David Bragger will teach classic fundamental bow rhythms AND then demystify “bow rocking” so you can achieve that addictive and dynamic downbeat-centric “Tommy Jarrell” sound in your fiddle playing. The same elements are also the key to old-time fiddle seconding. This is workshop old-time fiddle “gold” for fiddlers who have been trying to wrap their bows around getting that high energy danceable “sound.”

The pacing and content are mainly L2, but this is also good for L1 beginners who can listen and try out the easier bowings.

Here’s your chance to learn some exceptional fiddle tunes passed directly down to David originating from the once enslaved fiddler Alonzo Janes. David will break the tunes down phrase-by-phrase and clearly illustrate all of the bowing.

The contributions of Black and enslaved musicians to American music have been obscured by a lack of recordings. William Alonzo Janes was born enslaved in 1850 in Paris, Tennessee and died in 1939 in Pontiac, Illinois. He played fiddle and banjo in a plantation orchestra as a child. Janes later passed some of his old-time fiddle knowledge to Mel Durham, who then brought the music to Southern California. The 48th annual Santa Barbara Old-Time Fiddlers’ Festival in 2019 festival was dedicated to Alonzo James and his incredible contribution to old-time fiddle music. Their website has more details on Janes here (scroll down to the bottom).

Two of his songs, “Alonzo Janes” and “Over the Mountain” are standards played by many contemporary learners of banjo and fiddle.

William Alonzo Janes
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Fine, traditional, old-time music from three great players on fiddle, banjo, guitar, and vocals. Riley Baugus, known for his banjo and guitar playing and ballad singing, has the first 30 minutes. David Bragger and Susan Platz, known for their twin fiddling, have the next 30 minutes.

It’s hard to listen without wanting to pick up your own instrument! All the musicians are teaching excellent workshops during Fiddle Hell Online – check the schedule.