Who wants turkey? This is Katrina's 6th and final Camp Sumner Session video. Katrina gives fiddle lessons in person and on Skype and can be reached via Facebook.
Fantastic rendition : so many and subttle variations and embellishments ! We are not hearing the same line twice. A real Texas style fiddle playing ! Bravo !
I have found that with Katrina and most all of the other fiddlers featured on the Joy of Fiddling channel that incorporate improvisation in their playing (Daniel, Tashina, Jesse, others), I am always hearing something new with each consecutive listen, no matter how many times I watch the videos Listening closely will yield little gems every time.
Even though I'm not American, I love listening to good old orchestral American country classics. And the violinist Katrina ! As a left-hander, she plays the violin indistinguishable from a right-hander. Very good.
Well said, @xray86delta. It does get into the blood and bones in some of us, doesn't it? Bagpipes do it for me as well and I don't think I have any Scotch in me (unless it's aged and peaty, of course😉) Not a coincidence that there are more than a few fiddle tunes that mimic the sound of bagpipes.
Me too, Bruce. Write and eat with left. Sports and fiddle with right. As for Katrina, she was offered left handed stringed instruments when she was very young, and first started picking up fiddles, but she chose to stick with a right handed fiddle. As anyone can see and hear, it worked out pretty well for her.
well,@@fiddler1861, i guess that would depend on your definition of "left handed fiddle". Katrina's fiddle is strung G, D, A, E, which is how all right handed fiddles are strung. But she plays left handed.
Great comment, Eric. Ever since I was a kid I heard some folks complain that "Texas style" fiddling was "not danceable", and perhaps in certain strict definitions, they are not wrong about that. But personally, I find myself dancing around to it all the time.
The last sentence of your comment touches on why fiddling is such a remarkable example of musical self expression. If you get a hundred fiddlers to play "Turkey in the Straw", each will bring to it their own licks, variations, arrangements, style, and personality to the tune. Many fiddlers may never play the same tune the same way twice. We might wander around the notes a bit but we don't lose sight of the tune.
No need to apologize for not knowing Katrina. The fiddle scene is full of brilliant, gifted musicians, both professional and non-professional, whose names will never be known outside our modest circle. And I've never met anyone who started fiddling because they thought it would make them famous.
Yeah buddy she's flat doing some sawing with that arm ain't she I would love to be able to sit down and Play along with her She could teach me so much lol
That was awesome! Turkey in the Straw was one of the first pieces I learned on the violin. It really needs to be played country fiddle like you do and not classical violin the way that I've heard some others play it. I mean I mostly played classical violin myself, but Turkey in the Straw needs that country fiddle!
Katrina does a mighty fine job on this tune, doesn't she, AdmrlLocke? To elaborate further on your comment, technically "Turkey in the Straw" is not a classical composition but a fiddle tune, intended to be played in a fiddling style, so your observation makes sense. If a classically trained violinist (who has no fiddling experience) plays it, it most likely will not have that "fiddle feel". As I'm sure you know, for the most part, violins and fiddles are basically the same instruments physically but the stylistic manner in which they are played is very different. Many of the techniques practiced to become a good violinist do not translate over into achieving an authentic fiddle sound. One example of that would be vibrato styles....BIG difference between violin and fiddle vibrato. The most beautiful violin vibrato in the world would not be appropriate for an old time fiddle waltz. And vice versa. Something to keep in mind is that the fiddle world is full of people who got their start in classical music but fell in love with fiddling. But at first, even though they were very capably learning the notes and proper melodies of fiddle tunes, their playing still had telltale signs of their classical training. Much like learning a new language, you may be speaking the words correctly, but you may still have the accent of your original native language. Losing that accent is absolutely achievable, it just takes time and practice. My mother had this very experience as a violinist who fell head over heels for fiddling. But when she first ventured into the fiddling community she was instantly recognized for being a trained violinist. (She goes into detail about this and some of the prejudices she experienced from some fiddlers in the short documentary: "A Life in Love with Fiddling" which can be viewed on this channel.) Some people told her that she would never be a "true fiddler" because her classical background had "ruined" her. But she was determined to get a handle on that old-time feel. She went on to help countless other violinists transition into fiddling. Today it's almost commonplace with these incredible young kids who have one foot in the classical world and one foot in the fiddling world and they play both styles equally and amazingly well. Anyway, AdmrlLocke, I guess all that was just to say, when you do come across any violinists who are making their initial attempts at playing fiddle tunes, be patient with them...and yourself. That country fiddle sound you mentioned is within reach, if one is willing to put in the time and the work.
Raw talent and love, to be sure, gcgmale Male. Insatiable hunger and desire for this music is a universal component for individuals who excel in this arena.
I'm sure they would appreciate the acknowledgement, Spike. I contend (as would many fiddlers, I believe) the better the back up you've got...the better you play.
Indeed, @Vito Certosino, there may have been deeper and darker reasons the tune was included in a mini-series about slavery. As far as the lyrics are concerned, this song has an unfortunate and controversial history. By my very limited research, the original version of the lyrics were not racist. But the minstrel and black face performers of the late 1800's took the popular melody to an ugly place. These days I think most folks with any familiarity with the song know it as a dated, corny children's sing-a-long. And I'm willing to wager that 99.9% of the fiddlers who play this tune have no idea there was ever an unsavory element in its past.
Hey there, LATHOH. Katrina is playing a fiddle tuned for a right handed fiddler. In other words, she has never strung her fiddle to accommodate her left handedness. At a very young age she would preciously pick up her (right handed) mother's fiddle and the rest is history. So, as far as your son is concerned, he's absolutely not doing anything wrong. He should do what works and feels right for him and watching all of the videos of Katrina here on the Joy of Fiddling channel will show him he's in good company.
very true, my son can play guitar mandolin and piano and he seems to learn quickly playing his right handed fiddle left ways...thanks for the prompt reply
I think so too, Bernard. Although, not everyone would agree with us. I've gotten more than a few comments on this channel from folks who feel anything more than two Is way too many. But there's no right or wrong answer for that, it just comes down to personal preference and who happens to show up at an impromptu jam session. For the record in case you missed it, there are two standard six string guitars and two four string tenor guitars accompanying Katrina in this video. It doesn't hurt when the back up instruments are in the hands of individuals who know what they're doing, and on this particular evening Katrina was in the very capable hands of Jesse, Matthew, Scott, and Anne.
Hello ! thankyou for your answer. Yes... You could say it is because violin is 4 times more difficult than violin and we find more guitar player... I just saw that you (on the violin ?) you play on the right shoulder.
Hi Bernard. I produce and post these videos but I do not actually appear in them. The fiddler in this video is Katrina Nocolayeff and she plays (obviously) left handed which positions her fiddle on her right shoulder.
Sometimes the fiddling sounds better with a piano. Guitars are okay but do not the same sound effect as piano. But as is seen this was recorded in early mornings. mos60
Ultimately, as with everything, I think it comes down to personal preference and taste. But absolutely no question, that in capable hands, piano can be an amazing complement to fiddling. Living legend pianist Betty Solomon contributed greatly to the music of Texas style fiddling with her rocksteady prowess behind the keys. Not only did she play with a multitude of the great Texas style fiddlers of the past, she continues to this day to be in great demand at fiddle contests and jam sessions. And sometimes the lack of a piano at a fiddle jam session is simply a matter of logistics. Case in point, this particular video, and all the "Camp Sumner Session" videos, were shot in the middle of a grassy field campground. Not the ideal terrain to be pushing around a piano. So, mos60, if you want to hear some piano backup on the Joy of Fidding channel, be sure to check out the "Atherton Session" videos featuring Daniel Carwile. You'll see and hear some six string guitar and tenor guitar pickers, but with some of the tunes, you will see and hear some mighty fine piano backup by Daniel's wife Amy.
Great feel and style but is it usual to play an augmented/sharp 4th? She seems to do it throught the tune and it just doesn't sound right to me. Wonderful rhythm playing too BTW (I'm a Gypsy Jazzer and we notice rhythm players)
Hey there, +Sam Spoons. First off, I'd have to say the last thing Katrina would ever be accused of is doing something "usual" on the fiddle. She has extraordinary skills of improvisation and I would not be able to tell you if what you are hearing was intentional on Katrina's part, or if it was something that just happened organically in the heat of the moment of jamming. I can tell you with confidence that she had never before played this tune exactly the way she played it in this video. And she'll never play it exactly the same way again. As to whether it sounds "right" or "wrong", that's in the ear of the beholder. Personally, like everyone, I have tastes and opinions, both unique and common, but I've never believed in telling other musicians how they should express themselves. To each his or her own. As for your comment on the "rhythm section", there's a reason why Katrina was jamming in this particular camp in Weiser that evening: Solid pickin'. And may i say Sam, your Gypsy Jazz ears may be keener than you realize, because every single picker in this video has a deep and profound appreciation for the likes of Django Reinhardt. In fact, this Texas style of back up picking heard in this video would not exist without the strong influence of swing and gypsy jazz.
@@joyoffiddling Thanks for the reply. Which ever hat I put on, jazzer, country picker, rock/blues guy I feel the same. It's clearly a deliberate choice as she plays it consistently through the tune but to me ear it is a 'wrong note'. I'd be fascinated to hear why she plays it that way but, sorry, for me it spoils an otherwise brilliant performance. But what do I know..........
@@samspoons5449 what do any of us know for that matter? Most all of it is opinion and personal preferences. And in fiddling there's an infinite amount of varying sounds and tastes. It's what makes fiddling such an incredible living art form. Anyway, I decided to go straight to Katrina with your enquiry and this is her reply: "I play the c natural too throughout the tune....but I do tend to play the c# on the wind-up. Texas fiddling uses lot of accidentals to make the song more interesting". K.N. Hoping that helps, Sam.
