Great suggestions for beginning tunes!!!!

They say that the violin is a fiddle that went to college. :) The setup for the fiddle is typically a little different than for violin. The bridge is usually a little flatter for fiddle so that it is easier to double stop. Many blue grass fiddlers use steel strings such as the Adario Preludes. I personally would not use anything of a lesser quality. Actually I prefer a more classical set up with the strings---I use Dominants with a Pirastro gold E.

Classical violinists look down on anyone who use fine tuners on anything other than the E string; I prefer fine tuners on all the strings 'cause it is easier to adjust to the banjo or guitar players or the autoharp I'm playing with.

Traditionally fiddle style uses very little vibrato, and classic violin uses vibrato as much as possible.

Many fiddlers do not use a shoulder rest. I do for two reasons: 1) it saves the neck 2) it frees the fingers of your left hand so that you are not using the left hand to hold up the fiddle. Many fiddlers strive for a scratchy tone played at breakneck speed. I prefer a more solid tone and playing at a rate where I can enjoy what I am playing.

I think the biggest advise I could give is to keep your sessions of practice such that you enjoy your instrument. Nothing will kill the desire to play it faster than when practice becomes an onerous chore.

Happy fiddling,

Hardiman the fiddler