Traditional Kentucky Fiddle Tunes for the mandolin?

[Eric Michael Pfeiffer]

I'm not sure if this is the right category to post this thread. I'm really interested in finding tabs and music for obscure fiddle tunes historically played throughout Kentucky, the home state of my family for many generations.
I know historically Kentucky has a rich heritage of old-time fiddle tunes and I'm thinking many of these would easily be able to be transposed over to the mandolin. Any resources out there that I could source to learn some of these old tunes? I believe there's one for old-time banjo but it would be great to find one to learn some of those old fiddle tunes on the mandolin....tunes traditionally heard down through the years at hoedowns and front porches through old Kentucky. There's a few that I vaguely remember hearing on the fiddle there as a kid notably "Liberty" "Banks Of The Ohio" and a few others...can't recall their names.

Thanks!

[billhay4]

You'll find plenty here (http://community.berea.edu/hutchinslibrary/specialcollections/kentuckymapsearch.asp).
Google is your friend.
Bill

[Randy Smith]

Eric, you might try Jeff Titon's *Old-Time Kentucky Fiddle Tunes*, which was published by the University of Kentucky in 2001. This contains notations of 170 tunes. Some are well-known ("Turkey in the Straw"); while others ("Turkey Gobbler," "Turkey in a Peapatch")are less known or not at all, depending on the reader/listener. The notations are printed clearly. This is a hardcover book but contains a cd of about twenty performances as well as lots of pages about Kentucky fiddling and fiddlers. If you're as interested in playing the mandolin as much or more than learning about Kentucky fiddling, you can learn the tunes from OTKFT.

[JeffD]

Eric, you might try Jeff Titon's *Old-Time Kentucky Fiddle Tunes*, which was published by the University of Kentucky in 2001. This contains notations of 170 tunes..

I second. This is a great book, both for the tunes, and for learning the history of them.

[Jim Garber]

You'll find plenty here (http://community.berea.edu/hutchinslibrary/specialcollections/kentuckymapsearch.asp).

The Berea site that Bill mentions is a treasure trove tho don't expect to find mandolin tabs. The best thing is to learn the tunes by ear. I also highly recommend Jeff Titon's book. In addition to the CD included in the book, Larry Warren has graciously provided 170 tunes (possibly the entire contents) in mp3 format for listening and downloading here (http://slippery-hill.com/Titon/). Be sure to donate to the site if you do download these tunes.

There are prob lots of other Kentucky tunes in the rest of that site (http://slippery-hill.com/) as well, but you may have to find and sort them out yourself. The Milliner-Koken Collection is a rather large book of notated fiddle tunes from all over, but you can hear mp3s of almost all of them here (http://slippery-hill.com/M-K/).

Of course, Bill Monroe came from Kentucky, so he should be included in this as well.

[Eric Michael Pfeiffer]

Thanks guys for these awesome responses! I'm gonna see about getting that book if I can...

[Jim Garber]

Titon Book (http://www.amazon.com/Old-Time-Kentucky-Fiddle-Tunes-Titon/dp/0813122007/ref=sr_1_3?ie=UTF8&qid=1383175634&sr=8-3&keywords=jeff+titon)

[Eric Michael Pfeiffer]

It's U$S40 a bit steep for me here in Argentina...but I'll see what I can do. Thanks for the links to the websites

[Randy Smith]

Also recommended are *Traditional Fiddle Music of Kentucky* Vols. 1 and 2 (Rounder CDs 037 and 0377). 39 and 38 performances, many by the fiddlers in Titon's book. Obviously no notations or tabs but nice notes for each tune.

The Titon book is expensive since it's a hardcover on a university press, but it would be worth the money if you're interested in traditionally KY fiddling. Anyone who reads notation is essentially buying a great tunebook w/ an accompanying cd. The book's a wonderful companion to the Berea site.

[Jim Garber]

Here are search results on bookfinder.com (http://www.bookfinder.com/search/?ac=sl&st=sl&ref=bf_s2_a1_t1_1&qi=EKDABXMtnOdA2ZgMpEi.QN6qp10_6817058155_1:4241:1 4170&bq=author%3Djeff%2520todd%2520titon%26title%3Dold-time%2520kentucky%2520fiddle%2520tunes). They include std shipping to US but you can change the shipping destination at the top of the page. Make sure that you get one with the CD in it.

[Eric Michael Pfeiffer]

Yeah I figured coming with a CD and a hardcover...it will last a long time. I like how it has a map of different parts of the state and the fiddlers and tunes common to those areas. I'm really interested in the Lebanon/Bardstown area and the Owensboro/Hartford-Beaver-Dam area as thats where my family roots are. Actually my mom is from Ohio county Kentucky...near Fordsville and not far from Rosine where Bill Monroe is from. I used to drive through Rosine as a kid with my popaw, way back before there was hardly anything there....except for that old store, it was always there. Used to stop in on our way to a little spot in the hills called "Neafus" over in Butler County to sell foxhounds. My popaw would buy me a DrPepper and a hamburger or Liverloaf sandwich in that store.
Anyways I digress....I really need to get my hands on this book and learn some of these old Kentucky fiddle tunes!

[Beth Tibbitts]

I know this is an old thread but a tremendous resource is the Cowan Creek Mountain Music School, and amazing week in eastern Kentucky where you will learn from the masters.
I have taken fiddle classes (instructor is also ace mando picker Don Rogers) and String band classes as well as mando class, when they have it. Jamming all afternoon and night with concerts and workshops from the masters, all concentrated on Kentucky tunes. John Harrod, Jimmy McCown, Erynn Marshall, Jesse Wells, Don Rogers among the many other instructors.
This year's camp just completed...it's the last week of June just outside of Whitesburg Kentucky. Gosh what a fun week it was. Can't wait till next year. A fair amount of posts are popping up on facebook from the week too.
http://cowancreekmusic.org/


I'm not sure if this is the right category to post this thread. I'm really interested in finding tabs and music for obscure fiddle tunes historically played throughout Kentucky, the home state of my family for many generations.
I know historically Kentucky has a rich heritage of old-time fiddle tunes and I'm thinking many of these would easily be able to be transposed over to the mandolin. Any resources out there that I could source to learn some of these old tunes? I believe there's one for old-time banjo but it would be great to find one to learn some of those old fiddle tunes on the mandolin....tunes traditionally heard down through the years at hoedowns and front porches through old Kentucky. There's a few that I vaguely remember hearing on the fiddle there as a kid notably "Liberty" "Banks Of The Ohio" and a few others...can't recall their names.

Thanks!