Definitely sounds like something from the Lone Star state. I like it!
The Fiddle Thread
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Loved your Lone Star Rag recording! I could listen to that kind of music all day. Fiddle sounding super clean in this one. At around :31 &:44 that sounds very cool.
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Thanks all!
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Tried some Washington County tonight. Both breaks come from a performance by Justin Branum at the Station Inn (he teaches them on his website).
This was recorded into my vocal mic. It gives a much “closer” sound…not sure I like it better, but it sounds much more like what I actually hear when playing, so it’s very realistic. Hmmm…“realistic” just doesn’t sound complimentary to me 
Comments or advice welcomed, as always.
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Late to hear this but could just listen and listen to this. As large and ungainly as I am fail to see how I would not at least badly dance to this!
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thanks,Glad you liked it! Kenny Baker out out some good music.
OK, stupid question time… When I’m at a jam with a fiddle player, they seem to be doing something akin to mandolin chop sometimes when they’re not taking a break. Are they just bowing the root note of the chord on the two and the four or is it something more complicated than that? Also, what is that called?
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Yep, a fiddle chop! The simplest explanation is it’s a tiny lift/upbow on the chord tones on 1 and 3 and then an emphasized muted downbow on 2 and 4. A little tricky to get the hang of.
There are, of course, folks that take it “just a bit” further…
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…took that big ol’ train an awfully long time to get moving.
Anybody have recommendations for online fiddle instruction they have used?
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Hi @Shad A few years back a friend @BanjoBen 's was planning to teach fiddle. Maybe Ben can put you in touch.
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I would recommend artistworks for the best way to learn. Also Bluegrass Daddy is a nice site like this one. (Coming from the worst fiddle player on @BanjoBens forum.)
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I’ve done Darol Anger’s Artistworks course in the past as well as BluegrassDaddy, though my fiddle playing is probably the worst possible advertisement for either of them. 
@Dragonslayer is a better advertisement (actually, I believe he may be available for private lessons online. Great way to support your national dragon slayer committee)…
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Thanks for the replies! My wife took some fiddle lessons a few years ago, and then life got busy and she stopped. We went to see a really awesome concert last week and also listened to a bunch of bluegrass on a road trip to Moab over the weekend, and she mentioned she was contemplating doing some lessons again and asked me if Banjo Ben offered fiddle. I knew some of you guys might have the inside scoop on online fiddle lessons.
@Timothy_L and @Michael_Mark - I was definitely wondering about the Artistworks lessons for fiddle. It looks like Darol Anger and Brittany Haas both have a course on there. I know they are both incredible musicians, but I have no idea whose teaching style might fit better for my wife. I believe there are some sample lessons on there to check out. I am doing the bluegrass vocals course with Michael Daves right now, and while I still suck, I have made a lot of progress!
About a year ago, I found a deal to get a free month of fiddle lessons on Peghead Nation from Chad Manning, and I worked through a few of those myself. I would say they were good, but I feel like there might be something better out there. I did learn how to play Angeline the Baker (very poorly), confirmed that fiddle was awesome but very difficult and went right back to playing banjo. I think you could definitely learn to play fiddle from the Peghead Nation lessons, but Ben’s lessons are way more engaging and entertaining.
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I started with Artistwork’s Darol Anger class about a month ago. I like Darol’s approach. He is an amiable guy, phenomenally talented and has enough knowledge to talk about any aspect of playing. He is a great teacher (not every great player is). I have watched his video responses to various players and he seems equally adept at teaching a newbie or an experienced player. The approach is a bit different at Artistworks (compared to Ben’s) in that the video submission is the big focus. The video lessons are a bit less focused and polished, but I am ok with with it. Ben has set the bar pretty high in that regard. Darol’s approach is great in that there are ideal ways to approach things he teaches, but he also leaves room for variations from person to person. In short, I am very happy with Darol’s class thus far. I do like Ben’s site better, but he doesn’t teach fiddle.
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I’m a student of the violin/fiddle and play mandolin as well. They are tuned the same so tunes or songs that you learn on one can be played on the other (sort of). Violin requires a lot of movements and positions that are not typical. A teacher will look at everything at the same time and help you develop the form necessary. It’s difficult through online lessons to get all you need when just starting out. After that, going online is the probably the only way to get different styles and learn new tunes. Even learning by ear requires an in person give and take. Don’t’ be afraid to be the only adult student for a local Suzuki teacher!
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Hello. I have a friend who teaches violin at a local music school and she also plays violin in the local orchestra.
She mentioned that she has some students who want to learn fiddle, not just violin, and want to learn how to improvise and play in a jam session, and both she and they struggle on how to do that after they learn the violin the classical way.
I showed her Banjo Ben’s website and said that he teaches a lot of what she was talking about – licks in different keys and he discusses how to add them into songs you already know, and also things like how to play introductory bars before a song (potatoes) so that everyone can get in synch before they jump in. It’s just that Ben doesn’t teach fiddle.
Does anyone have any recommendations for an online fiddle player / site / offline book that would cover that sort of information, some licks and how to improvise and add them in?
Many thanks in advance,
-Camille
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https://www.amazon.com/Mel-Guide-American-Fiddling-Book/dp/0786607335
This book was written with violinists in mind. The author studied violin all through school and simultaneously learned fiddle from his grandpa. He is currently professor of violin at Furman University.
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I am doing online lessons for fiddle from Darol Anger at artistworks. I think he is really good and is comfortable talking from both sides (fiddly/violinny) of the learning instrument.
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Grandes consejos para todas las personas que estamos aprendiendo también a tocar el violín. Aprovecho para dar las gracias también por crear este foro. Ojalá algún día Ben pueda poner profesor y unos vídeos de bluegrass violín!:sonrisa:
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