KentFolk Review SCHOTT MUSIC American Old Time Fiddle Tunes 98 Traditional Pieces for Violin By Pete Cooper

www.kentfolk.com

Now this book and CD are a delight - essential to those who play the folk fiddle, I would think, but a honey jar of wonders for those like me who are fascinated by the well known English and Celtic tunes that have migrated and transmogrified, the tunes that have been written over the waters, but also very much by those tunes that the Americas have preserved but we have lost. One wonders at the history of "Doney Gal" (61) - presumably a corruption of "Donegal" ? The tunes start with such well known ones as "Flop-Eared Mule" (1) and "Turkey in the Straw" (3), and include other well known ones such as "Cluck Old Hen" (73) an "Jack o' Diamonds" (76) but there are others that I have loved for some time scattered through the collection : "Beaumont Rag" (91) (I first heard this from Neti Vaan, on one of her visits to Kent from New Orleans), "Glory in the Meeting House" (83) (familiar from the playing of Ben Paley), Blackberry Blossom (32) (a tune Saskia Tomkins is partial to) as well as "Midnight on the Water" (94), and the tune here titled Raleigh and Spencer (97). There are too many other great tunes to list, but a few that that struck me particularly in this collection were "Pig Ankle Rag" (10), "Shenandoah Falls" (48), The duet "Wild Rose of the Mountain" (49), "Falls of Richmond" (75), "Lady Hamilton" (81), "New Money" (84), "East Tennessee Blues". (90)

The 80 page booklet (in English, French and German) gives the tunes in stave notation, with extensive notes on regional and other playing styles : "Kentucky fiddlers play differently again, in a fluid, pulsing style, often with 'jumps' ahead of the beat, to bring out the intrinsic syncopation of the tune."
The tunes are split into sections, depending on the tuning - some such as Cotton Eyed Joe (6, 21, 67) appear in more than one tuning.
Each section is preceded by an open string playing to aid setting the fiddle tuning.
The playing of the tunes is as clear and authoritative as one would expect from such a fine player as Pete Cooper, who has a long history of teaching fiddle. The bowing ornamentation and syncopation specific to particular tunes are added as needed.

Beau Webber - www.KentFolk.com - 2010-01-20

In his new book, Pete Cooper presents a rich collection of 98 Old Time fiddle tunes from across the USA. All pieces are grouped by key, as played in sessions, and include bowing and chords. The introduction and notes on the individual tunes provide explanations of non-standard string tunings, bowing techniques, and regional playing styles. A CD of all the tunes, performed by Pete Cooper, accompanies the publication, which is suitable for grade 3 and above.

Other Pete Cooper publications in the Schott World Music series:
Eastern European Fiddle Tunes, Irish Fiddle Solos, English Fiddle Tunes.

Price: £10.99   /   €17,95   Order number: ED 13236

SCHOTT MUSIC LTD.
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London W1F 7BB, U.K.

Your contact for further information:
Annet Ferguson
Tel: +44 (0) 20 7534 0744
Fax: +44 (0) 20 7534 0749
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American Old Time Fiddle Tunes

CD Track List / Plages du CD / CD-Titelverzeichnis