn (or lesser known) stories about these distinctions? I like the one my friend shared best, in part because it's a bit different than and has a nice groove when slow. I'm interested to know where these folks got their version, or if it just came out of messing around with others.

Thanks for any help!

[1 Foghorn Duo]: youtu.be/G6FdUkSeokU
[2 Wilson Douglas]: slippery-hill.com/content/pret...ittle-cat
[3 TTA]: tunearch.org/wiki/Annotation:P...ittle_Cat
[4 Jabbour's Henry Reed's Breakdown]: youtu.be/ifRZ47BItts?si=mgE5VT...0LP&t=385

I built an Old Time tune tracking/organization app, maybe you'd like it

eric@fiddlehangout.com — Tue, 28 Apr 2026 06:54:13 CST

Hi all, it's been a long time since I've been here (2011 apparently!). I hope it's OK to post a promotional thing. I want to share an app I built to track and organize the tunes I know and love. Some of my local fiddling friends have been using it and so far they're into it!

It's called TuneSheet (tunesheet.com). You can add your tunes (one at a time or in bulk) and record/upload audio for them. There's a "slow downer" feature for recordings and you organize your tunes with custom tags and lists. You can share your tunes with other people (even if they don't have a TuneSheet account).

One feature I'm most proud of is "tune roulette" where you can shake your phone to have it present a random tune. Say you're in a jam and are trying to think of G tunes... You can filter your tunes by the key of G, then shake the phone to get a random G tune. If you don't like it's pick, just shake it again. Our local jam has gotten some real use out of this and at Folk Festival in April a buddy of mine told me about a session he got into that attempted to only play the tunes called randomly by the app.

The value for me comes from spending years keeping track of my tunes in a spreadsheet that's gotten totally out of control. Recently I also began adding tunes to the notes app on my phone and have a ton of unorganized recordings in my voice memos app. It seems like a lot of my friends are in the same boat.

Anyway, it's very new and there's a lot more that I want to do but the current version is finally ready to share.

You can try it out for free without entering any payment info. There is ultimately a subscription fee (the app costs me quite a bit in time and money to keep it running) but I've tried to keep it affordable with cheaper options that people can select if they can't afford it. I realize that folks might be sick of apps and subscriptions and all that... I'm hoping people will think of it as more of a "supporting an artist/creator" thing rather than subscribing to yet another app.

If you want to try it out, you can sign up at tunesheet.com/signup. If you're curious about the price and how I'm thinking about it, all the details (including an FAQ) are at tunesheet.com/pricing. If you need more time to play with it than the free 30 days, let me know and I will extend your trial. If you pay for it and decide you don't like it, I will refund you. If you want to see some screenshots just go to the homepage (tunesheet.com).

Right now the mobile app is only available for iOS (here: apps.apple.com/us/app/tuneshee...761281400). Though I'm currently working through Google's requirements to get it out there for Android so it should be there soon. If you want an Android preview, I can send you the app with installation instructions.

If you have kind feedback I'm all for it. I feel vulnerable putting this out there so, I want to emphasize the "kind" part of that. If you find bugs or any confusing things, please let me know instead of leaving a negative review (you can email me at carter@tunesheet.com or just respond here).

Also, if you have a big list of tunes and feel daunted by adding them all in for the first time, I would love to do it for you. This will help me build out some tune import features I want to create and, I hope, save you a bunch of time.

Thanks for reading!

Just A Jam

eric@fiddlehangout.com — Tue, 28 Apr 2026 02:58:16 CST

A jam session in the jammers area of Berks Fiddle Fest. Enjoy some of the best in Berks County

IEM's for Fiddle

eric@fiddlehangout.com — Mon, 27 Apr 2026 12:42:55 CST

Any recs on good sounding IEM's for a fiddler? Someone recommended to me the Sensaphonics D2 earphones. Thanks!

Original Instrumental

eric@fiddlehangout.com — Fri, 24 Apr 2026 10:51:32 CST

Nyke Van Wyk and Craig Thatcher perform an original instrumental at Berks Fiddle Fest

Playing while injured!

eric@fiddlehangout.com — Tue, 21 Apr 2026 11:27:32 CST

Those of us who play out, have you ever injured a finger, hand, arm or what have you, and still done the performance? Last week, I pinched my middle finger setting up a stupid mic stand, pinched it right on the landing pad, while setting up for the first of 4 sets per day for a 2 day festival. Raised a nice big blood blister and the whole finger print part went all eggplant colored and swollen. Played both days, but painfully ( and hyped the concertina tunes, which hurt less). Its just getting back to normal color but still hurts a bit.

So lets hear anyone's war stories about playing through an injury or a booboo!

Tape/marks on a bass neck?

eric@fiddlehangout.com — Mon, 20 Apr 2026 04:13:16 CST

youtube.com/watch?v=TPw5TvDPRoc

Stop it at 2:53. It sure looks like that the bass players has some stops up the neck with some sort of markers. Never seen that before.

'The End of Homemade Music"

eric@fiddlehangout.com — Mon, 13 Apr 2026 08:12:38 CST

A good little chat - he's not saying anything most of us haven't thought of, I would assume, but it's nice to hear someone saying it, all the same: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Zw8DS2rx4nU

Lee Cremo on Up Home Tonight

eric@fiddlehangout.com — Sun, 12 Apr 2026 09:16:44 CST

Here's a little something to put a bit of a bounce into your step: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aOip8X3bEbE

(If you go to the youtube channel, you'll get lots more of Lee Cremo - at parties, dances, as well as his albums).

If I could change one thing about violin/fiddle learning materials

eric@fiddlehangout.com — Fri, 10 Apr 2026 10:25:33 CST

It may be because I come from fretted instruments but even if I didn't I think it would make more sense to simply use a stop numbers instead of finger and low or high.

I just find 1 2 3 4 way simpler than 1 low, 1, 2 low, etc.

gatherings

eric@fiddlehangout.com — Sat, 4 Apr 2026 07:12:03 CST

I like the smaller festivals....

I like smaller jams...

Celebrating 100 years of Sail Away Ladies

eric@fiddlehangout.com — Tue, 31 Mar 2026 13:11:16 CST

Uncle Bunt Stephens - recorded 100 years ago

https://www.slippery-hill.com/content/sail-away-ladies-16

Leon Redbone Is King

eric@fiddlehangout.com — Mon, 30 Mar 2026 14:39:53 CST

Ain't Misbehavin

(I thought it Must be Venuti...Who else?)

Rolling In My Sweet Baby’s Arms

eric@fiddlehangout.com — Sun, 29 Mar 2026 08:36:32 CST

Sibling duo Buffalo Mountain Bluegrass performs at Lyons Fiddle Fest

Independent Film Full of Appalachian Lore and Music

eric@fiddlehangout.com — Sat, 28 Mar 2026 20:23:26 CST

From a press release earlier today. Especially for those who enjoy mountain lore...

The director of the Fairbanks, Alaska Shakespeare Theatre actress and director Emily Yates has released an independent film set in post-Civil War Appalachia and fiddler/singer Shawn Craver’s music makes up a large part of the soundtrack.

The film’s byline states, “A decade after the Civil War has come to an end, an Appalachian family struggles with one of its own; Annie, who sees visions of the old mountain stories.”

While editing the film in her native Alaska, Yates discovered Craver’s music online and knew it was a perfect fit. While on her way back to the Appalachian Mountains in 2021 for a gig singing and dancing at Dollywood, she stopped in Wichita to talk with Shawn and record an additional piece titled “Little Johnny Green.”

The film is now being submitted to film festivals and is also available for viewing online.

Watch the film (free):
https://youtu.be/Rumdlo6UhPY

Listen to selected tracks from the soundtrack (free wav files):
https://shawncraver.bandcamp.com/album/tanasi-soundtrack

Official websites:
Shawn Craver: http://www.shawncraverfiddler.com
Emily Yates: http://emilyjoyates.com/

Complete Credits/Soundtrack Details: https://www.facebook.com/share/p/1C6AmZG3uX/

Fiddle Hell Online- early birds save 20% thru Mar 31, 3 months free replays

eric@fiddlehangout.com — Tue, 24 Mar 2026 12:47:15 CST

12 Workshops & Jams you won't want to miss
- Essentials of Irish Bowing & Ornamentation - Kevin Burke
- Got Pain? Got Tension? - Judy Minot
- Picking Up Tunes "Out of the Air" - Bruce Molsky
- Take Your Scottish Fiddling Gracefully to the Next Level - Hanneke Cassel
- Bluegrass Mandolin Improv Tips & Tricks - David Benedict
- Hearing Challenges: Roundtable Discussion - Amy Cann
- New to Jamming? - Brad Kolodner & Alex Lacquement
- An OT Tune with Rhythms & Depth from Other Cultures - Shanice Richards
- Healthy Musical Attitudes - Andy Reiner
- Flexible & Fancy Old-Time Banjo - Maggie Shar
- Ergonomics for Fiddlers: Small Fixes, Big Results - Eric Mrugala
- Pass It On: Teaching the Fiddle to Others - Ellen Carlson
- Memorizing Tunes So You Can Actually Remember Them - Dave Reiner
- Cello as a Guitar: Groove, Voiceleading, Riffs & Harmonies - Ken Kubota
And hundreds more... With replays, you can experience them all :-).

Take your playing to the next level!
Fiddle Hell Online is coming up April 9-12, 2026, with 3 months of FREE replays (can extend to 6 or 9 months). 20% discount for early birds until MARCH 31 at https://fiddlehell.org/register. Add'l discounts for seniors, young adults, teens, kids, household members.

Got challenges?
We have practical, encouraging workshops & jams to help you move forward:
- Musicianship Challenges – Improve your musical skills, technique, & style
- Thinking Challenges – Strengthen how you learn, remember, & understand tunes
- Physical Challenges – Play comfortably, avoid injury, & play with less pain
- Inspiration Challenges – Boost your joy, confidence, & connection to music

Sign up by MARCH 31 for a chance to win the inlaid fiddle
We're giving away a vintage inlaid fiddle (worth $2500), as well as local concerts, strings, CDs, books, and online lessons. We'll give the fiddle away at the Saturday Night Concert, April 11, 2026. You do not have to be present online at that concert to win. Sign up at https://fiddlehell.org/register

See you there!
- Dave "can't wait!" Reiner

P.S. Not sure about this online thing?
Use your computer, tablet, or phone. Whova is our easy-to-use event system that helps you access Zoom sessions on the agenda, see replays (like watching YouTube), view and download handouts, see messages and announcements, and (optionally) connect with other attendees.

This will be our 8th online Fiddle Hell, and we make it easy and fun. Great technology, and our Help Desk will assist you with any technical questions by phone or email. Unlike FH in-person, you can get to ANY or ALL concerts, workshops, & jams with easy replays, and even slow replays down for learning.

P.P.S. What do prior FHO attendees say?
“I loved online! Being able to study the workshop info in depth for months afterwards is invaluable! Your technical set-up is fantastic and this was a great bargain.”

“There are workshops at FHO that I can't find anywhere else. It's so useful to know about workshop & jam levels and pacing in advance, and I'll be using the handouts for years.”

“Fabulous way to learn tunes. I could see and hear the artists very well from my 'front row' seat and play right along with them."

Kronos Quartet...NPR Tiny Desk

eric@fiddlehangout.com — Mon, 23 Mar 2026 05:09:15 CST

I thought someone posted something about starting a quartet. If you don't like this, you're wrong...lol

Just kidding about wrong but come on!

First real life busking experience

eric@fiddlehangout.com — Sat, 21 Mar 2026 12:30:23 CST

Today I did something really special for a short while: I played the fiddle out in the middle of nature. I quickly put on my best wooden mute, and I really liked the unique acoustic effect out there in the open.
The best reward?
Someone who soon sat down next to me on the bench and asked if I also gave performances.
And to top it off, a young woman with a beautiful German pointer who also sat down on the bench next to me—after I had finished playing—and told me it was “really beautiful”.
So, many thanks to the former DJ and music fan who stopped by to take a breather, and to the young woman who would do anything to give her very young hunting dog the best possible hunting training.
The best possible audience I could have wished for, during my first real-life busking experience.

They brought me back to the words I kept on repeating so many years ago: As long as we keep on talking, nothing is ever truly lost.

Best Friend

eric@fiddlehangout.com — Sat, 21 Mar 2026 06:25:17 CST

Ken Gehret and Bill Jester perform Best Friend live at Lyons Fiddle Fest

Built a fiddle/violin practice tracker app - feedback welcome

eric@fiddlehangout.com — Fri, 20 Mar 2026 14:02:42 CST

Hey - I'm an indie developer and put together Violin Practice Log for iOS, built for fiddle and violin players.

Log sessions by area (Scales, Tunes, Bowing, Ear Training - fully customizable), track daily streaks, see your calendar fill in, get weekly/monthly/all-time stats. Built-in chromatic tuner with string instrument presets.

Works for any style - Old-Time, Irish, bluegrass, classical.

App Store: apps.apple.com/app/id6759753996 - $3.99

Honest feedback welcome.

RIP Paul Joslin, Fiddleology...member you probably don't remember

eric@fiddlehangout.com — Wed, 18 Mar 2026 15:13:33 CST

Years ago, Paul Joslin was a member using the Hangout name Fiddleology. Do you remember him? Well here is a little story about him.. I knew him because he came often to our regular Monday night jam.. He was bashful, quiet, insecure and always wore bib overalls... He created the most amazing tunes . WHen he played them he'd often stop in the middle of a tune because, he said, you guy don't want to hear more of this!.. So insecure..
Anyway, as Fiddleology on the Hangout he was a different person.. So different that I had no idea that Fiddleology and Paul were the same person! On the Hangout he was confident, articulate, knowledgeable and a joy to engage. After one particular Hangout engagement he ended his comment with, "See you at the jam tonight.".. ???? This was the first event that made me realize that he was actually someone I knew in person.. I thought about the 6-8 men who came to the jam.. went through the list and Paul was on the bottom .. He could NOT be Fiddleology.. That night I asked all the guys about who was Fiddleology.. Paul spoke up. I was floored... and pleasantly so.. Anyway. Paul recently died.
He will be missed by those of us who got to know him a little.

FOTMC

eric@fiddlehangout.com — Sun, 15 Mar 2026 10:31:06 CST

Anyone else going to the "Florida Old Time Music Championship"?

3/27 - 3/29, Stephen Foster Folk Culture State Park, in White Springs, Florida.

Championship contests, workshops, Old-Time Music campground Jams, and the guest artist performances.

...our first time visit.

Love Potion #9

eric@fiddlehangout.com — Thu, 12 Mar 2026 18:33:31 CST

A nice bluegrass version during open mic at Berks Fiddle Fest

Defining Old Time Through a Comparison with Jazz Definitions

eric@fiddlehangout.com — Wed, 11 Mar 2026 11:35:42 CST

Some time ago my father co-authored a book on jazz. It goes into depth on the identity of jazz and its composition. Since the topic of what defines Old Time has come up a lot lately, I’ve been thinking about the approach toward its definition. With that in mind, I read the excerpt below from the book again, and it occurred to me to liken it to the attempt to define Old Time:

jazzstyles.net/threeapproach/

It seems to me that the discrepancy that shows up on this forum stems from a mismatch between approaches. The wider audience seems to have embraced my father’s idea of “family resemblances” where the term is applied broadly to cover a wide variety of styles that do not fit into a strict definition and do not necessarily fit into the dimensional approach either. Those few people in the broader listening audience who have even heard of Old Time tend not to draw many distinctions or view any era or playing style as definitive.

On this forum things seem to be different. The “family resemblances” approach leads to a lot of comments like “That’s not Old Time,” “That’s just a ____ player masquerading around as a fiddler,” or “That doesn’t sound like [fiddler of personal choice],” which suggests that there is frustration with the lumping together of so many different styles from so many different regions and eras. That being said, I haven’t seen a consensus on one of the other approaches. While the dimensional approach might seem like it would be a popular choice for this particular forum, there is so little agreement over what would be characterized as “Old Time-ness” that it would likely never be possible to begin evaluating from common ground.

I think that, especially because there is so little consensus, an embrace of the strict definition approach would be extremely helpful. As the book points out, any definition is by its nature exclusive, so there is no need to fear the concept of exclusivity as though it is harmful or negative. Its aim is to reach greater understanding through clearer taxonomy. I have been contemplating a narrower definition of Old Time for a while, particularly after having found this forum. As I’ve shared before here, I was struck by the problem of an insufficient definition after hearing a professional fiddler try to explain Old Time to a European violin maker at a convention.

Of course, as the discussion of jazz points out, none of the methods are perfect for definitions—each one can be criticized. However, I think that, unlike jazz, Old Time faces much more uncertainty in its existence and more desperately needs clarity.

Walking After Midnight

eric@fiddlehangout.com — Sat, 7 Mar 2026 14:29:17 CST

Hannah Violet Trio performs a beautiful rendition of Walking After Midnight on the Main Stage of Berks Fiddle Fest

Glory in the Meeting House and Jerusalem Ridge history

eric@fiddlehangout.com — Sat, 7 Mar 2026 05:19:40 CST

Accidentally came across this video. I enjoyed and hope you do too.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9p8KggWZnMg

PS Loved this tuning and used it for "O Death" and "Glory in the Meeting House. You can check my media files, if you'd like to.

R.I.P. Jim Buchanan

eric@fiddlehangout.com — Fri, 6 Mar 2026 19:23:12 CST

A wonderful player who played for many years with Jim and Jesse

New OT jam at Hub City Brewery in Hagerstown MD just started...

eric@fiddlehangout.com — Fri, 6 Mar 2026 12:08:02 CST

Not sure if there are any fiddlers in the Washington County MD area but a new OT jam just started at Hub City Brewery in Hagerstown MD.
I think it's the first Wednesday of every month. I have yet to attend but, looks like they started a FB Group (Good idea) to list and share the previous and future tunes by key. The venue is a great place for a jam. Plenty of space and parking. I hope to attend some time and give a report. Have a great weekend, all.

Mics for Bluegrass Fiddle with IEM's

eric@fiddlehangout.com — Thu, 5 Mar 2026 06:50:34 CST

I'm looking for a great condenser mic to use for my fiddle when I'm playing bluegrass. I use in-ear monitors and I'm looking for a mic that'll sound great with them, as well as sound great through a speaker. Looking for something with some warmth, but can cut. Any recs? I've heard good things about Ear Trumpet's Edwina as well as the Shure KSM9. TIA!!

F.I.R.E. Fiddle Playing

eric@fiddlehangout.com — Wed, 4 Mar 2026 18:01:09 CST

The F.I.R.E. Scottish fiddle playing contest is going in to its third year in September at Berks Fiddle Fest. Here is the second place winner from its first year in Berks.

Morning Star Waltz history?

eric@fiddlehangout.com — Wed, 4 Mar 2026 07:46:03 CST

I was looking through an old tune book from the library and found the "Morning Star Waltz" by Bob Walters [1]. It only took a moment to realize that it's not the same tune I hear in Texas fiddle contests, but I don't see much info on that one at all. The Traditional Tune Archive page is basically empty [2]. The other versions on there are also different tunes.

Does anyone know the history behind the Texas version? It's a beautiful tune. I was messing around with the one on YouTube from a very young Ridge Roberts [3] and I can only get so far back as Mark O'Connor's recording on Soppin' the Gravy [4]. Luke Price has a nice one on the 2006 Grand Master Championship recordings, too [5].

I don't know enough about the Texas history and source recordings (it's not my wheelhouse, but I want to learn more). Are there older versions that folks look to as sources for this or interesting stories about a really nice tune? What's your favorite? Thanks!

[1]: tunearch.org/wiki/Morning_Star_Waltz_(1)
[2]: tunearch.org/wiki/Morning_Star_Waltz_(2)
[3]: youtube.com/watch?v=UNIqfdXDdlk
[4]: youtube.com/watch?v=gskZ3aFufag
[5]: music.apple.com/us/album/morni...469532335

BUW?

eric@fiddlehangout.com — Tue, 3 Mar 2026 10:34:42 CST

Any of you fiddle hanger-outers headed for Breaking Up Winter this week (in Lebanon, TN, for those who aren't)?

My "Forthcoming Book" on Old-Time Fiddler Kerry Blech has come forth . . .

eric@fiddlehangout.com — Tue, 3 Mar 2026 06:44:16 CST

My book on the Old-Time Fiddler (and Banjoer), Kerry Blech, has just been published:

"Kerry Blech: A Life Documenting, Recording, and Performing Old-Time Fiddle Tunes"

(McFarland and Company, Publishers Jefferson, NC)

Here’s the abstract:

The fiddler Kerry Blech (1947 – 2023) developed an insatiable curiosity about old-time music history, and an intensive interest in the creative lives of elder fiddlers - as well as contemporary traditional musicians. Beginning in the early 1970s, he built a notable collection of field recordings, LPs, and copies of old-time music recorded during the 1920s and 1930s. He wrote insightful, detailed reviews of recorded old-time music, books, and videos for the Old-Time Herald from 1987 to 2008. For close to fifty years, he contributed meaningfully to old-time music projects – liner notes for commercial recordings, presentations to audiences on the music of elder fiddlers, research on tune origins, and the derivations of versions and variants of old fiddle tunes. Kerry’s musical interests were broadly focused on traditional music, and more narrowly fixed on old-time fiddling and string band music across broad swatches of the U.S. He sought to understand making music – especially old-time music - in those contexts in a manner that relied less on theory, and thus less on academic approaches in a folkloric vein or through social science tools, and more on listening to music, witnessing music being made, and talking about music.

Here's the Amazon.com order link:

amazon.com/Kerry-Blech-Documen...476698430

And here's the McFarland publishing house link to order the book:

mcfarlandbooks.com/product/Kerry-Blech/

Books A Million is also carrying the book:

booksamillion.com/p/Kerry-Blec...476698434

Buy early and buy often . . .

Cheers,

Lew

A Little South Wind Action

eric@fiddlehangout.com — Tue, 3 Mar 2026 02:39:49 CST

The Keystone Fiddlers is a group of aspiring young fiddlers performing with their teachers/music mentors and they certainly are learning well!