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.
- Dixie Hoe Down Darol Anger greeting video on ArtistWorks, learned in December
- Sandy River Belle Brittany Haas exchange video on ArtistWorks, she originally learned from a banjo player
- Morgan on the Railroad Darol Anger greeting video on ArtistWorks, he learned it from Bruce Molsky
- Old Dan Tucker Rhys Jones YouTube lesson video
- The Merry Blacksmith Liz Faiella YouTube lesson video
- Farewell to Princeton Noah at weekly lesson
- 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
- Sam Hill Noah at weekly lesson and James Bryan on YouTube
- Cranberry Rock Natalie Padilla YouTube lesson, originally heard on Hell Broke Loose
- Haste to the Wedding Liz Faiella YouTube lesson video
- Drowsy Maggie Liz Faiella YouTube lesson video
- Entertainment Tonite Darol Anger greeting video, from John Hartford songbook
- Farewell Trion James Bryan YouTube video, also Natalie Padilla and George Jackson YouTube tutorials
- Dandy Jim Noah at weekly lesson, but forgot by the time I got home, reviewed the next week
- Get Upstairs Noah at weekly lesson
- Running through the White Oaks David Bragger on YouTube, Old Time Tiki channel
- Porter’s Reel Noah at weekly lesson, practice along with David Bragger YouTube video
- Chinquapin Hunting Noah at weekly lesson
- Sail Away Ladies Jonathan at Old Time Repertoire workshop, based on Uncle Bunt Stephens recording
- Old Black Cat Couldn’t Catch a Rat Judy Hyman at Fiddle Hell Online workshop, she learned from Ben Kiser; Chisawn tune
- Moonlight Noah at weekly lesson
- Old Buzzard Initially learned in Old Time Repertoire workshop with Jonathan in late February, but still learning it based on Clyde Davenport recording
- Meriweather Learned of it from Jonathan in workshop, but didn’t review in class; learned from Clyde Davenport recording, still working on B part
- Sal’s Got Mud Between Her Toes Noah at weekly lesson
- Moses 1st Change Learned from Calvin Vollrath at Fiddle Hell
- The Old Town Band (The Hometown Band) Learned from Brad Kolodner jam video (now posted on YouTube) from 2025 Fiddle Hell online
- Wink the Other Eye Heard on Fiddle Hell jam session with Brad Kolodner, learned from Noah at weekly lesson
- High Up on Tug – Learned from Noah at weekly lesson
- Bull of the Woods – Stumbled on to this one browsing James Bryan recordings on YouTube, learned by listening to that video (again and again), crooked tune
- Brushy Run – Learned from Noah at weekly lesson, but still working on this one with video from lesson, learned in B flat (two flats), reviewed in December
- Big Scioty – Learned from Noah at weekly lesson in G and started learning F
- Log Slide – original tune from Natalie Padilla, learned from her YouTube lesson
- Happy One Step – Cajun tune, learned in A from Noah in weekly lesson, played along with YouTube video in GDGD (same finger pattern as A, is G)
- Gilsaw – learned from John P. Williams in YouTube video lesson on Old Time Central channel, lots of unison double stops
- Fiddler’s Reel – learned from Noah at weekly lesson; this one is commonly played at the Takoma Park Old Time Jam, also available as lesson from Bruce Molsky on Peghead Nation
- Stone’s Rag – learned from Noah at weekly lesson and video of Noah
- Gold Rush – heard at Mike’s jam, learned from YouTube videos
- Girl I Left Behind Me (Spooky Version) – learned from Noah and from video of Judy Hyman at Clifftop 2025
- Peckerwood / Froggy’s Gone A-Courtin’ – learned from Noah in weekly lesson
- New Hot Times – learned from Noah in weekly lesson
- Glory in the Meeting House – learned from YouTube videos and Bruce Molsky Peghead Nation lesson, Darol Anger has an exchange video
- Cold and Frosty Morning – learned from Katy Adelson YouTube video
- Snake River Reel – Noah at weekly lesson and recording from ??
- #11 Unknown Blues Jig – Will Adams (Kensington musician) song learned from Noah at weekly lesson
- Hell on the Potomac – learned from Dakota Karper at Augusta Old Time Retreat in October
- Cumberland Gap (Dakota’s Version) – learned from Dakota Karper at Augusta Old Time Retreat in October
- Fine Times at Our House – learned from video made at the August Old Time Retreat, played by Jesse Milnes in GDGD, not a typical tuning for this tune
- Road to Glentown (Glauntaun?) – learned from Noah in weekly lesson, either Irish or has Irish phrasing
- Cornbread, Molasses, and Sassafras Tea – learned from Noah at weekly lesson (oh no, it’s just a few weeks later and I’ve forgotten it)
- Jaybird Died of the Whooping Cough – Noah at weekly lesson, November before Thanksgiving
- Speed of the Plow – heard on Benny Bleu Swatting the Flies album and found YouTube video with Benny Bleu, played in GDGD, also listened to Matt Brown & Greg R but they play it in AEAE
- Seneca Square Dance – Jonathan at workshop in December