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Beginning and Novice Fiddlers

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I am going to try and post things that have helped me along the way and I hope others do the same.

158 Members, Created 7/1/2011 -

Administrators: brya31 (owner)

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From pikilily on 2/29/2012 5:00:05 AM

Hi, I just thought i should say hello and introduce myself. I live in Scotland..am 50yrs old..with all the wise and wizzen that goes with that!! I recently had an equestrian accident which had left me, after surgery, with nerve damage in my left arm and limited movement in my left shoulder (btw i am left handed :-/ )

Hogmany came, and I decided this year i would learn to play the violin/fiddle.I was actually inspired by an evening of music at the recent funeral of a very dear talented friend...and i thought it would help to improve dexterity in my left hand, arm, and shoulder..So in mid January I managed to get a 'fairly' reasonable sounding Hofner and started with the usual twinkle twinkle little star :-). I have replaced the strings with Dominants,,, and got some better rosin ..which has improved the sound.

With a great deal more dedicated practice than when i had violin lessons as a child, i have, after five weeks, now reached a stage where I can falteringly/slowly read simple music and have added some Jay Ungar tunes, a few Scottish waltzes, and Gay gordans to my practice sessions. Whoop de doo!! Well.... we all have to start somewhere and I just love the sound of Ungar's playing. The last few weeks i have gone along to a very musical friends house to have a bit of a session with her...she has such patience and inspiration, it really helps!!

So, I hope that i may be able to draw on your experience and enthusiasm from time to time!! ....starting now !!

I use a practice mute and am getting rather fond of the tone it gives...is there such a thing as a mute which does this but does not dampen the whole sound down...? or is there another way of producing a more mellow sound when required. My fiddle has a much better sound/tone than my friends two violins ( I think i have been lucky) so i am really pleased with its set up!

Also, if i was to want a second bow what should i look out for.

Cheers E T aka Pikilily

9 Comments
	Larry Rutledge says: 3/1/2012 10:32:10 AM Welcome aboard, and enjoy the journey . It gets better the more notes you get under you fingers. Sorry your left handed:) I use a Ultra rubber mute, but you need to practice as much with out it. You can find alot of info out in the main forums and in the old post for and about a bow. They seem to be like opinions, everyone has one. I cant see why someone would give$6000.00 for a stick with horsehair on it. I go to the $27.00 rack and pick out one that feels good to me. My dream bow would be a solid carbon fiber with encreda hair on it. Maybe it will last as long as I do. If Your fiddle sounds that good try bowing closer to the finger board, should soften it up. I wouldnt mess with a good setup. Cant go wrong with anything Jay Ungar .would love for you to post the music to those scottish waltzs. Sounds like your doing great, keep it up and keep us posted. Larry
	cmoore says: 3/3/2012 3:13:50 PM My mute is metal. It keeps it quiet for the family, but loud enough to hear the notes. I love the internet! I've never met someone from Scotland let alone someone who plays the fiddle to. Welcome!
	pikilily says: 3/4/2012 2:53:52 AM Hi Coleen, Well thank you for your welcome!! And here we are 'virtually' meeting!!! Folk in Scotland are the same as anywhere else....some good , some bad!! We just talk funny!!! My avatar picture is the view from my kitchen north across the glen. Maybe soon I'll post some others....anyway now you can picture where I am at least!! Oh, i lived in the States for two years, in Pullman Washington, I just loved it!! Emma T x
	paulinefiddle says: 3/9/2012 12:06:35 PM Welcome, pikillily (Emma T). I'm so sorry about your accident and injuries, and I admire you for starting again with the fiddle. I love and play Scottish fiddle music. J. Scott Skinner's music is among the best. How about you? I find that there is a tremendous difference in bows. The bow is almost as important as the fiddle in determining sound quality -- if you know how to use it. I've never known anyone else who actually prefers the quality of sound of the fiddle muted. (Of course, it's quieter.) At first I thought that it might be a string issue, but Dominants should sound good. Perhaps there is an issue with your bow or bowing technique that makes an un-mellow sound. It might help to have a teacher watch and listen to you. (I think this way because I'm a teacher.) BTW, thanks for introducing me to Hogmany. I looked it up on Wikipedia and was fascinated.
	stew692 says: 3/9/2012 12:33:52 PM Hello Pikllily: I'm a fellow equestrain and novice fiddle player. I have a rubber mute that doesn't dampen the sound too much, and a wooden on that does. Kathy
	pikilily says: 3/10/2012 1:31:06 AM Thanks for the big welcomes everyone. Pauline, at the moment i like anything that i can actually play...LOL- I have only been playing for eight weeks....... - I do just love the Jay Ungar sound and then of course all the popular scottish waltzes, reels etc. My reportoir is very mixed at the moment...although it all sounds the same!! Note to self: practice working on the rhythms!!!!! yeh i have pretty much worked out that the bowing technique has a huge impact on the sound. In fact what i need to do is jig it up a little so its a bit more fiddly rather than classical! does that make sense??? Kathy- now that I am feeling more confident i am trying to practice more without a mute at all...just to get my ear used to the different sound. Thats working!!! I think what i will do sometime is list my tunes so you can make suggestions. Speak soon. Emma T
	jfordfiddles says: 3/10/2012 12:49:13 PM Welcome, Pikilily: My mute is metal, like Larry says, try to practice as much without it. Folks within ear shot will come to like it... My fiddle mentor puts a clip clothes pin on his fiddle to mute it. Says 'it's cheaper!' I'm in your age group - & have been playing about a year & 1/2. Feeling more comfortable with it. Not sounding much better - still I'm only playing for me! Last summer we were in Scotland - loved the country & people -- and stumbled on a group called Hoodja in a pub in Inverness. Holy cow!!
	pikilily says: 3/12/2012 10:04:22 AM Ah!! Yes Jford they are really exeptional, you cant see fingers playing the fiddles- its just a blurrrrrrrr!! Oh to be so young and supple :-)
	pikilily says: 3/12/2012 10:07:21 AM Have you come accross Shooglenifty? another interesting Scottish Band ! ET x
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