JessicaRose - Posted - 10/15/2008:  11:00:01

Hi everyone,

I've just spent the last few days playing fiddle nonstop out of a method book called "Mountain Music for Everyone: Get Started." It is on http://www.playingbyear.com/products

It isn't a song book, it is a method book for quickly and easily learning to play by ear, in any key, on fiddle, banjo, mando dobro or guitar. It basically teaches you the picking patterns...the most likely notes you'll need, for a given key.

I love this book. I love playing the fiddle. This is So Fun!!!

The Abbot family, who produce this book and came up with the ToneWay method are friends of mine. (Full disclaimer.) But I never really paid much attention to their method books before now, because I was already a bass player and singer when I met them.

But I picked it up when I decided to learn to play the fiddle. I was really surprised at how comprehensive, straightforward, simple, intuitive, and useful their method is.

I just wanted to put it out there for everyone who wants to learn to play. (And no, they're not paying me to post this!)

Best wishes, Jess


I pick, therefore I grin.

dlight - Posted - 10/15/2008:  11:46:21

Interesting concept, especially the part about playing in different keys. Really good for accompanying singers, who are generally all over the tonal map! In classical violin study, that's called playing in different positions, something old-time fiddlers normally avoid. Keep up the good work, Jessica Rose!

So who''s smarter?? You or the stupid fiddle??

JessicaRose - Posted - 10/15/2008:  12:33:03

Thanks, D'light! I mostly go to bluegrass jams. About half the calls are fiddle or banjo tunes played in standard keys, and about half are singing songs where you have to be able to play in any key. This is really a nifty little method for being able to go into a bluegrass jam (or a folk jam, if that floats your boat) and be able to participate right away.

I pick, therefore I grin.

fiddlevixen5 - Posted - 10/15/2008:  13:29:59

Hi Jess,
I am very interested in this book however i cant read music... Is it in music notation or Tab? Checked out the site and couldnt get a visual of the print inside the book...
Thanks

Ellie

JessicaRose - Posted - 10/15/2008:  15:41:17

Hi Ellie,

Neither! You don't need to have any prior music or tab experience to use their ToneWay method. What they do is teach you the "do re mi" scale as numbers "1 2 3" and then show you where the most useful (frequently used for melodies) of those tones (notes) are on your instrument. They get you started playing simple stuff right off the bat, first in G and then the same melody in D. The pattern is movable, and you learn where it is for each key.

What I found was, you memorize this pattern on your fingerboard, and then as you're trying to play a melody, there are only a few choices about where you might need to go next. So it is easy to find the right one.

I hope I am explaining it well. I am finding it very useful.

-Jess

I pick, therefore I grin.

ladymuse - Posted - 10/16/2008:  00:10:59

Interesting site and products -
I read both notation and tab, and usually pick up or play by ear -

This could really be a boon to those who need to find tunes, and can't fault the basic music theory behind them! (LOL! Yes, John, even if you don't do dots or slashes, that ol' music theory is always right behind you - !) And very basic and easy for ears it is -

What is really cool, is a 200 song clip list with a minute of each song (mp3s with vocals/guitar) - that you can access on line to hear, or buy a cd set - (scroll down toward bottom of page)

http://www.playingbyear.com/product...-print-songs

Some of these tunes I know quite differently - but they are more fortified versions and would fit with the snippet quite well -
Definately give a listen! (200 here)

Also, the big print songbook is a boon for those of us with less than perfect vision -

Thanks for posting this, Jessica!

jen
rightt hand still kinda out of commission - it''s all stiffy (back of hand tendons take forever to heal)

Edited by - ladymuse on 10/16/2008 00:16:15

fiddlevixen5 - Posted - 10/16/2008:  05:30:22

Thanks Jess!
This sounds like exactly what I need to make the next step. I can play pretty well but its all guessing. I Know that I can be much better knowing where I am heading in a tune and what notes or Patterns to play. I will Surely look into this further. Thanks for the info!
Ellie

Ellie

brya31 - Posted - 10/23/2008:  08:59:07

Jess, Would this book be good for someone who is just picking up the fiddle? Or is it for folks who can play the fiddle fine, but just cant play it by ear?

JessicaRose - Posted - 10/23/2008:  12:57:01

It is designed for people who have never held an instrument before. I encourage you to pick it up. There are a bunch of instrument-specific videos and mp3s on the website to supplement the book, too. -Jess

I pick, therefore I grin.

Hi Strung - Posted - 10/24/2008:  07:01:19

Looks like another book to add to my library. Thanks Jess!


God put a fiddle in my hands
and told me to play.

banjerluke - Posted - 10/24/2008:  12:05:38

My family and I wrote this book; the result of nearly ten years of developing our own music learning method. I'm happy to see it being mentioned here! We've found it not only a great way to start with playing the fiddle (or other instrument), but it tends to help fiddlers at playing by ear, and understanding what the heck is going on when that happens. (Not to mention switching keys easily.)

Spurred on by Ellie's comment, we've now put almost half of Get Started up for free online viewing.
Just go to http://www.playingbyear.com/products/get-started and click "Look Inside!" (left-hand side)

Note that you can't listen to the CD online yet, but you can hear how Shady Grove (the first song used in the book) sounds by clicking here: http://www.playingbyear.com/songs/shady-grove

Also, as you're checking out the book online, open another browser window and load up the free videos; they're designed to go along with Get Started:
http://www.playingbyear.com/resources/videos

And finally, there are actually 360 free Song Clips, all accessible here: http://www.playingbyear.com/songs
A five-CD set of 100 of these songs is in development; hopefully it'll be out by the end of the year.

If you have any questions for me, please just reply here, or contact us directly here: http://www.playingbyear.com/contact

Cheers,
Luke Abbott

p.s. - Thanks, Jessica. :-)

Edited by - banjerluke on 10/24/2008 12:09:14

JessicaRose - Posted - 10/24/2008:  12:31:42

My pleasure, Luke! I just started working on moving the songs around to the different keys. It took me about a day of chewing it over and poking around at it, but now I am getting a handle on it. Very fun; very cool. I can now play Fly Around My Daisy in any key you care to name! (Um...just give me 10 minutes or so to find the 1 first.) :D

I pick, therefore I grin.

brya31 - Posted - 10/25/2008:  10:59:16

Thanks for the info! I will put this book on my christmas list!

playmorebluegrass - Posted - 10/26/2008:  17:25:59

Thanks for sharing information about this book. I will put it on my wishlist!!

brya31 - Posted - 10/27/2008:  14:10:11

Ok Jess, curiousity has gotten the better of me, I ordered the book today!