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Texas Tunes 1-Month Pass

$165.00

Texas Style Tunes
With Katie Glassman
1st, 2nd, and 4th Wednesdays
Time: 5:00 – 6:15 PM MT
Level: Intermediate/Advanced
This 1-Month Class Pass registers you for all three classes in MarchTo purchase a full 3-tune, 9-class series at $24 off per month, check out our Texas Tunes 3-Month Pass. 3-Month Passes are available for a limited time at the beginning of each quarter, so if you don’t see them available, check back soon.
IMPORTANT DEADLINE NOTICE: To make sure you are registered for the month of your choice, please purchase your monthly pass by 11:59 PM MT on the first Tuesday of the month (or, the Tuesday night before the first class). If you purchase after this deadline, you will automatically be signed up for the following month. Please be advised that monthly passes have a limit of 1 per order, and can only be applied to the nearest upcoming month at the time of purchase. 

April – August 2024 Tunes

April – Breakdown: Leather Britches (Key of G) – April 3, 10, 24
May – Waltz: Waltz for Bridget – May 8, 15, 29
July/August – Tune of Choice: Beaumont Rag – July 10, 31, August 14

Texas-style fiddle tunes are my heart and soul. With a rich history, driving rhythm, and beautiful longbow technique, they make the fiddle sound perfectly beautiful. 

The Texas Style Tunes webinar has become one of my absolute favorite classes to teach. Each month we rotate between learning a breakdown, a waltz, or a tune of choice. These are all tunes suitable for fiddle contests.

Learn the tune step-by-step, by ear, over the course of two class times. The sheet music and a guitar back-up track are included – but I highly recommend learning the song by ear along with me. After two consecutive classes, you’ll get a week off to solidify, smooth out, and memorize the fiddle tune; In the third class, you’ll perform your rendition, and I’ll offer individual feedback on how to sound your best and how to personalize the tune. 

 

Description:

Texas Style Tunes
With Katie Glassman
1st, 2nd, and 4th Wednesdays
Time: 5:00 – 6:15 PM MT
Level: Intermediate/Advanced

ABOUT OUR UPCOMING TUNES:

April: Breakdown – Leather Britches – Key of G
April 3, 10, 24

In popularity of Texas fiddle tunes, Leather Britches is one of what we call the “top ten.” I’m going to teach a version largely influenced by the legendary Oldtime Texas Fiddler, Robert “Georgia Slim” Rutland. Here is his recording from the album, Raw Fiddler.

I find this breakdown extremely fun to play for a couple of reasons… The melody is fairly defined, which makes it more fun to play variations since they resemble this strong melody line. The variations are often played on the D & A, on the A & E (up high), and in third position on the G string. Also, I love the rhythmic bowings used in this tune. From long slurs with running eighth notes, to hypnotic repeated patterns, one can hear the old-time influences on this tune.

Leather Britches is a tune that every fiddler ought to play.

May: Waltz – Waltz for Bridget
May 8, 15, 29

The first time I heard Waltz for Bridget was at a house show in Texas played by the wonderful guitarist, singer, and song-writer Rich O’Brien. Yup, he had just written the tune! Since then, it’s been archived in the Folkways Archives at the Library of Congress. Nowadays, many of the top National Champion fiddlers play it both in jams and contest.

My favorite features of this tune are the chords. They are absolutely gorgeous, and when you add in the melody on top of them, the tune is outright delicious. One of the easier tunes I’ve taught in the Texas Tunes Series, this will be a sure win for any Fiddle School fiddler. If you’re looking for a new waltz, this one is it! Click here to hear Rich O’Brien’s recording.

July/August: Tune of Choice – Beaumont Rag
July 10, 31, August 14th

Beaumont Rag is absolutely one of my favorite tunes to play. Why? First off, I love a good rag. Second, the variety of variations is astounding in this one. We’ll do second position, 5th position, and hokum bowing. It’s so much fun! Plus, it’s a great tune of choice for contests. Ultimately, pulling this tune out at a jam can be a show-stopper. We’ll play this one in the key of F.

You’ll notice that I’ve created a different schedule for this one. Partly because it’s summer, and partly to see if you Texas Tune regulars enjoy having more time to work on the tune. So, I’ll look forward to your feedback on this.

I have so many great recordings of this one including Johnny Gimble, Terry Morris, Norman Solomon, Benny Thomasson, and many more. And yes, I’ll be sharing all of them with you!