Violin / Fiddle Books

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

This book explains and shows in detail the various techniques used by fiddle players in creating a traditional style of playing. All the information is presented in the context of the music itself, with numerous transcribed and recorded examples, available exclusively online. It is aimed not only at the beginner, but also the fiddle-player (and indeed violinist) with some knowledge and experience who wishes to learn more. For those unable to read music, a chapter on notation is included. Particular emphasis is given to bowing and ornamentation, with individual chapters devoted to jigs, slides, polkas, hornpipes, airs and reels. The book also attempts to convey something of the excitement felt in playing music which has a large degree of improvisation, albeit within certain bounds. The online demonstration audio, which features a large selection of the transcribed tunes and ornaments performed by Cranitch, is an invaluable aid to learning, as it allows the listener to hear how the music and ornamentation should sound.

While one of a kind is a hard rating to achieve at Mel Bay Publications, Kevin Allison has done it with The Ceilidh Dance Book. A ceilidh is a traditional Scottish gathering where people share songs, stories, music, and dancing that is very much alive today. In Scotland, there are hundreds of ceilidh bands, each of which has their own trademark tune sets, making it possible for a man in a kilt to make a living as a performing musician. This book not only provides 85 Scottish tunes in sets as they might be used in a ceilidh event ”it also offers detailed, beat-by-beat descriptions of the dance steps for twenty-four dances! From The Highland Scottish to The Mooncoin Jig, with this book in hand, you'll be able to both play in the band and step to the music with the locals. The kilt is optional. Arranged for mandolin or fiddle with suggested chord backup, in standard notation only.

Teach yourself authentic bluegrass. Clear instructions from a professional; basics, bowing and left hand techniques, solos, backup, personal advice on performance and much more. Plus a complete section on the best bluegrass songs and tunes to learn from. The audio contains demos of the examples contained in the book and backing tracks for several songs.

This book shows how Mark adapted what he learned from Benny Thomasson to produce an original voice in fiddle tune variation, becoming the most celebrated fiddle in recent history. Contains meticulously accurate transcriptions of the album of the same name. Includes hoe-downs, schottisches, waltzes, jigs, rags and polkas. The text details the first phase of Mark's career, during which he established a new standard for old-time fiddling. Several of the arrangements are presented more than once, wi

The ultimate sourcebook for the traditional fiddler. Contains nearly 500 jigs, reels, rags, hornpipes and breakdowns from all the major fiddling traditions. Special introductory materials on regional styles, bowing and ornamentation. Includes an extensive discography.

Beginning with a section of easy arrangements of popular Cajun tunes, this book progresses to more difficult solos based on the playing of various fiddlers including Dewey Balfa, Michael Doucet, Doug Kershaw, and Rufus Thibodeaux.

This engaging book is filled with fiddle instruction, lyrics, tune histories, chords, playing tips, vintage photos, and more for learning to play the fiddle. A companion recording entitled "Southern Mountain Classics" is also available on CD.

Improvise with more expression and freedom in bluegrass and related styles. These ideas, exercises, and etudes will help you expand your palette of improvisational techniques and sounds. Develop your fingerboard versatility, and master harmonic and rhythmic ideas on the Violin.

The CD has demonstration and play-along tracks, performed by an all-star bluegrass band. You will learn to build solos using techniques such as: uncovering a melody's most defining notes, and using them in a new context; reharmonizing chords and changing modes; breaking down, rearranging and varying melodic and rhythmic cells; using position shifts, string crossings and double stops; drawing from tetrachords, guide-tone lines, and other constructs.

A great collection of folk songs arranged for violinists of Grade 2 to 3 standard to enjoy. There are simple piano accompaniments and the CD contains inspiring demonstration and play-along backing tracks.

This book and companion audio is intended to be a tune repertoire book. It includes over 100 Old-Time festival favorites. Some are cliche, others unusual, some easy, some difficult. This mandolin book includes two lines of standard notation -- basic and advanced - as well as a mandolin tab line that can be interpreted for fiddle also.

Play along with a lively Irish session, a spirited Ukrainian hopak, a tantalizing Arabic belly dance, a famous Italian tarantella, a joyous Klezmer hora, and over 50 other international favorites! This definitive book/CD sampler features vibrant folk music from North America, the British Isles, Western and Eastern Europe, and the Middle East.

A comprehensive resource to prepare intermediate and advanced cello students to play fiddle music. CD included.

Destined to become a classic, this method provides the beginner with the elements needed to become a proficient fiddler. Based on many years of teaching experience, the author introduces the concepts and techniques that yields solid results. This method encourages creativity in the student by including variations to the tunes and illustrating how they can serve as a basis for improvisation.

Fiddle Tunes for Banjo Made Easy is a collection of must-know, easy-to-learn bluegrass instrumental standards. Ross records each song at three speeds and also includes a rhythm backup track. The slow speed is ideal for hearing the notes clearly and being able to play along in rhythm; the medium speed is a perfect goal for the beginning and intermediate student while the faster speed demonstrates what the song can sound like with a hard, driving push. The tablature is large for ease of reading and includes accent marks for melody notes where needed. Ross also provides tips and suggestions for each song to save you valuable practice time. These are tips on the more challenging spots that Ross has learned firsthand from teaching these privately for many years.

Swedish fiddle music has been greatly influenced by the surrounding countries. Evidence of this can be found in the names of some types of tunes, such as Polska from Poland, Schottis (a schottische) from Scotland, and Engelska from England. Other popular types of tunes included in this collection are gånglåt which is a kind of march, brudmarsch which is a wedding tune, skänklåt which is played at weddings when gifts are given to the bride and groom, and vals (a waltz). With Swedish music being v

Inspired by the Celtic circles of ancient Scotland, Bonnie paints a musical picture through time, joining the heavens and earth to the cycles of everyday life.

This book is a follow-up to “Irish Fiddle Playing: A Guide for the Serious Player”.

Jazz Fiddle Wizard is a book/CD set tailored for string players who want to learn to improvise in the jazz tradition. The book contains practical theory lessons, presenting rhythms and scales that are immediately put to use. Concepts are introduced progressively, requiring comprehension of previously introduced techniques and terminology. Each lesson includes a theory section and an exercise or performance section.

Philip John Berthoud's Irish Fiddle Playing has been carefully designed to make the personal aspects of traditional Irish fiddle playing, improvisation and interpretation, accessible to novice players.

In his preface, the author reminds the reader that this is not a book for the absolute beginner. Even the experienced player may not "get it" on first reading a given tune, but "You can expect to enjoy the process of learning...[and experience] the joy of recreating a traditional tune, of making it your own." This is the teacher/student pact in effect throughout this marvellous book, written for the literary as much as the musical connoisseur. Although no classical Violin experience is needed, you will need to know how to hold the Fiddle and bow, and be able to play at least simple tunes in the first position.

This book presents a general survey of American Fiddling. The author's intent is to teach the basics of Fiddling by beginning with essential bowings and fingerings, and progressing from simple to more complex renditions of tunes. As Fiddling is an aural tradition and fiddlers from different parts of the country play a given tune in many ways, tunes included in this book are offered only as themselves. The author has attempted to present usable fingerings, bowings and explanations of each of the 49 tunes in this book. The end result is the most widely-used Fiddle-method available! The online audio is in split-track format, allowing the fiddler to play with the Fiddle solo, Guitar and/or Fiddle accompaniment, or both! Contains every tune in the book.

A complete beginner's guide to traditional fiddle styles. Learn authentic techniques while playing melodies. Includes techniques on the single shuffle, playing blues, double stops, how to buy a fiddle and how to read music.

As both a championship fiddler and superb teacher, Carol Ann Wheeler brings all her talents to bear in this fiddling book written especially for young children.