In a fiddle nutshell. The Americana fiddlin' tradition is now as old as the hills. Classical violin artists, who for the most part are reading musicians, often crossover into old timey fiddle tunes for a new challenge, which usually includes improvisation, a creative endeavor often left out of the classical performing skills.

There's a world of blues fiddlin' too, kind rare nowadays, but as the violin is so capable in so many ways; expressing joy and sorrows, longing and fulfillment, kick up some dust and quiet reflection, bring some swing and raise the roof ... so for those so smitten fiddlin' is pure Americana kickin' :)

The inclusion of the following fiddle tune charts is from longtime Alaskan super loved fiddlin' wizard Shonti Elder. Super thanks for preparing and sharing songs for this global reaching e-book, for sharing is caring.

Author's note. In the playback files for the written music, the repeats for sections are not taken and thus are not part of the audio playback. The pitches are included in the chart, so you'll have to figure your way through. Also, as these songs go way back in history, there's a ton of information about each of them on the www., but due to policy, you'll have to highlight / click to explore by your own free will. So the links included for each song are mostly about the theory components used to glue the song together, 'nuts and bolts of it's 'silent architecture.'

Banks Of Inversness. This next song could be a solid place to start for emerging fiddlers, as it goes way back across the pond to bring us a stompin' sort of reel in 'G' major, a fave key of the genre. Also a solid 'question / answer in the rhythm, phrasing and pitches, nice sequenced lick in bar 17. Example 3.

Aran Boat Song. This first song goes way back across the pond to bring us a minor hue'd melody infused with major triads and a classic 'lilting' in '3.' Example 1.

Ballygar Hermitage Jigs. This next song goes way back across the pond to bring us initially a minor hue'd melody infused with streaming 1/8th notes and the classic 'lilting' in '3', the swapping to the parallel major in measure 20 and adding a nip of a sequence to close out the magic. Example 2.

Breton Gavottes. This next song goes way back across the pond to bring us a mostly minor hue'd ascending stepwise melody, the 'dotted 1/8th ~ 16th' rhythm of the early swingsters and then a triplet figure to contrast in the 'B section.' Example 4.

"Cliffs of Moher." Great chops workout, this next song goes way back across the pond to bring us a minor hue'd melody with a 'one pitch diff modal twist', nice even 1/8's rhythms win the day that when grouped in 3's are similar to the triplets in the last song, the '1 2 3 5' major in bar 11 is the riff we find later in "Giant Steps", which revolutionized jazz in 1960, and again all infused with a classic 'lilting' step of anything in '3.' Example 5.

"Gallagher's Frolics." This next song sounds a little sad for a 'frolic' but it does go way back across the pond to bring us a minor hue'd melody with a couple of nice octave 'leaps' and the classic 'lilting' in '3.' Example 6.

"Grasshopper Sitting On A Sweet Potato Vine." This next song is reminiscent of many 'Appalachian' melodies in our Americana library. Opening on the dominant note, the first phrase end on the tonic note 'D.' There's motion to Four and a very sweet '16' bar form and balance created by four / four bar phrases. Here presented in a moderato tempo for ease of learning, chances are this one's a 'burner' for experienced cats. Example 7.

"Mari's Wedding." This next song goes way back across the pond to bring us a 'Mixolydian' flavored melody. Two eight bar phrases, each once repeated into creating an 'A A B B' form. The 'A' section line ascends as the 'B' section line descends, quite common and very effective. Example 8.

"Ookpik Waltz." This next song carries on with the 'dotted 1/8th ~ 16th' rhythm that give the song its character lilt. It pairs the relative major / minor keys of 'G' major and 'E' minor and there's a coda to close out the song. Example 9.

"Pig Ankle Rag." This next song features the classic 'call and response' phrasing often termed 'antecedent and consequent' in the realm of academia. The call is built with a triad while the response is more stepwise. The harmony is the classic ... '1 4 5' in 'D' major. Ex. 10.

"Purst a Beul." Lovely song with a mostly stepwise melody, a few grace notes and a triplet figure. Adds in a Six chord (minor) to the 'three chords and the truth' from the song just above. Example 11.

"Road To Lisdoonvarna."This next song goes way back across the pond to bring us a minor hue'd melody Dorian mode infused, a classic 'lilting' in in '3' and a 'root to 5th' figure used throughout. Example 12.

"Scattery Island Slide." This next song features a distinctive motif oft repeated and a lovely triad based counter theme in the B section. The '12 / 8' rhythm becomes a blues 'shuffle', further on up the road. Example 12.

"Tam Lin." This next song goes way back across the pond to bring us a minor hue'd melody infused with a nice chops builder of wider intervals in the melody and the now classic harmony of the 'Watchtower' changes. Example 13.

Review. Keep playing, find a teacher and keep exploring !

References. References for this page's information comes from school, books and the bandstand and made way easier by the folks along the way.

Find a mentor / e-book / academia Alaska. Always good to have a mentor when learning about things new to us. And with music and its magics, nice to have a friend or two ask questions and collaborate with. Seek and ye shall find. Local high schools, libraries, friends and family, musicians in your home town ... just ask around, someone will know someone who knows someone about music and can help you with your studies in the musical arts.

Always keep in mind that all along life's journey there will be folks to help us and also folks we can help ... for we are not in this endeavor alone :) The now ancient natural truth is that we each are responsible for our own education. Positive answer this always 'to live by' question; 'who is responsible for your education ... ?

Intensive tutoring. Luckily for musical artists like us, the learning dip of the 'covid years' can vanish quickly with intensive tutoring. For all disciplines; including all the sciences and the 'hands on' trade schools, that with tutoring, learning blossoms to 'catch us up.' In music ? The 'theory' of making musical art is built with just the 12 unique pitches, so easy to master with mentorship. And in 'practice ?' Luckily old school, the foundation that 'all responsibility for self betterment is ours alone.' Which in music, and same for all the arts, means to do what we really love to do ... to make music :)

"These books, and your capacity to understand them, are just the same in all places. Always bear in mind that your own resolution to succeed, is more important than any other one thing."

Academia references of Alaska. And when you need university level answers to your questions and musings, and especially if you are considering a career in music and looking to continue your formal studies, begin to e-reach out to the Alaska University Music Campus communities and begin a dialogue with some of Alaska's finest resident maestros !