Learn to Fiddle the Orange Blossom Special, the Most Popular Fiddle Tune in the World

Learning to fiddle the Orange Blossom Special is not easy, but it's truly worth the effort. The Orange Blossom Special is unequaled in popularity. To learn it you must master three distinct parts. Each of these parts has its own character and style. They are: 1. Bells, whistles, chugga-chugga's, 2. the Shuffle, 3. the Hoedown.

Bells, Whistles, Chugga-chugga's

This is the introductory part of the tune. It starts up right after the rhythm is put down, by guitar, and other instruments usually.

The first whistle to master is made by the G# on the D string and the B on the A string.This double stop takes two of the chord notes from the E major chord and moves them down and up with a fall off at the end.

That's followed by the left hand plucking the E string for the bell.This can be recycled several times.

In between the bell and the whistle, play some chugga-chugga's.For that you must move the bow up and down the string instead of across the string. Do this very rapidly in time. I change my grip on the bow a little to make this easier.Make the movement very short, just a couple or more inches at the most. The sound should be 90% percussive, not tonal. In other words a definite pitch is not what we're after. Placement of the left hand fingers can be the same as the whistle.

It is in this part of the tune that many fiddlers do musical quotes and "stretch out." I used to do that, too. Then, I heard the classic Irwin Rouse version. The directness of his performance is powerful by comparison of the "loaded up" versions you hear today. My recommendation: except for a few bluesy, syncopated moves, lose the junk.

The Shuffle

The most famous shuffle for this tune is the double shuffle or hokum bow. We'll get to that.

In the original version by Irwin Rouse, he played two other shuffles. And remember, we're talking about the version that made the tune famous.

One of the shuffles is a rocking bow. You play two strokes on the lower strings and two on the next pair up, back and forth. This was in last month's tabs.

This is a good technique to master for other tunes as well. Often I use this move for Arkansas Traveler. (I stole this from Dale Potter.)

In this shuffle you will need to think in terms of three strings at once. Not that you play three at once, but your fingering is organized as though you were.

Mastering the fingering for this shuffle puts you in very good position to master the double shuffle.

There are two difficult areas for the hokum bow or double shuffle. One is the left hand--having to be concerned with three strings at a time. Another is the coordination of the string crossings with the bow.

There is an easy way to get into this rhythm, using only two strings. This exercise is included with the tab charts for new Fiddle Tech Notes subscribers.

Play through this pattern carefully so that you don't add an extra note or leave on out. When you can be reliable in playing through the pattern once, play it twice with almost no pause in between.

Then play it through and go to the next pair of strings to do it again.

The ultimate performance of this shuffle shuffle gets the left hand fingers changing along with the bow. It's quite and advanced technique. An example of this is also in the tabs.

Irwin Rouse also does a shuffle of chugga-chugga's. As said before, the sound is mainly percussive. Yet, you will use the left hand positions for the fingering just as in the rocking bow.

Rouse went through the tune 3 times, ending with the hokum bow. When I play it, usually I just go through the tune twice. First with rocking bow, then with hokum. And I end after the hoedown. The Hoedown

Finally, we get to a straight ahead part that sounds like a hoedown. It's exactly the same length as Cripple Creek. Or as long as the A part of Old Joe Clark.

Creating your own version of this tune is like making up a variation of any well known hoedown. You want to keep it recognizable. After the hoedown, there is a transitional figure that takes you back to the key of E.

If you want to end the song, you need to add a simple standard tag to wind things up. And there it is: the Orange Blossom Special.

Elan Chalford,MM.--Fiddle Coach
Learn to Play Fiddle without Reading Music

---

Chords or Melody First... Which is Best?

There are basically two ways you can compose a piece... Read More

Dont Censor the Music and Artistic Expression

Ann Powers said: "Don't censor the music and artistic... Read More

Music Licensing

Music licensing can be a very confusing subject. My... Read More

Are iPods Changing the Way We Listen to Music

They're everywhere, and not only are they everywhere, they look... Read More

Getting Rhythm - Three Tips for Guitar Beginners

If you are just starting out learning guitar one of... Read More

Surf Waves With Jack Johnson

Lately I've been listening to some pretty cool music by... Read More

Celtic Music: The Japanese Connection

My friend, guitarist Brian Hughes, toured with the Chieftain's in... Read More

Singing: The Tonic of Life

Most people these days would associate singing with the popular... Read More

Good News for the Musically Untalented

Have you ever been told that you were good at... Read More

Beginners Guide to Music File Formats

Are you confused by the various types of music file... Read More

Top 7 Donts for Successful Improvisation

1. Don't try and make something happen. Trying blocks the... Read More

Alternative Sales Sources for Your Music

Following, is a list of alternative sources that may be... Read More

Benatar and Geraldo - Still Rockin on a High Note

Most people look forward to the summer months because they... Read More

Can You Really Learn To Play a Musical Instrument From an Online Course?

Out of the 250 million people in the United States,... Read More

How to Play What you Feel

Many students think that being able to play what you... Read More

New M3 with Competition Package

The new competition package available for the BMW M3 is... Read More

Making Music As A Lefty

Author Interview with Ryan Thomson, seacoast New Hampshire resident, and... Read More

The Downfall Of The #1 Southern Gospel Station

Back in the 90's we had a local Southern Gospel... Read More

Its Jewish Music, But Is The Music Jewish?

A while back I was driving along the Jerusalem highway... Read More

Jazz: What In The Heck Is It?

All of us know what jazz is when we hear... Read More

Formation of a Song (Recording)

As industry insiders, we sometimes forget that when discussing the... Read More

How Can You Make A Rock Vocal Sound Better?

Admit it... you were expecting a magic answer to this... Read More

Establishing Your Mix

Now that you've spent hours and days and weeks and... Read More

Name That Tune - Tips For When You Can?t Remember The Song Title Or Artist

For years, you have been searching for a song lodged... Read More

Wal-Mart Music Downloads, Napster and Other Legal Digital Music Download Sites

Digital Music Download. Ever since file-sharing programs entered the hard... Read More

Repetition is the Key to Learning Something Deeply

Repetition is the key to learning something deeply. It works... Read More

Musical Improvisation Basics - Four Strategies For Playing Wrong Notes

While it probably doesn't seem like this would help -... Read More

New Age Piano and Improvisation

There are so many areas in life where one must... Read More

ADIRONDACK versus SITKA SPRUCE

Both of these timbers make great soundboards on flat top... Read More

Live Music!

"Live music." That common saying may contain some truth, but... Read More

Health and Beauty Tips for Your Brass: Keep It Shiny!

Did you know that the health and beauty of your... Read More

Does Your CD Cover $ell (Or Suck)?

Oh, I know the last part of the title (Suck)... Read More

Music and Healing: The Power of Meaningful Words and Music

We All Have a Favorite Piece of Music that Moves... Read More