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ALASKA TRADITIONAL MUSIC CAMP Fiddle Classes 2009
Basic Fiddle Technique (Gretchen Priest) – This class is designed to help you be a better fiddler no matter what style of music you like to play. Gretchen will teach good playing habits such as holding the fiddle in a healthy posture and holding the bow. She will also cover how to get a desired sound or “pulling tone,” long bow/shuffle bowings, fingerboard technique and other topics requested by students.
Oldtime Fiddle I (Mark Weems) – This is a beginning fiddle class using the North Carolina fiddle style. Learn standard Round Peak (Western North Carolina/Southwestern Virginia) fiddle tunes, emphasizing the area’s heavy down bow stroke style. We will also learn techniques and tunings of the rare art of singing while you fiddle.
Oldtime Fiddle II (Sammy Lind) –Tunes will be taught by ear, breaking them down phrase by phrase, emphasizing bowing to get the desired sound.
Oldtime Fiddle III (Sammy Lind) –This advanced class will expand on previously learned tunes and bowing techniques. Alternate tunings will also be explored during the sessions. Repertoire will include fiddle tunes from Northern Virginia, West Virginia, Kentucky, North Carolina, Missouri and Southern Illinois.
Irish Fiddle I (Rose Flanagan) – I’ll explain and demonstrate the basic tune types and what makes “Irish” music distinct from other types of fiddle music. Learn a few tunes, get advice on how to learn more on your own, and get a little one-on-one help with a tune you already know. Bring a recording device.
Irish Fiddle II (Rose Flanagan) – This class will focus on Irish rhythm and ornamentation. We will learn representative types of tunes – reels, jigs, polkas, hornpipes, slides, etc. Bring a recording device.
Irish Fiddle III (Rose Flanagan) – This class is for people already familiar with the basic techniques of Irish ornamentation – grace notes, bowed triplets, and rolls. We will focus on specific bowings, learn to incorporate ornamentation, swing into more difficult tunes, and explore the ways of varying tunes. Bring a recording device.
Bluegrass Fiddle I - (Brian Christianson) Fiddlers will learn basic bluegrass fiddle tunes along with their chord structures and arpeggios. Students will learn the shuffle bowing and the basic double stops of standard fiddle hoedowns, and will also work on how to pull a good, strong tone and get the best sound out of their instruments.
Bluegrass Fiddle II (Gretchen Priest) – Gretchen will teach tunes with a basic shuffle, Georgia shuffle, and maybe even the double shuffle. Depending on time and interest, a tune in 3rd position could be taught.
Bluegrass Fiddle III (Brian Christianson) – This class is intended for more advanced players. Students will learn how to construct a bluegrass fiddle solo, work on more advanced double stops, and phrasing within fiddle bowings. This class will move along at a faster pace than Bluegrass Fiddle II. Students who are not up to this level of playing may still obtain valuable information by just sitting in and listening. No sheet music will be available for students in this class so bring your tape recorders. Good ear training skills are a must.
Swing Fiddle (Brian Christianson) – Fiddlers will work on popular swing and western swing tunes and learn swing chord progressions. Improvising will also be looked at after tunes are learned and passed around in a class jam session. This class is for players in all skills levels with good ear training skills.
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