How to Play the Fiddle : Fiddle Playing

[cloggermomrks]

So does that mean I can play by ear?

[rcain32]

I learned nothing!



[Arkain9]

100th Like

[befranklintoo]

fiddle in the ideas of school folks is not as free as a real live fiddler.

which is so rare to find a natural fiddler.

[Remix350]

Do You Like Cape Breton Fiddle?

[swanvi11e]

mandolin how to play

[swanvi11e]

mandolin

[JeremyImp]

How to play the fiddle...?! Haha. It takes your entire lifetime, not a few minutes of a video.

[moviesmyway]

@JeremyImp learning an instrument and it's basics are different than mastering an instrument. unfortunately I don't think it's even possible for one person to master any instrument. This coming from the person who plays the hardest instrument to master actually. haha. french horn

[K5H13760]

I already own a fiddle, but I need to get some serious instruction.

John C.

Burlington, Kentucky USA

[wolfgang8u]

very nice song. My friend bought me a fiddle and i am watching your videos to get a jump start. I play a mean guitar but it has frets so i guess its about memorizing and hearing the positioning. I am well versed in scale theory so i guess i should do ok

[PJLongtine]

to your posts: violin versus fiddle who cares. Nice tune. Thanks.

[TheDuckjay101]

ddd

[zigi92]

Now that i know your site, can you give me a tip on how ot play?

[laceylovesicecream]

I'm a classical violinist. Fiddling is FAR easier than classical violin playing.

[cybermoviestar]

@laceylovesicecream lets hear ya fiddle if its so easy.

[chelsearule789]

@laceylovesicecream true

[celticagent]

I hope you like our music. If you want to hire us, we are available. Call 413-351-2261

Thanks, Jim & Adam

[somethingfuntodo]

i love how every one of his videos someone comments about it being irish... he said he plays "new england style fiddle" learn to listen

[albertbeccu]

This had a more scandinavian sound to it than irish wouldnt u say?

[mullbenkt]

very much so I would say (sweden)

[albertbeccu]

Llr hur! Känns lite midsommar. Men iof säger han ju att fiolen är "New England Style fiddle", och det var väl ganska överrepresenterat av skandinaver (främst svenskar) på 1800-talet.

Men gubben är säker på spelandet i alla fall. :)

[MAquaJJ]

is possible to learn fiddle alone?

(I dont speak very well english)

[Glyphone]

There are as many ways to play the fiddle as there are fiddlers. Beauty and pleasure is in the ear of the beholder. David happens to play for lots of contra dances and does a great job driving the dances along. What is "best" doesn't really matter here. If you enjoy it and it makes you move, more power to you. If you don't like it, leave it alone and find something you do like.

[iamjustinmew]

im proud to say THE FIDDLES IRISH :P

ps. im irish lol

[mojochessclassics]

how not to play the fiddle,

for an old man youd think hed be alrite but the movements are stunted and scratchy no good my granda and uncles could play him out of the room and they didnt come from expert villiage they come from augher

[fiddleandfart]

I'm a guy who's played guitar for forty-plus years, now teaching myself fiddle, and I would say that the guitar-playing experience helps in FINDING the notes (no frets), and playing across the strings - and though it's challenging, the joy of making music on another instrument is terrific!

And regarding the classic versus folk argument, sure a classically trained musician will have the ability to hit the note - but folk-fiddle is best not read off the score, but learnt by ear, and SWUNG!

[LegionMCR]

Am I the only one who appreciates this for what it is: a fun little piece?

[DJFozter]

You can tell that by the age of 60 David Kaynor has only 30 years of fiddle playing experience, coz it sounds poor.

If he had taken it up much younger then perhaps it would sound nice and authentic and sensitive to traditional styles.

ExpertVillage my arse.

[RisusInSilva]

What you're saying is that someone who takes up fiddle or violin later in life cannot excel, which is completely untrue.

I mean take a look at Mark Ptashne as one example. He's nearly 60 now and started at 40. Now he's playing with Judith Serkin and Heng-Jin Ellsworth in concert.

It is most definitely harder to learn and succeed with this instrument when older, but perpetuating the thought that you can't ever reach a wonderful sound while starting late is ridiculous

[asiancutie114]

Im only 10 ;_;

and im starting how to play the violin

[kendraiscoolio]

How many types of fiddles are there? someone please answer my question..i would love to hear from you..i keep researching.

[MOKASHAYY]

i geuss that is how to play the fiddle

[Cr0mar]

"How to play the fiddle."

Here's a clue; go and get some lessons from a real teacher

[EduardoCampeao]

Boa dica!

[HalenFox]

Perhaps if I could find one! lmao Not exactly the most common musician these days.

[AlaskanGirlForever]

That's wonderful! Such a happy sound! = )

[befranklintoo]

this is the common educated idea of fiddling in the est coast.

simply irish scottish mode. real fiddlers can not read not,nor do they care to explain in a teachers way what fiddling is really all about.

[Mycogenic]

That's English, not Irish or Scottish influenced playing. It''s an old English tune. Irish music sounds nothing like this.

[ayanoshigeru]

Breath taking.. xD

[Muuusic93]

Wow! That was great!

[KudouShinichiConan]

Nice melody

[herby135]

could you send me the music?

[sultaria]

That was some good fiddle playing. The title is misleading, seeing as it didn't really show me HOW to play the fiddle.

[EricLR81]

lol you might want to get a book.

[gummyfrog202]

Why would somebody want to learn about him? We're here to learn about the violin, but some old man.

[tapper1994]

so if you want to learn to fiddle do you buy a violin ahhhhhh some one help me

[LordoftheDean]

a "fiddle" is just the playing style in which you play the violin.. so yes you have to buy a violin

[tapper1994]

thank you

[emmmmmmmmi96]

how long did it take you to learn that peice of music?

[Bealings48]

Couldnt pick up your website - could you put up a link please?

[fiddlinquine]

And one more thing. If you're going to learn FIDDLE, then do NOT learn classical first. Someone else has pointed out about the bowing. There is NO TRUER WORD. A classical player lacks the fluidity of movement and style you need.

[fiddlinquine]

if anyone wants the music, let me know. i have it and can send it on. just send me a message to my page. Thanks

[Abuseiswrong]

i do!

[fiddlinquine]

You want the music?

[kigger622]

does anyone have the music for this song

[sephseth]

No.

[maximus426]

petrolium jelly

[Merrypipgirl]

So on a scale of 1 to 10 how hard is playing the fiddle? I've been wanting to for YEARS, and listing to the original london production of Lord of the Rings musical has finalized my decision that I MUST learn how to play the lovely instrument

[KetolaKun]

Okay, fiddle is not an instrument, it is a style to play violin. First I suggest you learn classical violin, because fiddle is much tougher, and it'd be very helpful to be able to play classical first, because double stops still trip me up today, and I've played for many years.

[trollfiddler]

If you want to play Irish music never learn classical violin first. A classical player sticks out like a sore thumb in a session, their bowing is dreadful for trad music. It's mechanical, too regular and contrived.

[fiddler9635]

Personally i think that people who learned how to play violin then switch over to the fiddle sound better. There notes are more true even though most of the time they lack the passion of an of tune old timey fiddle. personal opinion.

[djsmurfie]

You think 'fiddle' playing is harder than classical? Hmm..... I very much doubt that to be honest. It's like saying Jazz piano is harder than classical piano.....

[BrynTru]

Jazz piano is harder than classical (or at least as hard)

[djsmurfie]

That just isn't true.

[ilaskya]

You're right fiddle is easier to listen to. fiddle playing is definitely harder than classical... You don't have to be born with any talent to play classical, just practice a whole lot and start young, all inflections are written down. Fiddle's inflections are picked up by ear, there's nothing superficial about it and rhythms are impossible to write down accurately.

[djsmurfie]

That is just such bullshit with not an iota of truth. Folk music is by its nature simplistic because it's borne from the people, classical music is a cultivated form of court (higher) culture - its very essence is virtuosity and academic, a world away from folk music. Classical music attempts to capture the ineffable, folk music is merely representative of the nuances of the people.

You said it yourself: "nothing is written down".

[ilaskya]

It is difficult for a classical player to play fiddle music without making it sound sterile....that's what I should of said. So Fiddle is hard for a classical player to grasp because of cultural barriers. Got to go in experience the culture learn of it's soul and appreciate it then in turn you will be appreciated. If you're a classical you have to throw out the window everything you learned and that is much harder to do than doing it from scratch.

[djsmurfie]

@ilaskya That's bull as well, classical violin players can pick up fiddle playing with absolute ease because it's EASIER; hell, when I was at university the classical violinists at the local Conservatoire put a plethora of folk shows on - they did it for FUN because it isn't as complex as classical music.

[solracselbor]

@djsmurfie

Djsmurf & lacey are good examples of what music shouldn't be about. You guys argue over technicalities and which is more difficult so as to create a sense of superiority over the other. This is sad. Music is about its intrinsic value to the player. In my experience, violinists tend to conform to a class of musician that is based on copying old music as a checkpoint of skill.

Fiddle = learn to play music for its intrinsic value. Violin=work hard to appease others (extrinsic value).

[djsmurfie]

@solracselbor Extrinsic value? Get a clue you moron. Work hard to please others, Jesus Christ how little you know.

[solracselbor]

@djsmurfie Perhaps you have no idea what extrinsic value is. Most people who play "violin" start off as children and a great majority of them do it to appease their parents wishes. Fiddlers start at older ages, if they haven't converted from the violin style, after being introduced to the music and submersed into it. But you wouldn't know any of this, perhaps you lack the proper education. Either way, I hope you enjoy playing Shostakovich Concerto No. 1, your father would be proud.

[djsmurfie]

@solracselbor Only a fuckin' moron would not know what 'extrinsic' meant, and by consequence 'extrinsic value'; but the idea that classical violinists play only to 'please others' as some force of extrinsic value is THE most fuckin' retarded thing I think I've ever heard.

And what, pray tell, would the necessary education consist of so as to better decode the utter shite you write?

I enjoy higher art forms, enjoy your peasant music.

[Wills165]

@djsmurfie. I try not to get too confrontational when on youtube, but I have to voice my opinion on this. My interest in your comment begins with your disdain for our so-called "peasant music." If you don't like it, why are you watching this video in the first place? Secondly, my kin came from the hills of Appalacia, and I have grown up listening to kind of music with great pride. Just because you don't like it doesn't mean you have to clutter the comment section with disrespectful reamrks.

[Wills165]

I ran out of room in the preceeding comment section and have to add one more thing. Please, for the sake of us peasant folk in America that kicked your higher art-formed tails in the Revolution, extract the stick from your ass (if you can, I fear it is horribly wedged in there). You stick to your music and leave us to enjoy ours. For someone who is supposedly so much better than us peasants, your language is awefully lude.

[djsmurfie]

@Wills165 Folk music is peasant music, it's not court music is it? It's laughable how someone could think folk forms of culture are more sophisticated/expressionist than defined and refined court forms of culture. No need to get so offended.

[Wills165]

@djsmurfie. It is completely understandable that you as a classical musician would get offended at the remarks of classical musicians playing strictly to please others. Why would they play if it doesn’t excite them personally? How would such music have survived all these years without an audience or passionate musicians? I was just a bit offended at the way you stated your argument.

[djsmurfie]

@Wills165 I'm not a classical musician, I just find it hilarious how some can believe classical music is played by people who care for nothing but utility.

[Wills165]

@djsmurfie .I don’t know how it is in the UK, but people here in America can get extremely defensive when attacks are made at their various preferred styles of music. As you can tell, I am one of these. I would be the first to admit that fiddle music and bluegrass in general is “peasant music” not to down grade it, but in truth. That form of music sprung from the poorer classes of society. That is the great part of music it permeates all parts of society and can raise a person's spirits.

[djsmurfie]

@Wills165 Then they need to grow up. I listen to Scruggs, Doc Watson, Snuffy Jenkins, Stringbean, Carter Family, Dock Broggs, Stanley brothers and many more besides, but there is no way in hell that their music is comparable to the classical music of the court,

[Wills165]

@djsmurfie I am impressed, your list of artists is a good one. If you like Doc Watson and the Stanley brothers, you would probably like the Osborne Brothers too. I'm going to assume you are familiar with the Nitty Gritty Dirt Band's album "Will the Circle Be Unbroken." To show my ignorance, what is Baroque music? Could you shoot me a couple of good group names, I would like to hear it. Classical and Bluegrass appeal to different groups. What appeals to one may not to another.

[djsmurfie]

@Wills165 Thanks for the suggestion, never heard of them so I'll check them out. I have heard of Nitty Gritty but I'm more into Old Time music than bluegrass or americana, so I buy a lot of stuff that's on Smithsonian Folkways.

Try Bach's Brandenburg Concertos and Vivaldi's lute concertos as a start and see what you think.

[Wills165]

@djsmurfie As for listening to more forms of music, I have tried. Courtly music like that played in the courts of medieval times I like once and a while. Classical music I have a harder time with, but believe me, I have tried, I just cannot get fired-up about it, it is nothing personal, I just don’t. With bluegrass fiddle music being a part of my family’s culture, I do get offended when a classical musician looks down on other forms of music.

[djsmurfie]

@Wills165 Try Baroque music then ease your way into Classical and Romantic.

[Wills165]

@djsmurfie. If I step out of the country/western/bluegrass music, it is typically to Celtic folk music (not a terribly large step) and I enjoy Frank Sinatra and Dean Martin. Every style of music has its own purpose and audience, but no one is “better” than the other, it is all dependant on the listener. To each his/her own. We are blessed to have so many options. Enjoy yours, you seem to have a true passion for it.

[djsmurfie]

@Wills165 And my interest stems from the stupidity of a belief that classical musicians toil their trade for no other purpose than to 'please others': as if it was pure utility and not an artistic expression of conviction and emotion. The trouble with people who listen to nothing but fiddle folk music is that they think their art has a monopoly on sincerity and artistic endevour. That's the product of ignorance: listen to more music.

[ilaskya]

with all that extra training you still won't be able to play a mean reel because it's just different. are you talking about classical violin and folk fiddle? My opinion is there's no comparison and you can be virtuosic at fiddle too... a good fiddle player can ornament existing melodies on the spot, of course will have to be in its traditional forms. Even with all that school Western Art puts you through, doesn't make you do that in classical violin.

[djsmurfie]

I'm not slating fiddle players, because there are many MANY good players, but to state playing fiddle is 'harder' (more technical) than classical violin is bullshit pure and simple. Type: Jascha Heifetz plays Paganini Caprice No. 24. ------ in youtube to see a very technical classical piece.

[ilaskya]

that's like saying what is more difficult baroque violin or modern violin . There are aspects in all that some possess and others do not ie a lilt in Baroque and fiddle, modern violin doesn't require to posses this technique (to conform in orchestra). ask any modern violinist and they'll say that JS Bach partitas are the hardest. Heifetz was great because he could play showy Paganini (which is musically crap) and the classics.

[djsmurfie]

Paganini isn't 'musically' crap (that's a a really stupid thing to say) and Bach is difficult because of musicality. This is boring me to be honest - continue to think fiddle is more 'difficult' than classical violin; you're kidding no one but yourself.

[Eleo235]

@djsmurfie (which it is)

[RustedMuffin]

@djsmurfie you got them the wrong way round dumb ass have you tried playing jazz

[djsmurfie]

@RustedMuffin LOL, what a silly cunt you are - have you tried playing Rachmaninov? Stick to popular music.

[RustedMuffin]

@djsmurfie you are what you eat, mmmmm...

p.s. Oscar Peterson owns your mother

[djsmurfie]

@RustedMuffin LOL, Oscar Peterson!? Don't get me wrong, I like jazz, but to suggest jazz piano is more difficult (technical) than classical piano is just fuckin' retarded.

[iplehguitar]

on a scale of one to ten, the fiddle is about 2 to play. on a scale of one to ten, its about ten to start to play

playing fiddle is really easy, its just starting thats hard

[Artakserksis]

Starting is indeed difficult. But if you want to actually _play_ the violin, you should ask someone to teach you how to count up to 11.

[truprice]

I tell my fiddle students that fiddle is very easy - and I believe it is. (Violin is very hard!) One of my students learned in one two-hour lesson; then he listened to fiddle tunes nonstop all day in his store, practiced for a couple of months, then hosted a weekly jam (where he always sat to my right), and six months later was leading a band.

[Mycogenic]

I dread to imagine what you're teaching your pupils if you think that playing the fiddle properly is easy. You obviously don't listen to many good players.

[truprice]

If you learn violin first, you have to get over the stiffness; learn a looseness, especially in the right wrist; and learn to play to a sound, or a feeling of sound, rather than to notes, whether written or memorized. It's sort of like starting over again, although the ability to get good tone doesn't hurt.

[JosephEaorle]

hmm, classical violinists are always talking about getting rid of stiffness? never heard it from a fiddler.

[ve4ye]

Great video's but I cannot find your website. Please post.

[TalkCountryToMe]

Youtube won't allow URL's in the comments but this should help:

davidkaynor com

[albertocrat]

ok so i like these videos alot but i can not spell his name. Anyone have any ideas?

[xygoldenret]

He's good damn!

[naughty00e]

5 stars. It sounds good.

[roscosr]

Great David.... hope you can spare some more lessons

[BustinOutWithSolos]

i just got a fiddle wear on the net can i go to learn how to play it like lessons

[bakaneko9905]

That was nice. My fiddle has a sound like that one - allthough mines really old.

[Raoena]

davidkaynor

[kathshan]

Wonderful version of Petronella. Thanks.

[trilegarde]

excellent, thanks