Welcome to Fiddle for All!
If it’s your very first time here on your Members Headquarters page, then watch this short orientation video below:
As you may know, this course is designed to provide you the most efficient, effective, and fun path to learning to play the fiddle. As such, it’s important to understand how to navigate through the course materials.
Below you will find the course contents divided into 4 sections, which are:
Getting Started. This includes the stuff that’s good to know before you get started drawing the bow across the strings. While the order in which you consume each lesson isn’t critical, it is recommended that you complete this section before moving onto the Primary Learning Modules.
Primary Learning Modules. This is where the meat of your learning will occur, where you will progressively acquire fiddling skills of increasing complexity on your way to making amazing sounds on your instrument. Based on the Brainjo Method, these lessons are designed to be moved through in sequential order. Furthermore, each lesson will provide you the criteria to be met before moving onto the next lesson. Resist the temptation to rush through these modules, as your future success depends heavily on building a solid foundation from the beginning.
Supplemental Knowledge. This section contains supplemental knowledge about music and the fiddle that’s important to know, but needn’t be consumed in order (unlike the Primary Learning Modules), and many of the topics will become increasingly relevant as your skills grow. Feel free to visit this section at any point.
Learning Resources. From jamming with the jam tracks, to working on developing you ear, this contains stuff to help you reinforce and grow your fiddling skills, and to just relax and have a good time playing some great music (membership to the Fiddle for All course now also grants you access to the Member Download Area of oldtimejam.com – scroll down to the bottom of this page for details!).
You will see additional content appear in these areas as time goes on. If you have any questions or comments, email josh@oldtimejam.com.
Getting Started – Fiddle Basics
| Module 1 | Fiddle Basics |
|---|---|
| In this "Fiddle Basics," we'll review the things you need to know before you draw your bow across the strings for the first time. | |
| Unit 1 | About Old-Time Fiddle |
| Unit 2 | How To Hold the Fiddle |
| Unit 3 | How To Hold the Bow |
| Unit 4 | Setting Proper Bow Tension |
| Unit 5 | How To Tune the Strings |
| Unit 6 | How To Use A Tuner |
| Unit 7 | Our First Tuning ("Cross A") |
| Unit 8 | Understanding the Teaching Diagrams: The IMAGINARY FRETBOARD |
| Unit 9 | Understanding the Teaching Diagrams: UP & DOWN Bows |
Primary Learning Modules
| Module 2 | Primary Learning Modules |
|---|---|
| The Primary Learning Modules are the place where you'll build all the tools and techniques needed to play great old-time fiddle. These are intended to be learned in order, so remember to mark them as completed when you've met the suggested criteria, and resist the temptation to skip around. | |
| Unit 1 | Getting In Tune (AEAE) |
| Unit 2 | The Basics of Bowing: Where to bow |
| Unit 3 | The Basics of Bowing: Adjusting bow pressure |
| Unit 4 | Basics of Bowing: Sections of the bow |
| Unit 5 | Fingering A Note |
| Unit 6 | Minding the Gaps: How to find the notes on the fingerboard |
| Unit 7 | Tips for Checking Intonation |
| Unit 8 | How To Use the Practice Exercises |
| Unit 9 | The Two Octave Scale |
| Unit 10 | Scale Fragment Exercise 1 |
| Unit 11 | Scale Fragment Exercise 2 |
| Unit 12 | Scale Fragment Exercise 3 |
| Unit 13 | Scale Fragment Exercise 4 |
| Unit 14 | Scale Fragment Exercise 5 |
| Unit 15 | Scale Fragment Exercise 6 |
| Unit 16 | Scale Fragment Exercise 7 |
| Unit 17 | Scale Fragment Exercise 8 |
| Unit 18 | How To Learn a Fiddle Tune (without ruining your brain) |
| Unit 19 | Song: Mary Had A Little Lamb (version 1) |
| Unit 20 | Song: Mary Had A Little Lamb (version 2) |
| Unit 21 | Song: Mary Had A Little Lamb (version 3) |
| Unit 22 | Song: She'll Be Coming Round the Mountain (version 1) |
| Unit 23 | Song: She'll Be Coming Round the Mountain (version 2) |
| Unit 24 | Song: She'll Be Coming Round the Mountain (version 3) |
| Unit 25 | Song: She'll Be Coming Round the Mountain (version 4) |
| Unit 26 | Song: Buffalo Gals (version 1) |
| Unit 27 | Song: Buffalo Gals (version 2) |
| Unit 28 | Song: Wish I Had My Time Again (version 1) |
| Unit 29 | Song: Wish I Had My Time Again (version 2) |
| Unit 30 | Song: Wish I Had My Time Again (version 3) |
| Unit 31 | Song: Wish I Had My Time Again (version 4) |
| Unit 32 | Song: Wish I Had My Time Again (version 5) |
| Unit 33 | Two Powerful Practice Techniques |
| Unit 34 | Bowing Patterns 101 |
| Unit 35 | 4 Primary Bowing Patterns |
| Unit 36 | Ida Red: Tune Demonstration |
| Unit 37 | "Ida Red" version 1 |
| Unit 38 | "Ida Red" version 2 (drones added) |
| Unit 39 | Ida Red, version 3 (with bow rocking) |
| Unit 40 | Breakin' Up Christmas: Tune Demonstration |
| Unit 41 | Breakin' Up Christmas: Version 1, A part |
| Unit 42 | Breaking Up Christmas: Version 1, B part |
| Unit 43 | Breakin' Up Christmas, version 2 (with drones) |
| Unit 44 | Black Jack Grove: Tune Demonstration |
| Unit 45 | Black Jack Grove: version 1, A part |
| Unit 46 | Black Jack Grove: version 1, B part |
| Unit 47 | Black Jack Grove, version 2 (with drones) |
| Unit 48 | John Brown's Dream: Tune Demonstration |
| Unit 49 | John Brown's Dream, version 1: AB part |
| Unit 50 | John Brown's Dream, version 1: CD part |
| Unit 51 | John Brown's Dream, version 2: with drones |
| Unit 52 | John Brown's Dream, bow rocking |
| Unit 53 | Speed of the Plow: Tune Demonstration |
| Unit 54 | Speed of the Plow, A part |
| Unit 55 | Speed of the Plow, B part |
| Unit 56 | Kansas City Reel - Tune Demonstration |
| Unit 57 | Kansas City Reel, A part |
| Unit 58 | Kansas City Reel, B part |
| Unit 59 | Shakin' Down the Acorns - Tune Demonstration |
| Unit 60 | Shakin' Down the Acorns, A part |
| Unit 61 | Shakin' Down the Acorns, B part |
| Unit 62 | Fly Around My Pretty Little Miss, Tune Demonstration |
| Unit 63 | Fly Around My Pretty Little Miss, A part |
| Unit 64 | Fly Around My Pretty Little Miss, B part |
| Unit 65 | Fly Around My Pretty Little Miss, B part variation |
| Unit 66 | Soldier's Joy, Tune Demonstration |
| Unit 67 | Soldier's Joy, A part |
| Unit 68 | Soldier's Joy, B part |
| Unit 69 | Julianne Johnson, Tune Demonstration |
| Unit 70 | Julianne Johnson, A part |
| Unit 71 | Julianne Johnson, B part |
| Unit 72 | Playing in G (the GDAE "Roadmap) |
| Unit 73 | Miss McLeod's Reel, Tune Demonstration |
| Unit 74 | Miss McLeod's Reel, A part |
| Unit 75 | Miss McLeod's Reel, B part |
| Unit 76 | Miss McLeod's Reel, with drones |
Coming to Fiddle for All: Standard (GDAE) tuning, jamming, studies of source fiddlers, chords and double stops, unusual tunings, learning and arranging tunes by ear, and more!
Supplemental Knowledge
| Module 3 | Supplemental Knowledge |
|---|---|
| This sections contains supplemental knowledge about music and the fiddle that's important to know, but needn't be consumed in order (unlike the Primary Learning Modules), and many of the topics will become increasingly relevant as your skills grow. Feel free to visit this section at any point. | |
| Unit 1 | Practice Technique: The Labyrinth Method |
| Unit 2 | Practice Technique: How to use the force |
| Unit 3 | The Laws of Brainjo - Deconstructing the Art & Science of Effective Practice |
Learning Resources
The Metronome Player
Click for a virtual metronome you can play along with at a variety of speeds. Great for practicing new skills or tricky sections of a tune.
The Vault – Your Fiddle Tune Learning Library
The Jam Player contains demonstration and backup tracks for all the tunes taught in the course and inside of the Vault. It’s a great way to practice new tunes, jamming, and reinforcing your growing repertoire. Click here to check it out.
| Module 4 | The Vault: A growing library of fiddle tune tutorials |
|---|---|
| Ready to add a new tune to your fiddling repertoire? The Vault is a growing library of tutorials for classic fiddle tunes, and rated by Brainjo level so that you can find ones that are right for where you're at in your fiddling journey (titles in ALL CAPS are ones that are taught as part of the Primary Learning Modules). | |
| Unit 1 | How To Use the Vault |
| Unit 2 | The Brainjo Level System |
| Unit 3 | 4 PRIMARY BOWING PATTERNS |
| Unit 4 | BILE DEM CABBAGE DOWN, Brainjo level 1 (AEAE) |
| Unit 5 | BLACK JACK GROVE, Brainjo Level 2 (AEAE) |
| Unit 6 | BREAKIN' UP CHRISTMAS, Brainjo Level 2 (AEAE) |
| Unit 7 | BUFFALO GALS, Brainjo Level 1 (AEAE) |
| Unit 8 | IDA RED, Brainjo level 2 (AEAE) |
| Unit 9 | JOHN BROWN'S DREAM, Brainjo Level 2 (AEAE) |
| Unit 10 | MARY HAD A LITTLE LAMB, Brainjo Level 1 (AEAE) |
| Unit 11 | SHE'LL BE COMING ROUND THE MOUNTAIN, Brainjo Level 1 (AEAE) |
| Unit 12 | SHORTNIN' BREAD, Brainjo Level 1 (AEAE) |
| Unit 13 | WISH I HAD MY TIME AGAIN, Brainjo Level 2 (AEAE) |
| Unit 14 | SPEED OF THE PLOW, Brainjo Level 2 (AEAE tuning) |
| Unit 15 | SOLDIER'S JOY, Brainjo Level 3 (ADAE tuning), key of D |
| Unit 16 | Angelina Baker, Brainjo Level 3 (GDAE tuning), key of D |
| Unit 17 | Arkansas Traveler, Brainjo Level 3 (ADAE tuning), key of D |
| Unit 18 | Bell Cow, Brainjo Level 3 (GDAE tuning), key of A |
| Unit 19 | Big Sciota, Brainjo level 3 (GDAE tuning), key of G |
| Unit 20 | Bile Dem Cabbage Down, Brainjo Level 3 (AEAE), key of A |
| Unit 21 | Billy in the Lowland, GDAE tuning (Brainjo level 3), key of G |
| Unit 22 | Cluck Ol' Hen, Brainjo Level 3 (AEAE tuning), key of A |
| Unit 23 | Cripple Creek, Brainjo Level 3 (AEAE), key of A |
| Unit 24 | Durang's Hornpipe, Brainjo level 3 (GDAE tuning), key of D |
| Unit 25 | Georgia Railroad, AEAE tuning (Brainjo level 3-4), key of A |
| Unit 26 | Golden Slippers, Brainjo Level 3 (GDAE tuning), key of G |
| Unit 27 | Nail That Catfish To A Tree, Brainjo Level 3 (GDAE tuning), key of G |
| Unit 28 | Old Joe Clark, Brainjo Level 3 (AEAE), key of A |
| Unit 29 | Johnny Don't Get Drunk, Brainjo Level 3 (GDAE tuning), key of D |
| Unit 30 | Julianne Johnson, Brainjo Level 3 (GDAE tuning), key of D |
| Unit 31 | June Apple, Brainjo Level 3 (AEAE tuning), key of A |
| Unit 32 | Liberty, GDAE tuning (Brainjo level 3), key of D |
| Unit 33 | Redwing, GDAE tuning (Brainjo level 3), key of G |
The Old Time Jam Machine and Members area
Membership in the Fiddle For All course also entitles you access to the oldtimejam.com Members Area, which includes fiddle/mando tablature for all current and future tunes in the Old Time Jam Machine, as well as the ability to stream or download all the backup tracks (backup guitar, backup fiddle). Click here to access the member page, and enter the password “brainjobonus” when you get there.
Questions? Email josh@oldtimejam.com