Old Virginia, Part 1

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

Get immediate access to this lesson and all of the lessons in this course when you subscribe.

Start Course
Browse Courses

About This Course

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.

Try a Sample Lesson

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.

Try a sample lesson

The Old-Time Fiddle Subscription Includes:

In-depth lessons in a variety of Southern old-time fiddle styles
More than 100 complete tunes and songs
Lessons on singing with the fiddle
Notation, with bowing, for all lessons
New lessons added every month
Play-along tracks, with downloadable MP3s, so you can practice what you’re learning with Bruce
High-quality video with multiple camera angles so you can see closeups of both hands in action

$20/Month For One Course

Additional courses only $10/month each! • Save 20% with an annual subscription

Start Course

Get started now!
Use promo code BruceLand at checkout

and get your first month free or $20 off an annual subscription.

SINGING AND FIDDLING: “OLD VIRGINIA”

Old Virginia, Part 1

Old Virginia, Part 2

Old Virginia, Part 1

The beautiful old love song “Old Virginia” is a great song to sing with the fiddle. You’ll learn a few different ways to accompany your singing in this lesson, starting by just doubling the melody on the fiddle. Bruce plays and sings the first verse and then breaks each line of the verse down, showing you how to match the phrasing of your voice with the fiddle. Then Bruce gives you an exercise in which you sing and play the notes of the G major scale.

"Old Virginia" (Available to subscribers)

Previous Lesson

← Garfield’s Blackberry Blossom, Part 3: Play-Along Track

Next Lesson

Old Virginia, Part 2 →

Previous Lesson

← Garfield’s Blackberry Blossom, Part 3: Play-Along Track

Next Lesson

Old Virginia, Part 2 →

Previous Lesson

← Garfield’s Blackberry Blossom, Part 3: Play-Along Track

Next Lesson

Old Virginia, Part 2 →

Fiddle Articles

Derk’s Discoveries: The Deep Roots of Laurie Lewis

On “and Laurie Lewis,” the Berkeley-based multi-instrumentalist mines a career’s worth of friendships for a brilliant collection of duets.

Mr. Sun, "A Little Heart's Ease"

Mr. Sun is Peghead Nation mandolin instructor Joe Walsh, Darol Anger, Grant Gordy, and Ethan Jodziewicz. Here they are playing one of Joe's new compositions.

Old Virginia, Part 1

About This Course

Fiddle Articles

Fiddle Videos