Beginning Old-Time Fiddle [With CD (Audio)]

by Alan Kaufman and Julie Lyonn Lieberman

(Music Sales America). A complete instruction course covering basic and advanced techniques, this book includes 38 tunes and transcriptions in the styles of J.P. Fraley, Gaither Carlton, Lowe Stokes,... This description may be from another edition of this product.

• Format: Paperback
• Language: English
• ISBN: 0825601886
• ISBN13: 9780825601880
• Release Date: January 1992
• Publisher: Music Sales
• Length: 112 Pages
• Weight: 0.65 lbs.
• Dimensions: 0.4" x 9.1" x 11.9"

Customer Reviews

A good book, but not what I was looking for.

I bought this at a music store, and I selected it becuase I wanted to play fiddle music, and I specifically wanted a fiddle book with a CD so that I could hear the songs. This book does have a lot of good things for absolute beginners: how to hold the violin, how to place your fingers, tabliture as well as regular music for every song. However, the CD does not have every song in the book on it. I don't know all these fiddle tunes, so I don't know how they sound. However, on the CD, he also says you can turn down one speaker and play along with the guitar (on the songs he does have), and also he plays each string individually on one track so that you can tune your violin to the recording. I was hoping to hear every song in the book, so that is my dissappointment.

A must have for the beginner!

This book has been around since it was first published in the late 1970's and is well worth adding to the beginner's list of books for both repertoire and technique. Having said that, it's not really a beginner's book in the method genre. What it has going for it is every tune is tabbed out along with standard notation giving the advancing beginner interesting and more complex arrangements of a great many of the fiddle tunes they most likely have already played in a more simple style. Additionally, Alan Kaufman has included practical tips and information on instrument selection, muting, a selected discography (unfortunately dated), an excellent section on technique (violin players will hate it!) and wonderful pictures of fiddlers past and present (at least present in 1977) including probably the worst picture of Maria Muldaur ever published. This is an excellent addition to one's fiddlin' library.