The Scale of Sixths, or inverted thirds (fiddle lesson)

Рет қаралды 6,470

3 жыл бұрын

This double-stopped, harmony scale is incredibly useful in many types of fiddle playing. In this fiddle lesson I explain what the scale is, demonstrate its use in folk, country, western swing and Gypsy fiddle styles, and give some exercises to help get your fingers accustomed to the scale.
This scale has featured in several of my fiddle books, and I find it essential both in accompaniment and as an enhancement to melody playing. It is a scale with a harmony in thirds, but the harmony is place below instead of above. It may therefore also be known as inverted thirds.
A pdf of the examples and exercises shown here is available to all my subscribers (see address at the bottom). There are also further exercises on my Patreon page (www.patreon.com/thefiddlechannel).
Below are details of further fiddle resources from Chris Haigh
1. Patreon
2. Books
3. Subscription video courses
4. Website
5. Email to request pdf’s.
1. PATREON
This is a platform where anyone can help support creative artists and get closer access to their work. You can join me on Patreon at three levels, for £4, £10 or £40 per month.

At the lowest level you get access to all my pdf’s and tune collections, plus many exclusive tuition videos not available to the public.
At level 2 you can join also me once a month for a group Zoom chat, and can request a backing rack once a month.
Level 3 gives you all the above plus a free lesson once a month, and access to all my backing tracks.
You can find me on Patreon at
/ thefiddlechannel
2. BOOKS
I have seven fiddle tuition books published by Schott, all widely available from the publisher, from Amazon, and many other outlets. All come with audio tracks illustrating the tunes and exercises.
Exploring Jazz Violin
Beginning Jazz Violin
Discovering Rock Violin
Exploring Folk Fiddle
Exploring Klezmer Fiddle
Hungarian Fiddle Tunes
French Fiddle Tunes
Exploring Country and Bluegrass Fiddle (due out October 2021)
You can order from
bit.ly/31ZWmgm
3. VIDEO SUBSCRIPTION COURSES
I have three video subscription courses
MUSIC GURUS- Exploring Jazz Violin. Based on my Schott book
Parts 1 and 2 are each £26 for 26 lessons, covering the first and second halves of the book
Part 1; tinyurl.com/49tfk5ef
Part 2 tinyurl.com/23atebfc
-MUSIC GURUS Discovering Rock Violin. . Based on my Schott book
£35 for 46 lessons
tinyurl.com/2ua2kuxh
ACADEMY OF FOLK
Includes a folk fiddle primer course, with introductions to basic techniques and concepts plus an Irish Fiddle Course and Scottish fiddle course. A monthly sub of $9.99 gives access to all lessons
academyoffolk.com/
4. WEBSITE
My website is probably the most extensive and detailed summary of fiddle styles on the web, as evidenced by the range of top hits on Google for many fiddle styles.
www.fiddlingaround.co.uk
___________________________________________________________________________________
TO REQUEST PDF’S, or ask any questions, CONTACT ME AT
haighchris@hotmail.com

Пікірлер: 36

@rhodevans6523 Жыл бұрын

Your video lessons are great Chris - so useful! Thank you! :)

@davisboone6098 3 жыл бұрын

This helped so much. Thank you!!!

@johnmc3862 Жыл бұрын

Good man Chris!!

@TheFiddleChannel 3 жыл бұрын

This kind of harmony is also known as inverted thirds- since it is a third which has been turned upside down or inverted!

@mariafrak 3 жыл бұрын

This helped me A LOT!!! Thank you very very much! :-)

@morbanjo2503 3 жыл бұрын

Great lesson!

@johntait491 3 жыл бұрын

Thank you for putting this in context Christ and for the examples. Much appreciated. 👍

@TheFiddleChannel 3 жыл бұрын

Thanks John. More people should know about this scale!

@johntait491 3 жыл бұрын

@@TheFiddleChannel I agree. You've mentioned it many times. Putting it in the context of tunes helps me. I'll maybe have a look at your Patreon page. Thank you. 👍

@ogstopper 7 ай бұрын

My goodness. I have SUCH a long way to go!!! 😳😳

@TheFiddleChannel 7 ай бұрын

But at least you now know where you want to go!

@iloverumi 3 жыл бұрын

great info. i play guitar but will try this on that.

@carolmccollum9341 Жыл бұрын

This is so helpful!! Thank you!!

@TheFiddleChannel Жыл бұрын

You're welcome! If you send me an email to haighchris@hotmail.com, I will send you the Gypsy Waltz.

@michabiaowas-fiddlerskrzyp5240 3 жыл бұрын

good lesson thanks

@green-relaxation 3 жыл бұрын

Cool 👍

@roughout 3 жыл бұрын

You are so advanced! As a self taught adult I question my ability to get to that point. But thank you, for broadening my horizon.

@TheFiddleChannel 3 жыл бұрын

Hi Dennis. I'm not sure advanced is quite the right word. Obsessive might be more appropriate! I worry about this sort of stuff so that other people don't have to!

@roughout 3 жыл бұрын

@@TheFiddleChannel I have looked at a lot of KZfaq fiddle players and really admire Peakfiddler's song writing and playing, but you are the best teacher and with such broad playing styles and techniques. I'm ordering your Folk Fiddling book on Amazon. Thank you again.

@TheFiddleChannel 3 жыл бұрын

@@roughout Thanks Dennis. I hope you enjoy it!

@Channel-ke7vh 3 жыл бұрын

I incorporated these into my practice warming up routine. I can't do the chords straight off - it's first the detached notes, then slowly easing into hitting two strings for the chord till they sound as good as I can get it, without wobbling. Then carefully on to the next, all the way through, and slowly back down again. And so on. I don't think it will ever sound all that good but it's now moderately faster, and some of the pairs are actually in tune, even the pinky stretch, and better than it was a couple of weeks ago. The lesson and the accompanying annotation hugely helpful. Thanks Chris!

@TheFiddleChannel 3 жыл бұрын

Glad you've found this useful!

@aryanderek109 2 жыл бұрын

I guess it's kinda randomly asking but do anybody know a good place to stream newly released series online ?

@marioprinceton1173 2 жыл бұрын

@Aryan Derek flixportal :D

@aryanderek109 2 жыл бұрын

@Mario Princeton thanks, I went there and it seems like a nice service :D I really appreciate it!!

@marioprinceton1173 2 жыл бұрын

@Aryan Derek Happy to help :)

@bluesky0924 6 ай бұрын

I struggled with this until I pulled out my mandolin to use the frets as reference. Correct me if I'm wrong, but seems like the 1st, 4th, and 5th notes of the scale have the fingers close together, i.e. the lower note is one string lower and half a step down, and all the other notes have the fingers spread--one string lower and full step down. Perhaps not coincidentally the 1, 4, and 5 notes are the root notes of the major chords in the key.

@TheFiddleChannel 6 ай бұрын

Seems like you've got that right. But that approach makes more sense on the mandolin than it does on the fiddle. You would never go up a whole scale/octave on the same string on the fiddle so you'd never see that pattern. For me it's just a question of muscle memory so my fingers know where to go without being told.

@bluesky0924 6 ай бұрын

I didn't explain myself very well. I didn't mean playing on a single string. I agree that muscle memory is the key, but until I get that down, remembering that the 1, 4, and 5 notes require close finger placement to hit the 6th (or 3rd), and other notes require the fingers to be spread to hit the flat 3rd. For example if playing in the key of G in first position, if the melody note is the G on the D string, I play it with my ring finger and my middle finger is on the G string playing a B, which puts the fingers close together. If I play the F# on the D string with the middle finger, I have to spread my index finger further apart to hit the A rather than the A#. It's just something that helps me remember finger placement until muscle memory kicks in. Love your videos and Patreon site! I'm learning a lot. @@TheFiddleChannel

@newfolq-world8229 3 жыл бұрын

Very helpful Chris, thanks very very much. (.....) At 4:13 in the written example both f-sharps should be f-naturals?

@TheFiddleChannel 3 жыл бұрын

Hi Jan. Glad you found this useful. And yes, you're right about the F's!

@jameskennedy7093 Жыл бұрын

A mixolydian scale on the bottom and a phrygian scale on the top, essentially?

@TheFiddleChannel Жыл бұрын

It sounds pretty weird when you put it that way! It really depends where your starting point is. But Used in this way, the scale should always sound like a major scale.

@FolieduNord 3 жыл бұрын

Well... as for those who want to play REAL "folk fiddle" (which kind of Folk fiddle is that??!), please be advised: this is typically the classical approach: applying "the rules" regardless of any insight (or interest at all) in traditional music and/or specific fiddle styles. Playing folk music (or any specific style, I suppose) is not just about a few tricks, mind you....

@TheFiddleChannel 3 жыл бұрын

Interesting point of view! Which of my examples would you say was inappropriate?

@jmoody3 2 жыл бұрын

Sometimes, concepts and ideas (like these suggestions, for example) are offered as a path to familiarity with a technique such as this. The individual offering this bit of education is quite diverse and extremely gifted on the instrument, with such a wide, worldly view of the violin and what roles the violin plays in so many styles, genres, and cultures. Purists seldom see beyond their own songbook, and it’s a rather unfortunate perspective to maintain. We see it here in the southeastern US quite often with the Old Time crowd, and I’ve experienced it firsthand with the weird & snooty blues crowd growing up. At no point in this lesson did the content creator ever say ‘master this and you will have mastered folk music”. That’s not what he does. This creator, however, DOES bring to us so many different perspectives on this instrument’s musical & cultural involvement throughout the world. Thank you so much for what you do, sir.