Customer Reviews

Teach Yourself Bluegrass Fiddle

5 star:		(3)
4 star:		(6)
3 star:		(2)
2 star:		(1)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

This book is designed for someone who already has at least a basic knowledge of how to play fiddle/violin. It will help you learn how to read music, and has very good descriptions of several bowing techniques. It includes numerous classic fiddle songs. Perhaps the most valuable aspect of the book is that for most songs it tells you not only the melody, but also a suggested way to play backup for each song and a suggested way to play a break/solo to accompany the song. Therefore, it will keep you entertained by allowing you to play with a song in a number of ways, either by yourself or with a band.

I agree with the other reviews, this is definitely not intended for players with no violin/fiddle experience. However, for someone who already knows how to play and wants to venture into bluegrass, it's perfect. Each tune has sheet music with backup and breaks, plus the cd has each tune twice - once with the fiddle and once without. The tempos are good - challenging but not impossible. It's like having a very patient band behind you - they never get tired!

the book is intended for people who already play the fiddle and would like to play bluegrass. with this qualifacation out of the way, I liked the book.

I love this book. I've played violin for 10 years or so, but only recently have I found an interest in playing bluegrass. This book was perfect for my situation; challenging, but not for life-long fiddlers either. I love the "breaks" that this book gives. Double-stops, slides, 16th note triplets, this book's got 'em. I really enjoy it.

A NICE COLLECTION OF BLUEGRASS TUNES, AND A GREAT ACCOMPANYING CD TO PLAY ALONG-- BUT YOU BETTER BE A RATHER ACCOMPLISHED FIDDLER BEFORE YOU TRY THESE TUNES--- DEFINITELY NOT FOR THE BEGINNER

Useful as an etude or method book; good tunes for practicing, but I think one would need a teacher to get the most out of the material, so not really "teach yourself" -- that is, even if you can already play violin, having a real person show you specific bluegrass techniques really helps. Playing along with the CD is fun, but the tempos are a bit quick for someone new to the style. I would give the product five stars if the CD included slow jam versions as well.

I like this book very much, but I can already read music. Also, I can already play the violin with some proficiency. This would be a horrible book to try to start with if you didn't have fiddle experience, but in terms of getting a feel for bluegrass music when you come from a classical background, I think it's very effective. I would recommend it as an introduction to the style, not to the instrument itself.

While this seems like a good book to use for learning this style, it really doesn't seem like it is meant for beginners. The songs are fun, but if you don't know how to play and are looking for a very basic intro book (like I am) then this may not be the book you want.

The title and it's description is misleading. The first part of the book states something along the lines that "This book is intended for those who have played violin and want to start playing bluegrass" I started playing fiddle just a few months ago with an instructor and purchased this book to help me along. I'm not interested in learning sheet music (nor is my instructor the kind who teaches it), more so just back porch picking. This wasn't the book for me.

Fiddling is a very personal and enjoyable hobby or even career, but fiddle classes are not always easy to find. This book and the accompanying CD provide a splendid way to go at the art, and it is an art in spite of some sneering comments from other musicians. Things start slowly with ample explaining and the audio on the CD completes the lesson. Do not expect an overnight success. Much practice is required and taking one lesson at a time over a long period will produce the best results. If a student is willing to put in the time and practice, it is possible to develop enough skill to join a fiddle group and build on that experiences. Happy fiddling!!