Folsom Prison Blues (fiddle)

Folsom Prison Blues is one of Johnny Cash's best known songs, and is ideal for the fiddle. In this lesson I look at the intro, the vocal line, ideas for fills, shuffles and chops, the original guitar solo, and a bluegrass style fiddle solo. I suggest some train effects, and the option of pairing it with the Orange Blossom Special. A free pdf of the sheet music for this lesson is available to subscribers (see below). There are plenty more free video lessons on country songs and fiddle techniques elsewhere on The Fiddle Channel.
Below are details of further fiddle resources from Chris Haigh
1. Patreon
2. Books
3. Subscription video courses
4. Website
5. Email to request pdf’s.
1. PATREON
This is a platform where anyone can directly help to support creative artists and get closer access to their work. You can join me on Patreon at three levels, for £4, £10 or £40 per month.

At the lowest level you get access to all my pdf’s and tune collections, plus many exclusive tuition videos not available to the public.
At level 2 you can join also me once a month for a group Zoom chat, and can request three backing tracks each month.
Level 3 gives you all the above plus a free lesson once a month, and access to all my backing tracks.
You can find me on Patreon at
www.patreon.com/thefiddlechannel
2. BOOKS
I have eight fiddle tuition books published by Schott, all widely available from the publisher, from Amazon, and many other outlets. All come with audio tracks illustrating the tunes and exercises.
Exploring Jazz Violin
Beginning Jazz Violin
Discovering Rock Violin
Exploring Folk Fiddle
Exploring Klezmer Fiddle
Hungarian Fiddle Tunes
French Fiddle Tunes
Exploring Country and Bluegrass Fiddle
You can order from
bit.ly/31ZWmgm
3. VIDEO SUBSCRIPTION COURSES
I have three video subscription courses
-
MUSIC GURUS- Exploring Jazz Violin. Based on my Schott book
Parts 1 and 2 are each £26 for 26 lessons, covering the first and second halves of the book
Part 1; tidd.ly/3SwHGhb
Part 2 tidd.ly/3SwHGhb
MUSIC GURUS Discovering Rock Violin. . Based on my Schott book
£35 for 46 lessons
tidd.ly/3SwHGhb
MUSIC GURUS Exploring Country and Bluegrass Fiddle. Based on my Schott book. 31 lessons for £31.99
tidd.ly/3SwHGhb
ACADEMY OF FOLK
Includes a folk fiddle primer course, with introductions to basic techniques and concepts plus an Irish Fiddle Course and Scottish fiddle course. A monthly sub of $9.99 gives access to all lessons
academyoffolk.com/
I suggest you contact me before subscribing.
4. WEBSITE
My website is probably the most extensive and detailed summary of fiddle styles on the web, as evidenced by the range of top hits on Google for many fiddle styles.
www.fiddlingaround.co.uk
__________________________________________________________
TO REQUEST PDF’S, or ask any questions, CONTACT ME AT
[e-mail]

[@ogstopper]

That was so good, Chris! Way above my ability, but superb! Thank you! Wiki? What a crock.

[@ssgiddyup]

I've always considered this a guitar spotlight tune. Now I'm thinking differently and how much i can add! Thanks for the guitar break notation. People expect to hear that. I may hit you up for the pdf. Funny it's always in E!

[@coreykirschnik476]

Thanks!!! My guys have played this song twice now, dew to paying requests and I have not learned it yet. So now I will be putting this one in my head!!

[@PierreJamesMusic]

Holy cow this is a great video.

[@TheFiddleChannel]

Thanks Pierre!

[@johntait491]

Great stuff Chris. 👍

[@jonbrown7868]

Come on Ilean! To ra too ra

[@TheFiddleChannel]

I've done that one as well!

[@dalemcgregor3925]

Its an interesting bit of music history but Johnny didn't actually write the "body" of the piece. He borrowed heavily from Gordon Jenkins's 1953 Seven Dreams concept album, specifically the song "Crescent City Blues" including the opening line, "I hear the train a coming.". However, the line, "I shot a man in Reno, just to watch him die" was Cash's contribution. If you do a search for that on You Tube, you can hear how closely the two songs are. Jenkins eventually won a lawsuit against Cash for 75K.

[@TheFiddleChannel]

Interesting, I didn't know that!