Cajun Fiddle - Intermediate Fiddle Lesson
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- Опубликовано: 9 фев 2025
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Here's a step-by-step lesson on how to play Cajun Fiddle. Thanks to everyone who voted on which tunes would be in the next lesson. We will do that again soon.
We’ll first learn a version of this great tune without double stops. I’ll get into the double stops in a follow-up video.
00:41 Tune
A1 PART
02:45 First quarter: (D1-2-H3-A0-1-0)-1-2-2-0-1-2-2-0-1-2-2-1-3-2-1-0
05:03 First quarter played slowly & Kitty Quote
05:47 Second quarter: E0-1-1-A3-E0-1-1-A3-E0-1-1-A3-EL2-1-0-A3
07:03 Second quarter
Third quarter: A1-2-2-0-1-2-2-0-1-2-2-1-3-2-1-0
07:34 Fourth quarter: D2-H3-A1-1-D2-H3-A1-2-1
08:28 Fourth quarter
08:44 A1 part
A2 PART
First quarter: (D1-2-H3-A0-1-0)-1-2-2-0-1-2-2-0-1-2-2-1-3-2-1-0
Second quarter: E0-1-1-A3-E0-1-1-A3-E0-1-1-A3-EL2-1-0-A3
10:00 Third quarter: A2-4-4-4-4-2-E0-3-1-2-0-2-1-0-2-0
11:52 Third quarter played slowly
12:11 Fourth quarter: E1-3-3-3-1-3-3-4-3
13:05 A2 part
B PART
13:54 First quarter: (E3-0-2-0-1-0)-1-2-2-2-1-2-2-2-1-2-2-2-3-2-1-0
15:20 First quarter
15:42 Second quarter: E1-3-3-3-E1-3-3-3-E1-3-3-0-L2-1-0-A3
16:57 Second quarter
17:11 Third quarter: E0-1-1-L2-1-0-A3-E0-A3-E0-0-1-0-A2-1-0
18:08 Third quarter
Fourth quarter: D2-H3-A1-1-D2-H3-A1-2-1
18:50 B part
{Comments} If 4th finger is hard for you, just substitute open E (E0) for A4. Where there’s a will there’s a way...or something. Notice that
Warm ups:
A major scale, lower and upper octave:
G1-2-Hi3-D0-1-2-Hi3-A0
A0-1-2-3-E0-1-2-3
A2-E0-A2-4
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Play every day, have fun 😀 and thanks for taking part 🙏
Now, go fiddle with it...🎻
❤️ Fiddlehed
really enjoy your style of teaching! It's very easy to understand and most comical! Luv you fiddlehed!
Thank you for this ! I can do this mostly in double stops, I need the pick up notes and I love this video !
You're very welcome 🙂 Thanks for sharing your experience with this!
We have a guide available you may also enjoy:
fiddlehed.com/blog/how-to-play-violin-an-illustrated-beginners-guide-fiddlehed/
I just got "Cajun Fiddle" down and up to about 140 bpm. Thanks Fiddlehed! As side note; I started watching your lessons 3 years ago. I started with "Bill Cheatum". Back then I had struggled with the fiddle for 25 years. Now I'm a real good player, thanks to you and 3 hours of practice every day.
Jimmy, thanks for the great feedback. Really feels good to know I helped. Happy New Year.
thank you for the lesson it s a pleasure for me to learn from someone who make it easy to understand
This was absolutely well worth the wait!!!! Super Fantastic!! Loved it & love playing/practicing. . . playing it better & better everyday!! Even Kitty loved it, that was cool!
A great big Thank You to you & Kitty!
Can't wait until the double stop lesson for it. Although, am trying to throw a couple in already! You deserve the Golden Apple Award for Teachers or should I say the Golden Fiddle award!
Thank you and also thanks to our fiddlers.....the People's Choice!
This lesson! There's something about it, man. I've been doing it all week and I can already hear how much it has improved my playing. At one point I got such a beautiful tone out of my fiddle that I almost dropped it I was so surprised! AND I have been wanting to learn Cajun fiddle. Thanks so much for this awesome lesson and for all that you do for us fiddlers in youtubeland.
Great feedback. Thank you and you are very welcome.
I mean I hate to get to techie - but Cajun tuning is down a whole step FCGD and you must play 2 strings and slide to get that authentic vibe. This is a great starter for me fiddle head you are the BEST! Eh-TWA!
Awesome, thank you so much for your suggestions in authenticity, much appreciated. This is great for folks to be informed about. I'll add this to our request list to create content in the future on this. Great you enjoy this starter lesson 👍🏾 🎶
We have a guide available you may also enjoy:
fiddlehed.com/blog/how-to-play-violin-an-illustrated-beginners-guide-fiddlehed/
Great tune! I like this one! Thanks for breaking this down for us Fiddlehed! The first time I ever heard this was on youtube. A little blond pint sized girl about 7 years old was playing it (Laura Watson) ...she made it look so easy. It made me want to turn my fiddle into toothpicks...lol.
God help me with those drones. I'm working on it as you said.
Just keep playing, Abra. Practice scales with a drone.
Hello, Fiddle Hed! I recently discovered you and your lessons. Love this song. Previously learned this one but I like your version better. Thanks for all your musical efforts and knowledge!
Glad you found my channel. You're welcome!
Thank you , I've been trying steal this from the Don Rich , with some results , but you definitely give some more notes for my armory
thanks for posting that tune, its a good one, i love cajun fiddle tunes :)
You're welcome. Fun tunes.
you bet
Great fun. We loved it!
Great!
It is awesome, thanks for all the hard work.
Mic Perera Thanks for liking Fiddle Hed!
Wow! Very helpful. I just found your site and subscribed. You're a great teacher and fun to boot. Thanks!!
You just got a new subscriber!
Thanks for the support, Lydia!
👍
thankyou mr. fiddlehed. i love it
awesome! great choice.
This was the winner. Clearly a good idea. Cheers.
I finally made the time to sit this one yesterday evening. I had figured out, by ear, part A, 1/4's one, two and three, but 4 eluded me. B was a write-off, due to the syncopation. The lesson was invaluable. I wouldn't have gotten it otherwise. now I can't wait to add the double stops and unions. if it will be awhile before you recoiled that video, could you suggest drone chords, or is it all basically open string? btw if you ever make it to montreal pls announce. I'd love to see your show.
Hello fiddlehed, just pick up fiddle two months ago, slow progress since i am 71 years old. Working on your cajun fiddle lesson, challenging of course. Is it possible you can post a lesson for "je passe devant ta porte"please please. love that waltz. Thank You from Sedona AZ.
Billy
Hi Billy, great to hear you took up fiddling 🙂 I'll add your request for future consideration. Thanks for tuning in 🎵
We have a Guide available that you, or someone you know, may enjoy:
fiddlehed.com/blog/how-to-play-violin-an-illustrated-beginners-guide-fiddlehed/
Did you use standard tuning? Sounds like.....I'm fascinated by my recent exploration of the Cajun tuning ( whole step down on all strings)....my particular fiddle loves the lower tension, and sounds awesome! Your ear WILL trip out at first but this Really gives the old timey Cajun..yep. I'm grinning wider than a fox eating yellow jackets.
Beauty! Thanks for sharing how you enjoy the Cajun style of playing. That's very interesting. This video is in standard tuning, yes. So you would have your strings set, from low to high: F,C,G,D? So happy to hear your joy in playing, and how your strings also enjoy being in 1 step lower 🧡🎻🎶
We have a guide available you may enjoy:
fiddlehed.com/blog/how-to-play-violin-an-illustrated-beginners-guide-fiddlehed/
and i love the cat
I learned that "Cajun Tuning" is one step down from standard - FCGD . This is because it's easier for accordian, which is usually playing with the fiddle. They also commonly use GDGD
Q: So, what is the chord progression in this tune?
I find it ridiculous how many people are uneducated as to the origins of these melodies, they claim "this comes from Texas" or "this comes from bluegrass" uh?? This melody is over 500 years old; the earliest record we have of it is from 1706 in the french settlement of port royal. The Acadians (Cajuns) brought these melodies with them after the English stole our country.
Ehhh, I gotta respectfully disagree with you unless you can tell me what the original Acadian song is. Don Rich is from Acadiana, but he doesn't really play Cajun music. This really maybe sounds like a fancier version of the back up chords for an actual traditional two step but he isnt playing a melody. I'm not bashing mister Richard, but this is not a traditional Louisiana tune.
at least your cat is singing along. my dog just hides
hey fiddlehead couldnt find the fb page. keep finding other non related stuff
Did you look for FiddleHed or did it convert to Fiddlehead?
What are all the H notations ?
Hello, thanks for asking. If you're referring to the tabs, the H means 'high' . H3 on the D string is a G#. 🎶 Glad you're taking part!
We have a Guide available that you, or someone you know, may enjoy:
fiddlehed.com/blog/how-to-play-violin-an-illustrated-beginners-guide-fiddlehed/
@@fiddl3hed Sorry i still don't understand your notation. The third of D Major is G flat. I'm absolutely new to fiddle. I've been playing for like 3 hours but am comfortable with theory from years on the guitar. In guitar, tab usually means string and fret and often with the music written below it on staff. I understand that it is not possible if you are writing tab on just a computer keyboard. I was expecting violin tab to be string and fret , albeit invisible ones, also, but it could be that I don't know violin tab and how it works.
Also if i could trespass on your generosity with your time, your fret markers are on which equivalent frets or , if you could pick a string and reveal the notes ? They almost look like what I'd see on a dulcimer in which case the frets form major scale intervals and not a chromatic one. Is this the case here ? Are these elastic bands ? Thanks again for your time and sorry for the newbie questions.
Why can’t I find the finger placement chart
Hello, thanks for reaching out and tuning into this lesson 🙂
There are full tabs in the description of this video. Click "...more" to expand the description content. Hope this helps, reach out anytime.
We have a guide available you may enjoy:
fiddlehed.com/blog/how-to-play-violin-an-illustrated-beginners-guide-fiddlehed/
Dear Fiddlehed, what is that beat box you use for wayfaring stranger? I want it! Erika.
It’s a simple beat created with Reason (recording software).
Yay, the People's choice!
Glad this worked out. Cheers.
Why can I not see the tabulations
This is not a criticism of you, but of this particular song. This is sort of "pop nashville" cajun. It's what made it out to the cross-over country or mainstream audiences. You would find very few "dyed in the wool" cajun fiddlers playing this, unless they were living in Nashville playing to an audience that didn't know any better. Perhaps some aspects of it, but this is sort of sanitized cajun. Most people would not know this, so I'm not faulting you. However, if you wanted to take a listen to "Balfa Brothers Play Traditional Cajun Music", you would hear a lot of "closer to the bone" cajun music, and not raw or back porch, but nuanced, a style that has some actual feeling to it. Now, having you break their stuff down would be phenomenal. This one is particularly pithy, and I'd love to see it broken down. ruclips.net/video/MDJxPg0P518/видео.html
This one is possibly about 700 years old. ruclips.net/video/pr_HcNzNBXg/видео.html
Another cool one: ruclips.net/video/70Gmzs2Jp3k/видео.html
And the wonderful Port Arthur Blues: ruclips.net/video/_0gtDmywnp4/видео.html
One more, with feeling: ruclips.net/video/WaYWyvgjq5g/видео.html
As you can see, it uses some of that shuffle bowing, but has more depth.
Have to watch though. Sometimes they're playing their fiddles tuned down a whole step, to play along with a C accordion. So, might need to play them tuned up a notch. If they're playing in C or G, play it in D or A.
Cajun fiddle in a
lol we have a female cat thats acting just like your cat, it must be the moon lol :)
Couldn't be the fiddle.
cant be lolololol
I finally made the time to sit this one yesterday evening. I had figured out, by ear, part A, 1/4's one, two and three, but 4 eluded me. B was a write-off, due to the syncopation. The lesson was invaluable. I wouldn't have gotten it otherwise. now I can't wait to add the double stops and unions. if it will be awhile before you record that video, could you suggest drone chords, or is it all basically open string? btw if you ever make it to montreal pls announce. I'd love to see your show.
Some of both. Follow-up lesson coming soon...