What's your new fiddle tune?

[Niavlys]

Worked on that last night; nice tune.

It's not really a fiddle tune, but I'm approaching it in the same vein: Chris Thile's version of Ookpik Waltz.

I love Frankie Rodgers' version too (see below). He's the composer of the tune, but it seems he recorded it in a quite different version than the one he wrote and was known via tunebooks (if I understand correctly). Thile's version is quite different too, and is played in A instead of G.



Even though it sounds probably much better on the fiddle, it's worth trying on the mando. Here's my attempt, recorded back in January (first time recording myself...):

[tmsweeney]

Nice playin - I think Ookpik qualifies as a fiddle tune, I've played it at large fiddle dominated jams so.....
I do like that Frankie Rogers, great stuff!

[wildpikr]

Nice playing - I like the intro.

[tmsweeney]

Got stuck on Gilderoy, and wound up with this

[wildpikr]

Sweet - I like the harmony.

[terzinator]

Also having a go at John Reischman's Itzbin Reel.

[terzinator]

C'mon people! Nothing new?

Just worked my way through Fred Keller's original: Fred Digs Up A Hornet's Nest.

Here's the original MP3.

It's a three-part tune in the Key of C. Love the B-part, which has a touch of Jerusalem Ridge, as well as a bit of Kitchen Girl about it.

Great tune.

[Mark Wilson]

Just into my second year and learning all the songs ya'll learned years ago.

Billy in the Lowground this week - Cherokee shuffle last week

[dusty miller]

Just into my second year and learning all the songs ya'll learned years ago.

Billy in the Lowground this week - Cherokee shuffle last week

I'm like you are Mark, still learning the fiddle tunes people start with. I clawhammer banjo Lost Indian and June Apple. On the mandolin front I'm STILL doing battle with Ashland Breakdown (I'm going to get this one down come heck or high water) and exploring different ways to play Salt Creek.

[woodwizard]

Old-time fiddle tune ... "Bull at the Wagon"
played on my 06 Goldrush
https://soundcloud.com/mike-parks-7/bull-at-the-wagon

[Richard J]

I'm working on The Swallowtail Jig.

[JeffD]

Just into my second year and learning all the songs ya'll learned years ago.

There are so many fiddle tunes, so very many, that someone been doing it for years is farther ahead like someone on the roof bragging about being closer to the moon.

[Robert Smyth]

Been learning Old Dangerfield except I can't seem to find Bill Monroe's version...not digitized I guess. Been using David Naiditch and Sierra Hull's version off of Bluegrass in the Backwoods. I use Todd Collins' Monroe Instrumentals book for the tablature.

Also been learning Doyle Lawson's Misty Morning off of The Bluegrass Album Band Volume 6. Very tasty!

[woodwizard]

Absolutely right JeffD... so many fiddle tunes and so little time to learn to play and enjoy them. I'm at the stage in my life that having the opportunity in the past to pick with some pretty experienced OT fiddlers here in Arkansas that I've heard first hand many tunes that took me a long time to finally learn and I'm still trying to learn them. One thing though is it seems because I've heard the tune so many times that when I get some good tab of the tune it seems to all come together somewhat. It get's me through the door some times. I can find a tune that I've never picked the melody but having played rythm many times for the fiddler that later in one setting of practice I pick it right up. This could be years down the road too but it just clicks and I get it. I can't tell you how enjoyable that is It's starting to come a little easier for me. All I can say to you guys just starting out enjoy it, practice a lot but really enjoy it. That will keep you going.

[Niavlys]

Is this what you're looking for? https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nxgj95rKtoc
Sierra Hull's version is a little bit different in the B part, but I think I like it even better.

[terzinator]

Been learning Old Dangerfield except I can't seem to find Bill Monroe's version...

If you can get ahold of Bob Grant's "Fiddle Tunes for Flatpickers: Mandolin" book and CD, it has a really good, clear, easy-to-follow version of OD. (As well as about 15 other tunes.)

That's the book I started with, and I still refer to it when I need to.

http://www.amazon.com/Fiddle-Tunes-F.../dp/0825687535

[JeffD]

so many fiddle tunes and so little time to learn to play and enjoy them. I'm at the stage in my life that having the opportunity in the past to pick with some pretty experienced OT fiddlers here in Arkansas that I've heard first hand many tunes that took me a long time to finally learn and I'm still trying to learn them.

The perfect jam is when about a third of the tunes are entirely new to me, another third are familiar but I don't have down, and the last third I can hold my own and give a good account of myself. Something like that. That is optimal.

[terzinator]

The perfect jam is when about a third of the tunes are entirely new to me, another third are familiar but I don't have down, and the last third I can hold my own and give a good account of myself. Something like that. That is optimal.

Agreed!

Although I'd probably prefer the number that are totally new to be lower. Only in that I'll want to learn them, and it's hard to have too many balls in the air! I want to feel like I'm at least gaining ground on something!

[Mark Wilson]

The perfect jam is when about a third of the tunes are entirely new to me, another third are familiar but I don't have down, and the last third I can hold my own and give a good account of myself. Something like that. That is optimal.

That would be sweet. I am still stuck towards the first two catagories. Seems when a song does hit that last scenario someones with a capo wants to play it in an unfamiliar for me key so they can sing along. Back to the first 2 again.

[terzinator]

That would be sweet. I am still stuck towards the first two catagories. Seems when a song does hit that last scenario someones with a capo wants to play it in an unfamiliar for me key so they can sing along. Back to the first 2 again.

FFcP for the win!

[JeffD]

The dynamics of the jam are all tangled up with this. When I am the new person in a jam, I like about a third of the tunes to be ones I can play, because I want to "establish my bona fides". If it is a group that mostly all know me and with whom I have played for years, I more enjoy smashing myself against new tunes. Even if over half of them are brand new to me.

I love that feeling that I will never exhaust this mine. And I love coming home from a jam or festival with homework assignments. Its like coming home from the library with an arm load of books to dig into.

But, as I say, my ego does enter into it when there are a lot of new people that don't know me.

[Mark Wilson]

If you can get ahold of Bob Grant's "Fiddle Tunes for Flatpickers: Mandolin" book and CD, it has a really good, clear, easy-to-follow version of OD. (As well as about 15 other tunes.)

Thanks for the tip - was even on sale on Amazon. Elderly sells it and lists 27 tunes in the index.

[Mark Wilson]

Jeff - if you don't mind saying - how long had you been at it before you began to feel comfortable taking breaks at typical jam speeds?

[woodwizard]

[QUOTE=terzinator;

I learned the version that Greg Clarke plays here:

That's the version all the fiddlers around here play and the way I play it ... one of my favorite tunes

[JeffD]

Jeff - if you don't mind saying - how long had you been at it before you began to feel comfortable taking breaks at typical jam speeds?

Well I am mostly a fiddle tune guy. Some bluegrass but not predominantly.

Another difference in my situation was that I was playing a several years before I discovered jamming.

And lastly I could read. I learned to read in grade school, on woodwinds.

So with all that, once I started jamming regularly I was able to play a few tunes up to speed within in a year of regular jamming, by working on those few a whole lot. I mean a whole lot. Say three tunes in seven months of jamming, something like that. Other tunes I would get bits and pieces and gradually the pieces would fill in.

That said, I think sometimes that jam speeds are ridiculously high sometimes, and when folks are panting after some ripsnorting tunes, I will often start a slow waltz or an aire, just to balance it out.