Product Review

The vibrant young cellist Natalie Haas brings an arsenal of musical ideas, exercises, rhythms, chords, grooves and great tunes to this comprehensive lesson in how to back up melodic instruments playing Celtic music. Natalie starts with the basics of rhythmic playing and how it differs from classical technique. She details the mechanics of hand and arm positions that provide the percussive chops and powerful syncopations that you ll need to propel the tunes. You ll soon be creating grooves with both rhythmic and melodic elements, combining chord shapes with the chop, shuffle bowing, bass runs, double stops, muting, pizzicato and more. World-class fiddle players Darol Anger and Alasdair Fraser join Natalie in demonstrating the fiddle tune back-up arrangements she teaches: Tarbolton Lodge (reel); Highland Laddie (march); Athole Brose (strathspey); Between (jig); Brose and Butter (slipjig); Keys to the Cellar (hornpipe); She's Sweetest When She's Naked (minuet); Where I Was Last Night (Gaelic air). The session closes with a virtuosic rendition of Jenny Dang the Weaver, played with Darol and Alasdair on fiddles.