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Old time (also spelled old-time or oldtime) fiddle is the style of American fiddling found in old-time music. Old time fiddle tunes are derived from European folk dance forms such as the jig, reel, breakdown, schottische, waltz, two-step, and polka.
The phrase “old-time” describes the music played on fiddles and banjos in the United States before the 1940s. This music can be played on solo instruments or by small ensembles known as string bands. A typical string band might contain fiddle, banjo, guitar, mandolin, ukulele, and string bass. Old-time music is mostly dance music.
- Fiddling
- The Historical Record to 1900
- The Recording Age: 1920 - 75
- The Revival
- Composition and New Directions
- Bibliography
Fiddling (also known as Country, Folk, Celtic or Old Time fiddling, Old Time Music, or by cultural or regional names, eg, Scottish, Cape Breton, Ukrainian-Canadian, French-Canadian, Acadian, Newfoundland, Ottawa Valley, Down-East, Aboriginal, First Nations, Inuit, or Métis fiddling, among others). Until about 1960, fiddling was the principal medium...
The earliest written record of violins in Canada that we know of comes from the Jesuit Relations of 1645: at a wedding on 27 November in Québec "there were two violins for the first time," and, at Christmas the same year "Martin Boutet played the violin." Although reports of fiddling are rare over the next 100 years, there are many references to "v...
The advent of recording and radio in the early 20th century had a dramatic effect on older fiddling traditions. Wide dissemination and the appeal of the new media inspired great imitation, creating a somewhat artificial hierarchy between those fiddlers who were heard on radio and records and those who weren't. This led to a new class of "profession...
The noticeable decline in interest among youth led to concerted action in many areas. Clubs, contests, jamborees, camps, classes, festivals and cultural organizations were formed throughout the country as the Saturday night dance, which had been the mainstay of the tradition, declined. In Québec in the 1970s, folk music and fiddling became associat...
The first published collection of new Canadian fiddle tunes seems to have been The Cape Breton Collection of Scottish Melodiesby fiddler Gordon MacQuarrie in 1940. As a corollary to recording and broadcasting success beginning in the 1930s, many groups and performers also began to publish tune collections, starting with the Cornhuskers Series relea...
Chartrand, Pierre, ed. Danse et musique traditionnelles du Quebec, vol 1. (Quebec 1999) Copeland, Gary. Fiddling in New Brunswick: The History and Its People(Moncton 2006) Dunlay, Kate and Greenberg, David.Traditional Celtic Violin Music of Cape Breton(Toronto 1986) Hart, Laurie and Sandell, Greg. Danse ce soir: Fiddle and Accordion Music of Quebec...
- OLD JOE CLARK. This is a classic tune which every fiddler learns - it’s a good beginner's way of getting to sound fiddley. You play the melody on one string, and use the open string next to it as a drone, which creates a double stop.
- ARKANSAS TRAVELER. Composed in the 19th century by Colonel Faulkner, this was once heralded as Arkansas’s state song. This is a great rendition because it features several legendary fiddle players, hosted by the great Marc O’Connor.
- SOLDIER’S JOY. Originating from Scotland, this classic melody it is played by nearly every fiddle player, and is one of the oldest tunes with many variations.
- SALLY GOODIN. This is the tune that put fiddling on the map in America through Eck Robertson’s original recording, which is documented in Nashville as one of the first exhibits in the Country Hall of Fame.
Pumpkin Vine (Jimmy Wheeler G) Get the Book: Printed collection of 522 Old-Time. Fiddle Tunes from this website - 320 pages, 8.5 x 11", spiral-bound, waterproof/tearproof cover, easy to read. standard notation including chords, 4th ed., Alphabetical from Abe to Zeke! No batteries required $45. Table of Contents Sample Page.
This is a series of videos teaching you how to play the standard tunes of old-time music on the fiddle. There will be two videos for every tune: the first up...
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Old-time: a pre-bluegrass string band style with country dance rhythms, including music from vaudeville, minstrel shows, British Isles folk traditions, early 78 RPM country recordings, old songs played on the fiddle, Appalachian modal tunes, and listening tunes unsuitable for dancing; Bluegrass: a musical style that originated with Bill Monroe ...
