How to Fiddle - Fiddle Lessons
I'm creating a blog about How to Fiddle that teaches you how to fiddle: FiddleWithDave.blogspot.com
I'm creating this web page and FiddleWithDave.blogspot.com to share my knowledge of fiddle playing and to help folks learn how to fiddle.
I have some instructional videos that can help you learn to fiddle - scroll down the page to see the videos!
What is the difference between a fiddle and a violin? While people often assume a fiddle is a violin, that is not always the case. A violin is a fiddle, but a fiddle isn't always a violin. A fiddle is a bowed string musical instrument, most often a violin. A viola is also a fiddle. A hardanger fiddle is also a fiddle.
I fiddle on both the violin and the viola.
Normally I cross tune my fiddle. Cross tunning is an alternate tuning often used for fiddling especially in old time fiddling.
The cross tuning I use most often is A E A E (from lowest string to highest) this is the tunning I will be using for most of my discussions.
I have a web page that discusses cross tuning and many other alternate tunings for violin and viola
Why do you use cross tunning instead of the standard tunning? I use cross tunning because it makes fiddling easier for me and allows me to play double stop chords and fiddle licks easier. Cross tunning is especially good for solo performances when you don't have any one else accompanying you. While cross tunning is great for old time music, it also works well for Celtic music and other types of music.
While cross tunning is great for many types of music, it isn't normally used for orchestra music where the musician is normally only playing one note at a time.
Common cross tunings allow you to more easily use the fiddle as a chording / background / solo instrument. However many common cross tunings make it easy to play in only one or two keys. Common cross tunings are good for beginning fiddlers and kids because they can start playing some simple music that sounds pretty good right away. Alternate tunings / cross tunings are also great for advanced players who want to incorporate the beautiful or gritty overtones the open strings can add - though it takes some practice incorporating and controlling this in your playing . The open tunings can work wonderfully for solo / one man band performances because of the chording options.
I often tune my violin A E A E and my viola A E A E down an octave lower than my violin.
I have many inexpensive violins and violas so I can use more than one tunning and don't have to retune too much. I have a web page with inexpensive fiddles $40 to $160.
Bellow I have posted videos showing you how to fiddle below - scroll down for videos:
Visit FiddleWithDave.blogspot.com for more video and discussions about fiddling.
Here are my fiddle lesson videos - You might want to enlarge the video to fullscreen so you can see my fingering as I play the tunes.
Oh! Susanna on the fiddle (cross tunned AEAE) - more information about Oh Susanna and how to play the song is on my Oh! Susanna web page :
Hoedown on the fiddle (cross tunned AEAE): More information about this song and more versions on my Hoedown page
Old MacDonald on the fiddle (cross tunned AEAE):
(c) Buffalo Dave BuffaloDaveMusic.blogspot.com 2025
Visit FiddleWithDave.blogspot.com for more videos and discussions about fiddling!
FiddleWithDave.blogspot.com has more videos than this page!