[dadfad]

I might have (probably) mentioned that on my recent little "excursion" I had a chance to play again with some great Appalachian fiddle-players. I'd hoped to pick up a little bit of knowledge about playing fiddle in the old mountain-style on this trip (which I did). Not a lot and I needed to know a lot more. As luck/fate/serendipity would have it, this week-end while out shopping with my wife (she shops, I pay. A very sybiotic relationship I guess...), she was in an antique shop and while I was hanging around, what should I hear but......old-time Appalcachian fiddle music! Very inappropriate in a northern big-city setting (but almost like background music in the West Virginia towns I'd just left). Anyway....there's this young fifteen or sixteen year old girl busking on the street playing old-time fiddle. I watched, listened, put a couple of dollars in her case. We talked a little and I told her I was into the style a little and that she sounded pretty good. "Not to Bach-ish" she asked (she'd had formal lessons for a few years). Anyway, she'd learned the style a bit from a friend's grandfather and was really getting into Appalachian old-time in general (she said she played old-time mandolin as well and was learning to play wash-tub bass). Anyway, we talked a bit....artists, fiddle-tunings, etc. Momfad came out and joined us ("Wasn't she just the cutest little thing, John? How sweeeet!" etc). I got her phone number and very likely will call her. She never gave actual lessons, being just an accomplished beginner herself, but said she'd like to try. This is probably exactly the kind of lesson I might be looking for. Totally informal, totally "this is what and how I wanna play. Screw the theory and formal crap. Anyway, I'm probably gonna give her a call in the next few weeks. Who knows....before long I might be able to knock out an aire or even a reel on the old fiddle! (No...NOT a violin! )

[adds]

I cant play the fiddle for s*it but we have some good fiddle players in the violin makeing workshop at college.Every tuesday lunch time we a few of us guitar makers and a few fiddle player get together for a little jam.Mainly old irishy folk stuff but its a good laugh.

[dadfad]

That's how I see it too, Adam. I'm never gonna be a "fiddle-player" but it would be nice to be able to pick one up and add something different into a jam or just to mess around with.

[murpay]

"I got her phone number and very likely will call her."

all i can say is smooth..........very smooth....ahahaha

Pat

[weonlywonfiveone]

I've tried a fiddle, and I must say it was alot harder than I thought to get a respectable sound of it It would be a great instrument to be able to pick up and just blurt out a couple of old-time classic foot stomping numbers, kind of the same way we probably all thought about starting guitar!

I can imagine how hard it is to get properly into, probably why I won't buy a fiddle for a while Are they not rather pricey too?

[sunday_girl]

I went to a folk event recently there were mandolines and some other instruments no fiddles though.
thats what i miss over here, people dont tend to play together much anymore finding someone to jam with is very hard.
Although i did see a very good guitarist on Saturday he had a guy playing a small hand drum and did they sound great together , but the drummer was in wait for this 15 different bands.
everyone seems to want to play rock and roll over here and different styles are thought of pushed to one side, you can find them if you really look for them.
Is it like that in the states, or is music better thought of.

And good for you dadfad, i find i want to try to play other instruments as well
but am concentrating on guitar for the moment.
my uncle currently plays seven including drums, so its a bug that bites.


Rachel

[dadfad]

I've tried a fiddle, and I must say it was alot harder than I thought to get a respectable sound of it It would be a great instrument to be able to pick up and just blurt out a couple of old-time classic foot stomping numbers, kind of the same way we probably all thought about starting guitar!

I can imagine how hard it is to get properly into, probably why I won't buy a fiddle for a while Are they not rather pricey too?

Good ones are expensive (the sky's the limit). My daughter gave me an old one (I don't know enough yet to know if it's good or bad.) and I bought a brand new cheapo fiddle from musiciansfriend....$200 complete (the case is probably better than the fiddle. A couple of guys commented about what a great case I had, but not on the fiddle! ) I doubt the fiddle-craftsmanship in China matches that of an old Appalachian fiddle-carver!

Yes, Sunday Girl, first things first! I also play harmonica pretty well, and banjo and mandolin (not an expert by any stretch of the imagination). I own more instruments to learn than I have time left in my life to learn them all (psaltry, Andean pipes, concertina, zither, etc, etc) Stringed-things in general all hold a facination.



(Well, maybe not kites or tampons so much! )




(Sometimes I crack myself up!)

[sunday_girl]

Dadfad you are funny.
I've tried a harmonica i make a horrible sound on it, my husband does a much
better job on it.
We started with a blues one in the key of A. and it sound ok, but not sure which one to get next.
any advice on that and are the larger ones any better , I've been told that they cover a better range , but the price tag is quite high about 60 pounds over here.
Rachel

[dadfad]

Rachel, the simple 10-hole diatonics (the common type) are the best for most applications. I assume you're trying to play blues in what's called "cross-harp"... the harmonica is in the key of the IV position of the tune (A blues= D harmonica, E blues= A harmonica, etc). On cross-harp, the key tonic-note (and the most of the playing) is based on drawn notes. The bigger harmonicas, chromatic harmonicas, (they usually have the litttle slide-button on them) are better for playing melodies and such because (as their name says) with the slide-button you have the complete scale of the chromatic notes to use. However, you can't "bend" or do trills or warbles like you can with the simple diatonic (like what you hear in blues, rock'n'roll, etc). I would say the diatonic is by far more applicable in most situations. I recommend a decent quality one (Hohner, Lee Oskar, etc) especially when learning, because they are easier to work with and learn the techniques. My favorite harp to play is a Hohner Special-20 Key of A (E-blues) diatonic. Not so low as to be hard to play or "bend" (or too high ranged either), but low enough to have some substance to it.

[adds]

Fiddles can go for silly money.Millions of pounds much more than guitars.Then you have to get the bow and ive seen some bows up 50 grand and there probly go higher than that.

I should have learned to build fiddles realy .

[weonlywonfiveone]

Fiddles can go for silly money.Millions of pounds much more than guitars.Then you have to get the bow and ive seen some bows up 50 grand and there probly go higher than that.

I should have learned to build fiddles realy .

Or at least steal them

[adds]

Fiddles can go for silly money.Millions of pounds much more than guitars.Then you have to get the bow and ive seen some bows up 50 grand and there probly go higher than that.

I should have learned to build fiddles realy .

Or at least steal them

You couldnt sell one of that value every collector in the world would know about it.Some things are just too valuble to be worth stealing unless its slolen to order.I dont think id have the heat to steal a mans prized Strdivarius even if i could.


Talking of instruments of value did you read about that 2 million pound Stradivarius chello that got chored.The thieves obviously didnt realise what they had and dumped it by some bins.Some woman picked it up not knowing it was chored thinking it was just unwanted and had been thrown out.So she asked her boy friend if he could make a cd rack out of it.Lucky for the owner the boy friend saw an artical about it and handed it in.

[dadfad]

Fiddles can go for silly money.Millions of pounds much more than guitars.Then you have to get the bow and ive seen some bows up 50 grand and there probly go higher than that.

I should have learned to build fiddles realy .

Or at least steal them

You couldnt sell one of that value every collector in the world would know about it.Some things are just too valuble to be worth stealing unless its slolen to order.I dont think id have the heat to steal a mans prized Strdivarius even if i could.


Talking of instruments of value did you read about that 2 million pound Stradivarius chello that got chored.The thieves obviously didnt realise what they had and dumped it by some bins.Some woman picked it up not knowing it was chored thinking it was just unwanted and had been thrown out.So she asked her boy friend if he could make a cd rack out of it.Lucky for the owner the boy friend saw an artical about it and handed it in.

Yeah I know what you mean.....like some art-thief saying "Psssst....Can I interest you in a cheap DaVinci.....?"


That story sounds like me (or another knucklehead like me....)


Dadfad looks at instrument.......
Hmmmm......doesn't say Gibson or Martin on it.....
Strada-whoooo???? Oh, well....
Whoosh...clunk.

[adds]

Fiddles can go for silly money.Millions of pounds much more than guitars.Then you have to get the bow and ive seen some bows up 50 grand and there probly go higher than that.

I should have learned to build fiddles realy .

Or at least steal them

You couldnt sell one of that value every collector in the world would know about it.Some things are just too valuble to be worth stealing unless its slolen to order.I dont think id have the heat to steal a mans prized Strdivarius even if i could.


Talking of instruments of value did you read about that 2 million pound Stradivarius chello that got chored.The thieves obviously didnt realise what they had and dumped it by some bins.Some woman picked it up not knowing it was chored thinking it was just unwanted and had been thrown out.So she asked her boy friend if he could make a cd rack out of it.Lucky for the owner the boy friend saw an artical about it and handed it in.

Yeah I know what you mean.....like some art-thief saying "Psssst....Can I interest you in a cheap DaVinci.....?"


That story sounds like me (or another knucklehead like me....)


Dadfad looks at instrument.......
Hmmmm......doesn't say Gibson or Martin on it.....
Strada-whoooo???? Oh, well....
Whoosh...clunk.

I wonder why Gibson never made fiddles.They done mandolins and banjoes why didnt they branch out futher i wonder.

Just think if that bloke hadnt seen thaat artical that chello could be sitting in someones front room as a cd rack.2 million quid that would have been the most expencive cd rack in the world and she wouldnt have even known it.

[dadfad]

Fiddles can go for silly money.Millions of pounds much more than guitars.Then you have to get the bow and ive seen some bows up 50 grand and there probly go higher than that.

I should have learned to build fiddles realy .

Or at least steal them

You couldnt sell one of that value every collector in the world would know about it.Some things are just too valuble to be worth stealing unless its slolen to order.I dont think id have the heat to steal a mans prized Strdivarius even if i could.


Talking of instruments of value did you read about that 2 million pound Stradivarius chello that got chored.The thieves obviously didnt realise what they had and dumped it by some bins.Some woman picked it up not knowing it was chored thinking it was just unwanted and had been thrown out.So she asked her boy friend if he could make a cd rack out of it.Lucky for the owner the boy friend saw an artical about it and handed it in.

Yeah I know what you mean.....like some art-thief saying "Psssst....Can I interest you in a cheap DaVinci.....?"


That story sounds like me (or another knucklehead like me....)


Dadfad looks at instrument.......
Hmmmm......doesn't say Gibson or Martin on it.....
Strada-whoooo???? Oh, well....
Whoosh...clunk.

I wonder why Gibson never made fiddles.They done mandolins and banjoes why didnt they branch out futher i wonder.

Just think if that bloke hadnt seen thaat artical that chello could be sitting in someones front room as a cd rack.2 million quid that would have been the most expencive cd rack in the world and she wouldnt have even known it.

Yeah, makes you wonder how many times that's happened....cleaning out grand-dads old attic....."Honey, this would make such a cute flower planter box...."


(My wife says she's gonna do that to my best National when I go toes-up!)

[adds]

Fiddles can go for silly money.Millions of pounds much more than guitars.Then you have to get the bow and ive seen some bows up 50 grand and there probly go higher than that.

I should have learned to build fiddles realy .

Or at least steal them

You couldnt sell one of that value every collector in the world would know about it.Some things are just too valuble to be worth stealing unless its slolen to order.I dont think id have the heat to steal a mans prized Strdivarius even if i could.


Talking of instruments of value did you read about that 2 million pound Stradivarius chello that got chored.The thieves obviously didnt realise what they had and dumped it by some bins.Some woman picked it up not knowing it was chored thinking it was just unwanted and had been thrown out.So she asked her boy friend if he could make a cd rack out of it.Lucky for the owner the boy friend saw an artical about it and handed it in.

Yeah I know what you mean.....like some art-thief saying "Psssst....Can I interest you in a cheap DaVinci.....?"


That story sounds like me (or another knucklehead like me....)


Dadfad looks at instrument.......
Hmmmm......doesn't say Gibson or Martin on it.....
Strada-whoooo???? Oh, well....
Whoosh...clunk.

I wonder why Gibson never made fiddles.They done mandolins and banjoes why didnt they branch out futher i wonder.

Just think if that bloke hadnt seen thaat artical that chello could be sitting in someones front room as a cd rack.2 million quid that would have been the most expencive cd rack in the world and she wouldnt have even known it.

Yeah, makes you wonder how many times that's happened....cleaning out grand-dads old attic....."Honey, this would make such a cute flower planter box...."


(My wife says she's gonna do that to my best National when I go toes-up!)

Well when you know your on your way out just pop it in the post.Ill mak sure she doesnt get her hands on it.Would be a shame to see a national full of roses.

[dadfad]

Fiddles can go for silly money.Millions of pounds much more than guitars.Then you have to get the bow and ive seen some bows up 50 grand and there probly go higher than that.

I should have learned to build fiddles realy .

Or at least steal them

You couldnt sell one of that value every collector in the world would know about it.Some things are just too valuble to be worth stealing unless its slolen to order.I dont think id have the heat to steal a mans prized Strdivarius even if i could.


Talking of instruments of value did you read about that 2 million pound Stradivarius chello that got chored.The thieves obviously didnt realise what they had and dumped it by some bins.Some woman picked it up not knowing it was chored thinking it was just unwanted and had been thrown out.So she asked her boy friend if he could make a cd rack out of it.Lucky for the owner the boy friend saw an artical about it and handed it in.

Yeah I know what you mean.....like some art-thief saying "Psssst....Can I interest you in a cheap DaVinci.....?"


That story sounds like me (or another knucklehead like me....)


Dadfad looks at instrument.......
Hmmmm......doesn't say Gibson or Martin on it.....
Strada-whoooo???? Oh, well....
Whoosh...clunk.

I wonder why Gibson never made fiddles.They done mandolins and banjoes why didnt they branch out futher i wonder.

Just think if that bloke hadnt seen thaat artical that chello could be sitting in someones front room as a cd rack.2 million quid that would have been the most expencive cd rack in the world and she wouldnt have even known it.

Yeah, makes you wonder how many times that's happened....cleaning out grand-dads old attic....."Honey, this would make such a cute flower planter box...."


(My wife says she's gonna do that to my best National when I go toes-up!)

Well when you know your on your way out just pop it in the post.Ill mak sure she doesnt get her hands on it.Would be a shame to see a national full of roses.

That's for sure. But I think it's has become no more than an idle threat now. A year or two ago she was with me in a pawn-shop in Sarasota Florida when I was talking to the owner (a semi-collector I know a bit). He's played it before and tried to buy it from me in the past. She mentioned her little threat joking around and he told her after my wake to just give him a call and she could trade it to him for an all-expenses paid vacation with enough spending money to keep even her happy for a couple of weeks. (She gained a little more respect for my little $175 investment! )



("...and she won't forget to put roses on my grave...")






(.....or maybe she will. But I won't care! )










(meanwhile, Momfad wonders if that offer includes a twenty-one year-old Latin cabana-boy "companion".... )

[adds]

Fiddles can go for silly money.Millions of pounds much more than guitars.Then you have to get the bow and ive seen some bows up 50 grand and there probly go higher than that.

I should have learned to build fiddles realy .

Or at least steal them

You couldnt sell one of that value every collector in the world would know about it.Some things are just too valuble to be worth stealing unless its slolen to order.I dont think id have the heat to steal a mans prized Strdivarius even if i could.


Talking of instruments of value did you read about that 2 million pound Stradivarius chello that got chored.The thieves obviously didnt realise what they had and dumped it by some bins.Some woman picked it up not knowing it was chored thinking it was just unwanted and had been thrown out.So she asked her boy friend if he could make a cd rack out of it.Lucky for the owner the boy friend saw an artical about it and handed it in.

Yeah I know what you mean.....like some art-thief saying "Psssst....Can I interest you in a cheap DaVinci.....?"


That story sounds like me (or another knucklehead like me....)


Dadfad looks at instrument.......
Hmmmm......doesn't say Gibson or Martin on it.....
Strada-whoooo???? Oh, well....
Whoosh...clunk.

I wonder why Gibson never made fiddles.They done mandolins and banjoes why didnt they branch out futher i wonder.

Just think if that bloke hadnt seen thaat artical that chello could be sitting in someones front room as a cd rack.2 million quid that would have been the most expencive cd rack in the world and she wouldnt have even known it.

Yeah, makes you wonder how many times that's happened....cleaning out grand-dads old attic....."Honey, this would make such a cute flower planter box...."


(My wife says she's gonna do that to my best National when I go toes-up!)

Well when you know your on your way out just pop it in the post.Ill mak sure she doesnt get her hands on it.Would be a shame to see a national full of roses.

That's for sure. But I think it's has become no more than an idle threat now. A year or two ago she was with me in a pawn-shop in Sarasota Florida when I was talking to the owner (a semi-collector I know a bit). He's played it before and tried to buy it from me in the past. She mentioned her little threat joking around and he told her after my wake to just give him a call and she could trade it to him for an all-expenses paid vacation with enough spending money to keep even her happy for a couple of weeks. (She gained a little more respect for my little $175 investment! )



("...and she won't forget to put roses on my grave...")






(.....or maybe she will. But I won't care! )










(meanwhile, Momfad wonders if that offer includes a twenty-one year-old Latin cabana-boy "companion".... )

Funny how the value of something does that to a woman.I remember years ago my mum haveing a fit because my dad had spent a good few quid on Greta Garbos autograph.She said it was a total waste.Now that auto graph is worth 1000s and my mum is glad he got it.

[dadfad]

Exactly!


("....I vant to be alone......" )

[sunday_girl]

On the subject of fiddles, what actually is the difference between one and the violin.
I know the two groups of players would be mortified that i dont know the difference but I am interested in knowing.

also on the subject of harmonica's i have been given one but it dosnt say what key its in it sounds quite high thats all I know at present.
Does anyone know how to judge what key its in other than guess work.

Rachel