The Differences between the Fiddle & the Violin

Video Transcript

"Hi! I'm David Kaynor on behalf of expertvillage.com you could learn more about me by visiting my website www.davidkaynor.com . I'm going to talk about the difference between the violin and the fiddle. One of the questions that I’m most often asked is what is the difference between a fiddle and a violin; and there are a number of sort of quick response smart aleck answers to it: like about $10,000 bucks; or a fiddle is a violin with an attitude. But the truth of the matter is that the fiddle is basically a violin which is being played for either a certain kind of repertoire or a certain kind of purpose, or just in a certain state of mind. I'm going to play my other violin, which is a German violin made in Markneukirchen in Germany in 1924 by a member of the Heberlein family, and this is also a very pretty instrument. The Germans made innumerably beautiful instruments over the last century and a half and longer. And I usually use a shoulder rest in approximately in this position. It makes holding instruments much more comfortable for me. There is a general assumption in the violin world that one should be able to support the instrument with one’s chin and shoulder without requiring the left hand or which ever hand. I actually I'm strict about that myself, but it is nice to be comfortable in this position. "