Fiddle

A musical instrument with four strings, typically held under the chin, and played with a violin bow; the smallest and highest-pitched of a family of four instruments including violin, viola, cello, and bass viol. For more information about the physical instrument itself, see violin.

Fiddle and violin. The fiddle is the same musical instrument as the violin. Essentially, "fiddle" is used to described a violin when the violin is played in a folk music (i.e., traditional music) or sometimes a jazz style. One very slight difference between fiddle and violin occurs in American (e.g., bluegrass and old-time music) fiddling: the violin bridge is shaved down so that it is essentially flat. This makes it easier to play chordss.

Historically, the word fiddle also referred to a predecessor of today's violin. Like the violin, it tended to have 4 strings, but came in a variety of shapes and sizes. Another series of instruments which contributed to the development of the modern fiddle was the viol da gamba, which was played while held between the legs, and has a fretted fingerboard.

Fiddle styles

To a greater extent than classical violin playing, fiddle playing is characterized by a huge variety of ethnic or folk music traditions, each of which has its own distinctive sound, including, but not limited to:

• Irish fiddling (with many distinct styles, including, for example, the Donegal fiddle tradition)
• Scottish fiddling
• English fiddling
• American fiddling (including Old Time fiddling, New England style Fiddling, Cajun fiddling, Texas style fiddling, Contest Fiddling, Blue grass fiddling, and other related traditions)
• Canadian fiddling (including Cape Breton Fiddling, where it's more commonly called Cape Breton Violin Music; Quebecois Fiddling, and others)
• Norwegian fiddling (including Hardanger fiddling)
• Swedish fiddling
• Finnish fiddling
• French fiddling (including a rich Breton fiddling tradition).

Suggested topics to be added later by me or anyone else:

History Of Fiddle Playing.

Fiddle Music and Fiddle Tunes.

Fiddle Tunebooks.

Fiddle Players.

Fiddle Recordings.

How To Learn The Fiddle.

Where To Play The Fiddle. In the US, fiddles provide music for wedding celebrations, at community dances, during music camps, and in concerts. Most metropolitan areas have Contradance events with live music, usually with a fiddle.

"EXTERNAL LINKS:" http://www.centrum.org/workshops/fiddle.html