Here we take a look at how to find music for your listening pleasure and tune learning examination. I also present a far from complete list of fiddlers I think are worth listening to; obviously there are many more!
If you learn primarily from written music, I hope you were convinced by the exercises on the previous page of the importance of listening for really learning to fiddle (or to play fiddle tunes on any other instrument). If you learn primarily from written music and skipped over the previous page please consider going back to it before going any further.
In order to make the best use of your listening time, who and what will you listen to?
I am a contra and square dance musician. I've been playing for dances since the early 1980s. I started out playing hammered dulcimer, and still play it for dances. But these days I play mostly fiddle and piano. I have observed that many (probably most) contradance musicians these days listen mostly to other contemporary contradance musicians if they listen to traditional music at all—even when they’re learning a French Canadian reel or a Swedish waltz.
It's important to listen to the musicians from one's own tradition (or from a tradition one would like to learn). But musical traditions exist in time as well as in geographic regions. If you listen only to those musicians you're missing so much that contributes to the richness of musical traditions. If that describes your listening habits, consider broadening them; it will likely be very rewarding in terms of enjoyment and its effects on your playing.
Here are some likely sources of enjoyment and inspiration for your playing.
Who to listen to is subjective and to some extent a matter of taste. But here are some of the fiddlers I'd recommend checking out. If your favorite fiddler isn't in the list, check him/her out anyway. It's far from a complete list, compiled from the Tune Sources page of this web site with a few additions. The emphasis is on New England fiddlers and Canadian fiddlers from related traditions.
The last page of this section has some useful sources for learning tunes by ear. Click on the Next Page icon.
Learning Tunes ◆ By Ear/Reading Music Sources ◆ Learning by Ear Sources for Ear Learning
Combining Listening, Reading Method & What's Learned
Tune Home ◆ The Tunes ◆ Tune List
abc: Help File ◆ Reference Card
Learning Tunes (By Ear & Reading)
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