Cape Breton & Prince Edward Island Fiddle Tunes for Clawhammer Banjo: 136 Note-for-Note Authentic Banjo Arrangements in Clear Tablature

The island of Cape Breton & its close neighbor, Prince Edward Island in eastern Canada are home to two of the oldest, strongest, and most vibrant fiddling traditions in North America. Cape Breton gave rise to a professional Celtic-based fiddling scene to rival anything coming out of Scotland & Ireland. Prince Edward Island’s traditional fiddlers developed lively, idiosyncratic styles every bit as musically compelling as anything you’ll hear on archival recordings of iconic American old-time fiddlers from the Appalachians. This book features 136 tunes from these two distinct but related fiddling traditions, collected by the author directly from master fiddlers, and arranged note-for-note for clawhammer banjo with as much flavor and nuance as possible. These settings of reels, hornpipes, jigs, marches, strathspeys, airs, and other fiddle tunes are all eminently playable and fully benefit from the author’s half-century of experience playing banjo, arranging for banjo, writing banjo instruction books, and researching fiddle-music traditions.Here’s what you’ll find in this volume.136 fiddle tunes arranged for clawhammer banjo in clear tablatureOver 40 musical examples & exercisesInstruction on basic and advanced techniquesFingering diagrams & detailed fingering suggestionsA systematic approach to playing up-the-neckA thorough treatment of playing triplets, grace notes, and other characteristic ornaments in clawhammerGuides on how to approach playing various kinds of fiddle tunesA framework for understanding the modes encountered in fiddle musicHistorical notes on the tunes and musical traditionsBiographical information on source fiddlers169 audio illustrations available onlineNote: Most audio illustrations for the tunes in this book are drawn directly from the author’s CDs, Devil in the Kitchen, Frails & Frolics, Island Boy, and Northern Banjo. Read more