This class is must for all fiddler players who are already comfortable playing their instrument and are ready to expand their repertoire and study the finer points of Cajun fiddling. I'd like to teach you some new tunes (maybe one a day) and use them to help you in your everyday fiddling. We'll discuss things like:

• Playing fiddle in a Cajun band

• How to second

• How to work with another fiddler

• How to take a solo

• When and how to harmonize

• How to "wing it" on a song you've never heard, etc.

We'll also talk about amplifying the fiddle on-stage, equipment, and how to work it.

Learning by ear: I'm going to help you learn how to teach yourself to learn songs from recordings.

Chords, and how to find them: I'll give you a rundown of music theory and your fingerboard, and explain how to find any chord you might ever need in cajun music.

Aside from the standards, my Cajun fiddle repertoire includes tunes from Denis McGee, Varise Connor, Wade Fruge, Edius Naquin, and Harry Choates, as well as fiddle arrangements of popular accordion tunes and rare ballads. Email joel@valcourrecords.com if you have any requests or further questions.