In 2025, I set myself a fiddle goal: learn one tune each week by ear. I’m much more comfortable playing from sheet music, but the oral tradition is a key aspect of old-time music. I established this goal to get more comfortable with learning by ear. When I first started playing, I thought learning by ear was either an innate talent or completely out of reach—certainly it comes more naturally to some than others, but it’s absolutely a skill that can be developed.

We’re nearly halfway through 2025, and I’ve managed to stick with it. Those first few months were rough—each tune felt like a marathon of repetition and frustration. But something shifted. The process is becoming more intuitive, less of a struggle.

G major tunes have become my comfort zone since I’ve had the most practice with them, but I’m already noticing other keys starting to feel less foreign. It’s fascinating how pattern recognition builds on itself—each new tune seems to teach me something that makes the next one just a little bit easier.

1. Dixie Hoe Down Darol Anger greeting video on ArtistWorks
2. Sandy River Belle Brittany Haas exchange video on ArtistWorks, she originally learned from a banjo player
3. Morgan on the Railroad Darol Anger greeting video on ArtistWorks, he learned it from Bruce Molsky
4. Old Dan Tucker Rhys Jones YouTube lesson video
5. The Merry Blacksmith Liz Faiella YouTube lesson video
6. Farewell to Princeton Noah at weekly lesson
7. Wild Shoat Originally heard on Natalia Padilla Hell Broke Loose album; learned from Dakota Karper on YouTube and played along with James Bryan on YouTube
8. Sam Hill Noah at weekly lesson and James Bryan on YouTube
9. Cranberry Rock Natalie Padilla YouTube lesson, originally heard on Hell Broke Loose
10. Haste to the Wedding Liz Faiella YouTube lesson video
11. Drowsy Maggie Liz Faiella YouTube lesson video
12. Entertainment Tonite Darol Anger greeting video, from John Hartford songbook
13. Farewell Trion James Bryan YouTube video, also Natalie Padilla and George Jackson YouTube tutorials
14. Dandy Jim Noah at weekly lesson, but forgot by the time I got home, reviewed the next week
15. Get Upstairs Noah at weekly lesson
16. Running through the White Oaks David Bragger on YouTube, Old Time Tiki channel
17. Porter’s Reel Noah at weekly lesson, practice along with David Bragger YouTube video
18. Chinquapin Hunting Noah at weekly lesson
19. Sail Away Ladies Jonathan at Old Time Repertoire workshop, based on Uncle Bunt Stephens recording
20. Old Black Cat Couldn’t Catch a Rat Judy Hyman at Fiddle Hell Online workshop, she learned from Ben Kiser; Chisawn tune
21. Moonlight Noah at weekly lesson
22. Old Buzzard Initially learned in Old Time Repertoire workshop with Jonathan in late February, but still learning it based on Clyde Davenport recording
23. Meriweather Learned of it from Jonathan in workshop, but didn’t review in class; learned from Clyde Davenport recording, still working on B part
24. Sal’s Got Mud Between Her Toes Noah at weekly lesson
25. Moses 1st Change Learned from Calvin Vollrath at Fiddle Hell
26. The Old Town Band (The Hometown Band) Learned from Brad Kolodner jam video (now posted on YouTube) from 2025 Fiddle Hell online
27. Wink the Other Eye Heard on Fiddle Hell jam session with Brad Kolodner, learned from Noah at weekly lesson
28. High on the Tug – Learned from Noah at weekly lesson
29. Bull of the Wood Stumbled on to this one browsing James Bryan recordings on YouTube, learned by listening to that video (again and again), crooked tune
30. Brushy Run – Learned from Noah at weekly lesson, but still working on this one with video from lesson, learned in B flat (or was it F?)
31. Big Scioty – Learned from Noah at weekly lesson in G and started learning F
32. Log Slide – original tune from Natalie Padilla, learned from her YouTube lesson