How to Play Bill Cheatham on a Bluegrass Fiddle

Hi there, I'm Ian Walsh with OnlineLessonVideos.com. And today’s lesson is going to be tune called Bill Cheatham in the key of A and we’re going to play through the sample of it for you and then we’re going to play some of the individual notes and learn it note by note and add in some things like double stops and look at some of the trickier bowing on the second part. So, here's the sample of it Bill Cheatham in the key of A. [Demonstration] So before we get started learning some of the notes of Bill Cheatham here, let's go through the two very simple A scales that you can play in first position. So we’ll start down here, and even though we won’t be using some of these lower notes on the G string, we’ll still kind of go over and it’s good to have them in your back pocket. So we start on the low A. [Demonstration] And we’re going to finish on this middle A, so we play these eighth notes. [Demonstration] Okay. You should take note if you’re a new or a beginner, take note on some of the spacing here, on the G and the D string, there’s a full spaces between your A, B and C and your E after the G notes. So let's try the lower scale one more time. [Demonstration] Okay. Once we get to that A, we can continue on with the higher scale on the A and the E string here. [Demonstration] And then back down. [Demonstration] Okay. Now, some of the first notes in Bill Cheatham — [Demonstration] You start on the E right here and you're going to go to a C, but we’re going to look at these two double stops first and try to see if you can get your tone and your tuning right. [Demonstration] So, we’re going to try to play our middle two strings, the A and the D string, and on the D string you're going to play an E note and on the A string you're going to play a C sharp. And play them together and see if you have a decent sound in double stop. [Demonstration] Okay. We’re going to shift everything up and we’re going to move the E to an F and we’re going to move that C sharp to a D. So the C sharp and the D that’s a little half step and then from the E to the F that’s the full step. So our next double stop is an F and a D. [Demonstration] Okay, so those are the two we’re going to start with. [Demonstration] Okay. And within this double stops are a lot of the notes in the first part. So let's break this down note by note. We start on the E and we go right over to the Cs. [Demonstration] Okay, try that again. [Demonstration] And you can see right there if you leave your fingers down which you can do, you have the makings of the double stop that we just learned. [Demonstration] So we have— [Demonstration] Now, some of the notes after that you go to the open A string. [Demonstration] Okay and we’re going to use that G sharp. [Demonstration] Okay. So you combine what we have. [Demonstration] And again. [Demonstration] And one more time. [Demonstration] And now, we’re going to use for the next part that F sharp and D. [Demonstration] That’s format, so we kind of follow the same pattern and we play an F followed by two Ds. [Demonstration] Let's try that again. [Demonstration] This is a lot closer than the earlier when we play with an E and a C. [Demonstration] Here they are one last time. [Demonstration] So a big part of this tune is getting these very important notes right the— [Demonstration] And then that— [Demonstration] So, if you're having trouble with this tune or you’re in the beginner fiddle player, you might want to just work on some of these little parts right here. [Demonstration] Let me show you some of the notes after this middle part. [Demonstration] And this is why knowing your scales can come in very handy, this is more or less just a scale format here. We start on the C. [Demonstration] When you get to that F, that’s the highest note you're playing and you're being walking down. So C, D, E, F, E, D, C, B, A. [Demonstration] So that comes in after the F, D, D. [Demonstration] So about halfway through the first part of Bill Cheatham here, let's combine the two parts we have now and play them slowly. One, two, three and— [Demonstration] And then on that F sharp and we’re about to go into the second half of the Bill Cheatham.