I’m a classical violinist, how do I sound more like a fiddler?

I recently had a fiddle student inquiry and it set off this question in my mind. If you’ve had years of classical violin training, perhaps under the Suzuki method, how do you sound more like a “fiddler?” That’s the question I want to answer today.

My background

I personally taught myself how to play for about a year via friends showing me things.  I also used Craig Duncan’s “Deluxe Fiddling” book from Mel Bay.  However, at some point I realized I had plateaued and was unable to go further with my technique.  Therefore, I contacted a local violin teacher and worked my way through a bunch of Suzuki books and other classical repertoire with her.   She eventually moved so the lessons stopped.  The sound and requirements are certainly different and I do have some thoughts to offer on how to get there.  

When I hear someone that has a lot of classical violin background play bluegrass or old-time this is often what they are missing: 

Classical Violin vs. Fiddle

• Syncopated Rhythms, Pushing of the rhythm as in old-time
• Appropriate articulation (Slides, slur patterns)
• Accents-This can be a heavy downbeat or offbeat accents
• Drones
• Not enough double stops

If you listen to old-time music, you will hear an almost constant push of beat four into beat one.  I recommend listening to Nile Wilson’s “Tie Hacker #1” for an example.  My advice is go back to the old-time fiddlers, not so much bluegrass.  They play less notes and you’ll hear how creative they were with their rhythmic patterns.  Some good names to listen to for old-time are Luther Strong, Emmett Lundy, Ed Haley, and Uncle Bunt Stephens.  Look past the scratchy recordings and tonal quality; pay attention to the RHYTHM.  Nearly always the classical cross-over violinist is playing too much right on beat one or beat three with the melody.   For bluegrass, listen to Kenny Baker or Chubby Wise.  

Articulation:  This is done via slides or slurs.  One bow pattern used is the Nashville Shuffle.  There are countless others (Georgia Shuffle for example).  These bowings will set up patterns of accents that will get you closer to a bluegrass/old-time sound.  Slides are another thing.  With old-time fiddle, they often are ‘out of tune’ and then slide up to the in-tune note.  The only way you are going to learn this is through lots of listening and transcribing.  It isn’t enough to only learn the notes, but more so, HOW they played the notes. 

Drones:  Imagine you had a melody on your A string that went A-B-D.  Instead of playing that as a single-note melody, add a drone on the D string underneath.  Try paying these notes now as a double-stop.  Try playing the A as a single-note but then adding the drone on the B note.  The possibilities are endless.  Try adding the drones in various places.  In some old-time recordings it literally sounds like they hit the drone by accident as it occurs in very strange places rhythmically.

Double Stops:  Understand that a lot of the old fiddlers played solo by themselves.  In order to make it sound good solo, they added lots of drones and double-stops.  More involved double stops (versus open string drones) are bigger in bluegrass music.  Old-time fiddlers weren’t necessarily thinking chordally, so you don’t hear as much harmonizations there as you do later in bluegrass.  Try harmonizing a D note by adding it’s third (F#), try sliding into this double-stop.

Classical vs Fiddle Technique

• Too much vibrato
• Using too much of the bow

Vibrato:  You don’t hear much (if any) vibrato on many of the old-time players.  It’s the same thing with singing, you don’t hear a classical vibrato from bluegrass vocalists.  Therefore, you want to tone this down (it will be difficult if it’s became an automatic response).  Another thing is if you are constantly using vibrato, you miss out on the staccato notes in old-time music.  There are lots of notes you want to cut short and not last; those notes you certainly don’t want vibrato on.

Bow Use:  One thing I’ve noticed with classical violinists is they often use more of the bow.  An old-time fiddler will use the upper section and work out of it.  This isn’t to say you shouldn’t be able to use the whole bow when needed.  However, pay close attention to the length the bow moves with the fiddlers you enjoy, try to replicate that.  Some fiddlers play almost on the fingerboard with their bow, as opposed to closer to the bridge.  My advice with all of this is find people you want to sound like and try to recreate their approach for awhile.

Equipment

I think this is the last thing to worry about because you have plenty you can work on without changing the equipment.  However, fiddle setup is many times much different than a classical violin.

A lot of the old-time fiddle music was played on old, cheap German trade fiddles.  I have a Stainer Copy myself I paid $200 for.  These things have a different sound than a 10K fine violin.  They usually don’t project as much.  At the same time, many bluegrass and fiddlers do use nice violins, so this is very much up to taste.  Bluegrass fiddlers often favor a darker more mellow sound.  A violinist might prefer something that projects and cuts through a concert hall better.

Strings:  Fiddlers prefer steel strings for the most part.  I use Prim Medium gauge.  I think D’addario Helicore at the most popular string amongst bluegrassers.  Steel strings respond and have a different tone than synthetic strings like Dominant, Thomastik, etc.  They are brighter and faster to respond.  Pirastro Chromcor are another popular choice.

Bridge:  Violin bridges are generally more curved, whereas a fiddle bridge is flatter on the A to E string side.  This can make double stops easier to play.  I personally don’t see this as big of a deal as many do.  Why?  The classical repertoire is full of material with complex double stops.  If you have the technique, you should be able to pull it off on a regular bridge.  This is something to consider as you get better and closer to the sound you want.

As always, contact me if you have any questions.  I teach fiddle lessons online anywhere in the world via ZOOM.  Reach out if you would like one-on-one instruction.  My Fiddle page has more about me.   BEST OF LUCK ON YOUR JOURNEY!