In my mind, Martin’s Waltz may be the prototypical fiddle contest waltz. It’s beautiful. It’s not quite as hard as it sounds, but it is tricky (so it sounds pretty darn tricky.) Daniel Carwile really took this tune to a new level with his recording of it. Martin’s Waltz according to Fiddler’s Companion […]
Limerock – Fiddle Tune a Day – Day 291
I think that I first learned Limerock off of a transcription of Byron Berline playing it, but I probably don’t play it very true to those notes any more. Really, that’s one of the things I like about fiddling. I don’t have to play these tunes the way I originally learned them. Heck, I don’t […]
Gold Rush – Fiddle Tune a Day – Day 171
I have spent the last couple of days judging the National Oldtime Fiddler’s Contest, and let me tell you, this is not a job for those who lack stamina. We start judging at 8:00AM, and don’t get done until 10:00PM or later. (They do give us some breaks, and food along the way, but it […]
Cotton Patch Rag – Fiddle Tune a Day – Day 85
Cottonpatch Rag is one of my old-school contest fiddle tunes. I originally learned it from Tony Ludiker, and there are parts in there from me, Terry Ludiker, Roberta Rast, and others. And, I didn’t even put That’s one of the cool things about fiddling, is that learning a tune is just the beginning. Even if […]
Huckleberry Hornpipe – Fiddle Tune a Day – Day 11
Huckleberry Hornpipe is one of the first fiddle tunes that I remember playing in a fiddle contest. I didn’t play it very well at the time and didn’t do very well at the contest. Rather than thinking, “I should go practice some more.” I thought, “Gee, I must need a better song.” That was dumb, […]