Anyone play Fiddle here?

[Ostie]

I play mandolin and the fiddle is tuned the same -GDAE low to high. I borrowed a fiddle from a friend ‘cuz hey, I can play mandolin, how hard can it be? It sounded like cats fighting.

Nice score though, hope you make more progress than I did.

 

[rocu]

I play the fiddle. Some good advice here. Take it to someone who knows how to set it up. Get a decent bow. Whoever advises you about where to take it can probably recommend something. I like Coda Bows but their student grade model has come up in price since I got mine. There may be more economical alternatives.

The most important thing for me when learning to play was to have a good teacher. Sure, you can do anything on YouTube these days but , at least for me, the best way to learn intonation was to play along with someone and try to match their pitch.

Now, about the “sounds like cats fighting” stage. That may last quite a long time. This is how I found out that my wife is a saint. Lots of things go into good tone. Bow speed, direction and pressure, finger position and pressure, the quality of the instrument and bow and more. It can take a long time to get them all to come together. You may figure it out quickly but don’t be discouraged if it takes a long time. A good instructor will speed this up too.

Have a blast.

 

[Johnny Fingers]

My oldest sister was a violinist. She was 3rd violinist at UC Redlands in the 60’s. Later on got into bluegrass, also came in 3rd at the fiddling contest at Topanga. She was pretty well known and could walk on with just about anyone playing in LA bars.
My other sister played a clarinet.
I couldn’t get more than a squeak out of either instrument.

 

[Staredge]

I won’t take it to the Violin shop I posted the link to...they have instruments that cost $20k on average.

Brobst is a quality shop, and they also deal with school instruments. Take it to them. They’ll take care of you. Don’t go to M&A.

I play with a fiddle. Not sure I can really say I play fiddle. I like Fiddlerman strings and their carbon fiber bow. Decent quality stuff that won’t get in your way if you decide to take it up. It’s a tough road though. You’ll not sound good for a long time. What kind of music are you thinking of playing?

 

[Fender_Bender]

I have had to reset it on one of my violins more than once. I don’t think that I’ve ever really gotten it right. The danger with getting one set up is that you can wind up paying someone to do it who knows even less than I do!!

The other problem is that storing it without proper tension does it no favors. Temperature and humidity changes can change the shape of the top. Commonly these student models aren’t set up properly anyhow.

Violins are fickle. And sensitive.

I once saw someone drop their violin on its button and every single piece that wasn’t glued on shot off of it. Literally. The tailpiece. The chin rest. All four pegs went shooting out perpendicular to the pegbox. Later on it was fine.

I just wish someone could tell me how the pegs shot out. You’d think the strings would have kept them in.

I fell on the back of my elbow once and broke a bone in my hand. I guess it’s just the way the forces got distributed. The energy dissipated that way likely saved a catastrophic failure somewhere else on the fiddle.

 

[Killing Floor]

Nice find. I'd recommend taking it to a proper shop and have them set the sound post. It is necessary. Not very expensive to have it done. Pegs and the headstock wood are just like our basses, subject to the environment. Peg compound is the magic paste, a tiny drop worked around the end of the peg will keep it set for a really long time. The boards are usually ebony and really short and thick so they stay straight forever. Setting the bridge isn't rocket science but if you aren't sure let a shop do it.
And hey, You can use TI strings!

 

[MVE]

I picked up a $99 Chinese violin from a yard sale for $25 a few months ago.

I can twinkle twinkle little star a bit and play an ‘almost passable’ major scale.

I was playing the other day and my 5 year old daughter looked up at me and said, “Daddy, you’re not very good at that.”
Lol

Hey, how do you change strings without the post falling out???

 

[Trunk Monkey]

Brobst is a quality shop, and they also deal with school instruments. Take it to them. They’ll take care of you. Don’t go to M&A.

As a former NOVA resident and someone who learned fiddle as an adult (more on that in a second), +1 for Brobst. Bring the instrument to them, they'll give you an honest assessment and can also steer you in the right direction re: instruction/bows/etc.

Everyone else has already warned you, but hear it one more time: The violin is a very high risk/reward instrument. I often joke that the reason we teach it to children is so they don't actually remember the first two years...

A few good lessons early will save you time and suffering later. You married? Want to stay that way? Buy a mute for home practice.

 

[Malcolm35]

My $100 fiddle had cats living in it, I could not get them to do what I wanted, so I gave it away. The new owner also gave it away, no telling where those cats are now.

Since then we had a guest musician who used his fiddle to followed the chords and comp harmony. Not a step for a stepper.

My point - I gave it away too soon.

 

[rocu]

Hey, how do you change strings without the post falling out???

Don’t take them all off at once. I change them one at a time to keep tension on the bridge and the post.

 

[Wasnex]

I have had to reset it on one of my violins more than once. I don’t think that I’ve ever really gotten it right. The danger with getting one set up is that you can wind up paying someone to do it who knows even less than I do!!

One thing people need to keep in mind, there is not one perfect position for the sound post. Rather, the ideal position depends somewhat on how you want the instrument to sound and respond. Of course, in order for this to make sense you have to actually know how to play and have some concept of how a violin should sound and respond.

This graphic I posted previously kind of hints at what I am talking about

 

[CarpeBasso]

Fiddle was my first instrument. They require a lot of patience and proper technique to play well. Don't add to your frustration by not getting a good luthier to set it up right. You don't have to spend big bucks on strings, Red Label strings are used by hundreds if fiddlers. YouTube will be your friend when learning to play. I wish it had been there for me when I started at 15, I'm 60 now. You must have a good ear, so work on that too, good luck!

 

[CarpeBasso]

One more thing - fiddles are loud as hell! Practicing can make quick enemies of you don't have a back room or plan to practice when nobody else is around. I live in the country and was going to do a cover video of Drinking My Baby Goodbye to honor the passing of Charlie Daniels. I was outside on the front porch and the neighbors all the way across the road texted my wife and said they were enjoying hearing me play! After that I practiced out back.

 

[Jeff Hughes]

When I worked at a music store, people would bring in found violins all of the time. They would claim that they had a Stradivarius because "the label."

Oh to dash so many dreams of finding million dollar instruments...

Anyone else like the way violins smell?

 

[groooooove]

I have come into the possession of a pretty decent 4/4 Violin. It was given to me because I expressed just a little interest.
It was in a mechanical room of one of the buildings I service, sitting in the corner in its dilapidated case. I asked the chief building engineer if it was his, if he played. He said, “it’s been here for YEARS....take it.”
Typically, I have seen old, unused violins in antique shops that are in bad shape and missing parts - basically unplayable and meant to hang on a wall as a conversation piece or decoration.
This one is complete with two bridges, all 4 tuning pegs, chin rest, and string anchor.
It had three of four strings on it with the remnants of the fourth wrapped around the tuning peg.
It’s case was falling apart and full of cob webs and who knows what else. I didn’t take it.
View attachment 4054333
View attachment 4054334

I took it home, took it apart and gave it a good sanitizing followed by a good cleaning and oil on the fingerboard.
Inside, it has a label:
Copy of
Franz Joseph Pfretshner
prope Violino car Retpontent
Faciebat Anno 1700 in Cermona
Made in Germany BKN
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The fingerboard is in good shape and straight
View attachment 4054354
I did a bit of research on the label and found it to be a decent mass-produced violin. Nothing really worth much money. I have seen one in good shape and playable with case and everything needed for maintenance (rosin, cleaning towelette, etc) for [edited]$275.
German Made Franz Josef Pfretschner Copy 4/4 Violin Shop-Tested Set/up | Gordon LaSalle Music | Reverb
This one as-is is probably worth $50.

This dowel was rolling around inside the body, don’t know what it’s for or if it came from inside or just sort of found it’s way in...
View attachment 4054356
could be a piece of body reinforcement that fell loose? There doesn’t seem to be any evidence of glue on either end...

I originally planned on just hanging it on the wall, but it is in such good shape that I think I’ll get it strung up and buy a student’s bow for it.
Since I also don’t know anything about Violins, I researched and found they are tuned EADG (I’m kind of used to that...), but every chart I found said they are tuned opposite of what I’m used to....E is the high string and G is the Low string.
Dang, that’s gonna be a bit weird....
View attachment 4054364
I also worry my sausage-fingers are too fat for it, too...
I will hit up a Music & Arts store for a set of D’Addario strings and a bow - should cost a total of no more than $50.
Anyone dabble in Fiddle-playing? Any pointers or thoughts on my new Fiddle?

oh, the two bridges have different names. One is a Bausch and the other says Loren A. Brobst - I’m guessing from Brobst Violin Shop. They are local to me.
Home - Brobst Violin Shop

I'm a violin teacher for a living.

labels in violins mean pretty close to nothing outside of the most highly-trained eyes on the most valuable instruments. your research is likely correct- mass produced student violin of german origin. probably between 1950-1970. with violins setup is not "Everything," but it can be. i've heard $100 student fiddles sound amazing after a full once-over by a professional, and i've heard $25,000 vintage "fine" instruments sound tinny and weird.

that "dowel" is the soundpost! any violin shop can put it back in place. don't string it up without that bad boy placed correctly inside! (it belongs ~1x it's own diameter south of the treble string bridge foot.) I wouldn't bother doing it yourself as the tools alone would cost more than a violinmaker would charge you (if they do at all..) to fit it in place. takes 2 minutes for an experienced person to do so.

if your getting strings, spend the extra money on a set of dominants. the only other student-string i'd reccomend is the d'addario helicores, they're nice and last basically forever since they are made of steel. problem is an all-metal string on a student quality fiddle can be really awful in a lot of cases, the synthetic core (and overall good quality) of the dominant will provide a great response under the bow, but also a nice warm sound on even an inexpensive instrument.

good luck!!

 

[StereoPlayer]

I have 2 violins that we’re my great grandfather’s. I also have the original double case for them. They were in my childhoods home attic.
I had the professionally repaired. I don’t play them very often but should to keep them up.

I don’t let the tuning bother me. I just envision the notes as backwards from my bass. Envision backward chords starting on the highest pitched string and you’ll see.

 

[smeet]

Good advice here. I’ll add that if you decide to learn how to play it, the two most important things are intonation (duh) and BOWING. Much harder than you might think, and you can spend a lifetime trying to get the tone and articulation sounding just right. It may seem like a stick with some hair on it, but it has a huge impact on the sound. Unlike bass, it is an instrument that demands delicacy.

Intonation is hard, and the short scale length means that if you’re off by a millimeter, it sounds pretty sour. Also, our ears can pick up tiny intonation problems because of the high pitch and high harmonic content.
But it’s also a very rewarding instrument to play, if you have the time and motivation.