Violinist | Fiddler | Educator
I had an incredible time leading a jam session at the American String Teachers Association National Conference in 2019! Below are videos I recorded for conference attendees to learn tunes prior to participating in the jam. By request, I have decided to keep this page on my website for the time being! 
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ASTA NATIONAL CONFERENCE 2019
JAM SESSION | THURSDAY, MARCH 7th

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As a long-time conference attendee, I am honored and thrilled to be hosting a jam session at this year's conference! Like many ASTA attendees, my roots and formal training are largely classical. And, while I considered myself a fiddler for many years because I knew, taught, and performed fiddle tunes (including as a member of Barrage during the 2012 National Conference in Atlanta), I was by no means comfortable or confident in any sort of "jam session" setting. Over the past years, I've grown to love jamming and believe it's among the richest ways to develop one's musicianship.

In my own musical growth, I've discovered just how strongly one's ability to learn in jam sessions is driven by one's ability to actively participate in the jam. To this end, I've decided a way that I could make this jam session more educational is to post videos of tunes that we will jam on March 7th! My hope is that anyone who is new to jamming -- or wants to learn more about it -- might learn a few of these tunes in advance of the conference to further their ability to participate in and learn from the jam. And, of course, experienced jammers who know these tunes should absolutely come to help make the jam as awesome as possible!

First, I generated a large list of tunes that I teach frequently, are student favorites, and are relatively common in the fiddle world. Then, I surveyed private students, friends, and colleagues of various ages and abilities to find out which tunes they thought I should include for this jam. This final list of 10 tunes covers different keys, styles, time signatures, overall vibes, and various levels of difficulty. I hope you will enjoy jamming these tunes as much as I do!

THINGS TO KEEP IN MIND:

  • VIDEOS | In each video below (except for the slowest tune), I play three things:
    • the melody at tempo (with some embellishment)
    • the melody under tempo (with no embellishment)
    • the basic chords at tempo (with no embellishment)
  • VARIATION | Please note that it is common for fiddlers to play slightly different versions of tunes; if you look up notation for any of these tunes, you might find some different notes or chords. This is largely because it is standard practice to change slurs, ornaments, and sometimes even the notes when you get comfortable with a tune. At tempo, I’m presenting the tune how I might play it in a jam session or performance; under tempo, I'm presenting the tune how I teach it to my students.
  • BOWINGS | Don't stress about bowings! There are no "correct" bowings for fiddle tunes. While there are some common types of bowing patterns, bowings are an opportunity to add variation. The only bowing that I would encourage you not to do for the tunes below is to repeatedly slur groups of two notes.
  • VIOLISTS, CELLISTS, & BASSES | THAT'S RIGHT, YOU CAN ABSOLUTELY FIDDLE TOO! Fiddling is best thought of as a verb that applies to all bowed strings, not a noun that only belongs to violinists. Learn the melody wherever you feel makes the most sense for you! You can learn it in the same octave as the violin or in a lower octave. (Whenever you can learn a melody in two octaves, that just gives you more options of things to do while jamming!)
  • IMPROVISATION | Many folks who are new to folk traditions wonder about the role of improvisation in fiddling. Improvisation generally happens in all fiddling, but it happens in very different ways. Bluegrass, whose rise paralleled that of jazz, is the only fiddle genre where people actively take solos around a jam circle and improvise on the melody; all other forms of fiddling incorporate smaller types of improvisation (e.g., changing slurs, ornaments, rhythms, and some pitches), but generally keep the melody intact. The tunes below where I would actively ask students to take solos are: Angeline the Baker, Cluck Old Hen, Sandy Boys, and Soldier's Joy.
  • CHORDS | The chords I've presented below are the ones I consider "standard" for each tune. On violin, I start by asking students to play chords on the G and D strings (it's the lowest register and often out of the way of the melody); on viola and cello, there is more room to play chords, but it's good practice to originally default to lower registers; on bass, play the chords wherever you would like! There are lots of common patterns and techniques for altering rhythm with your chords (e.g., shuffling, chopping), but if you're new to fiddling, just try to get the chords in your hands/ears and then play along however it's comfortable!

ANGELINE THE BAKER

American Old-Time & Bluegrass (composed by Stephen Foster)
D Major​
Basic Chords: I, IV

Often considered the "Twinkle" of fiddle tunes. Good for beginning students, improvising, and teaching the pentatonic scale.

CLUCK OLD HEN

American Old-Time & Bluegrass
D Dorian
Basic Chords: I, bVII

Usually played in the key of A minor, but I like to teach it in D minor so it's easily accessible for young violists and cellists. Good for beginning students, improvising, and singing. (Do a search online for different lyrics and then have your students write their own!)

FLYING HOME TO SHELLEY

Canadian (composed by Paul Gitlitz)
G Major​
Basic Chords: I, ii, IV, V
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Paul's original version has less syncopation in the first half, but this version is the one I first heard, learned, and now find that my students love to rip! Good for advanced students and string crossings.

FRANK'S REEL

Scottish (composed by John McCusker)
A Major
Basic Chords: I, IV, V
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There's a reason this tune is so popular in sessions: it's insanely fun. Good for intermediate/advanced students and working on groove.
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RED PRAIRIE DAWN

American Old-Time (composed by Garry Harrison)
A Major
Basic Chords: I, IV, V, vi
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One of my all-time favorite slow jams. Good for intermediate students, exploring tone production, improvising, learning about chord substitutions, and teaching the pentatonic scale.

SANDY BOYS

American Old-Time & Bluegrass
A Mixolydian
Basic Chords: I, bVII
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There's just something about mixolydian that really gets people going! Good for beginning students, teaching high vs. low 2s or 3s (depending on the register), improvising, and droning against open strings.

SHADY GROVE

American/Celtic
D Major
Basic Chords: I, IV, V
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An old tune that exists in a variety of versions, I like to teach the major version to my students. Plus, we all love to sing it! Good for beginning students, singing, teaching about song form, and more intermediate improvisation. (Do a search online for lyrics and then have your students write their own!)

SOLDIER'S JOY

American Old-Time & Bluegrass
D Major
Basic Chords: I, IV, V
 
A tune that dates back to the Civil War, I think of Soldier's Joy as one of the ultimate fiddle tunes because you can easily use it as a jumping off point for so many aspects of fiddling. Good for beginning students, teaching arpeggios (and theory!), and improvisation (at any level).

SWALLOWTAIL JIG

Celtic
E Dorian
Basic Chords: I, bVII

​A common tune that students want to learn how to play really fast because, well, it's catchy and fun to play fast. Good for intermediate students, teaching 6/8 time, playing 5ths with 1st finger, and string crossings.

TAM LIN

Celtic
D Minor
Basic Chords: i, bVI, bVII

This reel is a classic, the number one requested tune in the survey I sent out. Sometimes in jams, people will play the tune up a fifth (in A minor) the final time through. Good for advanced students, string crossings, and teaching ornaments ("cuts," those fast notes, in particular).
Photo above by Emily Walker Photography.