Close to Five Months

Premier Sponsors

We use cookies to ensure that we give you the best experience on our website. If you continue, we will assume that you agree to our privacy policy which includes details of cookie usage. Hide this notice

Posted by Andah1andah2 on Sunday, March 7, 2010

As I get close to 5 months of playing, i am both happy of how far I'm come in a relatively short period of time, while I marvel at how far there is to go.

I'd like to list for myself the tunes that I've gathered and play regularly at this point:

Redwing

Soldier's Joy

Shoo Fly

Liza Jane

Waterbound

La Bastringue

Southwind Waltz

Johnny Cope

Over the Waterfall

Angeline the Baker

I've been focusing on a few particulars lately. Working on using the pinky to build strength, using shuffles rather than sawstroke all the time, and including double stop practice each day. My next tune, other than was it assigned by my teacher, might be either Shove that pigsfoot, Gaspe reel, or Road to Boston. I will learn a bunch of new england style tunes because that is what is played a lot around here and at my jam.

There has been some talk about regional styles on the forum site and I must say that I am really liking the style of the Ozarks. I got the Ozark fiddling book with CD that has been mentioned and really like it. I'm not sure how to describe it but I like the fast moving, rustic style of many tunes. Willott's Hornpipe is my favorite on that CD and really illustrates the style I want to play. It sounds like something Melvin Wine would play often, and his version of "Hey Aunt Katie theres a bug on me" on youtube is great.

7 comments on “Close to Five Months”

bj Says:
Sunday, March 7, 2010 @11:48:45 AM

Loggieville Two Step gets played up your way a lot, at least that's what was reported back from the last Maine Fiddle Camp. You might give that one a try. My jam group loves that tune! It's a good one for learning how to add lilt and swing to your playing.

Good tune list for only 5 months! The more tunes you learn, the easier it is to learn the next one.

Melvin Wine was a WV fiddler, btw. ;-)

mudbug Says:
Sunday, March 7, 2010 @2:34:53 PM

Wow, has it been 5 months already, Stew? Congrats on sticking through the worst, and working up your songlist. It'll just keep getting better and better from here on out.

fiddlefire Says:
Sunday, March 7, 2010 @3:58:20 PM

That is a very good repetuar for a beggining. Good basics to stick to.. Hey best of luck and let that fiddle take you to a great comfort zone. Thats theropy!

brya31 Says:
Sunday, March 7, 2010 @4:37:53 PM

Looks good Stew!

Cyndy Says:
Monday, March 8, 2010 @5:28:16 AM

That's a nice list of tunes there. I haven't seen the Ozark fiddle book but I have all three volumes of Traditional Fiddle Music of the Ozarks and I've been listening to it a lot lately. I'm not sure how to describe it, but I like it, too. There's just something about the style . . . Cynthia