Grass Seeds Academy at Minnesota Bluegrass’ 2019 Fall Jam

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Looking forward to working with all the talented young pickers at Grass Seeds Academy on November 16!

Anthony Ihrig and I will be leading a special one-day session, working with kids ages 8-18. They’ll form small groups, pick a band name, put together a set list and we’ll help them put it all together.

And at 4:45pm tomorrow, the kids will rock the main stage at the Minnesota Bluegrass Fall Jam!

We work with young musicians on all the traditional bluegrass instruments (fiddle, banjo, mandolin, guitar, bass and vocals) and some of the non-traditional ones, too (ukelele and viola). Click here for registration info, etc.

Eric Christopher and Anthony Ihrig — Thanksgiving Eve at the 318

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Join me and banjo player extraordinaire Anthony Ihrig at the 318 Cafe in Excelsior for a Thanksgiving Eve banjo-fiddle (and mandolin) throwdown. In addition to being my longtime bandmate in The High 48s and one of the best melodic-style banjo players working today, Anthony’s my musical enabler when it comes to exploring music outside the…… Continue Reading

Upcoming Workshop

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On June 6 and 7, I’ll be teaching a two-day fiddle workshop at the International Music Camp’s Fiddler’s Weekend, on the North Dakota-Manitoba border.This is a workshop I’ve been doing for years and it’s always a lot of fun. At this camp, I’m usually the lone bluegrass fiddler (or one of the few) in a…… Continue Reading

Grass Seeds Academy Bluegrass Jam Camp for Kids

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It’s that time of year again, when I — along with The High 48s — get to mentor the talented kids at MBOTMA’s Grass Seeds Academy! Grass Seeds is a weekend-long bluegrass jam camp that takes place during the annual MBOTMA Winter Bluegrass Weekend, March 1-3 at the Crowne Plaza Minneapolis West in Plymouth, MN.…… Continue Reading

The High 48s — 2019 Bluegrass Brunch!

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The bluegrass brunch is back! This FREE, eight-show series takes place every Saturday from 11AM-1PM during the months of January and February at the Aster Cafe in Minneapolis! Bring your family and friends out of the cold* and into the promised land of bacon, eggs, bloodys and bluegrass, it’s the perfect way to start your…… Continue Reading

Shove the Pig’s Foot a Little Further into the Fire — Fiddle Duet

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Here’s a duet fiddle arrangement of the classic old-time fiddle tune “Shove the Pig’s Foot a Little Further into the Fire.” Within the next couple weeks, I’ll be uploading a companion video lesson where I’ll show you how to take the basic melody of a fiddle tune (this one, in particular) and add double-stops, slides…… Continue Reading

Grass Seeds Academy…the Fall Edition!

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For years, The High 48s have been teaching Grass Seeds Academy, our annual bluegrass jam camp for kids, at the Minnesota Bluegrass and Old-Time Music Association’s winter festival in March. It’s been incredibly gratifying to work with the next generation of bluegrass pickers and singers. And they never stop amazing us! Some Grass Seeds alums…… Continue Reading

Fiddling for Violists

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If the viola is the butt of jokes in the orchestra, in the bluegrass and old-time fiddling world it’s a non-entity! Although the viola has three strings in common with the violin and is played in almost exactly the same way, it seems to have never occurred to most bluegrass and old-timers that a fiddle…… Continue Reading

Learn to Read Notes on Fiddle or Violin in 15 Minutes!

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In this lesson, true to its title, I’m going to teach you how to read music on the fiddle or violin in about fifteen minutes. No kidding. Really. This is a streamlined approach to note-reading that will teach you only what you need to know to play your first couple of beginning tunes. Usually, when…… Continue Reading

Away in a Manger Fiddle Duet

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Happy holidays, everyone! This week I arranged the classic Christmas carol Away in a Manger for twin fiddles. I’ve already taught this arrangement to a couple students and so far it’s getting pretty high marks. I know I’m having fun playing it. This arrangement is good for beginning, intermediate AND advanced players, depending on which…… Continue Reading

Intro to Double-Shuffle Bowing (aka, “Hokum Bowing) Lesson

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Learn to play Orange Blossom Special in twenty minutes! Well…not quite. But in this lesson we will go over the basics of the double-shuffle bow pattern (the part in Orange Blossom where the audience goes crazy). So, if you’d like to learn Orange Blossom Special, or Back Up and Push, this is your intro. We’ll…… Continue Reading

Upcoming Workshops

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June is shaping up to be a big month for fiddle workshops and fiddle camps. On June 8 and 9, I’ll be teaching a two-day fiddle workshop at the International Music Camp’s  Fiddler’s Weekend, on the North Dakota-Manitoba border. This is a workshop I’ve been doing for years and it’s always a lot of fun.…… Continue Reading

Grass Seeds Academy Bluegrass Workshop for Kids

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Grass Seeds Academy is one of the many things I love about spring. Every year on the first weekend of March, The High 48s (my band) teach this weekend-long bluegrass (and old-time) workshop for kids at the Minnesota Bluegrass and Old-Time Music Association’s Winter Weekend festival. The focus  of this workshop is on group playing, whether…… Continue Reading

Eric Christopher and Anthony Ihrig at the Cedar — October 11

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Anthony and I have been playing banjo-fiddle duets together for years. We started working up arrangements in our downtime with The High 48s, waiting backstage or killing time on the festival grounds. Eventually we decided take to our show out of the green room onto the stage.     This coming Tuesday, Anthony and I…… Continue Reading

Grass Seeds Academy — March 4-6

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On March 4-6, The High 48s will be teaching at the Minnesota Bluegrass and Old-Time Music Association’s Grass Seeds Academy, an three-day music camp for kids ages 8-18 that takes place during the Bluegrass Winter Weekend festival in Plymouth, MN. We always enjoy working with these talented young musicians and are impressed with what they are able…… Continue Reading

High 48s Bluegrass Workshop: Saturday, October 17th

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The High 48s are partnering up with the Minnesota State Fiddler’s Association for an afternoon band workshop this fall in Brooklyn Center, MN. The focus of this workshop will be on playing bluegrass with others, either in a jam setting or in a bluegrass band. This workshop is open to anyone who plays a bluegrass instrument: fiddle, mandolin,…… Continue Reading

What kind of violin strings should I use?

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Steel violin/fiddle strings are very responsive and some of them will give you a strong, warm fundamental tone that suits bluegrass and old-time music perfectly. (If you’re interested in trying out steel strings, I wrote about some of my favorite brands here.) But if you’re a classical, jazz or Irish traditional player, you might find steel…… Continue Reading

Shuffle Bowing

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[1/17/2018: check out my new video lesson on shuffle bowing below] A student once told me that Bruce Molsky in his fiddle workshops calls the violin bow a “rhythm stick.” I love that! Calling the bow a rhythm stick gets to the heart of what makes fiddling distinct from violin playing, and that of course is…… Continue Reading

Tune of the Week: “Scotland”

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Over the weekend, I did a twin fiddling showcase with Catie Jo Pidel at the Minnesota Bluegrass and Old-Time Music Association’s “12 for 12” Fundraiser, and one of the tunes we pulled out was Bill Monroe’s twin (sometimes triple) fiddling classic “Scotland.” Now, this is a tune I hadn’t played or thought about for quite some…… Continue Reading

Music is Mindfulness

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Mindfulness is a bit of a buzzword these days. And for good reason: there’s a national shortage of it. Since smart phones have become part of our daily lives, we increasingly live in two places at once. While we inhabit the physical world — working, running errands, eating dinner, going to concerts, taking vacations —…… Continue Reading

High 48s Album Release Show!

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Save the date! The High 48s have booked a concert to celebrate the release of our upcoming CD “Great Northern Railroad” on May 2nd at the O’Shaughnessy Education Center Auditorium on the campus of the University of St. Thomas. (IMPORTANT: NOT the O’Shaughnessy on the campus of St. Catherine’s…directions here.) Joining us will be alt-country…… Continue Reading

Back from Nashville…

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Just got back from Nashville where The High 48s were working on the new album. We tracked it with Grammy-winning dobro player/producer/engineer Randy Kohrs at Slack Key Studios. It was three ten-plus-hour days of tracking, sandwiched between two fourteen-hour days of driving. We’re all feeling a little ragged right now, but happy, because the album…… Continue Reading

The High 48s at Grass Seeds Academy, February 28 through March 2

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The High 48s are very excited to announce that we’ll be teaching at the Minnesota Bluegrass and Old-Time Music Association (MBOTMA)’s Grass Seeds Academy again this spring. Grass Seeds is a weekend-long jam camp for kids that’s held in conjunction with MBOTMA’s Winter Weekend bluegrass festival at the Crowne Plaza Hotel in Plymouth, MN. We’ve…… Continue Reading

Bluegrass Today…and tomorrow

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Thanks to Bluegrass Today, the bluegrass blog of record, for the nice write-up on The High 48s’ forthcoming CD. http://bluegrasstoday.com/the-high-48s-ride-the-train/ For those of you who are tardy to the party, we’re working on a collection of train songs, new and old, originals and covers. The album will be called Great Northern Railroad (after the title track, which…… Continue Reading

High 48s-related gig alert!

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The High 48s won’t be gigging between now and when we head off to Nashville next week, but there are High 48s-related shows to report: Tonight, January 10, at Lee’s Liquor Lounge in Minneapolis, the 48s’ Anthony Ihrig and I will be joining up with Chris Silver, Wayne Beezley and Pete Mathison and Ron Elwood…… Continue Reading

Help The High 48s Record Their New Album — Contribute to our Kickstarter Campaign!

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This winter, The High 48s will be traveling down to Nashville to record and album of bluegrass train songs with Grammy-winning producer, engineer and dobro player Randy Kohrs. The album will be a collection of High 48s originals along with some choice cover songs from the likes of Greg Brown, Robin and Linda Williams, Muddy…… Continue Reading

The High 48s Jam Camp — August 6-8 at the Minnesota Bluegrass and Old-Time Music Association’s August Fest

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The High 48s will be back at the Minnesota Bluegrass and Old-Time Music Association’s big festival near Richmond, MN this year. In addition to playing a couple of mainstage sets, we’ll be teaching Jam Camp. The camp is for beginning- and intermediate-level players and will include individual instrument instruction (in banjo, fiddle, flatpicked guitar, upright…… Continue Reading

May 10: Americana Triple Bill with The High 48s, The Roe Family Singers and Becky Schlegel

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On May 10, The High 48s, The Roe Family Singers and Becky Schlegel will celebrate Mother’s Day weekend with a triple bill at the O’Shaughnessy Education Center Auditorium on the campus of the University of St. Thomas in St. Paul. We’re looking forward to this one! It’s not often that we get a chance to play on a bill…… Continue Reading

Young Fiddlers Association Fiddle Workshop, February 18 at 1pm

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I’ll be teaching a fiddle workshop for kids on February 18, 1pm, at the Tapestry Folkdance Center at 3748 Minnehaha Avenue South in Minneapolis. The workshop is being organized by the Young Fiddlers Association, who put on a lot of great events for fiddlers between the ages of 8 and 18. Visit www.youngfiddlers.com for more info or…… Continue Reading

Jump Start Your Fiddle Workshop — February 9, 9-5pm

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On February 9, I’ll be teaching a clinic for classically trained violinists who are learning (or are interested in learning) how to play fiddle. As a classically trained violinist/bluegrass fiddler, this is a topic near and dear to me. I’ll be giving lots of practical pointers on making the transition from classical music to fiddling…… Continue Reading

How do I play the double shuffle in Orange Blossom Special? Part Two.

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In part one of this lesson, we looked at two types of double-shuffle bowing as well as two basic double-stop voicings to use with these bowing patterns. Once you’re able to play these patterns with good timing and intonation, then you’re ready to tackle the triple-stop (three-note chord) version. The easiest way to beef up…… Continue Reading

How do I play the double-shuffle in Orange Blossom Special? Part one.

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UPDATE 1/8/2018: check out my new video lesson on double-shuffle bowing on Youtube.   This is a question that comes up in lessons and workshops a lot. I mean, A LOT! And that doesn’t come as a surprise. Orange Blossom Special is far and away the most popular American fiddle tune, it’s fun to play…… Continue Reading

Tonight at Underwood Studios

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Tonight The High 48s went to Underwood Recording Studios in Minneapolis to record one more track for our soon-to-be-released album. For this song, we chose to abandon our usual method of working, which is recording over a click track (a metronome, basically) with each instrument isolated in its own room, on its own track, using headphones and…… Continue Reading

Tunes from the Minnesota State Fiddler’s Association Workshop

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Thanks again to everyone who came to the Minnesota State Fiddler’s Association workshop yesterday! As promised, here are some bare-bones transcriptions of the tunes I shared. Just click on the links below and a PDF file should download to your computer automatically. These are just the basic melodies. Bowings, exact phrasing, slides and drone double-stops…… Continue Reading

CD Release Show, May 11 at Dreamland Arts in Saint Paul

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When: Friday, May 11 at 7:30pm Where: Dreamland Arts, 677 Hamline Avenue North, Saint Paul Tickets: $15, available at http://www.dreamlandarts.com/shows/detail.php?eventId=199 Info: Click here for directions and contact info Come on down to Dreamland Arts in Saint Paul to celebrate the release of In the Quiet Night: Fiddle Tunes from the Upper Midwest. After many years spent listening hard…… Continue Reading

Grass Seeds Academy Bluegrass Workshop for kids — March 2-4

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I’ll  be teaching a bluegrass band workshop for kids along with The High 48s at the Minnesota Bluegrass and Old-Time Music Association’s Winter Weekend Festival.  The High 48s will be joined by Catie Jo Pidel, Chuck Millar and Ryan Kimm, and Peter Ostroushko will be giving a fiddle workshop for intermediate-advanced students. I’ve taught at…… Continue Reading

MinnPost’s Jim Walsh Likes It!

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We’re always grateful when someone, anyone, really listens to and connects with our music, especially when that someone hears what you were trying to get at when you were locked away all those long hours in the studio. And when that somebody happens to be a music journalist who can really write — I mean,…… Continue Reading

A Banner Weekend at Bluegrass in the Pines

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Just got back from the Bluegrass in the Pines Festival in Rosholt, WI (near Stevens Point), and I’m physically exhausted but spiritually recharged. Outstanding picking (both onstage and off), good people and an almost magical vibe. Really. I love, love, love this festival. If you’re thinking about going to a bluegrass festival next summer, put…… Continue Reading

Remembering Kenny Baker

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  Kenny Baker, longtime fiddler for Bill Monroe’s Bluegrass Boys, died of a stroke last week in Tennessee at the age of 85. Kenny’s passing didn’t make headline news [although the “newspaper of record” did finally publish an obituary: http://www.nytimes.com/2011/08/02/arts/music/kenny-baker-bluegrass-fiddler-dies-at-85.html?_r=1&ref=obituaries] , and unless you were reading a bluegrass blog or heard it through the bluegrass…… Continue Reading

Festival Seasons is Here!

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If the triple digit temperatures weren’t a dead giveaway, the my/the 48s’ schedule this week clinches it: festival season has arrived. This Thursday and Friday, I’ll be teaching a two-day bluegrass fiddle workshop up at the International Music Camp in Peace Gardens, on the North Dakota/Manitoba border. For more info, visit http://www.internationalmusiccamp.com/. On Saturday, the…… Continue Reading

Minnesota State Arts Board Grant

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Just found out that I’ve been awarded a Minnesota State Arts Board Grant. So excited! This will help fund an all-instrumental CD I have in the works. For this one, I’ll be performing/arranging a collection of tunes from Upper Midwestern fiddlers across genres/traditions. I’m still collecting tunes, so if you have any suggestions, send ‘em…… Continue Reading

MBOTMA Jam Camp

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I’d just like to say thanks again to all of the jam camp students at this year’s MBOTMA fest. It was a ton of fun working with all of you this year — and I know I’m also speaking for my fellow High 48s and for Willie Scott Bauer. We’ve posted pictures from jam camp…… Continue Reading

The High 48s New CD is Done, Done, Done

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The High 48s have just released their third CD. It’s called Up North, and it features eight High 48s originals, two bluegrass classics and a song we picked up from the Irish band The Pogues, as well as some smokin’ guest appearances from Mike Compton on mandolin (www.mikecompton.net/ ) and Randy Kohrs on dobro (www.randykohrs.com).…… Continue Reading
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