Minnesota Fiddlers

MSFA SloJammers

Are you a beginning or intermediate fiddle player who wants to learn more about old-time music? The Minnesota State Fiddlers Association holds a monthly slow jam for fiddlers wanting to learn old-time, Irish, Scandinavian, Canadian, and hey, maybe even a Cajun tune or two.

Each month, a MSFA volunteer will teach a tune or two. The rest of the time is spent in a "circle" jam session with the tunes slowed down so that everyone can participate. Fiddlers are encouraged to bring recording devices. So if you've taken violin lessons and want to try your hand at fiddling or are accomplished in old-time/bluegrass/Irish in another instrument and want to work on your fiddling, come join us.

Guitar, mandolin and other non-fiddle players who want to benefit from the slower tempos to learn how to accompany fiddlers are more than welcome to join us.

Click here to be on the email notification list.

Upcoming SloJammer dates:

March 7, 2015
MSFA Workshops at MBOTMA;
Saturday morning, 9:30 a.m. in the Old Time Dance Hall. 
Concurrent workshops - Don Jacques/Eugene Wilms teach Southern Appalachian tunes or "How to Back Up Fiddle Players" with John Wallace and Gilmore Lee. 
For more information on the entire weekend, go to minnesotabluegrass.org

April 4, 2015
Ridgedale Library
Minnetonka, MN
Room 172
Beginner Jam - 2 p.m. - 3 p.m.

Regular Jam - 3 - 4:30 p.m.

May 2, 2015

Ridgedale Library,

Minnetonka, MN
Room 172
Beginner Jam - 2 p.m. - 3 p.m.
Regular Jam - 3 - 4:30 p.m.

June 28, 2015

Smitty's Amateur Fiddle Contest

Spud Fest in Big Lake, MN

registration at noon.

The MSFA SloJammers are transcribing and learning the tunes from the Minnesota Fiddle Tunes CD project.

Click here access the sheet music to the Minnesota Fiddle Tunes.

To date, we have transcribed the following:

Kettlescrubber

Flop-Eared Mule

Minnesota Waltz

Swedish Schottische

Dick Halverson's Waltz

Sherburne's Polka

Reinlender etter Ringnesen

Rangers Waltz

Medley - Old Red Barn/Steamboat Quickstep (Uncle Jim's)

Knute's Waltz

The Girl I Left Behind Me

Stoltman's Dad's Waltz

Keep checking back, as we will continue to add new transcriptions.

Click here to get a copy of the CD.

For videos of many of these tunes, go to YouTube.com and find the JumpStart Your Fiddle

channel.  You can also like the Minnesota State Fiddle Association SloJammers on Facebook to get posts of sheet music, videos and upcoming events and jams.

Click here to see Anabel Sanford Wirt teaching Steamboat Quickstep and Red Barn Jig