Old-time Reel in A and D Major
Beginner > Module 1.6

Fire On The Mountain Tutorial

This is a traditional tutorial on the tune. If you want an extra challenge, learn the tune with the call-and-response lessons below. If you choose the traditional tutorial, you can always take the call-and-response lessons later (for further practice).


Fire On The Mountain Call-And-Response Lessons

Learn the tune through old-school call-and-response. I’ll play something, then leave you a space to play it back. Use these lessons to learn, improve or review the tune. I encourage you to struggle a bit with learning this by ear before referring to the music.


Learning chunks 

I’ve made some “Learning Chunks” to help you learn more easily. These focused exercises contain sheet music, tabs and mp3 snippets to guide you on your fiddle journey. The idea is to start with small musical bits, get good at those, and then put them together into bigger pieces until you have the whole tune. I call it Micro-practice.

Preparation

Warm up with the A and D major scale and phrases from the tune (once you’ve learned it) using a A and D drone: 

A drone

 

D drone

For those of you who read (or want to read), all snippets use this key and time signature for the A part (which is in A major):

The B part is in D major and uses this key signature:

The B part

A part, second quarter

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A part, third quarter

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A part, fourth quarter

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Interlude

Let’s pause for a moment and pay attention to how we practice.

Micropractice?

When something is challenging, see if you can simplify the problem. Practice things in small increments.

You may find there is just a single note which is causing the struggle. If you can find that and practice it, then you systematically eliminate all hard parts. Once you get better at a small piece, test yourself by playing a bigger piece that includes it. 

If you take this approach to heart and actually do it, then you can eventually learn anything.

B part, first quarter

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B part, second quarter

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B part, third quarter

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B part, fourth quarter

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Full Tabs, Audio & Sheet Music

A part

First quarter: E0-1-0-A3-2-0-2-3-E0-1-3-0-1-0-A2-3

Second quarter: E0-1-0-A3-2-1-0-2-A1-0-1-2-0-1-2-3

Third quarter: E0-1-0-A3-2-0-2-3-E0-1-3-0-1-0-A2-3

Fourth quarter: E0-1-0-A3-2-1-0-2-A1-0-1-2-0

B part

First quarter: (D2-3)-A0-1-0-D3-2-0-2-3-A0-1-3-0-1-0-D2-3

Second quarter: A0-1-0-D3-2-1-0-2-D1-0-1-2-0-1-2-3

Third quarter: A0-1-0-D3-2-0-2-3-A0-1-3-0-1-0-D2-3

Fourth quarter: A0-1-0-D3-2-1-0-2-D1-0-1-2-0

A2-3-E0-0-1-0-A3-2-1-0-2-1-0-1-2-0

 

Observe that the B part is the same as the A part but starts on A0 instead of E0. So if you learn the A part REALLY WELL, it will be easy to pick up the B part. The A part is in the key of A major, the B part is in the key of D major.

 PDF

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12 responses to “Fire on the Mountain

  1. This one was a quick learn because of its repetition and overall structure, though I need to keep practicing to play it at more than a moderate speed. I’m laughing now as I practice it because it reminds me of “The Song That Never Ends.” I can’t wait to inflict it on my family! Lol

  2. What a catchy little tune. So fun to play with the play along track. At first when I heard it, I didnt even want to bother learning it, but forced myself because I’m trying to do all core songs from the lessons. It only took about 30 minutes to nail it because it is so repetitive, and so fun to play, plus it’s giving me the practice I need on e string. I’m always catching my bow on side of violin trying to switch from E string to A string quickly.

  3. Excellent tune! A classic and a real challenge but what a fun lesson!
    Well done getting through all the variants verbally and explaining the changes of the tune. Wow!
    I’m very familiar with the song which helps a great deal, and couldn’t help but laugh out loud after finishing the first play-along session. Fiddling! It’s a gas!
    Thanks Jason! You the Man!

  4. I had a hard time using this play-along track because it is hard to know where to start on the part with just backup. There is no count-in or other clue as to where to start. And there are no chords notated on the sheet music to so when the backup chords change unexpectedly I’m not sure where I’m supposed to be, I just know I’m in the wrong place because what I’m playing doesn’t sound right with the chord change.

    It would help if there the backup section started with a couple pickup notes or other clues and if the sheet music had the chords notated. I can see the use of learning where to come in but when playing with people in person one has at least some visual cues or something.

    Thanks!

    1. Ok, it starts in the key of A on the 1 chord and stays there till measure 4 when it goes to V and back to 1, similarly in measure 8. Then the B part modulates to the key of D with the same chord progression but in D….

  5. Oh, my heavens. Just took off the tape to mark positions on my fiddle a few days ago. I picked it up to practice Fire o the Mountain which I have been working on for several days. I decided to record it. Oh my, how bad it sounded. Could not find any of the notes. Went ahead and recorded. The next time will have to sound better.

    So I stepped back and worked with the mp3 recording – listening to the intonation and trying to match it tone for tone. What a genius, you are, Jason! Playing along with the mp3 really helped me focus on the correct pitch.

    I will keep it. Although today’s practice was a struggle, I will confess.

    Mary Reid