Learning the Hangman's Reel from Scratch (Reel du Pendu) | Amateur Fiddler's Process

A man is about to be hanged. His last request: a fiddle. He's told if he can play a reel by morning, he walks free. That's the (almost certainly untrue) legend behind Reel du Pendu, the Hangman's Reel, a French-Canadian tune passed down through generations of Québécois fiddlers. This isn't a polished tutorial. I'm an amateur fiddler, and in this episode you watch me learn the Hangman's Reel from the sheet music in real time: the rough first attempts, the out-of-tune octaves, the parts that don't make sense yet, and how it slowly comes together. Along the way I talk through how I approach a new tune, what I'm listening for, and the choices I make about fingering, double stops, ornamentation, and repeats. If you're learning fiddle yourself, I hope it's useful to see that everyone sounds bad at first — and what it takes to get from bad to okay. Tune: Reel du Pendu (The Hangman's Reel) Origin: Québec, French-Canadian tradition Key: A major Structure: A, B, C, and D parts CHAPTERS 0:00 The legend of the Hangman's Reel 0:37 First look at the sheet music 1:22 First attempt 3:51 Breaking down the A part 6:59 Double stops and the index-finger pressure trick 9:51 How the parts answer each other 10:16 The B part 12:09 That weird quarter rest 14:19 Adding ornamentation 15:31 Tip: using the open E instead of the fourth finger 18:07 Playing it all the way through, with repeats ABOUT FIDDLERGPT Each episode I learn a new fiddle tune from somewhere in the world, share a bit of its history, and let you watch the whole learning process, mistakes and all. I've played with the San Francisco Scottish Fiddlers since I was 6, and I'm still very much an amateur. Subscribe for a new tune every episode. Which tune should I learn next? Leave it in the comments. #fiddle #fiddletunes #frenchcanadian