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UB2 - Posted - 11/28/2019: 18:15:44
Anyone own the Brad leftwich old time fiddle DVDs? Are they helpful in learning old time fiddle? Does he show fingerings and such? Thank you
ChickenMan - Posted - 11/28/2019: 19:57:15
Yes, helpful. I don’t recall if the “fingering” is show because I personally find that to be useless compared to my ears and knowing the key (thus knowing the general finger placement) and thus probably ignored it. I think there are close ups of his hands. There is some notation given, maybe TAB, which might be useful. I’ll have to dig mine up and see.
Edited by - ChickenMan on 11/28/2019 19:58:20
rosinhead - Posted - 11/28/2019: 20:08:34
I have them and I don't find them helpful in the watching his fingerings. They are good instructional dvd's though. A good sample of cross-tuning for someone starting out.
coryobert - Posted - 11/29/2019: 07:53:36
Yes they are. I've actually got the VHS tapes. At the time, I thought I wanted to be a bluegrass fiddler, but these really got me going on Old Time. He's a good instructor.
BanjoBrad - Posted - 11/29/2019: 14:03:15
The DVD's I have include notation, with tuning (lots of aDae), no tab, no fingerings. Simple transcriptions to highlight the tune, but the rest is up to you and the DVD.
(I really need to get back to these.)
Edited by - BanjoBrad on 11/29/2019 14:04:08
lonestar_shawn - Posted - 11/29/2019: 14:24:11
I got both DVDs in a special offer several years ago. To me the fingerings he uses are pretty easy to pick up from video. The main benefit (again, for me) was really in the "bow licks" he teaches. Once I internalized these I started noticing them a lot in the playing of other old time fiddlers.
UB2 - Posted - 12/01/2019: 15:14:35
So it's basically just on bowing? Doesn't teach any songs?
Jimbeaux - Posted - 12/02/2019: 02:50:10
quote:
Originally posted by Riptide
So it's basically just on bowing? Doesn't teach any songs?
He teaches plenty of songs and the bowing instruction is great. Usually he goes through the tune once simply (single notes, no drones incl. a close up on the hand) then after you have the notes, he moves on to discuss bowing, drones and any variations.
Here's a good sample of how he shows the notes (Sugar Hill): youtu.be/P5QM93Z6k8s?t=82
lonestar_shawn - Posted - 12/02/2019: 15:00:10
As Jim mentions, he absolutely teaches tunes. In fact, everything he teaches is in the context of learning tunes. He uses each tune to teach a different bowing pattern.
Viper - Posted - 12/03/2019: 11:54:12
As others have said, the Leftwich videos are very helpful. The video shows the fingering closely enough to catch on without much trouble. I would also note that these lessons are a step up from rank beginner.
There are plenty of tunes, but he focuses on bowing patterns when teaching them. The tunes are: Shortnin' Bread (AEAE), Sugar Hill (ADAE), Old Jimmy Sutton (ADAE), Blackeyed Susie (ADAE), Great Big Taters in Sandy Land (GDAE) and Jeff Sturgeon (AEAE) for Lesson 1; and Citico (GDAD), Breaking Up Christmas (AEAE), Johnny Don't Get Drunk (ADAE), Rocky Road to Dublin (GDAE), Little Maggie (AEAE), Boll Weevil (DDAD), Wagner (GDAE), Chicken Reel (ADAE) and Old Time Blackberry Blossom (GDAE) for Lesson 2.
UB2 - Posted - 12/03/2019: 19:00:40
I'm definitely getting the 1st one
Edited by - UB2 on 12/03/2019 19:01:01
Dick Hauser - Posted - 12/12/2019: 07:36:48
With one major exception, I found them very good. Here was my problem. Tunes are played using "open" tunings, not the standard GDAE tuning. Standard musical notation is provided.
But since the instrument is not in standard tuning, the notation is not of much help. If the standard notation had been scordatura or even tab, things would have been much easier.
I even wrote to Brad Leftwich and confirmed my conclusion that the notation was for the musical melody. Therefore, it would work for a fiddle in GDAE tuning, but wouldn't be of much use for a fiddle in "open" tuning, say something like AEAE.
