He's a Pirate

Sheet Music PDF: He's a Pirate

LilyPond Source: He's a Pirate

How Deep The Father's Love For Us

Download PDF: How Deep The Father's Love For Us

LilyPond Source: How Deep The Father's Love For Us

The Lily of the Valley

PDF Download - The Lily of the Valley

LilyPond Source - The Lily of the Valley

I'll Fly Away

PDF Download - I'll Fly Away

LilyPond Source - I'll Fly Away

I Sing The Mighty Power of God

PDF Download - I Sing The Mighty Power of God

LilyPond Source - I Sing The Mighty Power of God

My Favorite Strings - Infeld Red

Truthfully, the title should be "My Current Favorite Strings," because my taste tends to change with time. I've been very impressed with the quality of these strings, the only downside is their price. However, I generally change strings once a year, so I feel that I can splurge a little on good strings. So, here are the specifications on these strings:


Thomastik Infeld Red 4/4 Violin String Set - Medium Gauge with Removable Ball End Gold-plated Steel E

• Full size (4/4)
• Medium Gauge
• Removable Ball End
• Gold Plated Steel E
• String Materials:
• G: Composite core, silver wound
• D: Composite core, hydoalium* wound
• A: Composite core, hydoalium wound
• E: Chrome steel, gold-plated

*Hydoalium (or hydroalium, depending on where you look) is an aluminum alloy, with 5%-10% magnesium and .3%-.5% nickel.

This is the second highest rated set of strings on Amazon. They have a warm feel, but definitely not dull. Many reviewers mentioned bringing out "the dark side of your violin." I was afraid this would sound muffled, but in reality, these strings have a great combination of warmth and power.

I play both classical and fiddle, and I find that these strings adapt well to both styles. They are dark enough to play very emotional pieces, and they have the fast response to play hoedown-style bluegrass. If you only play one style, you can get strings to match it, like gut strings for baroque or steel for fiddle, but these strings have the versatility to hold up under any type of music.

If you use these strings, or have a different favorite string, please leave a comment and tell me about it!

O for a Thousand Tongues to Sing - Duet

Nice, short duet. Enjoy!

PDF Download - O for a Thousand Tongues to Sing - Duet

LilyPond Source - O for a Thousand Tongues to Sing - Duet

Cripple Creek

This is a departure from the hymns, but I think the traditional fiddle tunes are an important part of our America's culture. Hope you enjoy it.

I'm not sure who to credit this to. I downloaded an ABC music file from JC's Tune Finder. I've converted the file to LilyPond's format and have separated the two versions of the song.  Though most people play this in A, some play it in G, so both are available.

PDF Download (G) - Cripple Creek - G major

PDF Download (A) - Cripple Creek - A major

LilyPond Source - Cripple Creek

Take Time to Be Holy

Download PDF - Take Time to Be Holy

LilyPond Source - Take Time to Be Holy

Count Your Blessings

Download PDF - Count Your Blessings

LilyPond Source - Count Your Blessings

This Is My Father's World

Download PDF - This Is My Father's World

Lilypond Source - This Is My Father's World

Wolf Tone

Does your violin have a wolf tone?
A while back, I realized that one note on my violin always sounded terrible. It was a C# on my G string. I assumed I was just not hitting the note quite right, but no matter how precise I was, it never sounded good. Finally in desperation, I googled it. I found out that many people have the same problem with the same note. This is called a wolf tone. 


How do I fix it?
Once you realize that your violin has a wolf tone, you can easily fix it by using a wolf eliminator, like Wolf-Be-Gone. I use this and am happy with the result. 
If you want to see what a wolf tone is like on a cello, check out this video by Shar Music. On my violin, the tone didn't resonate nearly as much as that, but the tone wasn't clear. 


I hope this helps answer some questions if some of you are struggling with a wolf tone like I was!

In the Garden

This is a really pretty song on the violin. 

I transposed it to a lower key so that someone could easily sing with the violin.

Enjoy!

PDF Download - In the Garden

Lilypond Source - In the Garden

Come, Thou Fount - Duet

I'm trying to get a few more duets put together.

 If you enjoy it, please send an email or post a comment!

PDF Download - Come, Thou Fount

Lilypond Source - Come, Thou Fount

UPDATE: 2/20/2011
I changed the file a little since I first posted.