Fiddle Music - For the Young and the Young at Heart

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Here are some reviews and ideas on new fiddle music to get your foot stampin' and your hands clappin'. Whether you're a fiddler or a classical musician wanting to branch out here are some ideas to get you started.

"I don't want talking, I want fiddling!" Luther Davis

Free Sheet Music is an excellent resource for free sheet music. They have a decent selection of free fiddle sheet music that has been downloaded and contributed by the artists themselves. One such composer is Paul Gitlitz. He has written many fiddle songs, and compiled three fiddle books. Over 100 of his fiddle pieces are featured on free-scores.com. Free Sheet Music only asks that in return for using free music, you leave feedbacks/comments to composers as well as paying an optional donation fee. After previewing their fiddle music I feel like a majority could be categorized in the intermediate playing level.

Fiddle Music for the Beginner - The Fairfield Fiddle Farm Book is a timeless classic that I used myself as a beginner. I have found in my own teaching that this book is indispensable when it comes to playing fiddle music. The piano accompaniment is wonderful and makes the music sound so full, lively, and advanced. It contains songs like Boil em' Cabbage, Arkansas Traveler, Mary Had a Little Lamb, and Old McDonald Had a Farm. I have yet to work with a student that did not enjoy playing out of this book. My kids are working on Orange Blossom Special, out of this book, right now for their school talent show. It's cute and entertaining, my son plays the piano accompaniant and my two daughters are able to play the violin part.

"The Fiddle Time Series" by Kathy and David Blackwell. I just love how user friendly and appealing they are. Check them out for yourselves. To round the series out there is also a Fiddle Time Scales 1 (Bk. 1) & book 2 as well as Fiddle Time Christmas. The "Fiddle Time Scale Books" takes the typically boring, albeit necessary, scales and arpeggios and makes them easy and fun. In addition to the scales and arpeggios there are fingering charts, rhythm games, fun pieces for each key, and a range of puzzles and composition games.

"This is a colourful, good quality book suitable for the complete beginner. It contains a range of well known and original tunes in a variety of styles. The music is clearly printed with amusing cartoons throughout, making it very attractive to pupils."
-Review of Fiddle Time Series-

Fiddle Time Starters + CD: A Beginner Book for Violin
By Kathy Blackwell, David Blackwell

For the Intermediate Player- One book that's been around for a while and that I've enjoyed playing and teaching out of is Fiddle Tunes For The Violinist. It advertises as a beginner music, but you must already know all of the notes in first position. There are no double stops, but there are bowing and rhythms that are more on the intermediate level.

For the Advanced Player - I just barely learned this song and it was a lot of fun. It is called American Wake. Picture river dancing on a stage, and you've got a good idea of what this song is! So fun and fast moving! You can print it off here for $5.00. 

This is me playing American Wake River Dance!