Teach Yourself Bluegrass Fiddle

Teach yourself authentic bluegrass fiddle with this book. The book contains clear instructions on the basics: bowing and left-hand techniques, solos, backup, personal advice on performance, and much more, as well as a complete selection of the best bluegrass songs to learn from. Written by Matt Glaser, chairman of the String Department at the Berklee College of Music in Boston since 1980.

This book will give the bluegrass fiddler an idea of the wide range of licks that are part of the repertoire. The licks included range from hardcore traditional to jazzy, urban progressive. Laid bare are those sizzling, audience-grabbing riffs that all fiddlers find irresistible. You will find this wealth of material arranged in sections that cover single-string licks, double stops, connecting klicks, kickoffs and tags, licks in upper positions, and even an entire chapter devoted to “Orange Blossom Special.” There are chapters here to interest the advanced player, and valuable introductory chapters on music theory and technique for the novice bluegrasser. To help put the licks in perspective, many are set into typical bluegrass songs and chord progressions. In addition, readers will find frequent reference to the outstanding players of today, such as Vassar Clements, Sam Bush, Kenny Baker, Bobby Hicks, and Kenny Kosek, as well as past masters like Scotty Stoneman and Benny Martin. The soundsheet, which features Mary Laster, includes many of the licks in the book, and demonstrates the finer points of nuance and execution. It is also a helpful supplement to the standard notation in the book.

A comprehensive guide to playing the fiddle, bluegrass and country style, from Gene Lowinger, who has played with Bill Monroe. With 29 bluegrass and 14 traditional tunes.

(Fiddle). This comprehensive collection of fabulous fiddle tunes includes reels, hornpipes, strathspeys, jigs, waltzes and slow airs.

Bluegrass Jamming on Fiddle will teach the tools, tricks and tunes to jam in bluegrass style. It covers: 31 bluegrass jam standards, how to jam with others, how to improvise and make up your own tasteful licks and fills, almost painless music theory, how to play harmony, how to transpose and play in different keys, and everything you'll need to march fearlessly into your next jam or picking session! This FUN book is fully illustrated with almost 200 vintage photos. Coming soon: Bluegrass Jamming on Banjo (available Winter, 2012) and Bluegrass Jamming on Guitar (available Spring, 2013). All the books in the series are 96 pages, 9" x 12" and teach the same 31 tunes. Each book includes an audio instructional CD.

With You Can Teach Yourself Fiddling, veteran Mel Bay author, Craig Duncan, has produced an excellent book for the beginning fiddler. Its 36 lessons teach basic techniques through specific exercises and traditional fiddle tunes. from holding the fiddle and bow correctly to playing moderately advanced tunes in double stops, Craig will guide you through each progressive step. Although it is not necessary to be able to read music at the start of this book, the author gradually introduces principles of effective note reading throughout. A unique feature of this book is that the same tune may appear in more than one lesson, increasing in difficulty with each recurrence. Each variation builds on the previous one and assists students in learning how to create their own arrangements. Even with some repetitions of the same tune, you'll find more than 50 popular fiddle tunes in the book's 80 pages. Check points and reviews keep you on track from cover to cover. the companion DVD/video covers the first 17 lessons from the book.

A compilation of 30 fiddle tunes ranging from folk to ragtime to gospel. Includes Skillet Good and Greasy; Rakes of Mallow; Cripple Creek; Leaning on the Everlasting Arms; and others. All tunes are presented in a theme-and-variations format. Guitar chords are included as are lyrics, where appropriate. Levity leapt over the lyrical in these fiddling favorites that set our father's feet to stepping and made them do their thing.