French Fiddle Tunes
MENU TO FIDDLE STYLES:
EXPLORING KLEZMER
FIDDLE
by Chris Haigh
EXPLORING JAZZ VIOLIN
by Chris Haigh
THE FIDDLE HANDBOOK
by Chris Haigh
OFF THE WALL (CD)
By Chris Haigh
"Excellent way to expand your library beyond the standard Irish/English/Scots traditions" This is a great collection of French fiddle tunes! France isn't a country that leaps to mind when one thinks about Fiddle Music, but in reality it has a long and wonderful tradition that has sadly been overshadowed by Irish, Scots and English fiddle music. It's very nicely printed, easy to read, and the tunes have been organised by the regions in France where the tunes originated. Mr Haigh has done a great job putting this book together and ensuring that the French fiddle tradition can now be shared around the world" - DH Bailey (Amazon review)
"Continuing his journey of exploration through Hungarian, jazz, folk fiddle and klezmer, the remarkable Chris Haigh presents 227 traditional tunes from throughout France. He uncovers a rich tradition with a thriving modern-day performance and dance scene replete with unique dance forms, unusual tune structures and exotic modes.
Bourées, Rigaudons, Marches, Sauts, Polkas and Waltzes from the Alps regions, Brittany, Alsace and Corsica make up an exciting collection that is suitable for grade 3 upwards. Historical and helpful notes on interpretation are included as well as a CD of all the tunes recorded by Chris.
There is no accompaniment provided, however chord symbols are used in the solo fiddle parts. Explore the fiddling regions of France in this beautifully presented book with our "latter-day Bartok" collector of folk tunes" -Stringendo
"What a treasure! What fun! You have also led me to reading more about the many cultures of France. I love your channel!" -CineMutt
"C'est Magnifique! J'adore vouse entendre jouer du violon! e sont des aires sons que je reconnais. Merci de les avoir partagé!" -Megane Sergerie
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The book includes 227 tunes, arranged by region.
-From Central France (Auvergne, Artense etc) there are 2 and 3-time bourées, waltzes, marches de noces, polkas, mazurkas and Scottishes
-From the Alps (Dauphiné) there are Rigodons, Farandoles and Aubades;
-From Alsace there are Waltzes in 5, 8 and 11 time, Zweifachers and Cercles Circalsacien;
-From Brittany there are Laridés, Ronds de St Vincent, Hanter Dros, An Dros, Plinns, and Suites Gavotte Montagnes;
-From the Southwest (Béarn) there are Branles, Sauts, Fandangos, Rondeaus, Congos and Renaissance Branles;
-From Western France (Normandy) there are mazurkas and Pas D'été.
Text
There is a 5000 word introduction, outlining some of the history of the fiddle in France, and attempting to answer the question of why, despite there being so much traditional fiddle happening throughout the country, it is so little known abroad. Each region is examined in some detail, with reference to key players past and present, the relationship of the music to specific dances, and the influence of other instruments. A longer version of this introduction can be found on my French Fiddle page.
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INTERVIEWS
During research for this book I was given valuable help and advice from Jean Francis Vrod, Alex Szyszkowski, Pierrick Lemou, Chris Shaw, Jacques Baudoin, Patrick Mazellier, MIke Gilpin, Jean-Marc Delauney, and Gilles Péquignot.
THE RECORDING
All 227 tunes appear as recordings. 48 are included on the accompanying CD, and the remainder can be downloaded as mp3's from www.schott-music.com/web-codes/ , using the code WMS-8
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author: Chris Haigh
84pages
Publisher: Schott Music (2016)
Difficulty: intermediate
Edition: edition with CD
Language: English, with online downloads in French and German
Series: Schott World Music
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HOW TO BUY "French Fiddle Tunes "
UK Price £16 inc P&P. Contact me for price in EU or elsewhere.
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Chris Haigh is a freelance fiddle player based in London. His playing covers a huge range of styles, all played with commitment and authority. He has played on over 70 albums. He has two book published by Spartan Press; "Fiddling around the World" and "Any fool can write Fiddle Tunes", and "The Fiddle Handbook" is published by Backbeat/Hal Leonard. "Discovering Rock Violin", "Exploring Folk Fiddle", "Exploring Folk Fiddle" and Hungarian Fiddle Tunes" are all published by Schott .