Great Fiddling Tunes - Celtic Gems


Book Description

Celtic Gems contains 103 of the most played and loved melodies from the Celtic tradition including 40 reels, 40 jigs, 10 slip jigs, 3 strathspeys, 2 Irish hornpipes and 8 airs and waltzes. Tunes of similar style are grouped with melodies that work well in sets, or medleys. Stylistic bowing and ornament ideas as well as suggested chord changes are included to give options in interpreting the tunes. The online audio recording of each tune includes the fiddle melody with guitar accompaniment. Includes access to online audio.




Celtic Gems for Cello


Book Description

Celtic Gems for Cello contains 68 of the most played and loved melodies from the Celtic tradition including 25 reels, 31 jigs, 8 slip jigs and 4 Irish hornpipes. Tunes of similar style are grouped with melodies that work well in sets, or medleys. Stylistic bowing and ornament ideas as well as suggested chord changes are included to give options in interpreting the tunes.




Newfoundland Fiddle Music in the 21st Century


Book Description

This meticulously researched anthology presents detailed biographies and transcriptions, including bowing, ornamentation, and accentuation of 39 fiddle tunes as played by 25 Newfoundland fiddlers from locations throughout the island. For unparalleled authenticity, the author’s live field recordings of each tune are available online, offering a unique perspective of the various types of tunes and techniques favoured by past and present Newfoundland fiddlers. Newfoundland, a former British colony, possesses a rich and varied cultural heritage due to its history of unique settlement patterns. Beginning in the 16th century, European migrants from Ireland, Scotland, West-Country England, and France settled on the island, bringing with them their various cultural practices, including their fiddles! This collection provides insight to the backgrounds, geographical locations, and musical preferences of the individual players, and how music-making and the role and status of Newfoundland fiddlers have evolved over time. The tunes included here vary from original compositions and revival collectors’ treasures, to reinterpreted versions of timeless Irish, Scottish, and French tunes. Together, they form a part of the modern-day Newfoundland fiddling tradition. This book will delight fiddle players and any musician who wishes to further enhance their repertoire and technique, or simply learn more about the island of Newfoundland and its music. Includes access to online audio.




The Craig Duncan Master Fiddle Solo Collection


Book Description

Presents 140 of the most frequently played tunes in old time fiddle contests as well as the most popular bluegrass, square dance and country tunes heard throughout the United States. the performance length arrangements of contest tunes include standard as well as challenging variations on hoe-downs, rags, polkas, show pieces, and waltzes complete with suggested accompaniment chords. This encyclopedia of fiddle tunes and variations spotlights American popular fiddle music as played by the great fiddlers of our time.




Scottish Fiddle Encyclopedia


Book Description

As part of the Mel Bay Encyclopedia Series, the purpose of this book is to offer fiddlers direct access to the gems of the genre. Composers represented in this volume span a three hundred year period including works by: Patrick MacDonald, Adam Craig, Capt. Charles Duff, Simon Fraser, Robert and Joseph Lowe, Robert MacIntosh, William Marshall, and J. Scott Skinner. Ms. Rideout's original compositions are also included. the tunes are listed in order by key signature to enable the fiddler to put sets together for performance, competition or session playing. This book contains extra marches and strathspeys unique to Scottish fiddling. the end of the book is dedicated to solo numbers consisting of piobaireachd (pibroch) and slow airs. the Scottish Fiddle Encyclopedia is an essential tune book for musicians interested in developing a deeper appreciation for genuine traditional Scottish fiddle music.




Play of a Fiddle


Book Description

Play of a Fiddle gives voice to people who steadfastly hold to and build on the folk traditions of their ancestors. While encountering the influences of an increasingly overwhelming popular culture, the men and women in this book follow age-old patterns of folklife and custom, making their own music and dance in celebration of them. Shedding new light on a region that maintains ties to the cultural identities of its earliest European and African inhabitants, Gerald Milnes shows how folk music in West Virginia borrowed rhythmic, melodic, and vocal forms from the Celtic, Anglo, Germanic, and Af.




Celtic Circles


Book Description

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. Performed on Scottish fiddle with gold medal piper Eric Rigler on the Great Highland bagpipe, Scottish smallpipes and uilleann pipes. Also accompanied by guitar, Celtic harp, viola da gamba, hammered dulcimer, bass and bodhran. Includes North Highland tunes from the Patrick McDonald Collection, 1784, pipe marches, strathspeys, jigs and reels, laments and traditional favorites.




Appalachian Fiddle Music


Book Description

Appalachian fiddle music, based on the musical traditions of the people who settled in the mountainous regions of the southeastern United States, is widely-known and played throughout North America and parts of Europe because of its complex rhythms, its catchy melodies, and its often-ancient-sounding stylistic qualities. The authors explore the lives and music of 43 of the classic Appalachian fiddlers who were active during the first half of the 20th century. Some of them were recorded commercially in the 1920s, such as Gid Tanner, Fiddlin’ John Carson, and Charlie Bowman. Some were recorded by folklorists from the Library of Congress, such as William Stepp, Emmett Lundy, and Marion Reece. Others were recorded informally by family members and visitors, such as John Salyer, Emma Lee Dickerson, and Manco Sneed. All of them played throughout most of their lives and influenced the growth and stylistic elements of fiddle music in their regions. Each fiddler has been given a chapter with a biography, several tune transcriptions, and tune histories. To show the richness of the music, the authors make a special effort to show the musical elements in detail, but also acknowledge that nothing can take the place of listening. Many of the classic recordings used in this book can be found on the web, allowing you to hear and read the music together.




Fiddle Music of Prince Edward Island


Book Description

Over 425 reels, jigs, set-tunes, waltzes, marches, strathspeys, and airs transcribed from the playing of traditional fiddlers make this a must have title




Great Fiddling Tunes - Early Music Gems


Book Description

Early Music Gems contains 49 tunes dating from 1300-1791, including Medieval, Renaissance, and ancient melodies as well as a "best of" John Playford's The Dancing Master. These delightful melodies are perfect for contradance, English country dance and concert settings. Suggested bowings, chords, tempos, and variations are included. An audio recording of each of the tunes includes the fiddle melody with guitar accompaniment. Includes access to online audio.




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