Jenny Baker, Part 1

This lesson is part of the course Old-Time Fiddle with Bruce Molsky.

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Get deep into the roots of Southern Appalachian old-time fiddling. Bruce breaks down the melody, bowing patterns, rhythms, and embellishments of each tune he teaches so you can really learn to play like Bruce and the old masters he learned from.

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GREASY COAT

West Virginia fiddler Edden Hammons was recorded in 1947 by a collector named Louis Chappell. Hammons’s playing has a Scottish influence, with strongly detailed phrases and an old-fashioned style of intonation. You’ll learn his version of “Greasy Coat” in this lesson. “Greasy Coat” is in A E A E tuning, and Bruce starts by playing the tune through a couple of times, before breaking the melody down for you phrase by phrase. He also shows you how Hammons often played thirds and sevenths slightly flat, and trilled the third. You’ll learn the melody of both the A and B parts in this video.

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JENNY BAKER

Jenny Baker, Part 1

Jenny Baker, Part 2: B Part Melody

Jenny Baker, Part 3: Bowing

Jenny Baker, Part 4: Embellishments

Jenny Baker, Part 5: Play-Along Track

Jenny Baker, Part 1

The old-time tune “Jenny Baker” is known in Ireland as a hornpipe called “The Boys of Blue Hill.” This version is more of a square dance tune and was recorded in the 1930s by Kentucky fiddler Andy Palmer with the Jimmy Johnson String Band. West Virginia fiddler Melvin Wine also played it and called it “Twin Sisters.” In this video, Bruce talks about how, when learning fiddle tunes, it’s important to think of melodies the same way you think of spoken language. And he starts the process by breaking the melody of the A part of “Jenny Baker” down phrase by phrase.

"Jenny Baker" (Available to subscribers)

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