KDHX Folk School Fiddle Workshop - April 2016 with Patt & Possum

Highlights of a fiddle workshop given by Charlie Walden at the KDHX St. Louis Folk School on April 9, 2016. The taught included Red Fox Waltz, Kentucky Waltz and Valse Gisele. Go get the sheet music for these tunes at http://www.charliewalden.com/Dots.htm.

Gryphon Strings - Palo Alto Fiddle Workshop 2015 with Patt & Possum

Excerpts from a Missouri-Style fiddle workshop held in Palo Alto, CA, on January 31, 2015, at Gryphon Strings. Tunes incles Norma Lou's Waltz, Lamplighter's Hornpipe, Harrington Valley Two-Step (by Calvin Vollrath), and Casey's Hornpipe. Presented by Charlie Walden - fiddle and Patt Plunkett - piano.

San Diego Contra Dance 2015 with Patt & Possum

At the San Diego Contra Dance on January 24, 2015. Charlie Walden - fiddle and Patt Plunkett - piano. The tunes are Sherbrook Reel and St. Anne's Reel. Martha Wild calling.

Patt's Piano Workshop

Examples of piano accompaniment for Midwestern and Canadian fiddle tunes by Patt Plunkett.

Charlie Walden's Elderly Instruments Fiddle & Mandolin Workshop - 20 Sep...

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Two tunes of Canadian origin which I taught at a workshop at Elderly Instruments in Lansing, MI, on September 20, 2014.  The tunes are Country Waltz and The Little Burnt Potato Jig.  Each tune is demonstrated and then broken down phrase-by-phrase to facilitate learning.  With Patt Plunkett on piano.

Learn to Play Buck Fever Rag

A piece in C attributed to Ottawa Valley great Reg Hill. Makes nice use of hokum or double-shuffle bowing, which is demonstrated by Charlie in great detail. 

Charlie Walden - fiddle and Patt Plunkett - piano. From a fiddle workshop in San Francisco on December 9, 2015. Get the music at: http://www.charliewalden.com/Dots.htm.

Praire Hill Contra Dance February 1, 2014

Prairie Hill Contra Dance in Delafield, WI, February 1, 2014. The band is Edward Wallace & Charlie Walden - fiddles and Patt Plunkett - piano.  The caller is Jo Mortland.

Jam Session at Dwight Lamb's New Year's Eve 1989

Recorded at a New Year's Eve session in Dwight's home in Onawa, IA. 1989.  Accompanied by Elvin Campbell on guitar.

May 2015 Child Grove Dance With Geoff Seitz & Charlie Walden - fiddles

From the Child Grove regular Sunday dance and the Monday Club in Webster Groves, MO, May 3, 2015. With Geoff Seitz & Charlie Walden - fiddles, Dennis Buckhannon - guitar, Patt Plunkett - piano and Andy Gribble on bass. Lauren Peckman calling.

Charlie Walden Birthday Bash - THE MAIN EVENT

Video of the entire stream from my birthday bash on January 14, 2017.

Learn Taylor McBaine's Red Fox Waltz

Taylor McBaine (center) yukking it up with Travis Inman 

and Wes Brown at the contest in Bethel, MO, back in 1986

Red Fox Waltz was one of the first tunes I learned. Taylor McBaine of Columbia, Missouri, taught it to me and I still play it today. It's in the key of D and is not that hard to get on to. 

The playlist below consists of highlights from a recent workshop I did at the KDHX St. Louis Folk School. The various videos take you through a demonstration, then learning a basic version, some fancy add-ons and finally a group play along with Patt Plunkett on piano. 

You can get a copy of the music at: 

http://www.charliewalden.com/Dots.htm

Patt & Possum in Edinburgh

March of 2015 saw us in Scotland and spending a few days in Edinburgh before heading north to the Niel Gow Festival in Dunkeld and Birnam. It was a overcast most of the time we were there with drizzle and a stiff breeze, but still better than Chicago in March. Needless to say you need to layer-up, wear wool socks and good walking shoes as this is a walking town if there ever was one. Enjoy the pics below.

Patt on the Royal Mile looking up hill to Edinburgh Castle

Night scene on the Royal Mile

All bundled up!

View from the Castle

Edinburgh Castle (next several)

There is a really nice military museum in the Castle, 

which is still an active military post.

Duke of Earl

Sir Walter Scott Memorial

National Museum of Scotland - Worth the Visit

Jackie Stewart's Formula Car!

Head Removal Devices

Steam Engine - Invented by Scot James Watt

Niel Gow Exhibit

Made in Scotland Motor Car

Curling Stone

Scottish Parliament Building - Very Interesting Architecture

 Holyrood Palace - at the other end of the Royal Mile

Arthur Seat - the trudge

Charlie Walden's Fiddlin' Tip #2

Tip #2  Twelve Ounce Curls

Nothing strengthens your bowing arm like repeated 12 oz. curls.  Just pick up your favorite brew and raise it to your lips.  Repeat.  Repeat.  Repeat...

Fiddle Workshop This Saturday, October 31st.

I'm giving a fiddle workshop this coming Saturday, October 31, 2015, from 1:00 to 3:00 PM, at the St. Louis Folk School.  All the details (registration, address, etc.) are in the link below

http://folkschoolstl.org/collections/workshops/products/old-time-fiddle-w-charlie-walden

Callaway County in Mid-Missouri, in addition to once being a hotbed of Civil War secessionists, is known for its many great old-time fiddlers. Among these was legendary African-American Bill Katon of Tebbetts, the namesake of Katon’s Hornpipe. While I never knew Katon, as he passed away in 1934, I heard many stories about him and a lot of the old-timers could play his tunes or tunes referenced to other Black musicians in Callaway County. So we’ll explore this tradition with tunes I derived from Jake Hockemeyer, Taylor McBaine and Keith Orchard. The workshop is open to fiddlers and mandolin pickers at intermediate level and above. Bring a recording device and your instrument. Everyone who attends will be invited to download a sampling of recordings from the old players mentioned above.

Results of 2015 Missouri State Fair Fiddle Championship

The Missouri State Fair Fiddling Champion was held on August 23, 2015, in the Touchstone Energy Tent at the Missouri State Fair Grounds. We had a great turnout of contestants, however, next year we'd sure like to have more Seniors.

Participants included (in no particular order):

Jr. Division

Elijah Baker - Birch Tree
Kaylee Downs - Ava
Anna Belle Wakeland - Hillsboro
Tanner Marriott - Ava
Amanda Arbuckle - Columbia
Corinna Baker - Birch Tree
Preston Marriott - Ava
Coleman Crosby - Kansas City
Savannah Shannon - Fordland
Carlie Cunningham - Fulton

The winner of the Junior Division was Savanah Shannon. Here's her winning performance --

Senior Division

Ed Sellers - Belton
Richard Harness - Stover
Gary Johnston - Nevada

The winner of the Senior Division was Richard Harness.  Sorry no video available.

Open Division

Roger Berggren - Rocheport
Kathy Summers - Bourbon
Trustin Baker - Birch Tree
Elizabeth Kehl - Smithton
Chris Stewart - Lebanon
Tad Johnston - Nevada
Beau Johnston - Nevada
Junior Marriott - Ava
Travis Inman - Sedalia

Here's the winning performance for 2015 by Travis Inman ---

Junior Marriott and Elijah Baker shared Best Accompanist honors. It seemed like Junior played for almost everyone and a big thanks to him for that.

Emcee was Charlie Walden. The contest was administered by Bill Shull and sponsored by the Missouri State Old Time Fiddler Association. Judges were Clifford Hill - Eldon, John Stewart and Joe Hinkebein of Columbia.

Now here's the contest in it's entirety - 21 clips in all (less the Senior Division. Sorry, it was a new camera and I really thought it was running!).

For more information visit www.missourifiddling.com.

That Good Tune in A

This is one of Dwight Lamb's tunes with no title. If I recall what he told me right folks would just ask for him to play "that good tune in A" and the title stuck.

You can get a transcription of the tune here.

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RELATED VIDEOS

Turns out this is a Canadian tune from Don Messer. Compare performances below of Blue Mountain Two Step.