Jenny Baker, Part 3: Bowing

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 3: Bowing

In dance fiddling, the fiddle is a melody and percussion instrument, and the bow is the drumstick. In this lesson, Bruce shows you the bowing he uses to drive the melody of “Jenny Baker.” The bowing in “Jenny Baker” is based on a very common bowing pattern called shuffle bowing, which uses three strokes, one long and two shorts.

"Jenny Baker" (Available to subscribers)

Previous Lesson

← Jenny Baker, Part 2: B Part Melody

Next Lesson

Jenny Baker, Part 4: Embellishments →

Previous Lesson

← Jenny Baker, Part 2: B Part Melody

Next Lesson

Jenny Baker, Part 4: Embellishments →

Previous Lesson

← Jenny Baker, Part 2: B Part Melody

Next Lesson

Jenny Baker, Part 4: Embellishments →

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Jenny Baker, Part 3: Bowing

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