---
product_id: 3653094
title: "Old-Time Fiddle for the Complete Ignoramus (Book & Online Audio)"
price: "$205"
currency: NZD
in_stock: true
reviews_count: 13
url: https://www.desertcart.nz/products/3653094-old-time-fiddle-for-the-complete-ignoramus-book-and-online
store_origin: NZ
region: New Zealand
---

# Old-Time Fiddle for the Complete Ignoramus (Book & Online Audio)

**Price:** $205
**Availability:** ✅ In Stock

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- **What is this?** Old-Time Fiddle for the Complete Ignoramus (Book & Online Audio)
- **How much does it cost?** $205 with free shipping
- **Is it available?** Yes, in stock and ready to ship
- **Where can I buy it?** [www.desertcart.nz](https://www.desertcart.nz/products/3653094-old-time-fiddle-for-the-complete-ignoramus-book-and-online)

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## Description

Old-Time Fiddle for the Complete Ignoramus (Book & Online Audio) [Wayne Erbsen] on desertcart.com. *FREE* shipping on qualifying offers. Old-Time Fiddle for the Complete Ignoramus (Book & Online Audio)

Review: You can teach yourself to pay fiddle with this book - I taught myself to play the fiddle using this book. Most of the tunes are well known, making it easier to learn. The author also does a good job explaining the parts of the fiddle, what each one does, and how to maintain and use the bow. One of the best first books for an instrument that I've run across.
Review: Worth ever penny - This was one of the best instructional books I've ever read. Not only is it enjoyable and humorous, but it made learning the fiddle absolutely easy. It was so great that I purchased the book to learn banjo as well! I've never touched a fiddle before and purchased one on a whim. During my searching for instruction I came across recommendation for this book and so glad I purchased it. In 3 weeks I've went from knowing nothing to downloading sheet music and playing it. I can't get enough.

## Technical Specifications

| Specification | Value |
|---------------|-------|
| Best Sellers Rank | #1,332,165 in Books ( See Top 100 in Books ) #2,564 in String Instruments (Books) #5,720 in Music Instruction & Study (Books) |
| Customer Reviews | 4.6 4.6 out of 5 stars (770) |
| Dimensions  | 9 x 0.25 x 12 inches |
| ISBN-10  | 1883206480 |
| ISBN-13  | 978-1883206482 |
| Language  | English |
| Print length  | 80 pages |
| Publication date  | September 1, 2005 |
| Publisher  | Native Ground Books & Music |

## Images

![Old-Time Fiddle for the Complete Ignoramus (Book & Online Audio) - Image 1](https://m.media-amazon.com/images/I/91JrGSqmcFS.jpg)
![Old-Time Fiddle for the Complete Ignoramus (Book & Online Audio) - Image 2](https://m.media-amazon.com/images/I/51grPhlfITL.jpg)
![Old-Time Fiddle for the Complete Ignoramus (Book & Online Audio) - Image 3](https://m.media-amazon.com/images/I/41knCx6YYPL.jpg)

## Customer Reviews

### ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ You can teach yourself to pay fiddle with this book
*by P***L on November 2, 2025*

I taught myself to play the fiddle using this book. Most of the tunes are well known, making it easier to learn. The author also does a good job explaining the parts of the fiddle, what each one does, and how to maintain and use the bow. One of the best first books for an instrument that I've run across.

### ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ Worth ever penny
*by K***K on October 25, 2025*

This was one of the best instructional books I've ever read. Not only is it enjoyable and humorous, but it made learning the fiddle absolutely easy. It was so great that I purchased the book to learn banjo as well! I've never touched a fiddle before and purchased one on a whim. During my searching for instruction I came across recommendation for this book and so glad I purchased it. In 3 weeks I've went from knowing nothing to downloading sheet music and playing it. I can't get enough.

### ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ Terrific, funny & extremely informative
*by M***T on June 8, 2011*

Even those of us who have played strings (Viola, Violin) for years can derive a great deal of useful information from this book & CD. I was trained as a classical musician. Chords are not often relied upon in classical composition. When they are, they're not often the sort you'll find yourself playing at a hoe-down. It helped a bit when I picked up a mandolin and struggled with it and then guitar in later years. It is amazing how *wrong* it felt (to me) to work with a fretted neck after decades of non-fretful years moving smoothly up, down and across strings. I did, however, learn a few dozen chords ~ which sounded like hell on a violin. Although I'd long ago made the transition from classical music to blues, rock, jazz and fusion, my playing was very much like that of a Lead Guitarist's: notes played on one string at a time most of the time. After all, this is what I'd been trained to do: play with precision and clarity. Even when chords were used within a composition, they were very different than the "fiddler's form." Had I not stumbled upon and purchased this book/CD, it's likely that all the most important "little" discoveries, such as the differences between a standard violin bridge and a fiddle bridge making a WORLD of difference, might have remained an unsolved mystery for me. Thus, the value of this book is much more than learning a basic set of chords or tunes to play. You are informed about everything that makes fiddling different from playing a violin. What's more, while you can buy custom bridges made for fiddles, this book/CD informs you of ways to solve the bridge problem quickly and very inexpensively. It may seem a bit hilarious that an educated musician who'd spent time playing mandolin and guitar didn't pay any attention whatsoever to an obvious difference: the bridge of these instruments being flat, rather than curved. If you're not accustomed to restringing your own instrument and cannot afford to have both a dedicated fiddle and orchestral violin (which I am not), this book can save you a lot of heartache and expense when you swap between bridges and/or strings. This and other seemingly small mysteries that were huge obstacles are succinctly explained by the Author. There are numerous money-saving tips for the musician on a budget. It is an amusing book that does not condescend. If you already know the basics about Fiddles and Fiddling, perhaps this book will be too basic for you. It annoys me when people purchase a very well-done package and then complain that it is too basic. You had the opportunity to look before buying, just as I did, so why punish the Author for your oversight? For me, what this Author taught me has made the difference between success and failure. Thus, if you are a classically trained violist and/or violinist, do not assume that your education and experience means you are not a Complete Ignoramus. Classical technique versus Fiddling is akin to the proverbial comparison of apples and oranges: both may be fruit, but they are not at all identical. There are other books (some with CD or DVD) available: I did a lot of research before deciding upon "Old Time Fiddle for the Complete Ignoramus" and this seemed to me the friendliest, least pretentious and most immediately helpful of the lot. Now, as an Incomplete Ignoramus, I wholeheartedly recommend this Book w/CD to anyone unfamiliar with exactly what makes a Fiddle not a Violin.

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*Product available on Desertcart New Zealand*
*Store origin: NZ*
*Last updated: 2026-02-27*