Five Favorite Fiddle Books
New violin and viola students often mention having an interest in one of two styles of music: Fiddle or classical. Many method books, including the Suzuki method, easily include pieces that fall under the classical category though students’ exposure to fiddle music is often limited to learning a version of “Boil ‘Em Cabbage Down” in the early days and then staying away from fiddle music after that point. I know my own education on the instrument followed this pattern, too! Even with that predisposition, I always loved doing tunes geared more towards the folk and fiddle tonalities. There’s a part of me that wonders whether it’s hereditary, since my great-grandfather Glenn Pugh played fiddle and that distant side of my family continues to dabble in folk and bluegrass music. My own grandfather played guitar and mandolin, though no violin. It was through that side of the family I acquired Glenn’s violin, which is the instrument I currently use to teach lessons each week.
Whether it’s in my blood or not, I love the tonality, I love hearing the modes. I used fiddle collections as my reward for practicing in college and I still enjoy playing these folk melodies today! So when I was looking for a performance opportunity for this year and saw St. Patrick’s Day fell on the weekend, our course seemed obvious. We’ll be sharing some popular songs at a local nursing home, I’m sure you have similar facilities in your area should you be interested in planning a similar event for your students, too!
Just in case you’re looking for some good collections to inspire your program, I put together this short list along with some of the qualities that make them unique. Feel free to use the links below for your shopping! Some of these are affiliate links, which means I make a small commission at no extra cost to you. The books I’ve most enjoyed using with students when studying fiddle tunes are:
· Fiddler’s Philharmonic: This was the very first fiddle book I used with students! Received by donation from a teacher cleaning out her music library, I had this in my arsenal from almost the beginning of my teaching career. I remember the first two songs I used for summer group class came from this book – “Cripple Creek” and “Boil Em Cabbage Down”. This has been a trusty guide for me, though I’ve heard some complaints from teachers who have more experience with fiddle music in the field about the bowings provided in the book. I did appreciate this book had provided chords and samples of the general melody, examples for variations or elaborations for each song and an outline for if you are playing in the backing section of a group. This illustrates the different roles instruments can have in a folk group, while giving students more scaffolding which is great for those who might be uncomfortable or unfamiliar with improvising using chords. This book also includes some additional information like where the song came from, what modes might be used in a particular song and includes the accompanying lyrics if there are any. Complete with some simple illustrations, I feel it is the most accessible for younger students.
· The Fiddler’s Fakebook: This is my most recent acquisition for my collection. It is pretty basic in format, without illustrations or lyrics. But there are so many songs in this book that you’ll never get bored! There is a good variety which is handy for the students that have been around the studio for a long period of time and might be familiar with some of the early standards.
· Irish Fiddle Tunes: 62 Traditional Pieces: This book earned a spot on my list through one of my students. This particular student has progressed through the Suzuki books at a reasonable rate, though resistant to note reading. This past summer he purchased this book on his own and slowly worked through the melodies, despite his dislike for note reading and it has helped us immensely in all areas of his music reading. If you are looking for something with a specific irish collection, this could be the one for you!
· The Old-Time Fiddler’s Repertory: 245 Traditional Tunes: This collection was what I used in college years ago to trick myself into practicing on those days I was so sick of my Bach. Comparable to “The Fiddler’s Fakebook”, this gives a wide range of bluegrass, New England, Irish, Celtic… You name it, there’s probably a tune that’ll fit your hankering in this book! Another good addition if you’re looking for something that will have a little bit of everything with out buying multiple books.
· English and Irish Duets: I had to include this book primarily because of its’ duet part. This is a great way to give students who are interested in learning more folk songs experience with multiple voices! Each tune is written as a duet, with the second voicing available in both violin and viola! For my studio, this has made selecting music that works for both my viola students and violinists so much easier. It can be a good primer for further group performances, while still giving students who enjoy playing fiddle tunes more repertoire in their libraries.
This is my short list of fiddle books I’ve used with my students over the last several years. Whether you’re performing at a St. Patrick’s Day recital, getting ready for some summer group classes or more, I think you’ll find some good material to round out your program with more fiddle music.
Do you use any of these books with your students? What are your favorite resources when looking for fiddle music to share with students?