Fiddling on the viola

Subject: Fiddling on the viola
From: Letty
Date: 31 Jan 03 - 04:03 PM

I've recently stumbled upon a viola, and I'm wondering how to put it to use for folk music (mainly Irish, but also a little Klezmer and Scandinavian). Would Fiddling for Viola from Mel Bay be a good book?
Are there any folk albums featuring the viola?

Subject: RE: Fiddling on the viola
From: Sorcha
Date: 31 Jan 03 - 04:07 PM

Probably. Mel is usually ok. You have 2 other choices--play the fingerings for treble clef as written and the tune will be a fifth lower, or you can figure out re fingerings to give the actual note on the treble staff. Viola makes a great harmony part for fiddle tunes. And slow aires are wonderful on it.

Subject: RE: Fiddling on the viola
From: GUEST,SharonG
Date: 31 Jan 03 - 07:10 PM

I bought this book for my (not very interested) son, who plays viola.
The book has all the tunes written out 2 ways- in alto (viola) clef, and in treble clef. The arrangements are basic, and there is a pretty good selection of fiddle tunes.

If you already play violin/fiddle and read music, you can play the tunes as written in the treble clef version. The problem is -the tunes will be a fifth lower (eg, even though the music is written in "G", you will be playing it in "C". If you read alto clef, and play them as written, you will get the same result. The tunes work on the viola, but they are not in the "right" key.

You can play solo, or you can everyone else to try to change key to play with you, but the problem is that the viola doesn't easily allow you to play in the standard key w/ other people unless you play an octave up and use positions to get the F,G, A and B notes normally played on a violin E string. Does that make sense?

Sharon

Subject: RE: Fiddling on the viola
From: Malcolm Douglas
Date: 31 Jan 03 - 08:06 PM

I recall a viola player turning up with a few friends at a session and playing a whole series of sets which they had obviously rehearsed, a fifth lower than normal. Evidently, they expected everybody else to fit in with them rather than take the trouble to learn how to play the tunes in the usual keys. This was not popular among the other musicians! The viola can work very well indeed in dance music (I make no distinction between -for example- Irish, English or Scottish except in terms of detail in playing styles) but it needs to fit into what's already being done.

Unfortunately for the viola player (and I've tried it myself from time to time, albeit on borrowed instruments) that does sometimes mean using fingering which is a bit more difficult that what the fiddlers are doing. I think it's worth the effort, though.

Subject: RE: Fiddling on the viola
From: Bernard
Date: 01 Feb 03 - 10:11 AM

The viola and 'standard' tenor banjo are tuned the same... C-G-D-A. If looking for tenor banjo books, beware of those written for 'Irish Tuning', which is typically G-D-A-E (as the fiddle and mandolin).

You get the best of both worlds with a five-string fiddle, though!

Subject: RE: Fiddling on the viola
From: Letty
Date: 01 Feb 03 - 01:51 PM

Thanks for the advice - looks like I'll have loads to do!
I already play the violin, so I'll have to get used to the viola first.
Alto clef is going to take some getting used to too...
I just received the viola: a lovely sound, bit like a cello on the lower range, I like that.
Another question: it came with a bow, and compared to my normal violin bow it does not look much longer at all. Maybe a bit sturdier, but I cannot be sure. Is that normal?

Letty

Subject: RE: Fiddling on the viola
From: Sorcha
Date: 01 Feb 03 - 02:05 PM

Yes, viola bows are a tad bit longer, but should be heavier.

Subject: RE: Fiddling on the viola
From: treewind
Date: 01 Feb 03 - 05:42 PM

John Kirkpatrick's band Umps and Dumps (years ago) had JK on C/G anglo concertina and Tufty Swift (sadly deceased now) on 1 row C melodeon. They played everything in C.

I always thought it would be fun to have a band like that and include a viola as it could play exactly like a fiddle in G. Despite some potential opportunities, I never got anything like that off the ground.

Of course, taking an oufit like that to a session would be a bit antisocial, though I do know at least one D/G melodeon player who likes the challenge of playing in C...

Anahata

Subject: RE: Fiddling on the viola
From: Susan A-R
Date: 01 Feb 03 - 11:09 PM

The bow should weigh a good deal more. Oh what a lovely sound! I often end up wishing for that lower range and threatening to bring my viola to sessions. I may do that tomorrow.

I'd think that harmony instruction and books might be more readily available than viola books. I just muck around by ear, but am interested in suggestions for more scientific suggestions, so I'll watch this thread.

Those five string fiddles are lovely indeed. I decided to put my music related earnings toward one such, but then discovered that I'd probably be well into my 70s before I could afford one. Ach Weel.

Subject: RE: Fiddling on the viola
From: Malcolm Douglas
Date: 01 Feb 03 - 11:18 PM

Same here. Still, we can always hope...

Subject: RE: Fiddling on the viola
From: Letty
Date: 03 Feb 03 - 07:59 AM

I have put my violin and viola bows on the kitchen scales, and they appear to be roughly the same weight. The viola bow seems a little less flexible, but that may also be because it was cheap (and the violin bow bloody expensive).
Is it normal that the c-string is harder to bow? I sometimes get these horrible falsetto tones :-)

Subject: RE: Fiddling on the viola
From: greg stephens
Date: 03 Feb 03 - 08:06 AM

One obvious and socially acceptable solution is to tune the viola a tone up..DAEB. This gives the ability to play fiddle tunes in the right key but an octave lower, using fiddle fingerings(shifted across one string). The only problem is with tunes that go below D, in which case you run out of low notes, but very very few fiddle tunes do use the G-string, so it's hardly a problem.

Subject: RE: Fiddling on the viola
From: Letty
Date: 03 Feb 03 - 08:32 AM

Will tuning it up not put to much stress on it? I like the idea of keeping the fiddle fingerings (lazy me).
Tonight, I'm going to put the viola to the test for the first time.
The other band members also play alto flute and strange instruments like gemshorn and obscure bagpipes, so I should be able to fit it in somewhere.

Letty

Subject: RE: Fiddling on the viola
From: Pied Piper
Date: 04 Feb 03 - 07:01 AM

Hi Letty.
I played a bit with a Viola player a few years ago and he could play some of the tunes an octave down, which sounded great. Other tunes he had to play changing positions.
One useful thing about alto clef is that if you play Highland Pipe music as written, and assume its in Viola clef it comes out in the same key as Pipes play.
All the best PP