Lesson: The Nashville Shuffle

Hello! This lesson is about the Nashville Shuffle, which is a very important part of many American fiddling styles.

What is the Nashville Shuffle?

The Nashville Shuffle sounds like this:

You will recognize it straight away as being something very distinctive.

It exists in various forms and can serve multiple purposes:

• Intro: Use it before a tune.
• Melody: Add drive to the melody.
• Soloing: Introduce a particular rhythm to your soloing.

It is a very important technique that many people utilize. Among the several shuffles, the Nashville Shuffle is the most basic and, arguably, the most important.

Breakdown of the Shuffle

So, what does the shuffle consist of?

• 1 Down Bow
• 2 Short Up and Downs
• 1 Up Bow

The accent pattern is crucial:

• The accent initially is on the long note (the down bow), followed by an accent on one of the short up bows, and then again on the down bow after that.

Eventually, you should think of it simply as:

Down, Up, Down, Up.

Variations on the Accent

You can enhance this rhythm by shifting the accent away from the long note. Instead, focus it on the first of the short notes.

• Now, the accent comes not from the length of the note but from digging in with your wrist.
• Here's an example on a C sharp, while also adding an open string drone on the E.

Practicing the Shuffle

When starting out, it's a good idea to play this slowly, especially if you're new to it. Then, gradually speed it up. Mastering this may take:

• A few minutes
• Days
• Even a couple of weeks

However, it is something you really need to master.

Applying the Shuffle: "Old Joe Clark"

Let's look at a tune called Old Joe Clark.

This tune naturally falls into the Nashville Shuffle due to its note structure.

• Let's play it first without any accents but with the Nashville Shuffle.

Now, we will add the accent on each of the first short notes, and you will notice that it has a lot more drive.

I also added several open string drones in the mix.

Homework Assignments

We will be returning to the Nashville Shuffle in subsequent lessons, but it's essential to get comfortable with it from the start.

Here are your assignments:

1. Normal Scales: Practice a D Major scale using the Nashville Shuffle.
2. Simple Tunes: Add the Nashville Shuffle to tunes you already know.
3. Speed Practice: Work on increasing the speed of your Nashville Shuffle so that you can perform it automatically and quickly.

Happy practicing!