I agree, Wesley. I have been playing at Irish fiddle for 2 years now. I have taken a Beginning Fiddle class at the Augusta Heritage Center in WVa twice. Each time there are people who are skilled violin players mixed in with those of us who are new to the instrument entirely. The ones who learned violin have a tough time playing by ear without relying on printed music. They also have a tough time playing the rhythms as they should sound, rather than as they are written. Another interesting difference is that violinists are taught to not use open strings, as you cannot correct the tuning without having a finger on the string. Also, violinists tend to play vertically (up the neck), while fiddlers play horizontally.

jeffp