Fiddle-online has some great old-time tunes for you to hear and learn, some of which worked into bluegrass fiddling after that style grew out of the old music back in the 1940s.
Below you’ll find links to free audio samples and signup info for some great workshops featuring old-time and bluegrass music. Each workshop features a performance video including a variety of tunes, and a teaching video of one tune with interactive sheet music presenting audio for listening, play-along, and by phrase. Cost is 6 credits for 2 weeks’ access (revisit or renew at any time at 1/3 off).
Fiddler Ruthie Dornfeld has a deep knowledge of old-time and is fluent in a wide range of traditional styles, including Irish, American old-time, Scandinavian, Eastern European, and the 5-string medieval fiddle (vielle). Her eclectic repertoire and expressive tone have won fans among dancers and listeners throughout the USA, South America and Europe. Click here to hear audio samples and learn about Ruthie’s concert/workshop, where you’ll get to hear her perform as well as learn “Garfield’s Blackberry Blossom”, in the version recorded by blind fiddler Ed Haley (1855-1951).
Rachel Baiman is a fiddler and singer and songwriter from Nashville. She’s been featured for her songs on NPR and is known in the bluegrass and old time world for her work with progressive acoustic duo 10 String Symphony. Rachel presented 3 different concert/workshops on fiddle-online that you have access to, two of them presenting 19th century tunes, and one a newly composed old-time tune. Click here for audio and info on all 3 of Rachel’s workshops.
Calvin Vollrath is a master fiddler from Alberta, Canada, twice Grand North American Old Tyme Fiddle Champion, teacher, studio musician for albums & radio & TV, and received many awards, including the North American Fiddlers Hall of Fame, and a lifetime achievement award from the Canadian Grand Masters Fiddling Championship. He has made over 70 albums of his own and composed over 700 tunes, one of which, composed in the old-time vein, he teaches in his fiddle-online workshop, which also includes some great performance of old style and Metis fiddling. Click here for audio & info.
Jenna Moynihan specializes in Appalachian and Scottish fiddling, playing with Scottish harpist, Mairi Chaimbeul, with Laura Cortese & The Dance Cards, Darol Anger & The Furies, and has performed with Old Blind Dogs, Bruce Molsky, Kimberley Fraser, Phil Cunningham, and as a soloist with the Boston Pops. Click here for audio & info about learning “Booth Shot Lincoln” from Jenna.
Closely linked with old-time is the music for New England contra dancing. Learn a great contradance tune from fiddler Lissa Schneckenburger, who is well known as a performer and teacher, as both fiddler and singer. She’s recorded solo and with Low Lily, Solas, Childsplay and others. Click here for info about Lissa’s fiddle-online concert/workshop.
Ed Pearlman played for many contra dances and led the venerable open contra dance band Roaring Jelly for several years. In one workshop series on fiddle-online, Ed will teach 3 great contra tunes. Click here for audio & details.
Ed also presents some great old-time and bluegrass tunes. Learn 3 bluegrass-related tunes here at this link. Ed presents 3 old-time tunes in this series, featuring bowings by Bruce Molsky and links to both bluegrass and old-time versions of one of the tunes.
Two other workshops by Ed feature 3 tunes each. One presents a tune with Appalachian, Scottish and Irish versions, and tunes linked to Missouri and Colorado (click here for audio & info).
Another group of workshops features a tune written by a popular 19th century African-American fiddler and bandleader, as well as a Vermont classic waltz, and a New Hampshire French reel.
Let fiddle-online help you have a great musical summer!
©2022 Ed Pearlman