Fiddle

Classification String instrument (bowed) Playing range Related instruments Violin family (viola, cello) Viol family (includes double bass) Musicians List of fiddlers Builders Luthiers More articles This article is part of the Fiddle & Violin series. A musical instrument is a device constructed or modified for the purpose of making Music. A string instrument (or stringed instrument) is a Musical instrument that produces Sound by means of Vibrating strings In the Hornbostel-Sachs In Music, a bow is moved across some part of a Musical instrument, causing Vibration which the instrument emits as Sound. In Music, the range of a Musical instrument is the distance from the lowest to the highest pitch it can play A musical instrument is a device constructed or modified for the purpose of making Music. The Violin family of Musical instruments was developed in Italy in the Sixteenth century. The viola is a bowed String instrument. It is the middle voice of the Violin family, The violoncello (abbreviated to cello, or 'cello, plural cellos or celli —the c is tʃ The viol (also called viola da gamba) is any one of a family of bowed, Fretted stringed Musical instruments developed in the 1400s The double bass is the largest and lowest-pitched bowed String instrument used in the modern symphony orchestra. This list of notable fiddlers shows some crossover with the List of violinists since the instruments used are quite similar if not identical The violin is a bowed String instrument with four strings usually tuned in Perfect fifths It is the smallest and highest-pitched member Basic physics of the violin Fiddlers History of the violin Luthiers Musical styles Making and maintenance Playing the violin Violin construction Violin family of instruments Violinists

The term fiddle refers to a violin; it is a colloquial term for the instrument used by players in all genres, including classical music. The distinctive sound of a violin is the result of interactions between its many parts This list of notable fiddlers shows some crossover with the List of violinists since the instruments used are quite similar if not identical The violin first emerged in northern Italy in the early 16th century. Classical music Since the Baroque era the violin ( Baroque violin) has been one of the most important of all instruments in classical music, for several Making an instrument of the Violin family may be done in different ways many of which have changed very little in nearly 500 years since the first violins were made Playing the violin entails holding the instrument under the chin supported by the left shoulder (see below for variations of this posture A Violin consists of a body or corpus a neck a bridge, a soundpost four strings, and various fittings The Violin family of Musical instruments was developed in Italy in the Sixteenth century. The following lists of violinists are available List of classical violinists, names of great violinist from baroque era till 20th century The violin is a bowed String instrument with four strings usually tuned in Perfect fifths It is the smallest and highest-pitched member Classical music is a broad term that usually refers to mainstream music produced in or rooted in the traditions of Western liturgical and Secular music Fiddle playing, or fiddling, is a style of music.

Violin vs. fiddle

Any violin may be informally called a fiddle, regardless of the kind of music being played with it. The etymology of fiddle is uncertain: the Germanic fiddle may derive from the same early Romance word as does violin, or it may be natively Germanic. Etymology is the study of the History of Words &mdash when they entered a language from what source and how their form and meaning have changed over time The Germanic languages are a group of related languages that constitute a branch of the Indo-European (IE Language family. The Romance languages (sometimes referred to as Romanic languages, or Neolatin languages) are a branch of the Indo-European language family comprising all ^[1] A native Germanic ancestor of fiddle may even be the ancestor of the early Romance form of violin. ^[2] Historically, fiddle also referred to a predecessor of today's violin. Like the violin, it tended to have four strings, but came in a variety of shapes and sizes. Another family of instruments which contributed to the development of the modern fiddle are the viols, which are held between the legs and played vertically, and have fretted fingerboards. The viol (also called viola da gamba) is any one of a family of bowed, Fretted stringed Musical instruments developed in the 1400s

Common distinctions between violins and fiddles reflect the differences in the instruments used to play classical and folk music. However, it is not uncommon for classically trained violinists to play fiddle music, and today many fiddle players have some classical training. As might be expected from the differences between the classical and folk music cultures, more musicians with no formal training play fiddle music than play classical music. Traditional music is the term now used in the terminology of Grammy Awards for what used to be called " folk music "

Some (folk) fiddle traditions fit the instrument with a flatter bridge than classical violinists use. The difference between "round" and "flat" is not great —about a quarter or half a millimeter variation in the height of one or two strings— but this is enough to noticeably reduce the range of right-arm motion required for the rapid string-crossings found in some styles, and those who use flatter bridges say it makes playing double stops and shuffles (bariolage) easier. A string is the vibrating element that is the source of vibration in String instruments such as the Guitar, Harp, Piano, and members A double stop, in music terminology, is the act of playing two notes simultaneously on a melodic percussion instrument (like a Marimba) or stringed The bowed instrument musical technique known as bariolage involves quick alternation between a static note and changing notes that form a melody either above or below the static note It can also make triple stops possible, allowing one to play chords. A double stop, in music terminology, is the act of playing two notes simultaneously on a melodic percussion instrument (like a Marimba) or stringed This article describes musical chords in traditional Western styles In bluegrass and old-time music, for example, the top of the bridge is sometimes cut so that it is very slightly less curved; the Norwegian Hardanger fiddle uses an even flatter bridge, and the bridge of the kontra or bracsa (a three-string viola used in Hungarian and Transylvanian folk music) is flat enough that all three strings can easily be played simultaneously. Bluegrass music is a form of American roots music, and is a sub-genre of Country music. Old-time music is a form of North American Folk music, with roots in the Folk musics of many countries including England, Scotland, Norway ( Norwegian: Norge ( Bokmål) or Noreg ( Nynorsk) officially the Kingdom of Norway, is a Constitutional A Hardanger fiddle (or in hardingfele is a traditional Stringed instrument used originally to play the Music of Norway. Hungarian folk music includes a broad array of styles including the recruitment dance Verbunkos, the Csárdás and Nóta. Transylvania (Ardeal or ro ''Transilvania'' Erdély, see also other denominations) is a Central European region located in the eastern half of the Carpathian

Most fiddles are, however, fitted with a standard classical bridge, regardless of the style of music played on the instrument. Indeed, one bridge can be exchanged for another with relative ease. Most classical violinists prefer a more rounded curve to the top of the bridge, feeling that this allows them to articulate each note more easily and clearly, but many fiddle players do as well.

Fiddle is more likely to be used than violin if the instrument's strings are steel rather than gut or synthetic, as fiddle players are more likely to favor the sound of steel strings than are classical violinists. Piano wire is a specialized type of Wire made for use in Piano and other musical instrument strings as well as many other purposes Catgut is the name applied to cord of great toughness and tenacity prepared from the Intestines of the Sheep or Goat, or occasionally from those of the Instruments with fine tuners on all four strings are more likely to be played by fiddle players, and so are more likely to be called fiddle than violin; it is very uncommon to see four fine tuners on instruments played by classical musicians. (Fine tuners are small screw mechanisms attached or built into the tailpiece which make small tuning adjustments easier. The tailpiece, found on many Musical instruments of the String instrument family anchors the tail end of the strings the end opposite the scroll or In Music, there are two common meanings for tuning: Tuning practice, the act of tuning an instrument or voice ) But strings and tailpieces are easily changed so, like flattened bridges, these differences do not permanently distinguish violins and fiddles.

In construction, fiddles and violins are exactly the same (with the Hardanger fiddle excepted as a special case).

Various clichés describe the difference between fiddle and violin: "When you are buying it, it's a fiddle. When you are selling it, it's a violin. " "The violin sings, the fiddle dances. " "A fiddle is a violin with attitude. " "No one cries when they spill beer on a fiddle. " According to the performer Shoji Tabuchi, the difference lies "in how you fiddle around with it. "

Fiddling

In performance, solo fiddling is the norm, though twin fiddling is represented in some North American, Scandinavian, and Irish styles. Violins, on the other hand, are commonly grouped in sections. These contrasting traditions may be vestiges of historical performance settings: large concert halls in which violins were played required more instruments, before electronic amplification, than did more intimate dance halls and houses fiddles were played in. The difference was likely compounded by the different sounds expected of violin music and fiddle music. Historically, the majority of fiddle music was dance music, while violin music had either grown out of dance music or was something else entirely. Violin music came to value a smoothness which fiddling, with its dance-driven clear beat, did not always follow - in situations that required greater volume, a fiddler (as long as they kept the beat) could push their instrument harder than could a violinist. (Different fiddle traditions had different values, as detailed below; these explanations are meant to present the differences between fiddle music and violin music generally. )

Following the folk revivals of the second half of the 20th century, however, it has become common for less formal situations to find large groups of fiddlers playing together -- see for example the Swedish Spelmanslag folk-musician clubs, and the world-wide^[3] phenomenon of Irish sessions. The spelmanslag is an amateur organization of Swedish folk musicians, usually dominated by Fiddles who play tunes together A pub session refers to playing music and/or singing in a Public house.

In the very late 20th century, a few artists have successfully attempted a reconstruction of the Scottish tradition of violin and "big fiddle," or cello. Notable recorded examples include Amelia Kaminski and Christine Hanson's Bonnie Lasses and Alasdair Fraser and Natalie Haas' Fire and Grace. Alasdair Fraser (born 14 May 1955 Clackmannan, Scotland) is a Scottish fiddler.

Bows used in fiddling

Most fiddling styles that use the standard violin also use the standard violin bow, the same as classical players. In Music, a bow is moved across some part of a Musical instrument, causing Vibration which the instrument emits as Sound. However, there are a few styles which use other bows. One notable example is the folk music from Hungary and Transylvania used in the táncház tradition. Táncház (pronounced 'taːnʦhaːz approx " tants -hoz" literally "dance house" is an aspect of the Hungarian Roots revival of traditional While the violinist uses a standard bow, both the kontra (3-string viola) and bass are played with heavy and crude "folk bows", consisting of a stout stick, usually hand-hewn, with the hank of horsehair attached at the tip and tied around the frog. The player tensions the hair by squeezing it when playing.

Violin bows used by fiddlers are usually made from wood, but bows made from fiberglass and other materials are becoming more common.

Scottish fiddlers emulating 18th century playing styles sometimes use a replica of the type of bow used in that period, which is a few inches shorter, and weighs significantly more.

Fiddling styles

To a greater extent than classical violin playing, fiddle playing is characterized by a huge variety of ethnic or folk music traditions, each of which has its own distinctive sound, including, but not limited to:

• American fiddling, including
  • Blues fiddling
  • Bluegrass music fiddling
  • Cajun fiddling
  • Country music fiddling
  • Folk Dance fiddling, including Square Dance and Contra Dance fiddling
  • Jazz fiddling
  • Old time music fiddling
  • Western Swing style fiddling [1]
  • Zydeco style fiddling
• Balkan music, including Táncház (Hungarian music), Romanian music, Gypsy music [2]
• Canadian fiddling, including
  

  Newfoundland fiddle player Patrick Moran
  • Cape Breton fiddling, with a distinct Scottish and Acadian influence
  • French Canadian fiddling, influenced from the Brittany area of northern France
  • Métis people (Canada) fiddling, of central and western Canada, with French influence
  • Newfoundland and Labrador fiddling, with a strong Irish Sliabh Luachra style of playing
  • Maritimes or Downeast style of fiddling which has many similarities to Cape Breton fiddling
• Eastern European Jewish Klezmer fiddling [3]
• English Folk music fiddling
• French fiddling (including a rich Breton music fiddling tradition)
• Irish Folk music fiddling including, among others,
  • Clare fiddling, from the central west
  • Donegal fiddling, from the northwest
  • Sliabh Luachra fiddling, from the southwest
  • Sligo fiddling, from a bit south of the northwest
• Mexican fiddling from the Tierra Caliente region of Mexico
• Middle Eastern and Mediterranean fiddling [4]
• Norwegian fiddling (including Hardanger fiddling)
• Peruvian violin
• Scottish fiddling
• Slovenian fiddling
• Swedish fiddling
• South Indian Carnatic fiddling

References

1. ^ "fiddle, n.". The violin is a bowed String instrument with four strings usually tuned in Perfect fifths It is the smallest and highest-pitched member Folk music can have a number of different meanings including Traditional music: The original meaning of the term "folk music" was synonymous The Blues is a vocal and instrumental form of Music based on the use of the Blue notes It emerged as an accessible form of self-expression Bluegrass music is a form of American roots music, and is a sub-genre of Country music. See also [[Cajun]] Cajun music, an emblematic Music of Louisiana, is rooted in the Ballads of the French-speaking Acadians of Country music is a blend of popular musical forms originally found in the Southern United States and the Appalachian Mountains. This is a list of official US state dances: See also Lists of U Square dance is a Folk dance with four couples (eight dancers arranged in a square with one couple on each side beginning with Couple 1 facing away from the music and going Contra dance (also contradance, contra-dance and other variant spellings refers to several Folk dance styles in which couples dance in two facing lines Jazz is an American Musical art form which originated in the beginning of the 20th century in African American communities in the Southern United States Old-time music is a form of North American Folk music, with roots in the Folk musics of many countries including England, Scotland, This article is about the Musical genre. For the popular western swing Steel guitar tuning see E9 tuning. Zydeco ( French "les haricots" English "snap beans" is a form of American roots or folk music, that evolved from The jure during The music of Southeastern Europe or Balkan music is a type of music distinct from others in Europe Táncház (pronounced 'taːnʦhaːz approx " tants -hoz" literally "dance house" is an aspect of the Hungarian Roots revival of traditional Romania is a European country whose population consists mainly (approx Typically nomadic the Roma people have long acted as wandering entertainers and tradesmen Patrick Moran (born June 7, 1975) is a professional Fiddler born in Pouch Cove, Newfoundland, Canada. Cape Breton fiddling is a lively regional Violin style which falls within the Celtic music idiom Brittany (Breizh bʁejs Bretagne; Gallo: Bertaèyn) is a former independent Celtic kingdom and Duchy, now incorporated into A Métis is a person born to parents who belong to different groups defined by visible physical differences regarded as racial or the descendant of such persons Newfoundland may refer to Newfoundland and Labrador, a Canadian province (known simply as Newfoundland from 1949 to 2001 Eastern part of Canada The Capital of Newfoundland Sliabh Luachra (pronounced Shleeve Lew-cra is a region in Munster, Ireland, located around the River Blackwater, on the County Cork / County The Maritime provinces, called the Maritimes in local English (or the Canadian Maritimes by non-Canadians is a region of Eastern Canada Cape Breton fiddling is a lively regional Violin style which falls within the Celtic music idiom See also Secular Jewish music Klezmer (from Yiddish כּלי־זמיר kley - instrument and zemer - song etymologically from The Folk Music of England has a long history. History Little survives of the early music of England by which is meant the music that was used by the people before A listing of lists of Musicians. By genre The following are lists of musicians by style and genre. Since the early 1970 Brittany has experienced a revival of its Folk music, modernizing and adapting it into Folk rock and other fusion genres The folk music of Ireland (also known as Irish traditional music, Irish trad, Irish folk music, and other variants is the generic term for music that has The Donegal fiddle tradition is a type of Irish traditional music, based on a two-hundred year-old tradition (or possibly set of coexisting traditions of playing the fiddle Sliabh Luachra (pronounced Shleeve Lew-cra is a region in Munster, Ireland, located around the River Blackwater, on the County Cork / County Son calentano" is a style of Mexican fiddle music made famous by Juan Reynoso, originating from the Tierra Caliente region of Mexico A Hardanger fiddle (or in hardingfele is a traditional Stringed instrument used originally to play the Music of Norway. Scottish fiddling, even to many an untrained ear can be distinguished from other Celtic and folk fiddling styles by its particular precision of execution Oxford English Dictionary, 2nd ed. (1989). Oxford University Press. Retrieved on 2008-03-28. 2008 ( MMVIII) is the current year in accordance with the Gregorian calendar, a Leap year that started on Tuesday of the Common Events 37 - Roman Emperor Caligula accepts the titles of the Principate, entitled to him by the Senate.  

   (as access to the OED online is not free, the relevant excerpt is provided) "The ultimate origin is obscure. The [Teutonic] word bears a singular resemblance in sound to its [medieval Latin] synonym vitula, vidula, whence [Old French] viole, Pr. The Germanic languages are a group of related languages that constitute a branch of the Indo-European (IE Language family. Latin ( lingua Latīna, laˈtiːna is an Italic language, historically spoken in Latium and Ancient Rome. Old French was the Romance Dialect continuum spoken in territories which span roughly the northern half of modern France and parts of modern Belgium viula, and (by adoption from these [languages]) [Italian], [Spanish], [Portugese] viola: see [viol[. Italian ( or lingua italiana) is a Romance language spoken by about 63 million people as a First language, primarily in Italy. Portuguese ( or língua portuguesa) is a Romance language that originated in what is now Galicia (Spain and northern Portugal. The supposition that the early [Romance] vidula was adopted independently in more than one [Teutonic language] would account adequately for all the [Teutonic] forms; on the other hand, *fiÞulôn- may be an [Old Teutonic] word of native etymology, though no satisfactory [Teutonic] derivation has been found. The Romance languages (sometimes referred to as Romanic languages, or Neolatin languages) are a branch of the Indo-European language family comprising all Proto-Germanic, or Common Germanic, is the hypothetical common ancestor ( Proto-language) of all the Germanic languages such as modern English "

2. ^ Mario Pei, The Story of the English Language (New York: Simon and Schuster, 1967), p. Mario Andrew Pei (1901&ndash1978 was an Italian-American linguist and polyglot, who wrote a number of popular books known for their accessibility to readers 109.
3. ^ The Session: Sessions. Retrieved on 28 August 2006.

See also

• List of fiddlers
• Donegal fiddle tradition
• List of All-Ireland Champions

Bibliography

• The Fiddle Book, by Marion Thede, (1970), Oak Publications. This list of notable fiddlers shows some crossover with the List of violinists since the instruments used are quite similar if not identical The Donegal fiddle tradition is a type of Irish traditional music, based on a two-hundred year-old tradition (or possibly set of coexisting traditions of playing the fiddle This page lists those who have won the Senior title at Fleadh Cheoil na hÉireann since its foundation in 1951 by Comhaltas Ceoltóirí Éireann. ISBN 0-8256-0145-2.
• The Fiddler's Fakebook, by David Brody, (1983), Oak Publications. US ISBN 0-8256-0238-6; UK ISBN 0-7119-0309-3.
• Oldtime Fiddling Across America, by David Reiner and Peter Anick (1989), Mel Bay Publications. ISBN 0-87166-766-5. Has transcriptions (standard notation) and analysis of tunes from multiple regional and ethnic styles.

External links

• Folk and Alternative Strings Community
• Voyager Records' catalog, organized by region, has clips of many North American styles.
• A French Violin fiddle method website - video, text, and forum with explanation (with tablatures).
• The Fiddler's Companion, an encyclopedia of historical notes on tunes from British, Celtic, and American traditions.