Violin/Fiddle for beginner

Subject: Violin/Fiddle for beginner
From: GUEST,JB
Date: 18 May 02 - 03:40 AM

Apologies if this has been covered before. I searched around a bit but couldn't find anything.

I play guitar, mandolin, banjo etc to a reasonable standard, and I like to think that I've got a pretty good ear.

I'd love to learn to play fiddle. Any advice as to what to look for in a beginners instrument?

Also, I tend to play by ear, so any practice tips for a newbie?

JB

Subject: RE: Violin/Fiddle for beginner
From: GUEST,Al
Date: 18 May 02 - 12:19 PM

Firstly, setup is more important for a beginner than quality of intsrument. Get someone who knows what he/she is doing to set up your instrument properly for fiddling, as opposed to violining. Second, have someone who fiddles show you how to hold the bow. It seems really unnatural at first, but is a requirement for playing well. From then on, since you have a good ear, just GO FOR IT! Al

Subject: RE: Violin/Fiddle for beginner
From: Sorcha
Date: 18 May 02 - 12:42 PM

This is way to complicated to try to do by yourself if you know nothing about violins/fiddles. Please! take someone with you who knows how to play one and what to look for. Really!

Subject: RE: Violin/Fiddle for beginner
From: Mark Clark
Date: 18 May 02 - 01:27 PM

A1 and Sorcha both have good advice but if you already play other instruments there is one thing you should have learned already: buy the hightest quality instrument you can find even if it's a budget stretcher. The reason is that without a good instrument, you'll hate the sound it makes even if you have the mechanics down. The other reason to buy a top quality instrument is resale. If you find you don't enjoy playing fiddle or don't have the time to devote to it, you can always get your money back out of it, probably with some profit to boot. If you buy a cheap instrument you've wasted both your time and your money.

Learn all you can about the construction of violins and what makes one more costly than another. Remember that dealers price their instruments based on craftsmanship, pedigree, and reputation of the maker. The sound the instrument produces has almost no bearing on price; that's assumed to be a mater of taste. An expensive instrument may not have a sound you like and an instrument the dealer might scorn could sound wonderful to your ear.

Take someone with you who is an accomplished player and who has significant experience evaluating and selecting fiddles.

There are still a lot of people with “genuine Stradavarius” violins in the attic. Sometimes you can talk people into selling them for very little money but they're usually not set up to play so you have to have a plan to dump them at a profit should they not pan out. Don't be afraid to dump an instrument you don't like; remember the greater fool theory.

Kenny Baker, one of the very best bluegrass and western swing fiddlers to put bow to string once said he never paid more than $25 for a fiddle and his main instrument is a genuine Steiner.

Good luck,

      - Mark

Subject: RE: Violin/Fiddle for beginner
From: 53
Date: 18 May 02 - 02:23 PM

Just go for it. Try to find someone who can play fiddle and get a few basics and then you should be off to the races.

Subject: RE: Violin/Fiddle for beginner
From: greg stephens
Date: 18 May 02 - 06:28 PM

Joe Venuti played very cheap crappy fiddles. Seemed to manage OK.

Subject: RE: Violin/Fiddle for beginner
From: Mark Clark
Date: 18 May 02 - 07:05 PM

Greg, I'm always one to learn new musical trivia so I'm interest to know how you learned that Venuti played “very cheap crappy fiddles.” I did some cursory searching on the Internet but found no reference to the make or quality of Venuti's instruments.

Thanks,

      - Mark

Subject: RE: Violin/Fiddle for beginner
From: GUEST,Russ
Date: 19 May 02 - 10:12 AM

A week at Augusta or Swannanoa might be the best thing you can do with your time at this stage.

I know any number of self-taught fiddlers. Too often the lawyer joke applies: A lawyer who defends himself has a fool for a client.