Summer Fiddle Club!
Look below for information about summer fiddle club. If you miss a day, check and see what we have done, and practice what the group was working on. You can always work ahead, and have fun this summer!!
This year!!
What We Did...
8/3 - Today we had all cellos! We played through all the songs several times with the recordings, and then jumped to Finnegan's Wake for a little bit of fun. Next week is our LAST WEEK :(
7/28 - Today we discussed how to simplify the break, or enhance the tune, to get a little more complicated, without getting lost. We did this with all the songs, and added the guitar to most of them.
7/21 - Today we worked through all the pieces, and since we had all strong players attend, played things faster than normal. We worked on the breaks and did a mini jam session.
7/14 - Today we started with Battle Cry, and worked through it a lot. we focussed on trying to add any of the enhancements from last week, and also working with the difficult rhythms. We then worked on adding the guitar to the song. We went through the other two songs as well, with the same ideas in mind. For Cripple Creek, we worked with the performance recording, and tried to play the tune when the break was happening, and the break when the tune was playing. It was hard, but also fun!
7/7 - Today we talked a lot about enhancements we can do to the tune, break, or backup parts. The image below is what we came up with, and we worked each tune with these in mind. We also reiterated how to slow down or speed up the music through the recordings.
7/28 - Today we discussed how to simplify the break, or enhance the tune, to get a little more complicated, without getting lost. We did this with all the songs, and added the guitar to most of them.
7/21 - Today we worked through all the pieces, and since we had all strong players attend, played things faster than normal. We worked on the breaks and did a mini jam session.
7/14 - Today we started with Battle Cry, and worked through it a lot. we focussed on trying to add any of the enhancements from last week, and also working with the difficult rhythms. We then worked on adding the guitar to the song. We went through the other two songs as well, with the same ideas in mind. For Cripple Creek, we worked with the performance recording, and tried to play the tune when the break was happening, and the break when the tune was playing. It was hard, but also fun!
7/7 - Today we talked a lot about enhancements we can do to the tune, break, or backup parts. The image below is what we came up with, and we worked each tune with these in mind. We also reiterated how to slow down or speed up the music through the recordings.
6/23 - Today we worked through each piece a lot with the recordings. While doing this we also talked about how to slow down or speed up the song, so we can practice it at our pace. We decided what part we wanted to focus on, and how to transition from part to part.
6/15 - Today we picked out our music for this summer! Below are tools you can use to help you along the way, and stay tuned to see what each week brings!
6/15 - Today we picked out our music for this summer! Below are tools you can use to help you along the way, and stay tuned to see what each week brings!
Cripple Creek - Practice Version
Cripple Creek - Performance Version
Swallowtail Jig- Practice Version
Swallowtail Jig- Performance Version
Battle Cry of Freedom - Practice Version
Battle Cry of Freedom - Performance Version
Cripple Creek - Performance Version
Swallowtail Jig- Practice Version
Swallowtail Jig- Performance Version
Battle Cry of Freedom - Practice Version
Battle Cry of Freedom - Performance Version
Cripple Creek
Swallowtail Jig
Battle Cry of Freedom
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LyJEbCBCylQ
2021 Info
Here are the songs we are working on this summer! Click on each song to listen to it. You can also download it and take it with you! If you are looking for performers online to watch, be aware that the versions may be different, so watch the music carefully!
Si Bheag Si Mohr - Practice Version
Si Bheag Si Mohr - Performance Version
Ash Grove Practice
Ash Grove Performance
More Ash Grove Clips
Road to Boston
WHAT WE DID!!!
8/10
Today was our last class :(. We had a little party, and went through each piece several times. We worked through all the aspects we talked about the past few weeks, and enjoyed every moment!
8/3
Today we went through all 3 pieces, working on the ways to enhance the tune, working through the break, and the backup/bass parts. We also added the guitar and mandolin to each song, and had the electrics out as well.
7/27
Today we had independent time all day because we had several people on vacation.
7/20
Today we reviewed the concepts from last week first, and then discussed how these same concepts can be used on the back-up parts in moderation to expand the harmony parts. We did a lot of playing of lines, and used each run through to review what we discussed last week.
7/13
Today we learned how to make the Tune more difficult. We talked about Flickers, Slides, Turns, Subdividing, and adding scales to the melody. Then we worked on the backup parts. Finally we worked through what the guitar chords mean, and how to read them and play along with the melody.
7/6
Today we started with Ash Grove, working on the tune in small chunks. We worked with the recording several times, then pulled apart measures we are struggling with and worked with them separately, so we can become more confident with them.
Next we went to Road to Boston, and played with the recording several times.
6/22
Today we worked through Si Bheag in great detail, working through the finger patterns, time signature, hard rhythms, and played through several times. We then did the same (in a shorter amount of time) with the other 2 songs.
6/15
Today we went through the pizza form, collected emails, got basic information out, and picked pieces! Next week we will dive into music and play a lot!
Today was our last class :(. We had a little party, and went through each piece several times. We worked through all the aspects we talked about the past few weeks, and enjoyed every moment!
8/3
Today we went through all 3 pieces, working on the ways to enhance the tune, working through the break, and the backup/bass parts. We also added the guitar and mandolin to each song, and had the electrics out as well.
7/27
Today we had independent time all day because we had several people on vacation.
7/20
Today we reviewed the concepts from last week first, and then discussed how these same concepts can be used on the back-up parts in moderation to expand the harmony parts. We did a lot of playing of lines, and used each run through to review what we discussed last week.
7/13
Today we learned how to make the Tune more difficult. We talked about Flickers, Slides, Turns, Subdividing, and adding scales to the melody. Then we worked on the backup parts. Finally we worked through what the guitar chords mean, and how to read them and play along with the melody.
7/6
Today we started with Ash Grove, working on the tune in small chunks. We worked with the recording several times, then pulled apart measures we are struggling with and worked with them separately, so we can become more confident with them.
Next we went to Road to Boston, and played with the recording several times.
6/22
Today we worked through Si Bheag in great detail, working through the finger patterns, time signature, hard rhythms, and played through several times. We then did the same (in a shorter amount of time) with the other 2 songs.
6/15
Today we went through the pizza form, collected emails, got basic information out, and picked pieces! Next week we will dive into music and play a lot!
2019 Information
Click on the songs below to listen to what we are working on in class!!
We played Cripple Creek, Swallowtail Jig, and Battle Cry of Freedom this summer!
We played Cripple Creek, Swallowtail Jig, and Battle Cry of Freedom this summer!
What Did We Do??
8/7
We have been offline for a few weeks, and it is time to update! We have discussed
7/10
Today we started with Swallowtail, working through the tune. The first half is pretty solid, but more focus is needed for the second half. We then went to Cripple Creek, and got the tune together, in tune, and faster. We added in the break (Hosler) and worked the break individually. For Battle Cry, we got through the tune and worked the rhythms a lot. We ended with a description of what the parenthesis notes mean.
6/26
Today we got the pizza form sent out... FILL IT OUT!! We also looked at the website, so we know what we missed.
6/19
Today we picked pieces, signed up for Remind, and started looking through music. We had difficulties with the internet, so we should be able to review pizza and website sign up next week!
We have been offline for a few weeks, and it is time to update! We have discussed
7/10
Today we started with Swallowtail, working through the tune. The first half is pretty solid, but more focus is needed for the second half. We then went to Cripple Creek, and got the tune together, in tune, and faster. We added in the break (Hosler) and worked the break individually. For Battle Cry, we got through the tune and worked the rhythms a lot. We ended with a description of what the parenthesis notes mean.
6/26
Today we got the pizza form sent out... FILL IT OUT!! We also looked at the website, so we know what we missed.
6/19
Today we picked pieces, signed up for Remind, and started looking through music. We had difficulties with the internet, so we should be able to review pizza and website sign up next week!
2018 Information
Click on the songs below to listen to what we are working on in class!!
La Valse Des Jeunes Filles Practice
La Valse Des Jeunes Filles Performance
Soldier's Joy Practice
Soldier's Joy Perfomance
Buffalo Gals Practice
Buffalo Gals Performance
East Tennessee Blues - Practice Version
East Tennessee Blues - Performance Version
La Valse Des Jeunes Filles Performance
Soldier's Joy Practice
Soldier's Joy Perfomance
Buffalo Gals Practice
Buffalo Gals Performance
East Tennessee Blues - Practice Version
East Tennessee Blues - Performance Version
7/30
Today we worked through country music from the 30's through to today. We will work through pop music next week and see the similarities and differences. Then we worked through all pieces in order and did both the fast and slow versions of all except La Valse.
7/23
Today we talked through blues and Jazz music and associated instruments and styles to them. We then took a review session for everything we have discussed. Next week we dive into Country and pop music! We then started with La Valse, and did it without the recording several times before adding the music in. We then went to Buffalo Gals and Soldier's Joy with the recordings. We left 5 minutes for Tennessee, and went through it a few times.
7/16
Today we worked through what Creole/Cajun (Southern) and Bluegrass (Northern) music were, showing that they are both a blend of USA culture with a part of their past heritage. We are planning on going through Blues and Jazz next week! We then started with La Valse, then went to Soldier's, Buffalo, and ended with Tennessee. We went through the practice versions and once through the performance version. We did also talk about a good incentive way to practice, WITH CANDY!! We will talk about it again next week!
7/9
Today we went through some more timeline of music history, working through country music in relation to fiddle and folk music. We then went through each piece and worked the practice versions a lot. We ended with 5 minutes of Tennessee.
6/25
Today we worked through a timeline of what the fiddle styles looked like over time, and discussed the difference between Folk music and Fiddle music. We will expand on that next week. We then worked on Buffalo Gals, both the tune and the backup. We worked through La Valse and Soldier's joy in the same way. Unfortunately we did not get to East Tennessee today :(
6/18
Today we reviewed how to sign up for pizza, picked music, and started working through Buffalo Gals. We looked at the website so we know where to go if we miss a week, and also discussed how each class will operate. We ended with a cool videos of Buffalo Gals.
Today we worked through country music from the 30's through to today. We will work through pop music next week and see the similarities and differences. Then we worked through all pieces in order and did both the fast and slow versions of all except La Valse.
7/23
Today we talked through blues and Jazz music and associated instruments and styles to them. We then took a review session for everything we have discussed. Next week we dive into Country and pop music! We then started with La Valse, and did it without the recording several times before adding the music in. We then went to Buffalo Gals and Soldier's Joy with the recordings. We left 5 minutes for Tennessee, and went through it a few times.
7/16
Today we worked through what Creole/Cajun (Southern) and Bluegrass (Northern) music were, showing that they are both a blend of USA culture with a part of their past heritage. We are planning on going through Blues and Jazz next week! We then started with La Valse, then went to Soldier's, Buffalo, and ended with Tennessee. We went through the practice versions and once through the performance version. We did also talk about a good incentive way to practice, WITH CANDY!! We will talk about it again next week!
7/9
Today we went through some more timeline of music history, working through country music in relation to fiddle and folk music. We then went through each piece and worked the practice versions a lot. We ended with 5 minutes of Tennessee.
6/25
Today we worked through a timeline of what the fiddle styles looked like over time, and discussed the difference between Folk music and Fiddle music. We will expand on that next week. We then worked on Buffalo Gals, both the tune and the backup. We worked through La Valse and Soldier's joy in the same way. Unfortunately we did not get to East Tennessee today :(
6/18
Today we reviewed how to sign up for pizza, picked music, and started working through Buffalo Gals. We looked at the website so we know where to go if we miss a week, and also discussed how each class will operate. We ended with a cool videos of Buffalo Gals.
2017!
Si Bheag Si Mohr - Practice Version
Si Bheag Si Mohr - Performance Version
Flowers of Edinburgh - Practice Version
Flowers of Edinburgh - Performance Version
Westphalia Waltz - Practice Version
Westphalia Waltz - Performance Version
Lannigan's Ball - Practice Version
Lannigan's Ball - Performance Version
East Tennessee Blues - Practice Version
East Tennessee Blues - Performance Version
August 9 - Today we reviewed the material from last week, and played through the fiddle set we worked out last week. We then watched some videos to end the day!
August 2 - Today we started by talking about chops, and how too accomplish them. We worked with them on Flowers, and played the practice and performance versions with them. Then we talked about creating a fiddle set, and zahk performed a set that he played at the Granville talent show last week. We looked at our music to see if any of them would fit into a set nicely. We worked through the rest of class, figuring out which set was the best, and we decided Flowers-Si Bheag-Lannigan's. There are 4 main things to look for when picking a fiddle set. 1. Starting and ending notes, 2. Similar styles, 3. Key signatures, and 4. Fast, Slow, Fast pieces. Thanks to all who helped make this set!!
July 26 - Today we started by talking about new age bluegrass, and how it has been coming back since the shift in country music. Country music shifted to a more pop centered feel around 2000, and since then, bluegrass music is on the rise, taking the place of the sounds that country music had long ago. We also related this to popular music, and the music of the 1990's when the shift happened.
We then added the mandolin to the mix, talking about the sound it makes, and the purpose in fiddle and bluegrass music. We went through all pieces, then took 15 minutes and tried out the mandolin and guitar if students wanted to. We ended with a few past songs that students picked.
We then added the mandolin to the mix, talking about the sound it makes, and the purpose in fiddle and bluegrass music. We went through all pieces, then took 15 minutes and tried out the mandolin and guitar if students wanted to. We ended with a few past songs that students picked.
July 19 - Today we did a lot of similar things to last week, but we added the guitar to the mix! We played all the songs for this year, and also added the guitar to them to see the difference in Timbre (or the overall sound).
July 12 - Today we reviewed the history of Fiddling, and went from Bluegrass up to Elvis Presley. We then went through the practice AND PERFORMANCE speeds of all the pieces, so prepare yourself for the speed of the performance tracks! We ended the day with some suggested songs, and played some pieces from the past.
July 5 - Today we went through all the music, talking about some various subjects. First, we talked more about the history of Fiddle music, incorporating Jazz, Ragtime, Blues, and the difference between old time and newage fiddle. We talked about the guitar chords, and back up part, and how to play both of them at the same time if able. We also talked about starting to memorize music, and ways we could do that easily. Finally, we talked about Slides in Lannigan's, and what notes we can slide to, and what ones we should not slide to.
JUNE 28 - Today we went through Si Bheag a lot, talking about the back-up line and also the guitar chords. We worked on how they fit into the melody, and what to do if the melody is too hard. We also talked about how to make the back-up part harder by using arpeggios and scales to fill in gaps. We then did the back-up part for Westphalia, Flowers, and Lannigan's. We did not play the blues at all this week. Please remember to put pizza on the google form, if you want any!
JUNE 14 - Today we signed up for REMIND, Got the GOOGLE FORM for pizza, PICKED MUSIC, RECEIVED BOOKS, and got general info about the summer. We picked the pieces above, and East Tennessee Blues is an advanced piece, so if you feel overwhelmed with the other music, do not worry about trying it! Hope to see everyone in 2 weeks, No class until June 28.
2016
CLICK BELOW TO HEAR THE SONGS WE ARE WORKING ON!!
Cripple Creek - Practice Version
Cripple Creek - Performance Version
Swallowtail Jig- Practice Version
Swallowtail Jig- Performance Version
Mari's Wedding - Practice Version
Mari's Wedding - Performance Version
Battle Cry of Freedom - Practice Version
Battle Cry of Freedom - Performance Version
For some additional fun!!
La Valse Des Jeunes Filles Practice
La Valse Des Jeunes Filles Performance
Aug 11 - Today we went through all the pieces, focussing on what we can do to make things more difficult if we are bored with the tune or the break. We made suggestions like: Memorize, Increase Speed, and playing double stops to enhance the melody. Playing double stops is the best and easiest way to make something harder, and make it sound cooler! At the end of the day we had request-a-song time!
July 28 - Today we started by playing Cripple from memory. We talked about taking steps into the break as well. Then we worked on Swallowtail, focussing on the tune, the time signature, and talked about the strength of the first note of each grouping. We then played JUST the strong beats with the recording, and talked about how we could change this NEW background part to make the song more interesting. We discussed using a drone to play long notes with the melody, double stops with the melody, changing the rhythm of this new background part, and also worked on CHOPS. We discussed different ways to play chops, and worked on mastering them. We then used this on Mari's wedding later, with the back up part along with the bass line in the cello part. We did get to Battle Cry, and ran through it a couple times.
July 21 - Today we went through all four mail pieces. We looked at Mari and looked at the similarities between the tune and the break, and noticed all the measures that were the same, or similar. We then talked about this similarity with all the other pieces. We worked through Mari with the recording and talked more about the other instruments involved, and played along with the Mandolin, and also played the break with the tune. Then we worked with Battle, talking more about the rhythms and their confusion. We then moved on to Swallowtail and worked through the tune and the break, noticing that the break is just a little harder than the tune in the beginning, and more of a harmony part on the second half. We ended the day playing Cripple from memory, and talked about why we are doing it by memory, and what advantages it has.
July 14 - Today we went through all four main pieces.
For Mari's Wedding, We went through both recordings, and played through it twice. Take a look at the break if it is not too challenging. Pay special attention to the grace notes. You can play them or decide not to for now, but eventually they will be needed.
For Battle Cry, we talked about two important items. First, the note in the parenthesis () is the note you play the SECOND time through, after you repeat, and the other notes around them are for the repeat. Also, pay special attention to the dotted rhythms. They should be LONG, short, and feel like you are saying LONG-TA-DAH on each set.
For Cripple Creek, please have the tune memorized for next week. It is not hard, but is needed to go to the next step.
For Swallowtail, work on making notes right as you play slow, and then speed up gradually. Speed can only be added once notes are right!
June 23 - Today we picked 2 of the pieces we will be working on this summer. Cripple Creek and Swallowtail Jig are both great pieces, and you can listen to them by clicking above on the song you want to hear. The practice version is slower, and the performance version has the break in it, about half way through. Enjoy!
I picked songs from the red book, and those are Mari's Wedding, and Battle Cry of Freedom. We will look at those next class!
2015
Soldier's Joy Practice
Soldier's Joy Perfomance
Buffalo Gals Practice
Buffalo Gals Performance
St. Annes Reel Practice
St. Annes Reel Performance
Ash Grove Practice
Ash Grove Performance
La Valse Des Jeunes Filles Practice
La Valse Des Jeunes Filles Performance
August 5 - Today we worked through all the songs, and all students NEED TO LOOK AT THE BACK-UP PARTS! We struggled through them. We then talked about some characteristics of fiddle music, and worked through some of the ways we can play a song to make it more interesting. We also talked about fiddle sets and how to make them.
July 29 - Today we worked through all the pieces, adding in the break to all the Tune and Back-up parts.
July 22 - Today we went through all the pieces, looking at the Tune and Back-up parts. We had a small group this week, so focussed on St. Annes reel the most, and then had a chance to look at some other songs in the books!
July 13 - Today we worked through all four songs, focussing on the back up parts more. Students should expect to be able to play the tune and back-up parts with the recordings, so we can play either part at will next week. We also started looking at a new song, La Valse, and students should be working through the tune for it!
July 8 - Today we worked through all four songs, looking at the TUNE for all of the songs, and the BACK-UP/BASS part for Ash Grove, Buffalo Gals, and Soldier's joy. We will try to put both parts together next week!!
July 1 - Today we worked hard on St. Annes TUNE, and went through all the other songs, looking at the tunes. The violins did Off She Goes and worked through the chord structures as well, for something different to do.
June 24 - Today we started off with Buffalo Gals, our new tune. We learned the tune and backup before going on to the tune and back up of the other three songs.
JUNE 17 - Today we worked on the first half of the tune to St. Annes Reel. We then looked at the first half of the tune to Ash Grove. Next we looked at the first half of Soldier's Joy before leaving. We set up Celly and we will meet at the HS from now on!