Homespun

Learn to play lovely, heart-rending pieces and benefit from Jay Ungar's years of experience as a top fiddler. He shows the inventive use of slides, grace notes, rolls, smears, vibrato and special bowing techniques that turn ordinary tunes into distinctive compositions. Jay teaches Tombigbee Waltz, Tennessee Waltz, South Wind, Shebeg Shemor, Give Me Your Hand and his Grammy-winning tune from Ken Burns' PBS Civil War series, Ashokan Farewell.

Reviews:

"Jay Ungar, Grammy-winning composer for PBS' The Civil War, untangles the fingering patterns of classics like "The Tennessee Waltz" and "Give Me Your Hand" so that even the most unfit of fiddlers can play along." --Entertainment Weekly

"A wonderful instructional video. All levels of fiddlers will benefit from this video. This is like getting several private lessons in the comfort of your home. Guitarists will also benefit from watching Molly Mason's skillful and attentive accompaniment. Highly recommended." -- Fiddler Magazine

"Jay Ungar brings a friendly practical approach to the tasks of putting tone, variety and lift into waltzes and airs. Able to play effectively at the slowest speeds, he demonstrates tunes, takes them apart and presents specific practice techniques that work. Want to learn to play waltzes and airs? This is the tape. Want to seriously improve your fiddle playing in general? This is the tape. Whatever your level you'll benefit from 'A Fiddler's Guide.' I can't recommend it highly enough." -- Paul Brown, Old-Time Herald

Customer Reviews:

"I have looked at several fiddle instruction videos and I can honestly say that your video has taught me more and I have improved my playing faster then any of the others combined. Your relaxed and non-rushed way of instruction is just what I needed. You go over every song in detail but not in a complex or confusing way. Nor is it so slow and basic that it is boring.

I especially appreciated the way you start each song note by note in a basic format then go on to make it sound beautiful with the fills and ornaments giving me something to strive for. I hope, if given a chance, you make a "Waltzes, Airs and Haunting Melodies Part 2""-- Ron in WA State.

"I learned more from your first lesson on Tombigbee Waltz than I have in a year with other people. I love your style of teaching double stops and chords, it really helps. I have wanted to play fiddle and struggled with those areas." - John Flud