What Kind of Fiddles Are There?

A fiddle is a stringed instrument that is bowed. It is a general term for instruments that fall into the category and is sometimes used to refer to a variety of those instruments. Fiddles got their start in India around 3000 BC. Over thousands of years, the fiddle has traveled and different types of fiddles have been invented throughout China, Europe, the Americas and all over the globe. There are small fiddles, medium-size fiddles and large fiddles, all with a distinct sound and quality.

Violin

The violin is probably the most popular of the fiddles. It has four strings and has a high-pitch tune compared to instruments within the same family, such as the viola and cello. The earliest violin in its current form (four strings) is said to have been created in 1555 by Andrea Amati. Before that time, there were three-stringed instruments called violettas. The violin is most recognized by the way a violinist plays, with his chin resting on the bottom (chinrest) of the violin, playing off to the side with the bulk resting on his shoulder.

Hardingfele

The Hardingfele (Hardanger fiddle) is another type of fiddle closely resembling the violin. The Hardingfele may look quite like a violin, but in fact has eight or nine strings versus four strings. Four of the strings do play like the violin. The others are there to echo the sounds of those four. The Hardingfele also is made of thinner wood than the violin. This unique instrument is found mostly in Norway, where it was invented in 1651 by Ole Jonsen. You may have heard the Hardingfele in the soundtracks of the Lord of the Rings movie series.

Lyra

The medieval lyra is the ancestor to many current forms of fiddles, including the Cretan Lyra. It is distinct by its pear-shape and three strings. There are three major types: Lyraki, Vrontolyra and Common Lyra. All look similar but vary in size. The Lyraki is the smallest, the Vrontolyra is the biggest and creates a deeper sound good for bass tones in music. The Common Lyra is more of a combination of the original medieval lyra and the violin.

Erhu

The erhu (aka: Chinese violin) is a two-stringed bowed instrument, made in China. It can be played alone or with an orchestra and, although it only has two strings, can produce a variety of sounds. The base of the instrument helps amplify the sound. That base is traditionally made with python skin. Because of current regulations, farm-raised pythons are used instead of wild pythons. The erhu was invented more than 1,000 years ago, and was derived from another two-stringed instrument that had been around in the 10th century.

Crwth

The Crwth is a Welsh instrument that is no longer used, other than for nostalgic reasons or history lessons. It is a flat board with six strings and is fretless. The Crwth could be played like a violin, like a cello or like a erhu (upright on the lap). At one time, it was played throughout Europe, but mainly Wales. However, it was defunct by the early 1800s. The unique board-instrument was replaced with the most popular of the fiddles, the violin.

Cello

The cello is the second-biggest fiddle, next to the bass, and is played upright using a stand that either attaches to the bottom or pulls out from the bottom. It looks almost identical to a violin, except for its size is much larger. The cello is also a four-stringed instrument and can be played alone or with an orchestra. Like many fiddles, the cello's ancestor is the lyra. It was referenced in 1556, but could have been invented earlier.

Upright Bass

The upright bass (aka: double bass) is the largest member of the fiddle family. IT is also the fiddle with the lowest pitch. Usually, it is not played solo and is a member of an orchestra. Upright basses today usually have four strings. However, before the 1900s, many had only three strings. An upright bass is very similar to the structure and look of a violin, only bigger. Another difference is that the bottom is larger; it's shaped more like a pear. Basses also use steel strings today because they hold the low pitch sound longer than nylon or gut strings.

References

• Baritone Fiddles
• History of the Violin
• Adventurous Muse

Resources

• The Violin Site