required reading

Getting started in old time fiddling, is pretty simple. All you really need is a fiddle, a cd player, and the book mentioned here. Wayne Erbsen's "Old Tim Fiddle for the Complete Ignoramus" is the textbook of choice for new or rusty fiddlers in the association. The book speaks to brand new musicians stressing casual enjoyment over disciplined perfection. Fiddling is a far cry from traditional violin methods, which focus on perfection in everything from how you hold your bow to how every note sounds. The goal of this organization is to get players to learn songs by ear, memorize the old tunes so they can play them anywhere, and we could really care less how you hold your bow if you're getting notes out of it! Before coming to a lesson, try to order a new copy of this book with the cd, reading through the first few pages and listening to examples of tuning and bowing will have you leaps and bounds ahead for your first introduction lesson.