April 2016 Childgrove Contra Dance

Highlights of the April 10, 2016, Childgrove Contra Dance with Charlie Walden on fiddle and Patt Plunkett on piano. Ted Steels calling the figures.

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.

September 2014 Child Grove Dance

Great fun at this Child Grove dance at the Monday Club on Sunday (Sept.28th, 2014) in St. Louis, MO. With Tres Buckhannonos (Emily, Dennis & Cuzzin Curt - piano, guitar and mandolin) and Andy Gribble on bass.

IOTFA Old-Time Fiddle Workshop - 2014

Excerpts from my IOTFA Fiddle Workshop held at Effingham, Illinois, on October 18, 2014.  I teach Tennesse Rag, Country Waltz and Johnny Con't Come Home Drunk.  -- Charlie Walden

Patt & Possum St. Charles House Concert

From a house concert in St. Charles, MO, on January 26, 2014.  Patt  Plunkett - piano and Charlie Walden - fiddle.

2012 Missouri State Fair Fiddle Championship

Participants in the 2012 Missouri State Fair Fiddling Championship. The contest is held every year in August on the last day of the fair.

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.

Dorrigo Folk and Bluegrass Festival - 2013

Patt & Possum (Charlie Walden - fiddle & Patt Plunkett - piano) playing at the Dorrigo Folk & Bluegrass Festival in Dorrigo, NSW, Australia in 2013.

Learn to Play Walking In My Sleep

I learned this version of Walking in My Sleep from Pete McMahan of Harrisburg. MO. Charlie Walden - fiddle & Patt Plunkett - piano. The tune is Walking in My Sleep, which has been credited to Fiddlin' Arthur Smith and was recording in both 78 and modern eras.Still popular, especially as a Bluegrass instrumental. 


Excerpt from a fiddle workshop held in San Diego, CA, January 24, 2015. Charlie Walden - fiddle & Patt Plunkett - piano. 

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

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.

2015 Missouri State Fair Fiddling Championsip

It's time once again to mark your calendars for this year's Missouri State Fair Fiddling Championship. It all happens on Sunday, August 23, 2015, with registration at 12:30 PM at the Touchstone Energy Stage at the Missouri State Fair Grounds in Sedalia, MO. The contest kicks off at 1:30 PM.

This year there will be three divisions, Open, Senior and Junior.  There will also be a prize for the best accompanist.

Fiddlers and accompanists will have there gate admission reimbursed at the contest and can also receive priority parking by going to the Hospitality Booth located on Hwy 65. Just identify yourself as a fiddling contestant and pickup a green hang tag for gate 11.

Please note that you MUST be a Missouri resident to participate. Proof of residency may be required.

For more information contact Bill Shull 660.429.2260 or wshull@lawmo.org.

Download a PDF of the flyer here.

2009 Ed Haley Memorial Fiddle Contest - Video Playlist

Includes performances by Paul David Smith, Nikos Pappas, Jimmy McCowan, Barb Kuhns and Charlie Walden.

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Charlie Walden's North Shore Fiddle Workshop on January, 2015

Get the audio from my November 1, 2014 workshop in Wilmette, IL. Available on my Bandcamp page. Stream, download, pay what you want - just learn these tunes! 

Detailed instruction for playing . Includes Put Your Little Foot, Snowflake Reel & Peacock Rag . Transcriptions of the tunes included. Enjoy.

Charlie Walden's North Shore Fiddle Workshop from November 1, 2014

Get the audio from my November 1, 2014 workshop in Wilmette, IL. Available on my Bandcamp page. Stream, download, pay what you want - just learn these tunes! 

Detailed instruction for playing . Includes Turkey in the Straw and Chicken Reel. Transcriptions of the tunes included. Enjoy.

Charlie Walden's North Shore Fiddle Workshop from September 6, 2014

Get the audio from my September 6, 2014 workshop in Wilmette, IL. Available on my Bandcamp page. Stream, download, pay what you want - just learn these tunes! 

Detailed instruction for playing . Includes St. Anne's Reel, Little Burnt Potato and Black Velvet Waltz. Transcriptions of the tunes included. Enjoy.

Casey's Hornpipe from Cyril Stinnett

This tune comes from Cyril Stinnett & Dwight Lamb as I heard them playing it years ago. It may be named for Missouri Valley fiddler Casey Jones. To me it is one of the best "gateway" tunes for someone wanting to start playing in Bb. Give it a try.

Get the Transcription

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More info @ www.charliewalden.com

Pete McMahan's Black Sally Goodin

I got this tune from Pete McMahan of Harrisburg, MO. Pete grew up in Callaway County where there were at one time many African-American old-time fiddlers. This tune comes from that tradition. Play it with your fiddle tuned GDAD. 

Get a transcription of the tune here...

Related videos...