The Fiddling of John Hartford with Rachel Baiman

Rachel Baiman is a Nashville‑based fiddle player, singer‑songwriter, and multiple-time fiddle champion steeped in old-time, bluegrass, Scottish, and folk traditions. Raised in Chicago, she moved to Nashville at eighteen and has spent the last decade working as a musician in a wide variety of roles — from session and side-person work with artists like Kacey Musgraves, Molly Tuttle, and Kevin Morby to co-founding the progressive acoustic duo 10 String Symphony with Christian Sedelmyer.

The Fiddle of John Hartford explores the instrumental and stylistic legacy of one of America’s most inventive fiddlers and songwriters. Drawing on Hartford’s repertoire and The John Hartford Fiddle Tune Project, Rachel examines what makes his fiddling distinctive — from phrasing and bowing to rhythm and repertoire — and how those elements reflect the broader roots traditions he helped shape.

In this class, Rachel breaks down techniques Hartford favored and uses demonstrations from his tunes to show what makes his fiddle style unique. Expect clear explanations, hands-on demos, and exercises that help you understand his phrasing, rhythm, and tone, while giving you tools to bring elements of his style into your own playing.

March 9, 16, 23, 30