About fiddle and the tunes

Subject: About fiddle and the tunes
From: The Half Fiddler
Date: 22 Sep 04 - 07:51 AM

Ciao
I'm coming with another question about the american music.
Can you tell me somethings about the fiddle tunes ?
I'm don't speak a good english, I mean not the melody but the way to play fiddle, the tune (in standard tune EADG and alternative tunes).

Ciao

Vincenzo

Subject: RE: About fiddle and the tunes
From: GUEST,Les B.
Date: 22 Sep 04 - 12:13 PM

Half Fiddler - I'm sure you'll have lots of mudcatters chiming in soon, but in general there are several "styles" of fiddling and you might want to be more specific about which you are getting into. A few are Celtic, Gypsy, Texas, bluegrass, old-timey, country, blues, jazz, etc. etc.

In the United States there are numerous regional styles. The "old timey" style is what I'm most familiar with. It generally tends to use a rhythmic shuffle bow and playing more than one string at once - double stops, etc. The broader "wall of sound" effect caused by bowing more than one string was probably developed for dancing where the fiddle and banjo were often the only instruments available, were playing purely acoustic, and needed to be heard above scuffling feet.

Subject: RE: About fiddle and the tunes
From: open mike
Date: 22 Sep 04 - 12:43 PM

and in playing for dancing there are several different rhythms.
jig (6/8), reel ( ), hornpipe (with a "dotted" note), waltz (3/4)
someone will fill in the blanks above, I hope . more information
can be found here: Fiddler magazine
there are many contests and festivals in the U.S. most are in the summer time. at most of these events many people play music together outside
the main stage, and there is usually a lot of jamming going on. When
someone besides the fiddler is playing the melody ("taking a break")
sometimes the fiddle part is more like a percussion -- keeping the beat with short bow strokes...Are you in ITALY? good luck with the violin
and happy fiddling to you!

Subject: RE: About fiddle and the tunes
From: wysiwyg
Date: 22 Sep 04 - 12:52 PM

I think he is asking about alternate tunings....

~S~

Subject: RE: About fiddle and the tunes
From: GUEST,Lighter
Date: 22 Sep 04 - 12:57 PM

Marion Thiede's (sp?) "The Fiddle Book" (Oak) has a lot of information on alternative tunings, plus many notated tunes, most from Oklahoma.

Subject: RE: About fiddle and the tunes
From: FIDDLE-4
Date: 22 Sep 04 - 01:37 PM

one i just found might be worth
look= myweb.cableone.net/cdonaghe/fiddle.htm

Subject: RE: About fiddle and the tunes
From: Sorcha
Date: 22 Sep 04 - 02:00 PM

And I never use anything but standard because it is such a hassle to re tune after every tune (unless you have more than one fiddle)

Subject: RE: About fiddle and the tunes
From: fiddler
Date: 23 Sep 04 - 03:21 AM

I think it has all ben said above in a very few replies.

I'm with Sorch though that Irarely re tune - it is not good for the instrument really!

I attempt to play and differentiate a nukmber of styles and this is quite important as to where you play and what for.

so reallt - as usual - nothing helpful fomr me -

The main thing is to keep playing and match your playing to what youa re playing for very few people can play styles accross the baord and most have their own version of the style they are aspiring to.

Andy

Subject: RE: About fiddle and the tunes
From: The Half Fiddler
Date: 23 Sep 04 - 04:21 AM

Ciao!!
I'm reading your message now, in Italy are 9,30 AM, and I see that in America are 3,30 AM!!! I think that is too early (or too late), to have your answers.
I begin to study irish fiddle without any classic education, but about irish and "european celtic music", it's easyer for me. There are many irish session in Roma (in Irish pubs), and every year come in Italy many friends from Belfast, and we organize workshop.
After that I have known a band from Quebec and so begin my curiosity about american music. As Les B. have written, there are many way to play, to use the bow, accent and so on.
But I spent so much time to work, (music is not my job!!!!), so I think that before learn the melody is necessary understand how play to give the right "taste".
I has been happy and lucky this summer in Roma, to have known the fiddler James Leva that in a very short workshop "homemade" has explain something about the alternative tunings.
I like to know more about it.

Ciao!!!!

Vincenzo

Subject: RE: About fiddle and the tunes
From: GUEST,Obie
Date: 23 Sep 04 - 05:01 AM

Hi Half Fiddler,
Cape Breton Island has a distinct form of fiddling that may interest you. It is basicly the traditional music of Highland Scotland that was carried here by 18 & 19th century pioneers.
If you type "cape breton fiddle" into the Google search engine it will bring up enough material to keep you busy for some time. You can probably find sound files on some of these sites.
                      Obie

Subject: RE: About fiddle and the tunes
From: The Half Fiddler
Date: 23 Sep 04 - 05:41 AM

Hi Obie,
I have some CD about Buddy and Natalie McMaster and other with old records of old fiddler, and I have listen what you say. Some tracks are not so good to listen, for the quality, but by these I'm trying to learn the "originary" way to play.
For this reason I like to listen many "new fiddlers", but to be not a bad copy of them, I prefer study by old records like Folkways Record.

Are you from Cape Breton ?

Vincenzo

Subject: RE: About fiddle and the tunes
From: GUEST,Obie
Date: 23 Sep 04 - 03:35 PM

Yes, I'm from Cape Breton. There are many great fiddlers here and Buddy is one of the best.
          All the best!
                Obie

Subject: RE: About fiddle and the tunes
From: wysiwyg
Date: 23 Sep 04 - 03:47 PM

Vincenzo, welcome to Mudcat!

~S~

Subject: RE: About fiddle and the tunes
From: open mike
Date: 23 Sep 04 - 04:21 PM

i love that new word: "originary" !!!
i think i will use it to describe the music
that my band and I play!

Subject: RE: About fiddle and the tunes
From: BanjoRay
Date: 23 Sep 04 - 07:41 PM

One of the best old time players in the USA is also Italian, originally from Bolzano (I think) called Rafe Stefanini. He's been living in the USA for over 20 years and has made some superb recordings. His fiddling sounds as if he was born in the Appalachian mountains. His brother Bruno (still in Italy) made his fiddle. James Leva, who taught you, is an excellent old time player who very probably knows Rafe. You can hear him here.
Cheers
Ray

Subject: RE: About fiddle and the tunes
From: GUEST
Date: 24 Sep 04 - 05:12 AM

For : Obie
Do you meet in session in Cape Breton some of these fiddlers ?

For : WYSIWYG
Grazie !!!

For: open mike
May be that the word "originary" don't exist..?
My italian/englih is like my way to play fiddle!!!

For : BanjoRay
Many people think that culture is like DNA, only if you born in a country you can "enter" in culture of this country.
What you say give to all people that like something of other country a possibility to make somenìthing good.
(..before in necessary learn the language...I know!!!)

For all : Are you all fiddler ?

Ciao
Vincenzo

Subject: RE: About fiddle and the tunes
From: BanjoRay
Date: 24 Sep 04 - 05:22 AM

I've been learning the fiddle for the past 4 years - it'll be a long time before it catches up with my banjo playing, but it's great fun.
If nobody told me that Rafe was Italian, I'd never have known - and I've been listening to Old Time music for 40 years. He has an Italian accent, but his fiddling sounds like it's from Kentucky.
Cheers
Ray

Subject: RE: About fiddle and the tunes
From: GUEST,Lighter at work
Date: 24 Sep 04 - 10:14 AM

Rafe Stefanini is a great player and yet another refutation of the DNA theory. His pal Bruce Molsky, from Brooklyn, N.Y., is equally great and equally "unqualified" by DNA.

They're together on a wonderful CD called "Big Hoedown."

I'm not a fiddler, but I know one when I hear one.

Subject: RE: About fiddle and the tunes
From: The Fooles Troupe
Date: 24 Sep 04 - 10:38 AM

Culture is a Social Imposition on the Human Animal - it is (according to current Science thinking - and I have heard of some alleged exceptions!) impossible for external forces (such as Music Culture) to affect the DNA.

Robin