Violin / Fiddle Tutor Books

Fiddle and bagpipe tunes from the Scottish Highland repertoire. "The Fiddle Music of the Scottish Highlands". Famous bagpipe composers such as Donald MacLeod, George MacLennan, Peter R. MacLeod, Willie Lawrie and many more are represented in these volumes as well as contemporary tunes by present day pipers, fiddlers and accordionists (Bobby Macleod,Freeland Barbour, Addie Harper etc) who are all producing tunes in Highland bagpipe style. This is the music that has been popularised by such leading bands as Alasdair Fraser’s Skyedance, Capercaillie, Burach, Daimh etc and toured worldwide to represent Scottish music in all corners of the world. Most of these tunes are not available in fiddle settings in any other publication.

The award-winning Absolute Beginners method has been designed to make learning the Fiddle (Violin) easier than ever before!
Step-by-step pictures take you from first day exercises to playing your first complete songs.

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.

Volumes three and four of the Ceol na Fidhle - 'Highland Tunes for the Fiddle' series.

These are very popular tunes for fiddle taken for the bagipe repertoire. The books contain suggested bowings for fiddlers and chords for guitar or other accompanists and a great selection of 2/4 Pipe Marches, 6/8 Pipe Marches, Jigs, Reels, Slow airs, Hornpipes, Polkas, Strathspeys etc.

Many of these tunes are not available in fiddle settings in many other publication.

HIghland Tunes for the Fiddle. Another great selection of Highland fiddle and pipe tunes both old and new. It contains a wealth of tunes musicians have been looking for and couldn’t find!

This volume was issued ten years after finishing the original four volumes. After finding that I had collected a great many more pipe tunes over the intervening years and, as they were such good tunes, a further book was warranted to make these available to all the fiddlers and others out there looking for more good Highland tunes to play.

These represent some of the best Scottish pipe tunes being played today in Scotland.

The tunes in this tutor are mostly well known and this will encourage ear playing as well as reading.Exercises and photographs are included to help overcome difficulties found in the tunes. There are no age barriers in fiddling and this book is suitable for all beginners. Soundtrack included.

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.

A valuable and handy reference text for any fiddler. Contains scales and studies, modes, chord studies, bowing, vibrato, introductions, endings, patterns, licks, and etudes in the keys of G,A,B,C,E,F,B-flat, E-flat,A-flat,D-flat, and F sharp! Companion CD is split-track.

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.

A comprehensive tutor for both the absolute beginner and more advanced players who wish to develop their fiddling technique. Contains everything you need to know about the Irish fiddle, including scales, exercises and discussions on such areas as bowing and ornamentation, with a collection of 85 easy to play tunes, jigs, and reels.

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.

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.

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.

This volume builds on the techniques explained in Children's Fiddling Method Volume 1. While created with children in mind, this book is equally well suited for adults, violinists, and string teachers. 2 Cd's included.

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.

Contains the most frequently used basic chords, and covers practically every fiddling situation. Major, minor, diminished, augmented, seventh, minor seventh, and sixth chords are shown in detail.

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.

Part of the American Fiddle Method, this book has been devised by expert fiddlers Brian Wicklund and April Verch to teach fiddlers the Canadian style.

Designed for beginning fiddle students, these 36 lessons present basic techniques by applying them to fiddle tunes. Reading music is unnecessary, as the lessons are explained step by step, and fingerings are given for every note. Each version builds on the previous one and helps students to create their own arrangements

Killer Technique: Fiddle presents exercises designed to develop fluid left hand and bow technique. The exercises reinforce fundamental playing movements and stretch the reader's command of the instrument.