MP3s, SHEET MUSIC and TUNE BOOKS for Learning -- Canaan Valley Music Jam Pages

MP3s, SHEET MUSIC and TUNE BOOKS for learning --- This web site is maintained by me: Michael Ludgate. I originally started this as a beginner fiddle player who was excited to share everything I learned about folk music with my friends. (more at MySpace.com and Facebook take a look!) To keep myself and the rest of my musician friends organized I started a music email list and this web page. It has really evolved into more than that. It is a valuable networking resource for the musicians: both beginner and expert, amateur and professional. It really only works if you use the information and stay on the list. It also works better if you help: send me your gigs and other interesting music information and I'll get the word out to the rest of the list. For clarification: I maintain 2 email lists; one for mostly Folk Music [ Mikes-Music ] and one for outdoor exercise (Cycle and XC-Ski)... if you want to be on any or all of these email lists just let me know at email Mike Hit reload or refresh every time you visit: this page changes often! [ SUBSCRIBE Mikes-Music ] The music email list generates about 1 email per day ... sometimes more ... sometimes less -:) THESE WEB PAGES BEST VIEWED IN FIREFOX

Support the venues that support live music! See the list of live music EVENTS in the right column here (better yet get on the email list). See also the list of VENUES below. With so many great musicians in the Ithaca area, there is no need to go to a club or bar or dance that does not have live music! So, please patronize the bars and clubs and dances that host live musicians! :-)

Americana Vineyard [Map]
Bound for Glory [Map]
Carriage House Cafe [Map]
Castaways [Map]
Chapter House [Map]
Culture Shock
Cornell Music Department
Cornell Folk Song Society
Crossing Borders Radio
CMEMME

Cranberry Coffee BING
Craigslist Music Ithaca
Delilah's on Cayuga
Dryden Cafe
TCCDancers Contra
Felicia's Atomic Lounge
Folkstuff Events
Folkstuff Newsletter
Folkus Syracuse
Freeville Music Open Mics
GigKeeper
Harvest Cafe
Hands Four Dancers
Haunt
Ithaca Bands
Ithaca College Music
Ithaca Journal Music Listing
Ithaca Times Music Listing
Ithaca Swing Dance
Ithaca Underground
Judy Hyman's Calendar
Maxie's [Map]
Nines [MapQuest]
Oasis Dance Club
O'Shanigans
Red Newt Cellars [Map]
Rongo T-Burg [Map]
Scale House Brew Pub
The Shop Cafe
Soul Full Cup Corning
State Theater [Map]
Tioga Trails Cafe [Map]
The Westy

If you are a musician or dancer, however modest or well established, and you have gigs or other music related items of interest that you want posted here: please email me the info! Most of the info that you see on all these pages here gets to me from you all! Examples: open jams, your gigs, new local CDs, dances, music or dance workshops and so on. -m

Key chart for transposing and learning chords based on the "Nashville" numbering system ... great for jams where you find yourself having to suddenly switch keys for the singers for excample.

*NEW!* ContraTunes & Etc.
by Dave Marcus & Friends (1/1/2012)

"I've done the finishing bits on ContraTunes & Etc, a collection of 75 tunes - forty of my own and thirty or so by friends including Andrew Levin, Ann Whitley, Andrew Marcus, Dave Bartley, Dave Wiesler, David DiGiuseppe, Ethan Hazzard-Watkins, Gary Lieberman, George Paul, Laura Light, Otis Tomas, Paul Epstein, Pete Sutherland, Randal Bays, Sandi Goldring, Stven Carlberg, and Tola Custy. It's rounded out by a couple of trad tunes and ones by Juergen Gier and Dougie MacDonald." -Dave Marcus <dmarcus123@gmail.com>. Download the PDF [ here ] 3.2 MB 52 pages.

Paulie Ray's Fakebook ...

Bluegrass Songs -- Paul Fairbanks, a regular at the Ithaca bluegrass jam and a local bluegrass banjo instructor, has just sent his personal book of bluegrass songs with lyrics and chords to me to stash on the web site and share with you folks. This is very generous as he obviously has invested many hours compiling this book. Double sided printing is recommended since it is 175 pages long! Here is the pdf file [ here ]

Which tunes are popular at the Ithaca Bluegrass Jam? [ answer here ]

Stephen Fry's large print Quebecois tune collection ...

I met Stephen at the Dance Flurry hallway jams and then had the opportunity to hang with him a bit and jam during 2010 Old Songs Festival. Besides being a super talented mandolin player (and collector), Steve has an encyclopedic knowledge of Quebecois tunes. But he doesn't just keep them in his head: he has written down the tunes he learns and has stashed them on the web for the rest of us regular folks. Stored as PDF's on Google Docs [ here ] Thanks for sharing, Steve! -m

They might not be as quick to recognize the large white book he often carries with him when he’s coming or going from a local square dance site. However, the pages in that book tell the 62-year-long story of Mr. Blackmon and his passion for square dance calls.

Now of local square dance calling fame, Mr. Blackmon grew up in the area and can still remember getting involved with the hobby as a young boy. “I started calling when I was 14 years old and I just learned from the other callers in the area at the time,” he said. “I had brothers who played the violin and guitar and we’d go around to house parties and do it.”

While it may have started as a youthful hobby, square dance calling has become a lifelong

love of Mr. Blackmon’s. Within the book he carries are some 316 Traditional Eastern calls along with many different songs he’s amassed through his square dance journey. Even now, he’s still attracted to the hobby for many of the same reasons he fell in love with it in the first place.

“I just have a lot of fun,” he said. “I love the music more than anything.”

Listening to Mr. Blackmon speak, it’s easy to learn that his love for music extends beyond square dancing. While he still talks fondly of the 46 years he spent playing music with such old buddies as Jack Harter, Bob Rennington, Bill Best and Louis Gilman, he’s also quick to chat about his current bands.

“I have a dance band called Happy Faces right now,” he said. “I also have a square dance group that travels to nursing homes in Franklinville, Smethport and Olean.”

Most recently, Mr. Blackmon has begun calling for a new Tuesday night square dance group in Bradford. The group, which is sponsored by the Bradford Landmark Society and meets from 7 to 10 p.m., has provided him with a new way to share his talent.

“It’s really just a jam session for the band,” he said. “Everybody has fun and there’s no charge to dance. You can make a donation if you want to.”

Stemming from that, Mr. Blackmon will also be featured as an honorary guest at the Heart of the Alleghenies Folk Music Festival in Bradford Aug. 11 to 13. Bradford resident Howard Blumenthal, another musician who has played extensively in the region, feels the recognition is more than appropriate when you consider they ways in which Mr. Blackmon ties us to our past.

“He’s been playing around this area with so many people for so many years that he’s a link to the past and that’s what I value about these older guys,” Mr. Blumenthal said. “He had to learn it from an older guy who had to learn it from an even older guy and when you listen to him, you’re able to experience maybe a hundred years of history. He’s only one step removed from a 100-year tradition, and I find that to be fascinating. You don’t find people anymore who are still alive who can connect you to the 1800’s, but he’s one of them. He’s just the real deal.”

Before living in Bradford, Mr. Blackmon lived in Kill Buck and spent 35 years as a lumber yard foreman in Salamanca. The father of two sons and two daughters, Mr. Blackmon has passed on his love for music to his children.

“All my children are musical and play different instruments as a hobby,” he said. “They’ve all had musical training.”

Still, it has been his own love for music which has guided his experiences with square dancing and different bands. Even after 62 years, he’s still able to highlight some of his favorite memories.

“I’ve got a favorite tune called ‘Around The Corner,’ he said. “I go to a square dance callers contest in Norwich and I once won an award for Most Original Call for one I wrote called ‘The New River Train.’ I still go every year and I pick up other calls from the other callers.”

Despite his involvement with square dance calling with the Bradford group and at different nursing homes, Mr. Blackmon has noticed a decrease in the popularity of the hobby since he got involved with it in 1944.

“It’s fallen off,” he acknowledged. “Mostly it’s senior citizens who do it now because they used to square dance. The schools just don’t use it anymore.”

Sheet Music &Tune Books...

This is something I started doing as a convenience for the local musicians here in Ithaca. If you are not from Ithaca and woud like to buy tunebooks (see list to the right >>) I can send them out mail order for a small additional fee - shoot me an email or give me a call at work. -Mike :-)

Here is a new one! Julianna Johnson on a pretty full Wednesday night April 19th, 2006 2.9 MB MP3. Recorder with an Olympus voice recorder set on mono.

The most recent at the end of the list. All were recorded live at Canaan Road .... I can burn a disk of our own tunes anytime .. just ask ... we have recorded dozens of jam sessions... helps you to lern the "feel" of the tunes.

JC's Klez-Contra Dance Tunes

A bunch of us around Boston have been playing klezmer music for contras for a few years now. This directory contains many of our tune medleys. Single tunes are in files in the subdirectories. You are welcome to borrow the sets here and use them for your contras. If you see a set you like you might want to copy it now. This is a "working" directory, and anything here may change tomorrow if we decide to rearrange things.
[ links to music here scroll down ]

http://www.empresario.com/cgi-bin/pdf/tunes

http://www.mne.psu.edu/lamancusa/tunes.htm

Where do I start? Here is a quick list of the tunes [ all in the YFN tune set] that I've seen (heard) most often requested around the Ithaca area (not just at my jams). I've noted these requested at other jams too in other states .. Learn the ones you like or the simplest first. Angeline the Baker and Old Joe Clark and Soldier's Joy are pretty universal. There are mp3 files of some of these here .. the ones in bold are "essentials" and fairly easy ...

We work mostly from a set of sheet music that was put together by "Your Friends and Neighbors" (YFN) the open acoustic dance band that does the Monday night Contras in the summer on the Ithaca Commons and occasional other local public events see HHBP. I have extra copies of the YFN folk tune set ... email me or just ask me when you see me to get your own copy. I keep a couple copies at Hanshaw Rd too .. you can pick them up there. I will ask for reimbursment of my copier expense. -Mike

"I wanted to write to you [Megan] because I've been practicing fiddle in a new way that I really like. It seems incredibly helpful. So I wanted to tell you about it as another trick you could suggest to students.

This started because . . . I sat down and wrote harmonies for about 8 of our medleys (two dozen tunes, worth!). To make these legible, we put them in abc format. Then to test them we could play the harmony back on the computer as we played the tune on a real instrument.

It turns out that this is a fantastic support for just practicing the tune. Here's why. Barfly (the abc reader program we use - that I know your dad has) employs stress programs to make tunes sound more like how traditional players play. If you put an "R" field in the header, you can tell the program which stress protocol to use (so "R:Reel," or "R:Slip Jig" or whatever). Barfly then plays the tune at a good dance tempo, with a bit of lilt and a good back beat. It's impressively good - sounds quite dance-able! You can go in and modify the stress programs. For example, I think "R:Jig" was set up to play at 130mm, mimicking an Irish player's approach, but definitely too fast for a contra dance. ("R:Slide" is even faster) But I went in and slowed it down. I'm practicing everything at about 110 right now, which is just about right for me, and actually works pretty well for contra dancers around here.

One of the choices in Barfly's "play" menu is to loop, so it plays the tune or harmony over and over. By sitting in front of the computer and playing along, I get a really supportive workout. It's like a metronome in how honest it keeps me, but because it's the tune or harmony, it's much easier to stay together with it than it is with a metronome. Also because I'm naturally modeling the emphasis built into the stress program my fiddling finds a real solid dance groove quickly when I practice. It's amazing... Try it!"

Danse ce soir !

Fiddle and Accordion Music of Quebec

This tunebook by Laurie Hart and Greg Sandell is published by Mel Bay Publications.

RadioFreeIthaca.net

A good web source for listening to Finger Lakes Region Recordings ...

RadioFreeIthaca.net is a non-profit station, here for the sole purpose of supporting Ithaca's thriving local music scene. In any half hour period, you just might

hear such divergent styles as reggae, old time, folk, rock, bluegrass, country, jazz, jam, pop, soul, fusion, surf, gypsy, electronic, punk, carribean, and various African styles. Ithaca's music is being exported all over the country and the world, as many artists and bands have made trips to Europe, Japan, or South America. Eminating from a beautiful land, filled with beautiful people, Ithaca's music will captivate your ears and ease your mind. [ more ]

Some photos from Chad ...

"I put some photos of your big Gemini Jam on my website: If people are interested, I can make prints of any size of

these - from normal size up to 2 feet by 3 feet or more. I am not yet set up for that though so I don't know costs or timing. If people want prints they can email me and I will get back to them, but it will be a few months before I can do anything - I have too much going on right now. I will get there eventually though." -Chad

The 'regular' photo album is here Photo Album with donations from Ted Sobel and Tom Fredericks.

Selected Tunes for Contra Dances, Sessions, and House Parties by Randy Miller

Available from Mike anytime - in stock at Canaan Rd!
I have the CD too!! -m

William Marshall (1748–1833) is regarded as one of the greatest 2nd edition - with bass line!

composers of Scottish fiddle music. His tunes have been played for generations, passed down from fiddler to fiddler to the present day in Cape Breton and parts of Scotland. All of Marshall’s known compositions are included in this new edition.

Born in Fochabers, Scotland, into a large family, Marshall at the age of 12 was appointed house boy and later steward and butler to the Duke of Gordon. His talents in the mechanical and musical arts earned him the admiration not only of the residents of Gordon Castle but of those throughout the northeast of Scotland, in Edinburgh and London. He was by all accounts a highly skilled fiddle player, and Robert Burns wrote that he was “the first composer of strathspeys of the age.”

262 of Marshall’s tunes are included, from his collections published in 1781, 1788, 1800, 1822, 1823, and 1845. This book presents exact replicas of Marshall’s tunes, including his dynamics and ornaments, with original bass-clef accompaniments, in a new easy-to-read format. Included is a map, illustrations, a reproduction of the famous portrait of Marshall by John Moir, the unabridged 1845 biography of Marshall, and facsimiles of the covers of his 6 original publications. Also contains four reference appendices. Originally published by Fiddlecase Books® in 1978; 2nd Edition, 2007. $28- Available from Mike anytime - in stock at Canaan Rd!

A brief review by John Wobus, an accomplished contra dance piano accompanist and old time fiddler: "I have all three of Peter Barnes Books. The first book is the "bible" for those playing English Country Dance, so it will be a good buy for anyone who plays or wishes to play such dances and doesn't have it yet.

The second book [ A Little Couple Dancemusik ] is a great book to have, something of a "hidden gem".

This is a collection of 426 of the most commonly used

The Barnes Book of English Country Dance Tunes

English traditional dance tunes, for all instruments. Chords are included for piano or guitar accompaniment, and there is an extensive appendix on accompaniment tips for all the various types of dances. This collection has sold thousands of copies all over the United States and is considered to be the standard source for both the Playford and 'barn dance' styles of English traditional dance music. Metal spiral binding to lie flat for easy sight reading. This book, originally published in 1986, has been completely revised and expanded with new typesetting, 120 new tunes, accompaniment tips, indices and cross-references. English Country Dance Tunes, 1986, 1996, edited and arranged by Peter Barnes. 178 pages, spiral bound. $18.00 Available from Mike anytime - in stock at Canaan Rd!

Four hundred melodies for traditional couple dances from

North and South America and Europe. Music included for waltzes, polkas, tangos, schottisches, Swedish hambos, German zwiefachers, French bourées, early 20th century ragtime and foxtrot pieces and much more. For any instrument, with chords for guitar or piano included. Accompaniment tips and suggestions in a special appendix at the back of the book. Spiral bound to lie flat on piano or music stand. A Little CoupleDancemusik, 1992, edited and arranged by Peter Barnes. 248 pages, spiral bound. $22.00 - Available from Mike anytime - in stock at Canaan Rd!

Piano accompaniment techniques for traditional dance

music, focusing on accompaniment styles for American contra and square dancing. The book starts with basic vamping (simple bass-chord backup) and continues on through bass runs,'thumb-leading', chord voicings, syncopation, substitutions and special effects. The piano has long history in New England and British Isles traditional dance accompaniment and is more popular today than ever. This is the only book available covering these particular techniques. For beginners and experienced players. Interview With A Vamper, 1993, by Peter Barnes. 140 pages, spiral bound. $18-

A review by John Wobus, an accomplished contra dance piano accompanist (written before the release of English 2): "I have all three of Peter Barnes Books. The first book is the "bible" for those playing English Country Dance, so it will be a good buy for anyone who plays or wishes to play such dances and doesn't have it yet.

The second book is a great book to have, something of a "hidden gem".

I would call the third book [ Interview with a Vamper ] intermediate to advanced, with a smaller market, and it could be the wrong book for people just getting into contra dance piano playing. It is a series of chapters in which Peter describes some of the techniques he uses."

Here is a list of tunebooks ... sale of these books helps support this web space and the music email list. I keep the inventory at the Canaan Rd music jam space, but I can ship them or I can deliver books to the Friday dance or the Monday dance in the summer. If you email me we'll make arrangements! MORE INFO: Click on link below for detailed description and photo. Use cart on the left for CC purchases. Thanks :-)

Even though I greatly admire folks who can learn tunes by ear, I am often just too slow at it, and thus must generally pick up new tunes in the printed form ... it gives me time to build that "muscle memory" or whatever that is :-)

YFN Tuneset in PDF format ...
Full index page of PDF files to the YFN tuneset is HERE

YFN Tuneset: Double sided copies -- We work mostly from a set of sheet music that was put together by "Your Friends and Neighbors" (YFN) the open acoustic dance band that does the Monday night Contras in the summer on the Ithaca Commons and occasional other local public events example see HHBP. I have extra copies of the YFN folk tune set ...email; me or just ask me when you see me to get your own copy. I keep a couple copies at dances too .. you can pick them up there. I will ask for reimbursment of my copier expense. -Mike

YFN tunes in PDF format:
Full index page of PDF files to the YFN tuneset is HERE Also check the forum and the email list for occasional extra tunes and updates on current tunes, like the ones Wash has been working on! [ forum thread here with several pdf files ]

YFN Supplement + Irish: I have the YFN tune supplemental and the local Tunes for Beginner Irish Sessions arranged by Harry Lawless together in one folder available now as an addition to the YFN set. The supplement is now available as PDFs too. [ here ] -m.

Ideas for sets: Here is a list of the tunes we play as the YFN band on the Commons arranged by type (reels, jigs, etc) contributed by Kathy Selby: YFN_Tunes for Sets

Mud in Yer Eye -- We have also just recently acquired a new set of music with lots of new (to us) tunes from Bob Glenn

of the Cleveland band called "Mud in Yer Eye" These 2 sets of sheet music are primarily old folks tunes in the public domain, so we copy and distribute it on request. If you want newer stuff (ie copywrited), I can recommend several good tune books... Fiddlers' Fakebook, The Waltz Books, Portland Selection ... and etc.. Here are a couple good web sources for tune books: Andy's Front Hall Great Meadow Music Here is a great local source Hickey’s Music Center

Older version: YFN Tuneset in Adobe format. This was scanned in by Bryant Adams, one of our grad student musicians. It is 70 plus pages, includes the YFN tunes and assorted others passed out at the Wed jams. YFN_music.pdf - 11.4 MB! Bryant commented " ... eventually I hope I'll have a better (indexed, searchable, smaller, cleaner) PDF of the packet ... "

Scroll down for more tune books and links ....

Sage Hen Waltz

The Sage Hen Waltz. Composed by Tim Ball for the Wedding of Sarah Rose Clune and Bryant Adams which took place on August 19th 2006. The waltz is named after Sage Hen Farm in Lodi, NY where the wedding ceremony took place. The owners of the farm, Margaret Shepard and John Henderson graciously hosted the wedding for the young couple. The Waltz was played in public for the first time that eveing at the wedding reception which was a contra dance in a nearby barn. We have Tim's permission to distribute freely. Sheet music. MP3 Here. See also the FORUM

http://canaaninstitute.org/mn/YFN_sheet_music/Sage_Hen_Waltz.jpg
by Tim Ball - 2006

SPUDS - this is the open contra band in Philadelphia, PA similar to our YFN that plays Monday nights in the summer. They have their tuneset in ABC format and some image files on their website

Yale Music Library

There is no shortage of free fiddle tune sites on the internet. Here's a neat, organized website from the Yale Music Library with a list of tune collections. -- Thanks to Hope Greitzer http://www.happyhollowmusic.com/

Cylinder recordings on the web ...
http://cylinders.library.ucsb.edu/

Cylinder recordings, the first commercially produced sound recordings, are a snapshot of musical and popular culture in the decades around the turn of the 20th century. They have long held the fascination of collectors and have presented challenges for playback and preservation by archives and collectors alike.

With funding from the Institute of Museum and Library Services, the UCSB Libraries have created a digital collection of over 6,000 cylinder recordings held by the Department of Special Collections. In an effort to bring these recordings to a wider audience, they can be freely downloaded or streamed online.

On this site you will have the opportunity to find out more about the cylinder format, listen to thousands of musical and spoken selections from the late 19th and early 20th centuries, and discover a little-known era of recorded sound. Click the search button to begin, or sample some of our favorite selections in the featured cylinder section or by listening to online streaming radio.

Sheet music to upload (.jpeg's) ...

John Wobus from Contranella has been playing with us recently and has shared a couple tunes that his daughter Megan (Turtle United and Contanella) wrote: Killooleet Waltz and Bird's Refrain. They have more music available on the Contranella website.

Free sheet music here ...
contributed by -- June Shen-Epstein (alto fiddle)

The Institute of American Music (IAM), a non-profit organization, is a folk music-based school of music. IAM uses Bluegrass, Old Time/Early American, Celtic and other folk music styles as a basis of training and instruction. From the beginning of the training process and throughout life, IAM students are encouraged to play music with other people.

IAM is not housed in a physical location. Rather, it is a

process. Any individual interested in learning to play an instrument such as guitar, fiddle, banjo, mandolin, bass or other instrument, is encouraged to seek out a teacher and introduce that teacher to the 50 Tunes series along with other IAM curriculum products found on this website. The teacher's job is to help the student learn to play the student's instrument of choice in an organized manner that includes a method designed to encourage ensemble performance. Eventually, IAM will provide a teacher certification and training program that will graduate better-prepared and more professional teachers in all 50 states in the U.S.

IAM philosophy is based on the importance of constant interaction between students, teachers and society. Teachers and students are encouraged to create monthly events designed to bring people together for musical training, performance and interaction. Examples of activities that promote such interaction would include: 1) a monthly jam session, 2) a monthly workshop and, 3) "Music in the Home" nights. IAM also encourages bigger annual and/or semi-annual events such as contests, festivals and recitals.

Roni Music is a software company with an emphasis on powerful music software. All software are extremely small in size, making them suitable for distributing via the Internet. The main product is the Amazing Slow Downer software, intended for musicians wanting to slow down music without changing the pitch. Amazing Slow Downer is available for Mac and Windows computers.

Discount Music Books at HamiltonBook.com
http://www.hamiltonbook.com/

The Portland Collection - REVISED EDITION

Both Portland books and CD's are available from Mike anytime - in stock!

About the 2011 Revised Edition - "For this ninth printing of The Portland

Collection, we were required to completely recreate the book's electronic files to make them compatible with today's computers. While there are no changes to the music in the book (other than correcting a few notation mistakes), this update gave us the opportunity to make some improvements in formatting. We updated 7 titles that had been incorrect in prior printings. Alternate tune settings and chords are now on the same page as the original tune rather than in the "Notes on the Tunes" section in the back of the book. As a result of these two changes, the order of the tunes and pagination is different from earlier printings. In all, we think it looks better and hope that you do too. -Susan Songer"

This spiral bound book contains 318 jigs and reels from the Portland, Oregon contra dance repertoire. Irish, Scottish, Québecois, Appalachian, and New England genres are represented. Both traditional and recently composed tunes are included, from local treasures to national contra dance standards. Chord suggestions are provided. The collection is compiled by Susan Songer with extensive commentary on each tune by Clyde Curley. You will find stories about the tunes from their composers, discography, bibliography, and more. The tunes and their histories were collected from many local musicians who generously gave of their time and talent to help create this comprehensive musical resource. $28-

Portland Collection Volume 2 .. 322 all new tunes! I now have this for sale. Price also $28- CD is here now too! $15- Both available from

Mike anytime - in stock at Canaan Rd! "There are 322 tunes this time (compared to 318 in Vol. 1). Around 140 tunes are recent (compared to around 100 in Vol. 1). There seems to be a little more of everything. Many of the tunes are longer (B-1 different from B-2, for instance). The Commentary on the tunes is longer as are the Discography and Bibliography. There are even more alternate tune titles. The format for the tunes is nearly identical to that of Volume 1. Somehow, we managed to get it all into 328 pages - our outside limit. The first book has 312 pages." - Susan Songer

"I think the Portland Collection is so popular because it is such a handy size" - Tod S, on comparing to "the Fakebook"

The Portland Collection Play Along CD

From Susan Songer -- "We have the new CD set in hand! Betsy Branch, Clyde Curley, and I have recorded a 2-disk compilation of 97 tunes from

both volumes of The Portland Collection. We chose some of our favorite tunes, none of them recorded on the other Portland CDs. The tunes span all keys and genres and all levels of difficulty; they are a cross section of the music in the books. Although we recorded most of the tunes in medleys, each tune has a track marker of its own so that it will be easy to find on the recording. Most of the sets contain just one lead instrument and one back up instrument: fiddle and piano, fiddle and guitar, or mandolin and piano. There are also two 4-string banjo and piano sets, one mandolin and guitar track, and one unaccompanied cross-tuned fiddle set. The recording is engineered so that the listener can pan left to hear only the back up, right hear to only the lead, or center to hear both lead and back up. Tempos are moderate. Our aim was to make each tune as accessible as possible to the ear (and fingers) while retaining the character of the music. We strove to make the recording both a good listening experience and a good learning tool. Each disk begins and ends with the 3 of us playing together at faster speeds and with harmonies and variations to give a feel for how we would play this music at a dance. We hope that you will pick up your instrument and play along with us! This double CD is priced at $25-

The Waltz Books ...
by Bill Matthiesen

All 3 waltz books are available from Mike anytime - in stock!

"The Waltz Book site. As a backup pianist for contradances, I created the first Waltz Book in

1992 to give working musicians a wider common repertoire of these beautiful tunes. I truly had no idea how popular that book and its sequels, Waltz Books II and III, would become. At this site, you can check out the contents of the books, read some of the tunes, get ordering information, and even offer your own comments and tunes for future editions! Waltz Book I is $15, II and III are $15 - Available from Mike anytime - in stock at Canaan Rd!

Many musicians have praised the wonderful tune selection ("finally -- a music book where I enjoy almost every single tune!"); the clear notation,

easy for several musicians to read off the same book, with no page turns; chord symbols, so backup musicians can play off the music; and the heavy-duty metal spiral binding, which won't bend or break in your music bag. Beginning and closet musicians have found the tunes inspiring -- slower and easier than jigs and reels, and very rewarding for the time and effort invested. See what critic Mary Larsen of Fiddler Magazine had to say about the first two books in her review below.

The Waltz Book III was published in June 2002. Like its

predecessors, it contains a mix of traditional and composed tunes. In addition to Scandinavian tunes, it contains new and traditional tunes from bluegrass, French Canadian, Irish and Shetland tradtions. It also contains a number of Latin waltzes, plus French musette and Breton waltzes."

Waltz Book I is $15, II and III are $15 - Available from Mike anytime - in stock at Canaan Rd!

NEW ENGLAND FIDDLER'S REPERTOIRE

A Source Book of Established Contra Dance Music

by Randy Miller and Jack Perron,
with an Introduction by Newt Tolman
Third edition by Randy Miller and Robert Bley-Vroman
Available from Mike anytime - in stock at Canaan Rd!

The new 3rd edition marks the 25th anniversary, 1983-2008, of the

publication of this essential tune book for the contra dance musician.

The original 1st edition featured hand-lettered music, while the 2nd edition (2003) presented easier-to-read music typesetting, tunes arranged alphabetically, and chords added. Over two dozen decorative wood engravings by Randy Miller were included.

NEFR-3 still has the same 168 classic contra dance melodies, from Batchelder's Reel to Chorus Jig, Money Musk, Petronella, Portland Fancy and beyond, while maintaining all of the features of NEFR-2. For the 3rd edition, the time signatures for several tunes* have been corrected to give them an appearance more readily useful to the contra dance musician. Also added is a list giving the original 1983 order of tunes. 3rd edition released 1/25/08.

New England Fiddler’s Repertoire, 3rd Ed. 2008 (1983), 96 pages, 8.5”x7”. $22- Available from Mike anytime - in stock at Canaan Rd!

THE FIDDLER'S FRIEND
by Randy Miller ***NEW***
Available from Mike anytime - in stock!

Forty fiddle exercises to improve fingering and bowing. Randy has used Fiddlers Friend

his teaching experience and more than thirty years of fiddling to create a series of exercises tailored specifically to fiddlers and traditional fiddle music.

By breaking down the musical elements of fiddling to its bowing-and-fingering basics, and working out a system of repetitive, focused practice on these basics, there is tremendous potential for progress. The fingering of the left hand in particular can be a great challenge, since most fiddlers are right-handed. Many of these exercises, therefore, focus on strengthening the left hand.

The exercises have been created with typical fingering and bowing patterns in mind, ones encountered in many fiddle tunes. Add nimbleness and fluidity to your playing! These fiddle exercises are for all levels, novice through advanced.

The Fiddler's Friend. 2007, 28 pages, 8.5"x7". Includes bowing marks, a key to left-hand fingering, and tempo indications. $10- Available from Mike anytime - in stock at Canaan Rd!

IRISH TRADITIONAL FIDDLE MUSIC

by Randy Miller and Jack Perron

Second Edition by Randy Miller
Available from Mike anytime - in stock!

New & expanded edition, released on St. Patrick's Day Irish Traditional Fiddle Music. 2006, 176 pages, 8.5"x7". $25 2006, of the landmark collection of Irish fiddle tunes first published in 1977. Contains clear and faithful settings of 235 jigs, reels, hornpipes, polkas, slip jigs, and airs. 18 polkas have been added to the collection, as well as chords, a discography, bibliography, and extensive notes on tunes & sources. ITFM has helped introduce several generations of American musicians to the beauty and delights of Irish fiddle tunes.

The transcriptions remain true to the personal and regional characteristics of fiddlers such as Andy McGann, Julia Clifford, Bobby Casey, Paddy Canny, Martin Wynne, Sean McGuire, Mairtin Byrnes, Sean Ryan, Michael Coleman, Paddy Cronin, and others. ITFM remains a unique and meticulously edited collection of great Irish fiddle music.

Irish Traditional Fiddle Music. 2006, 176 pages, 8.5"x7". $25- Available from Mike anytime - in stock at Canaan Rd!

The Barnes Book of English Country Dance Tunes -- Volume Two
Available from Mike anytime - in stock!

This is a collection of 413 MORE commonly used English English ALL NEW TUNES Volume 2 traditional dance tunes, for all instruments. Many recent reconstructions and compositions are present in this totally new edition, making a good set with Volume One above. Chords are included for piano or guitar accompaniment, and there is an extensive indices and cross-references in the back of the book. Metal spiral binding to lie flat for easy sight-reading.

English Country Dance Tunes Vol. Two, 2006, edited and arranged by Peter Barnes. 180 pages, spiral bound. $18.00. Available from Mike anytime - in stock at Canaan Rd!

Along the River
Available from Mike anytime - in stock!
And the CD!

Along the River is an exciting collection of reels, jigs, waltzes, and other dance tunes written in the last twenty-five years by musicians of the Connecticut River Valley of western Massachusetts and southern Vermont. Including Susan's original tune "The Gale" and original tunes from the Kaynor family.

The book is thoughtfully designed, with a spiral binding, Along the River

alphabetical table of contents, clear, easy-to-read notation, and a 7x9 size that will allow it to fit in the accessory pocket of many instrument cases. Chord suggestions and a short anecdote from the composer are included with each tune. The book's introduction offers a short account of the development of the contradance music scene in the Connecticut River Valley, while the appendix includes composer biographies and a discography. Book $15-

The Companion CD features many tunes from the book, newly recorded by Susan Conger and friends. CD $15- Available from Mike anytime - in stock at Canaan Rd!

Sackett's Harbor
Available from Mike anytime - in stock!

James W. Kimball, ethnomusicologist on the faculty of the State

University College at Geneseo, New York, has long studied and been fascinated by the social dance music of Western New York State. From his extensive collection of manuscripts and interviews with traditional dance musicians, he has compiled a collection of dance music typical to rural New York during the nineteenth — and well into the twentieth — century.

The tunebook includes the melodies heard on the Sackett's Harbor recording, most from unpublished manuscripts of early fiddlers, a few from obscure early publications. Chord symbols have been added, based on 19th-century performance style. The book also featueres an eight-page introduction, notes on the tunes, facsimile pages from 19th-century manuscripts, and comparitive musical examples from other published sources. Book $16- companion CD $15-

In square dance circles, Blackmon a big name ....

By Christopher Whitcomb, The Times Herald 01/20/2006

Fiddle and Accordion Music of Quebec