How to Play Blue Grass Fiddle

The difference in fiddle and violin is how you play it.

Most people do not realize that there is no difference in the design of the fiddle and violin. The only difference is what you call the instrument and how you play it. When people say violin, it normally refers to classical music and playing the violin in a classical fashion. When people refer to a fiddle, it normally refers to the type of music heard in country, bluegrass, and folk music. Typically you play on two strings when playing the fiddle. Most fiddle players learn their music by ear, without any music sheets, but the easier way to learn how to play fiddle is with sheet music.

Things You'll Need

• Fiddle
• Bow
• Rosin
• Shoulder rest
• Tuner
• Bluegrass sheet music
• Bluegrass fiddle instructional DVD

Instructions

1. Tune the fiddle with the tuner. The largest string should be tuned to G, the next to largest string should be tuned to D, the third string should be tuned to A, and the last and smallest string should be tuned to E.

2. Rosin the bow adequately. If you have a brand new rosin bar, use car keys to scrape the top to uncover the rosin beneath the waxy surface. You should be able to flick the hairs on the bow and see a slight puff of dust. That is how you know the bow is rosined appropriately.

3. Put in the instructional DVD. Follow the basic instructions on how to hold your fiddle and bow, and how to apply the shoulder rest to support your neck. Basic position is to fit the shoulder rest to the bottom of the violin where the butt of the violin rests on the shoulder, and the fiddle should be parallel to the floor. You should hold the bow with your thumb in the middle of the holding section at the back of the bow with your fingers resting on top of the bow to hold it level.

4. Learn the basics of bluegrass fiddle techniques through the instructional DVD, and then practice those techniques using the bluegrass sheet music. The basics include finger placement, strokes of the bow, and the different notes on the fingerboard.

Tips & Warnings

• You can have the finger placements taped on in the music store where you purchase your fiddle. Ask them to do so when you check out. If you wish to do it yourself, there are three basic notes to each string. Using the G string, you will mark evenly all the way across the fingerboard with colored electrical tape or, if your violin is purchased and not rented, with a white out pen. On the G string, use the tuner to find A, then B, and then C.

References

• Fiddle Guru: Fiddle Instruction and Lessons for Beginning and Intermediate Fiddlers
• Learn Bluegrass.com: Learn to Play Bluegrass Fiddle