How to read fiddletab
The fiddletab system was originally developed for my own use and reference. I can assimilate a tune much more efficiently if I notate it as I figure it out and then refer to the notation as I "burn it" into my nervous system by repetition. In an effort to avoid reinventing the wheel, I did some limited web searches looking for existing tablature standards for the fiddle, but I didn't find much that I considered useful. So I developed a system that makes intuitive sense to me. Hopefully after you spend some time with it you'll find it as easy to read as I do. It's much more direct than "real" music with its black dots and its layers of translation and interpolation standing between you and playing music.
The fiddletab system is basically mandolin tab with curved lines that show where adjacent notes are "slurred" together on the same bow stroke. (The mandolin is, for practical purposes, identical to the violin in its number of strings, tuning, and string scale length.) Marion Thede incorporated similar slur notations in her standard (black dot) music transcriptions for "The Fiddle Book." (If you are already accomplished at reading "real" musical notation, you might find this book worthwhile.)
Figure A: Features of the fiddletab staff
In mandolin/fiddle tablature, you don't view the music staff as five lines, but as four spaces. The upper space is the high string, and the lower space is the low string (see Figure A). Numbers in the spaces indicate the "fret" at which the string is stopped (see Figure B). No, fiddles don't have frets, but it should be a small leap to pretend that they do. A one (1) indicates the string is stopped at the first fret, a two (2) indicates the second fret, etc. A zero (0) indicates that the string is played open. (If you're new at the fiddle and it's your first stringed instrument, I highly recommend that you find a mandolin to play around with for a while -- this will go a long way in helping you visualize where the "frets" are on the fiddle.)
You'll notice a row of short lines below the staff lines. This is my way of annotating the timing of a tune, and it is optimized for hoedown timing (2/4 time). The marks represent where an evenly-spaced series of sixteenth notes would fall. The taller lines mark the downbeat and backbeat, with the darker ones being the backbeat as shown in Figure A. When learning a tune, it can be very helpful to keep your place by tapping your left foot on the downbeat and your right foot on the backbeat. This will also help to enhance your awareness of where the backbeat falls in the tune and in the bowing. The backbeat generally receives a stronger accent than others -- this is an essential ingredient in old-time playing, especially when playing for dancers.
Despite the attention given to timing in my tabs, it is important to acquire and listen to the recording referenced with each tune to help you feel the intricacies of the timing and really be able to play it well. (For obvious copyright issues, I won't be providing the recordings on this site, although eventually I hope to provide recordings of me playing the tabs.) While it may be possible to learn tunes strictly from my tab, I think it's unlikely that the student will be able to get all the subtleties of the arrangement from tablature alone (or from standard notation, for that matter). If you are able to, I'll get a warm fuzzy and you'll be my hero.
Figure B: Sample fiddletab notations
Figure B contains most of the information you'll need to understand the fiddletab system. Notice that notes or doublestops joined by a curved line are "slurred," or played in the same bow stroke. Notes or doublestops that do not fall under a curved slur line are played with individual bow strokes or "sawstrokes." Notes that are held beyond a sixteenth note will have a trailing horizontal line that indicates the duration of the time they are held. Where the staff is blank, or devoid of numbers or lines, a rest is indicated. A bow rock in its simplest form involves rocking from one string to another during a slur, frequently between two unison notes. It is used as a rhythmic accent, and in many cases the bow should remain in contact with the first string when the second string is contacted.
Please don't confuse fiddletab with other systems where the numbers on the staff represent the finger that is used to depress the string. I find that approach to be an abomination... it requires the student to simultaneously keep track of the key and its sharps and flats (just like that silly black dot system that is used in "real" music) and place each finger at differing locations based on that (and it only gets more confusing when the tune features note that are outside the key.) It only adds unnecessary layers of complexity that get in the way of playing music. I think my system is more intuitive, less confusing and much easier to decipher, but then, I may be biased ;)
Old-time fiddle tunings
Just like the banjo, the fiddle uses various tunings to enhance its tonal characteristics and playability in various keys. This practice has roots going back to the violin's precursors back in the Middle Ages. The fiddle has long been used to accompany dancing, in which the use of drone strings would boost the volume of the instrument for the dancers' benefit. Bagpipes were also a likely influence on the use of drone strings in early violin/fiddle music.
In old-time music, "standard" tuning actually varies from tune to tune and key to key (and maybe even region to region). Understanding and embracing this practice should be a component of respecting the musical style that one appreciates and wishes to play well. For a given tune or key, an appropriate tuning will make the fingering more graceful, most definitely. But these tunings also improve the timbre and volume of the instrument in ways that cannot be always be duplicated with the GDAE tuning. They also provide opportunities to hit accent notes outside of the melody and let them ring, creating some of the compelling characteristics of old-time fiddling. In many instances, you simply cannot get the appropriate "old-timey" sound with only one tuning in your repertoire.
If you are new to alternate fiddle tunings, my tabs will help you get started! The only thing to fear is that some types of strings are prone to breaking when their pitch is raised a whole step. Dominants in particular. Steel strings, such as Prim mediums, are bulletproof in raised tunings. I think Helicore strings tend to hold up well, also. I'm sure there are others... let me know your of experiences and I'll add the information here.
In each fiddletab, the instrument tuning is indicated on the left side of the first staff, as illustrated below. Here are a few of the most common old-time fiddle tunings:
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The violin tuned in even fifths, commonly referred to as "standard" tuning. For fiddling, best used in the keys of G, C and F.
"Raised bass" tuning for the key of D. The low G string is raised a whole step to A.
"Cross tuning" or "cross A" or "Sawmill" tuning, used in the key of A. Both low strings are raised a whole step. Very fun and hard-driving tuning, great for playing dances. "Cross G" (GDGD) is also used in old-time, in which case the two high strings are lowered a whole step from standard tuning (making it safe to use with the more delicate "violin" strings). I sometimes use this tuning to play tunes that are traditionally in cross A when the environment would be best served by something quieter, sweeter and/or more archaeic than the cross A tuning.
"Black Mtn. Rag" or "Calico" tuning, key of A. Same as Cross A, with the high string tuned down to C#. Many tunes written for this tuning exploit the C# as a drone to melody notes played on the A string, to wonderful effect. |
