Speaking of the various methods of holding the fiddle, I notice that a number of Newfoundland fiddlers, whose names escape me now, (one of them was the late Rufus Guinchard) hold the fiddle in the hollow of their elbow. It doesn't seem to have any negative effect on the quality of their playing. I also think they can sing and play at the same time using this method.

Another friend of mine, a fine fiddler, was suffering from all kinds of muscle aches and pains from playing. He invented a device which he wears around his neck, and allows the fiddle to hand down, rather than having to hold it while playing. I've been after him for years to patent it, because any fiddler who sees it wants one, and it won't be long before the idea is stolen and marketed.

And speaking of multi-tasking fiddlers, one of the best is Natalie MacMaster, who fiddles and step-dances simultaneously. That is a sight to behold, to say nothing of the lady's pulchritude. (Ain't that a dandy word :-)

I once heard a musician say that when he was wearing a shirt and tie, he played the violin, but in jeans and a t-shirt it was a fiddle.

Jack Hickman