Tune book i recommend

[JeffD]

I just got my copy of "Old Time Kentucky Fiddle Tunes" by Jeff Todd Titon, published by the University Press of Kentucky.

This is not your standard "tune book". It is a hardcover scholarly book on Kentucky old timey fiddle music, featuring transcriptions of many of the tunes. And it is jammed full of really lovely tunes. 170 of them, in standard notation, with some history about each one and the players and the musical traditions they come out of. I haven't played them all, but just sitting here for a half an hour picking at random and I found five or six tunes I just love. Stuff I will share tomorrow night at the jam.

It comes with a CD, but my CD player went belly up fins out last night, so I don't know what is on it. With or without the CD the books is wonderful.

There is a lot here I haven't heard before, but that upon playing I can't imagine how I lived without. Get a copy and let the music out.

[Perry]

Yes; I've long been a fan.....It's a great book to leave around the house. The intro is a fine read too.

I really enjoy just picking it up and trying a tune.
Some favs so far from the book:

Black Jack Grove
Blackberry Blossom (the old version)
Grandma went to party with her shoes on (or something like that)



Check the Berea archives

you may be able to hear examples of the the tunes that are not on the CD which is most of them.

Glad someone else likes this book as much as me!

You might like Marion Theade's book too though not hardcover
and the notation is not as "clean". Theades book is interesting in that there are two versions of tunes with alternate tunings; one as written and one as played.

[jaydee]

That's funny, I just got this book a few days ago and I think it's wonderful. I love scholarly stuff like this, and it's got tunes to boot. What's not to love?

It looks like Amazon is out of them now. Did you get the last one Jeff?

Jeremy

[JeffD]

You might like Marion Theade's book too though not hardcover
and the notation is not as "clean". Theades book is interesting in that there are two versions of tunes with alternate tunings; one as written and one as played.

I have that one. Yes its great. My copy is so beat up I may need to buy another copy.

I especially like that she writes out tunes as played - so I don't have to do the finger twisting exercises of alternate tunings.

[JeffD]

Well the report from the field is: wow. I have played through the book, and most of the tunes are great, some are wonderful and have been copied into my notebook.

Sitting around on a rainy weekend afternoon with my mandolin, a new tune book, and a beer - I thought I had died and gone to heaven.