Cotton Eyed Joe

Old-Time Song in A Major

Intermediate > Module 2.8

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.

For those of you who read (or want to read), all snippets use this key and time signature:

Preparation

Warm up with A major scale using A drone.

A part, first quarter

First quarter: E0 0-0-A2

A part, second quarter

A part, third quarter

A part, fourth quarter

Interlude

Creativity, Fun and Adventure ?

Always try to find creative ways to make practicing fun. How can you practice the same thing in different ways? Can you learn to enjoy the sound? Can you even learn to enjoy the struggle?

If you explore different options for playing the same thing, then you will be able to enjoy practicing that for a longer time. Remember, the brain gets bored easily, but the hands need lots and lots of time to learn things.

B part, first quarter

B part, second quarter

B part, third quarter

B part, fourth quarter

Play Along Track – Full Tune

Drone in A – No Beat

I learned this from a Bruce Molsky recording. The rhythm of the first quarter is tricky. Spend time looping on the first and second quarters.

Warm up exercises

Intervals

D2-H3

A major scale

A1-0-D2-H3-A0

Cotton Eyed Joe – Full Tabs & Sheet Music

A part

First quarter: E0 0-0-A2

Second quarter: E0-2-1-0-2

Third quarter: A2-3-E0-1-0-A2-1-0-D2-H3

Fourth quarter: A0-1-0-D2-1

B part

First quarter: (D1-2)-A0 0-2-1-0

Second quarter: D2-H3-A0-1-0-1-2-1-0

Third quarter: A2-1-0-2-1-0-D2