Tracy Schwarz, of New Lost City Ramblers renown, offers instruction on playing the fiddle on this 1965 release. He takes a simple tune (the old-time classic, "Cripple Creek") and walks listeners through different ways to add variations, including adding more notes, drones (playing on two strings), or changing bow strokes. He also demonstrates different techniques such as vibrato. Liner notes include a transcription of the song text, illustrations of scale finger patterns for different musical keys, and an essay by fellow Rambler, John Cohen, on bluegrass, country, and old-time music and their growing popularity in cities and on college campuses.