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Is it a Fiddle or a Violin? It
can be called the fiddle or the violin depending on where you are and what
kind of music that you are playing. An orchestra musician would not likely
call it a fiddle and a bluegrass musician would more likely refer to it as
a fiddle. In any case, it is a simple instrument to learn but takes
years to master. Let's talk
about the bow. A good bow is strung with horse hair and has an
adjustment knob for the tension. It is best when the bow is not
being played to keep the tension loose on the bow. Pine rosin
is applied to the horse hair by sliding the hard rosin up and down the length
of the bow. Rosin powder causes a dry friction that helps to
vibrate the strings when smoothly stroked. With out the rosin the
sound would be squeaky and unsmooth. Never touch the horse hair on
the bow; the oil from your skin will get into the hair and will hinder the
rosin from sticking. If this happens, there is no fix other than
replacing the hair or buying a new bow. Learning
the Fiddle / Violin The first thing to do is listen to some
fiddle music. By hearing the sounds over and over is like loading a
computer with software; your mind works the same way. It is easiest
to listen on the way to and from work. If you drive 30 minutes per
day then you will have listened to 2-1/2 hours in one work
week.
Bluegrass Fiddle / Violin
The fiddle has no
frets so it is a little harder to find the notes. This is done strictly
by feel. Place you hand on the neck and notice where your hand
touches the neck. Whether it is at the top or the bottom, when it
starts to make the sounds that you want, remember where you are and try to
be consistent to that touch. There are four fingers now ready to
find notes. Notice that as your fingers are placed on the strings,
there is a finger placed along the strings that can reach most any note
that you might need without repositioning the hand. Find the finger
that naturally falls in the place where the note is. If you are
having to stretch or slide into a note, then it is likely that you have
not established your hand position. Try this exercise: With the bow,
play the largest string open until you have a smooth sound. Don't be
afraid to be loud. Remember in grammar school how the music teacher
drilled us all with the major scale, 1,2,3,4,5,6,7,8 as a song? That
is the scale that I want you to play. The first note is the string
that I just asked you to try. What was 1. See if you can find
2. 2 is the pointer finger. 3 is the middle finger and 4 is
the ring finger. 5 open on the next largest string. 6,7, and 8
works the same way. Now you have completed one octave.
Continue the same process on the next two strings for the next
octave. Listen to an
example. As you get a little better it might sound like
this Example. Now when you can hit the notes
smoothly, do it backwards. The idea here is that if you can hit the
notes and learn where they are then you will be able to find them in a
song. Now find one note somewhere else in another key and call it 1. Now make a
scale from it and make it smooth, then another. This will help to
get you ready for any key that comes up.
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Now
it is time to get out the music that you have been listening to and see
what we can try. You will not be able to play what you hear and we
will not even try it now. What I would like for you to try is to find
one note in the key that they are playing in and see if you can hit it
smooth with them. Music is mostly tuned to standard these days so
you should be close in tune. Adjust where you need to. Listen
to my example. I will hit one or two notes with the music being
played. |
| As you do this exercise you will be able to hit notes more
clearly, and if you have learned the scale where your music is being played,
then you might try to find some of the notes in the scale. With
a little practice you can sound as badly as me. Practice hitting
one note at a time to start with and as you feel comfortable with it, the
harmonizing note will fall into place. Try the minor scale and
listen for the classical sound Example.
Bluegrass Fiddle / |
Until I can add more to this site, go to http://www.projectsandhobbies.com/bluegrassmandolin.htm
and try those exercises. For the most part, what works for the
mandolin, works for the fiddle.
View my favorite Bluegrass
picture!
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