Welcome to the Beginner-by-Ear Class
Click on this button for recordings of Scales and Arpeggios to practice with!
Expect an introduction to learning by ear. We will do exercises in identifying tones and intervals. We will study arpeggios and scales; the building blocks of melody. I will help you develop “layered thinking”. The takeaway: this class is about Learning to Learn by Ear. It will not be a priority to learn the tune (although that will often be a nice byproduct of your work!).
Spring Session NOTE:
For the first three weeks, we will be doing some review of the tunes already learned in this class, per your requests. Titles in bold are often heard at Maine Fiddle Camp. After that, I thought I’d teach by ear some tunes that are classic Maine Fiddle Camp tunes that you’ll want to know “by heart” and will be able to memorize easier if you learn them without the music.
April 28 -
Review: Les Fraises and Les Framboises, Sail Away Ladies, The Munster Cloak, The Shepherd’s Hay
May 5 -
Review: Babes in the Wood, O’ the Britches, Rakes of Mallow, The Stronsay Wedding
May 12 -
Review: Camptown Races, The Fretful Porcupine, Be Thou My Vision (and any others we feel need another go around).
May 19 - Spotted Pony
June 2 - Road to Lisdoonvarna
June 9 - Cock o’the North
February 24 -
Les fraises and les framboises- a Quebecois march in Key of G, cut time (2/2)
Les fraises and les framboises (YouTube)
March 3 -
Sail Away Ladies - Oldtime tune in Key of G, reel (4/4)
March 10 -
The Munster Cloak - Irish waltz (air) in Key of D, (3/4)
The Munster Cloak (YouTube) (tune ends at 0:52 and switches to another one)
March 17 -
Babes in the Wood - Irish polka in Key of D, (2/4)
#1 )Babes in the Wood (YouTube) #2) Babes in the Wood (YouTube)
March 24 -
Shepherd’s Hey - traditional (English) Morris Dance in Key of G, reel (2/4)
March 31 -
Camptown Races - Stephen Foster’s song, fiddle style in the Key of A, reel (4/4)
April 7 - New Session Begins - please register for new class
Scale and Arpeggio: A Major low octave (starts on G1) A Major high octave (starts on open A)
Two octave A Major Scale (starts on G1 and ends on E3) Two octave A Major Arpeggio
Old Tunes:
O’ the Britches (Full of Stitches) - Irish Polka
Rakes of Mallow - Irish Polka
The Stronsay Wedding - Scottish Polka
The Stronsay Wedding Practice speed
Fretful Porcupine - Jig by English composer Dave Whetstone
Be Thou My Vision - Irish Waltz