learn to play the fiddle

Took 1 summer of violin lessons. I don’t own a fiddle yet, but now it’s on the list.

I finally enrolled in a class and after four weeks I’ve learned four songs, and even how to slur and slide! I’m about to start level two, when I learn to drone and dribble. I made the “dribble” up, but I might try it anyway.

My skills leave a lot to be desired, but I still desire. This relationship may renew my faith in longevity.

Fiddle, well, “student” German-made violin, has been purchased from a washed-up student violinist. While tuning it for me, she asked if I had an “ear.” I’m not exactly “trained,” other than chorus and voice lessons in my embarrassing high school days, but I guess I have an “ear.” I can hear pitch pretty well, anyway. “Well, then,” she said. “Learning this instrument will torture you.”

And it does, but I’m in love with it anyway. It’s true romance.

I thought this goal was on hold till I got a fiddle…and here lately it was just going to be hanging around my list for a looooong time. Till yesterday. Found out that my grandfather gave my mom a fiddle and she’s having it re-strung. I’m one step closer to at least learning!

I come from a very musical family, and when my father’s father passed away, his father’s fiddle came to me and I resolved to learn to play it. I’ve practiced off and on since I got it six years ago but I haven’t made much progress. Now that we’re in a house with no nearby neighbors I don’t feel so guilty about playing. (If you’ve never heard a novice try to play the violin or fiddle, you really don’t know what you’re missing!) So far the only songs it seems to know are hymns and Hank Williams, Sr. songs, which are fine with me (I can play a mean ‘Kawlija’), but I’m hoping that someday we can learn new music together.

I’ve played violin in an orchestra (so mostly classical music) for eight years. Then, over the summer, I decided to go to a fiddling camp. I loved it. It was unlike anything I’d ever played, and I had a good time. I learned some of the basics (droning, chopping, ornamentation) and a few songs—and then camp ended, and I now have no idea what to do. I want to keep learning, but I’m not sure how. It’s not a common thing where I live, so there aren’t a lot of places to learn, meaning that I’m going to have to teach myself.

At the moment, I’m going to concentrate on getting a good fakebook. That isn’t enough; one thing I learned at the camp is that when you fiddle, you never play the music the way it’s written. But it’s a starting point, which is better than nothing.

My Mom had been learning to play the fiddle, then switched to the mandolin. I figure, what the heck, it might be fun to learn to play the fiddle. Then we could play together. My brother plays the guitar also. Wouldn’t that be fun

I could 7 years ago, honest.

I played the violin and was classically trained for about ten years and then I didn’t play it for about four. But I’ve restrung my bow and hope to start practicing again, but this time with bluegrass music :) I love bluegrass music and I used to be decent at the violin so I don’t see any reason why I shouldn’t make music myself. Now I have to find the time to practice. Also a practice location because the walls are very thin in my apartment and I don’t want to anger all of my neighbors!

I already play classical violin (its been 10 years, that’s crazyyy). I’m going to college for Music Education and I recieve my classical training ther so I’ve decided that next summer I’m going to see if I can find a fiddle teacher and learn how to play the different styles. It should be fun, I hope I’ll be able to find someone! :)