Any whistlers out there who have learned the violin?

[nancymae]

I am a fairly new whistler...(almost a year!!)...and would like to pick up the violin. Are there any great groups out there like this place..which will help me decide on what type to buy? beginner songs/books? Any help at all? I noticed on the Clips & Snips site that many people were playing the violin..I am assuming they are also whistle players. Is it difficult to learn?

Thank you in advance!

Nancymae

[fancypiper]

Personally, I think the uilleann pipes are easier than the fiddle.

Of course, I found out after I raised some kids that I was actually string instrument impaired when they showed me up so badly with my first love, the guitar.....

You would much rather have a full set of B pipes, now, wouldn't you?

[djm]

FP, behave!

djm

[Joseph E. Smith]

The fiddle is one of the toughest instruments to learn how to play. Mostly it is the coordination between the bow arm and the playing fingers while maintaining good bow/string pressure that is the tough part. But once you get that down, and are beginning to get comfortable with it, that's when it becomes even tougher. Atcually, I found that getting over the fear of the instrument was the toughest thing to overcome...the bad noises you can make on it are very scary. Unlike the whistle, where the notes are pretty much in tune for you from the start, the fiddle requires precision placement/pressure of the fingers to achive a tone that doesn't sound like somebody severly abusing a kitty. Of course, all of this is easy for me to say, as I have been playing for over 34 years or so and my memories of getting started are dim and vague...thankfully.

If you are serious about learning to play the fiddle, I recommend that you rent a student model and take a few lessons. In this way you can gauge whether or not this is the instrument for you without spending a ton of cash. If you decide that this fiddle thingie isn't so bad and you would like to get to know it better, that will be a better time to look into a higher quality instrument. There are all kinds of books on learning how to play, though in my opinion, they are really worthless if someone else who plays isn't around to show you the ropes. But you can find these books at any Schmidt Music store or other stores of the same ilk.

Also, look into and listen frequently to recordings by good fiddlers, this can get you an early start on mentally 'hearing' how you want to play. Among my favorites: Martin Hayes, Mark O'Connor, Jay Unger, Tommy Peoples, Sean Keane, Kevin Burke... for a start, there are so many great fiddlers out there.

I hope this is of some help. Good luck and happy hunting

[Guest]

The fiddle is one of the toughest instruments to learn how to play. great fiddlers out there.

I hope this is of some help. Good luck and happy hunting

That is great advice!

I read off one site that learning to play an instrument and learning to play Irish Trad on it were two very different things. I must say I have to agree.

Unlike most other instruments the Violin is very time consuming and if not done by an expert teaching can be a complete waste of your time.

For one thing correct bowing can be very difficult to do even on very simple slow pieces - see Suzuki Bk 1 -. In fact, the older expert fiddlers will tell you that the music IS in the Bow!

It would seem to be common sense after seeing a good Violinist play - ie the nice angle of attack and lightness of contact etc ... to look first..and then try to copy... but

One system that complements Suzuki - see maestronet.com fingerboard forum, is working on the angle of attack separate from all else. Damping the strings use a mirror and watch yourself bow. You need to keep the bow at 90 degress to the strings.

Later with the Metronome you can create nice silentbowdrills for improving your bow arm / posture / etc.

[glauber]

For one thing correct bowing can be very difficult to do even on very simple slow pieces - see Suzuki Bk 1

Donegal or Clare version?

[nancymae]

Thanks for your input!! I think at this time, I'll stick with my whistles!! I used to play guitar myself...I have a broken violin (my father's)...and I was considering getting it fixed...I think I will anyway.

Thanks for your help. I can always count on C & F!!

Nancy

[Martin Milner]

Hi Nancy,

I am a whistler turned fiddler. If you want to do it, go for it. Do not be put off by people telling you how hard it is. If you want to do it enough, you can.

I am fortunate, I played as a child, so I have many of the motor skills built, but I know many adult beginners in their 30s, 40s, 50s and 60s, all of whom love playing at the level they can, and all wish they had started sooner.

If you have your father's violin already, get it properly repaired & set up by a violin repairer with new strings, maybe get the bow re-haired if required, and go for it.

Even if you don't start to play yet, check out the fiddle forum:

http://www.fiddleforum.com/fiddleforum/index.php

[nancymae]

I went over to that fiddle site...looks pretty cool!! I think I will just try it out...what can it hurt??? That's what my hubby said too! (I think he just wants me to stop playing my high-d whistle...but I think I can make some pretty horrible sounds on the violin too....)

Anyway...Thanks for your vote Martin...hopefully I will get the violin down to Green Bay soon for repair!

Nancy

[glauber]

Remember, it's folk fiddling we're talking about here, not Beethoven! A lot of people managed it, i'm sure you can manage it too! Go for it!

[fancypiper]

I have a rather strange doctor who had a hard time deciding between being classical violinist or a doctor. He started with classical violin studies, but discovered Old Time, fell in love with that, and decided he might could make enough money doctoring up here in the hills and get to the Fiddlers gatherings they have around here.

But it seems like he is "on call" either at the hospital or has some coroner duty as he is the "ME" here. It seems he can't get to very many of them, or at least as often as he would like.

We even have one here in Sparta that he got started, but someone else has that job now and he is hard to catch at that one. I wish he would e-mail me when he leaves the house for it, but I think his memory is as bad as mine.....

BTW, I met a Japanese fiddler at the Sparta fiddlers that was nuts over Irish, Old Time, and Bluegrass fiddling. We had lots of laughs over me trying to explain the jokes behind the names of some of the tunes, knowing hardly anything about Japanese culture.

Occasasionally my doctor shows up when I do as well and we can have a few fiddle/pipe duets as I know a few old time tunes that sound good on pipes and he knows a few Irish tunes.

To get to the point, he had to have rotator cup surgery on his bowing arm and he said it wasn't uncommon in the fiddle/violin field to have rotator cup problems.

Are there any fiddlers following this that has to had their bowing arm shoulder worked on?

[meemtp]

I haven't had my shoulder worked on fortunately. Shoulder problems are common among classical string players. This is due to a combination of either poor habits, too much practice, plus difficult pieces that place big demands on the shoulder joint. The shoulder is actually the weakest joint, and if one's upper arm is continually moving backwards beyond the normal plane of the body, injury can occur. ITM players are at less reisk just by virtue of the fact that we don't do some of the tricky, big long bobing stuff that classical music demands. One of the best tips I ever picked up when I was learning fiddle was to keep most of the arm movement required for bowing coming from the forearm and wrist, plus keeping them relaxed and fluid. I try to move my shoulder as little as possible and play from that lower part. It actually helps you play better too as a bonus.

Corin

[Martin Milner]

double post

[Martin Milner]

Remember, it's folk fiddling we're talking about here, not Beethoven! A lot of people managed it, i'm sure you can manage it too! Go for it!

Exactly!

Vibrato - out,

positions above first - out.

Learn the fingerings for the keys of D & G, you can tackle 90% of ITM right there. Other keys will crop up, and accidentals, but they're easier than on the whistle!

The most important thing in fiddling is to be relaxed & comfortable. When I played classical as a child, it seemed necessary to be in physical discomfort most of the time. If you feel comfy leaning the fiddle on your chest or shoulder, do so. Experiment with chin/shoulder rest combinations (best to have someone to advise on this, or at least watch you trying stuff out, it can get expensive). Find what is comfortable.

Shoulder strains? I've never hard a fiddler complain of any problems, out of the hundreds I've met.

Relax, and enjoy. It may take a month or a year to conquer your first simple tune, but the pleasure you will get is worth the effort. After that every tune gets easier.

[Guest]

Nancymae if you want to learn to play Irtrad on Fiddle the best way to begin is sign up with a Suzuki teacher BECAUSE 101% of Fiddle students follow that route -

Learning basic Posture, Bowhold etc - Leading to simple FOLK ( Mr Glauber ) tunes and some very nice bits and bobs from other sources.

Why Suzuki works so well is BOWTRAINING from day one.

Look up the Meastronet because it has among its roster some of the best of the best Violin Teachers in the world! and it is free.

http://forums.maestronet.com/forums/pos ... Board=UBB1

After you are familiar with the basic mechanics of holding the Violin and Bow, and when you have mastered some of the basic bow drills - ( that is all you should need to play Irtrad ...bbb but some students need more ) then you should be ready to begin a few slow airs... Don't take my word for it go ask a qualified CCE expert as well.

Typical route today is Bk 1 Suzuki, Slow Airs, Slides Polkas.

Break then on to Hornpipes last to Reels.

OC that would be in NON bar surroundings and always sober.

Note that sessioneers learn the same selection but the other way about, ie they start at the end and finding themselves back to posture training at age 60 buy a Banjo or CD player.