Jazz Fiddle

[ulla_petersen]

I would like to support FiddleMouse’s suggestion:

“Also, in future years I would love to see a fiddler who specializes jazz standards”

Especially in jazz, where actual performance is not only permitted to, but expected to be much more than just the written notes, it would be really great to hear fiddle-idiomatic interpretations!

Best regards,
Ulla

[Roland White]

Good morning FV fiddlers,

Nice to hear of all your tune and fiddle style suggestions for FiddleVideo. There is a lot of new content that will be coming out this year, but I know that Casey has still has a lot more ideas to develop for the FV site.

I love fiddling because no matter what your ability is you can look forward to a life long learning experience. I have always embraced the idea of being the ultimate Gypsy Jazz fiddler at some point before I die and that would enable me to play with anyone anywhere at anytime. I know I have a long way to go but adding a jazz component would be a whole new challenge. Either way with all the content here it adds to your overall musical experience and knowledge and allows you to absorb new styles if you’re interested enough to work on them. Cheers to all and Fiddle on. Roland

[Rob Stevenson]

Ulna, do you have any artists in mind that you think would be good? I would be interested in hearing current jazz fiddle.

[ulla_petersen]

Hi Rob 🙂

My interest in jazz is quite recent, so I have only a very limited knowledge of artists yet. I like many of the old jazz standards as played by historical jazz fiddlers; I also enjoy fusion, as played e.g. by Jean-Luc Ponty on the album “Cosmic Messenger” (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ePMhJio8zT4), and his collaboration with Chck Corea on the album “My Spanish Heart” in the song “Armando’s Rhumba”.

I have searched for jazz fiddlers in youtube; actually, I have found 1 American (I suppose they must be American to teach for FiddleVideo), Sonya Robinson, and I have listened a little to her playing and I like some of it, e.g. “Spain” at https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=d53DitfaIs4. She also plays more traditional jazz, e.g. “In a sentimental Mood” https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rieTL6dW7vg. But I have absolutely no idea if she would be interested in teaching or if she would be good at it.

Best regards, Ulla

[Casey Willis]

Hi, Ulla. Good thought. I think adding a solid jazz player would be really cool…but I definitely feel that I need to bring in at least one world-class Bluegrass player at this point. There is a ton of interest in bluegrass fiddle right now, and somewhat less in jazz I would say.

But I’ll keep my eyes out for a jazz player who I feel would be a good fit for the site.

Feel free to make additional suggestions on good players.

Cheers!

[ulla_petersen]

Hi Casey,

I understand, and I agree that Bluegrass is the obvious next step for FiddleVideo at this point.

Although there are musicians that mix folk and jazz, jazz is very much a different world with its strong emphasis on improvisation and often fast-changing, complex harmonies, and it is certainly not for beginners, as I discovered 2 years ago, when I enrolled in a six weeks Coursera course “Jazz Improvisation”. I started out using my viola, but I soon had to switch to keyboard, my primary instrument; improvising over scales like the “symmetrical diminished” is of course quite impossible if you are not absolutely certain how these scales sound, and it took me a good while to get to know the new types of scales well enough to be able to play them on viola.

But it is good to know that you like the idea 🙂

Best regards,
Ulla

[FiddleMouse]

I completely agree that Bluegrass needs to be the next style added. To that end, I vote for in addition to bluegrass tunes, there also being sets of licks to learn. There could be a whole set of kick offs , sets of tags and sets of fills. Each lick could be taught in the most common bluegrass keys for people who have trouble transposing on the fly.

I also think a bluegrass bowing and bow rhythm tutorial would be good.

And of course breaks to learn, study, analyze and grow from.

As for JAZZ…

I am not suggesting anything complex at all. Not suggesting a jazz theory or improvisation course.

I am just suggesting that someone teach the major standards. You do not need, in my opinion, a world famous artist for that. Just a high quality fiddler with great tone and rhythm and a strong command of the standards… A working jazz violinist who teaches standards set to keys that are easy for fiddle… not horns. We all know that there are really quite a lot of very talented, excellent musicians who are not well known. .jyst someone who plays the standards simoly and beautifully wouod be best. In fact, if you find someone known for jazz violin, that person may feel the needs to teach their own breaks and stylized arrangements… and that, in my opinion would be a mistake.

I think those of us interested in jazz violin need the stripped down, bare bones, basic tunes taught, so we can master those before adding our own touches to it. It is hard to find just the basic tune, without getting a bunch of other detail added to it… those embellishments and variations are great to listen to… but we need to be able to completely absorb and master the basic tunes in their most classic forms.

That could be a good jumping off point for people who eventually want to go deeper. I have been learning standards by ear… and it is not difficult or beyond my reach (and I am a beginner). What jazz geeks do with those standards is totally different… but this would not be for jazz geeks, it would be for those if us who just want to learn the standards…. not mentally transpose them around the curcke of fifths…not improvise completely new breaks for them… not imitate Grapelli, not write our own contrafacts…. Just play them, simply, in tune, with good rhythm and phrasing.

Anyway… that’s my two cents!
So… that is what I vote for happening after the bluegrass artist is added.

• This reply was modified 7 years, 6 months ago by FiddleMouse.
• This reply was modified 7 years, 6 months ago by FiddleMouse.
• This reply was modified 7 years, 6 months ago by FiddleMouse.

[Casey Willis]

This is really good input guys. Your perspectives are really valuable, and it’s super important for us to understand what our members are looking for. So thanks again!!!

C

[FiddleMouse]

Thanks for listening Casey! It is impressive how much you listen to subscribers. Thank you!

[FiddleMouse]

One other thought that I think sums up what I have been trying to say:

We all know there is a BIG difference between LEARNING JAZZ and learning to play JAZZ STANDARDS.

I am just hoping to learn to play jazz standards.

[FiddleMouse]

One other thought that I think sums up what I have been trying to say:

We all know there is a BIG difference between LEARNING JAZZ and learning to play JAZZ STANDARDS.

I am just hoping to learn to play jazz standards.

[Author]

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