Cotton-eyed Joe – Round Peak
Here’s an intermediate/advanced lesson on how to play Cotton-eyed Joe in the Round Peak fiddle style of Tommy Jarrell.
I’ll teach it to you without double stops. And then in a follow-up video I’ll show you how to add fourth finger double stops, extract the rhythm (to help you learn the tricky rhythms in this tune) and play backup chords.
I suggest you review these lessons first:
- Cotton-eyed Joe – Basic
- Syncopated Scales
- Fourth Finger Double Stops (for the advanced variation)
This tune is recommended for students in Module 2.2 or higher. It’s a good way to practice the A Major scale, fourth finger double stops and syncopation. It’s also a way to practice adding variation to tunes.
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Video loops 🔁
Note: if you want to turn the video looper on or off, click the button in the lower left corner. Also, you can adjust the speed of the video by clicking the gear icon ⚙
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.
Preparation
Play an A note with an A drone. Allow your breath, body, and mind to relax. Listen to the blend of your fiddle with the drone, and enjoy the sound.
A drone
Next, warm up with the A Major scale and phrases from the tune (once you’ve learned it) using the drone above.
A Major scale: A0-1-2-3-E0-1-2-3 | G1-2-H3-D0-1-2-H3-A0
A part, first half
First half: (A2)-3-4-4-E0-0-1-0-A2-1-2
A part, second half
This Learning Chunk™ (tab, sheet music and mp3 snippets) is available to All-access users. Subscribe here. And thanks for your support. 🙏
B part, first half
This Learning Chunk™ (tab, sheet music and mp3 snippets) is available to All-access users. Subscribe here. And thanks for your support. 🙏
B part, second half
This Learning Chunk™ (tab, sheet music and mp3 snippets) is available to All-access users. Subscribe here. And thanks for your support. 🙏
Supplemental lesson - adding double stops, practicing tricky rhythms
Further learning
I’m slowly developing the Appalachian Fiddle Journeys course which explores old-time, Appalachian music in a a creative way.
If you like this tune you may also like Old Joe Clarke – Round Peak.
If you want to get better at playing syncopated rhythms, then take these lessons: Fiddling With Rhythm Loops & Syncopated Riffs
Other versions
Tommy Jarrell himself playing this tune!
You can see Alan Lomax in the background 🤓. Volume is a bit low on the video, so you might want to crank it…
Full Content
Full tabs, audio and sheet music downloads are available to All-access users. Subscribe here. And thanks for your support. 🙏
Variation version
This version adds in double stops. I also include some exercises for you to practice the double stops.
Give thanks
Take a moment to reflect with gratitude that you have music in your life. No matter where you are on your fiddle journey, you get to learn, play, and listen to music. What a wonderful gift!
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Thank you, Jason! I love that the sheet music for this tune includes the “down bow / up bow” symbols. This is super helpful. Bravo!
Glad it’s helpful. I’d like to do this for all tunes on the site but it’s a daunting task to remake all the sheet music 🤯