The fiddler who fiddles with this blog

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Selinsgrove, PA, United States
Beverley Conrad is a writer, musician, and artist who lives in central Pennsylvania. She's played the fiddle most of her life and has published books and once went on a book tour with her dog. She's currently working on a series of one hundred works of art of a dead fly to see where it goes, how it progresses.

Monday, February 6, 2012

Do It Yourself Fiddle Tabs

     There is an old saying that goes something like this:  You can give a man a fish and he will eat for a day.  You can teach him to fish and he will eat for a lifetime.  Over the years I have had many requests from beginner fiddlers to please figure out the fiddle tabs for different tunes.  Sometimes I already have the tabs on file.  No problem,.  I send them out.  Sometimes, it’s a pretty easy tune – so I figure them out, add them to the tunes in storage and send them out as well.  Sometimes it’s a tune I’ve never heard, an arrangement that I am not familiar with, or time just doesn’t allow it.
     Many times people write in and tell me that they have tabbed out many tunes and keep a personal file of them.  They print them out and have whole books filled with tunes that they wish to remember.  Many of my students do the same thing as they become more proficient at playing by ear.
     For fiddlers who haven’t become proficient at reading sheet music or just don’t know how to read sheet music for fiddle, tabs can be a great help.  If the tabs (fingering) are written onto the music page – you also have the timing for the notes as a reference.  Space doesn’t permit me to go through all the scales that a fiddler might use so I am including the most popular scale for the beginner fiddler here.  Another old saying is that a picture is worth a thousand words so here’s a picture:


            The names of the notes for the G major scale are (starting from the open G string – G A B C D E F# G (that is your third finger on the D string) A B C D (third finger on the A string) E F# and G (second finger on the E string.)
     What does # mean?  It means “sharp.”  I don’t want to confuse beginners with too much information here, but this means that your second finger or “middle finger” will be set closer to your third finger or “ring finger” than your first finger or “index finger” when placed on the fingerboard.  Allow me – another picture:




            The best test for this is to find a tune that you have always wished to play that at this point perhaps has been inaccessible to you because alas, you only have the sheet music for it.  See that it only shows one sharp # on the staff.  This means that it is in the key of G major.  Follow the diagram included with this article and try tabbing it out.  Does it work?  Were you able to play the tune – without music reading ability?  Great!  You will now fiddle for a lifetime!

1 comment:

  1. CALLING ON THE NAME OF THE LORD
    CALLING ON THE NAME OF THE LORD?

    What is the meaning of calling on the name of the Lord? Many assume that believing in Jesus and saying a form of a sinner's prayer constitutes, calling on the name of the Lord. The problem with that theory is none of the conversions under the New Covenant support that assumption. Not one time is anyone ever told to believe and say the sinner's prayer in order to be saved.

    The apostle Peter on the Day of Pentecost quoted the prophet Joel, Acts 2:21 And it shall come to pass that whoever calls on the name of the Lord shall be saved." (NKJV)

    The apostle Peter preached the first gospel sermon under the New Covenant. Peter did not tell the 3000 converts to believe and say the sinner's prayer.

    Peter preached the death, burial, and resurrection of Jesus. He preached Jesus as both Lord and Christ. When they heard this they asked Peter and the rest of the brethren what they should do?(Acts 2:22-37) Peter told them what to do. Acts 2:38 Peter said to them, "Repent, and let every one of you be baptized in the name of Jesus Christ for the remission of sins; and you shall receive the gift of the Holy Spirit.(NKJV)

    How did the 3000 on the Day of Pentecost call on the name of the Lord and become saved?
    1. They believed that Jesus was both Lord and Christ.
    2. They believed that God raised Jesus from the grave.
    3. They repented. Repentance is a change of heart. Repentance means to be converted so that God may forgive your sins. Repentance is to make the intellectual commitment to turn from sin and turn toward God. (Acts 3:19, Acts 2:38)
    4. They were immersed in water (baptized) so that their sins could be forgiven.

    How did the 3000 on the Day of Pentecost not call on the name of the Lord?
    1. They did not say a sinner's prayer.
    2. Not one person was asked to pray for forgiveness.
    3. Not one single man was told to be baptized as a testimony of his faith.
    4. No one was told that water baptism was a just an act of obedience.
    5. No one was informed they were saved the very minute they believed.
    6. Not one person was told that water baptism was not essential for the forgiveness of sins.
    7. Not one person was told to be baptized so they could join a denominational church.

    Jesus said he that believes and is baptized shall be saved. (Mark 16"16) Jesus did not say he who believes and says a sinner's prayer shall be saved.

    YOU ARE INVITED TO READ MY BLOG POSTINGS ___Steve Finnell-a christian view
    Posted by Steve Finnell at 9:07 AM No comments:

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