Sweet Tune Ideas! (Casey Willis)

[Serita]

Black and White Rag, Back Up and Push, Billy in the Low Ground, Chief Sitting Bull, Smith’s Reel, Morning Star Waltz

• This topic was modified 7 years, 3 months ago by Serita.

[Casey Willis]

Hi there Ssulzman.

I’ll add these to the request list. I know or have played all but Chief Sitting Bull…Smiths was the first fiddle tune I ever learned, and it’s a great one. I’m not recording right now (working on producing other folks’ lessons) but when I get back in the studio myself, these will be on the list of new tunes from which I choose new lessons. Thx for the suggestions, all!

C

[Vtfiddle]

Hi Casey,
Really enjoying this site still. I recommend it to every fiddler I meet. I know you have a lot going on with your big move, but I was wondering if maybe in the future you would consider adding a category of Trick &Fancy, or show tunes like Dragging the Bow, bully of the town, OBS, rubber dolly, back up and push, etc.
Keep up the great work!
Bill

[Casey Willis]

That’s a good idea, VTFiddler. I could do Draggin’ the Bow and OBS (sigh) and maybe Back up and Push/Rubber Dolly. I have too many tunes to choose from right now. I can’t wait to get back in the studio, but there’s a lot between now and then for me to get done…

C

[uncleted]

Would not mind seeing Casey or Patti give Amelia’s waltz a go!

[Casey Willis]

Hi, UncleTed. Just checked that waltz out on YouTube…nice changes, sir. I’ll add it to the list.

[Andrea_S]

Tam Lin’s (Glasgow Reel)? Seems like the B part has a few interesting variations.

I just discovered the harmony videos in Faded Love – awesome! Would love to see Gordon Stobbe / JJ Guy’s “Maligne Canyon” on here as twin fiddle videos.

Thanks
Andrea

[Casey Willis]

Hi, Andrea. Tam Lin has been requested a couple of times…I’ll pitch that to either Hanneke or Kevin for their next session, whenever that may be. I recorded an Americanized version of that tune about 20 years ago on somebody else. It was more of a Contra dance version…At the time, I understood the tune to be called “Tamblin”, but either I misunderstood or it is just a separate version of the tune. The B part of the tune I learned/recorded is definitely a variation on the performance I just checked out on YouTube. Anyhow, I’ll keep it in mind. Fun tune.

Glad you like the FL harmony stuff. And Gordon and JJ are great players…we’re always keeping our eyes/ears out for new artists to add…

[Andrea_S]

Thanks Casey. If Patti is coming back I bet she could teach Tam Lin Reel too, although since it’s Irish (I think), first right of refusal should probably go to Kevin :). According to the Session website, it’s also known as An Glaschú, Ceilidh Funk, Feet Of The Dancer, Glasgow’s, The Gloria Scott, Howling Wind, Indian Points, The Low, The Sneaky Priest, Tam Lin’s, The Tam Lin, Tam Linn, Tam Linn’s, Tam Lyn, Tam Lyn’s, Tam Lynn’s, Tamalinn, Tamblin, The Tamlin, Tamlinn, Tamlins, Tamlyn, Tamlyn’s, Tamlynn’s, Tammlin, Tom Lyn’s!

Andrea

[Andrea_S]

Just reconsidered that – “Glasgow” reel – must be Scottish! 🙂

Andrea

[fiddlededee]

I love the main theme from Poldark by Ann Dudley. I have not been able to find the violin music, so far I just play it by ear. I found some music on Musescore, but it was not created by a violin (if that makes any sense). I would love if any of you virtuosos could create your own masterpiece from this tune and teach us!

Please and thank you!

[Casey Willis]

Hi, Fiddlededee. I’ll check that out and add it to the running list to pitch to new instructors. Thx!

C

[Roland White]

Hi FiddlDeDee,

Nice fiddle handle you have, and thanks for joining FV and chiming in on the forum. In regards to your questions on warm ups, stretching really helps. If you can start from the fingers first begin there, and move to the wrist, arms, shoulders and neck with some basic stretching moves, even to the point of swinging your arms to get the blood flowing into your upper torso.

The next set of warm ups are for a focused practice session. I will devote 25% of the practice time to bowing and intonation warm ups. While I’m doing this I will also use Drones to fine tune and warm up my ears. You can expect that some parts of your body will not warm up as fast as others and you may take a few minutes in-between your bowing and intonation exercises to re-stretch fingers, hands or more.

Based on your comments about your playing level & speed it is a challenging topic. Most fiddlers struggle with the battle for speed over clarity and intonation so you’re not alone. Every fiddler will find there own solutions, however I resonate with the slow practice concept until the muscle memory can advance the speed. This is best achieved with a metronome. Finding the speed to practice where the rhythm and the clarity are good will be your next signal to advance the metronome 2-5 beats while you build new strength to perform at that speed. Eventually you will advance both speed and intonation.

If you can please post a link on that Podark tune & let us hear it. Keep us posted as to your progress and like all of us here at FV, Fiddle on. Roland Forum Moderator

• This reply was modified 7 years, 3 months ago by Roland White.

[drkwilson33]

Casey, Mississippi Sawyer, Billy in the Low Ground, and the Little Rabbit. I would love to hear how you do those three tunes. Kathy

[Casey Willis]

Hi, Kathy.

Good suggestions – I’ll add them to my list, although it may be some time before I’m in the studio again. I know the first two tunes…I’ll have to check out the third.

C

[dwagner]

I learned a version of Jean’s Reel a while back and had to try to figure out the embellishments from listening to it. Natalie MacMaster plays a great version on her album. Would love to clean it up and learn some of the embellishments and variations (like the B – Bflat in part 2/4). Definitely the version I heard has the Scottish / Cape Breton flavor.

Cheers,

Doug

[Casey Willis]

Hi, Doug. Great tune! I checked this version out…

I’d like to add a Cape Breton fiddle instructor in the future…Natalie, of course, would be amazing, but I’m not sure of her interest level yet. Do you have any other suggestions for great Cape Breton fiddlers to reach out to in the future??

Good stuff. A tune like this one needs to be taught by a master of the CB bowing style!!

C

[dwagner]

Hi Casey,

Hanneke has the right groove but if you are looking at rounding out the team with some Cape Bretoners Andrea Beaton and Kimberly Fraser (both have websites) are two I am aware of already in the teaching mode. Certainly Andrea – I took some group workshop lessons – can point you to others. You’ll need the piano track to really make it pop.

Cheers, Doug

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• This reply was modified 7 years, 1 month ago by dwagner.

[dwagner]

P.S. The variety of styles is one of the reasons I decided to join you here. I’ve been looking for a good version of Whiskey Before Breakfast and yours caught my ear.

[Casey Willis]

Cool, Doug.

Glad to hear the good feedback. Lots of great content to come for this site in the near future!!

Good stuff…fiddle on!

C

[dwagner]

I let Andrea Beaton know I mentioned her as a potential instructor. Cheers.

[Serita]

Casey, could you please teach us Clarinet Polka? It seems to be a popular competition tune and it think it sounds super fun to play. I’ve attempted to learn it off of iTunes reccordings, but the shifting and double stops are making it tricky to figure out without a proper tutorial. I would really appreciate it 🙂

[Roland White]

Hi Serita,

I’ll be glad to pas this on to Casey and I would be surprised if this tune wasn’t on the to do list. Thanks for your suggestion and I’m sure Casey will consider this popular tune for the future, if it’s not already on the list. Thanks for the suggestion. Roland

[Casey Willis]

Hi, S.

Hanneke and I were just trying to remember how that tune goes…definitely on the list, although my time is limited to cut new lessons….but on the list! ??

C

[daross]

I’d like to learn Blue Violet Breakdown (composed by Earl Mitton) and Lord Alexander’s Reel.

[Casey Willis]

Hi, Daross. I’ll have to check that tune out…do you have a favorite version you could share?

[daross]

Someone showed me a video of Ivan Hicks playing it on Facebook. The only version I can find on Youtube is actually a recording of Earl Mitton – https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SS1dt2tcZPo.

As far as Lord Alexander’s reel, I really like Patti’s version on her 365 days of Fiddle Tunes.

Thanks for the reply!

[Casey Willis]

Hi again, Daross.

That’s a fun tune…it feels very Canadian to me…I might run that one by Patti for her next session…we’re looking at having her return to the studio later this year to record a bunch more lessons.

Thx for the heads up!

C

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