Neat Trick to Help Fiddle Players Learn Mandolin

Here is an easy trick to help fiddle players learn how to play the mandolin quickly. It's not magic, and not everyone will need it, but it will certainly help at least a few of you out there! I am using the song "Bile The Cabbage Down" for an example. (Chris Talley Armstrong, The Bluegrass Shack - New Athens, IL)

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[timmy47]

well i dont know about that. ive heard players play fretted violins and they sound the same as non fretted ones. this is including slides. i believe you just dont press down all the way in order to make it "fretless". there is something called a guitarviol and its basically like a 6 string fretted cello and guitar combo. but you can still do slides as if it has no frets. its quite interesting.

[blueiis2]

I will post a video so you can see and hear the difference.

[danaboone1]

You are the Best teacher! You've helped me immensely... Thank you so much.

[timmy47]

that would be amazing actually. im sorry, i didnt mean to come off know it all-ish or something. ive just heard violing players with frets and it sounds pretty much the same to me. i dont think they can ever be exactly the same though. actually, i think the fretted ones tend to sound more crisp and clear probably due to the frets. but the non frets do seem to have more personality. but the fretted ones still can do slides.

[blueiis2]

I am aware that there are fiddles that actually have frets on them, but they are far and few between.  They are not the standard. You DO NOT get the same sound from a slide if there is a fret. It is true that every slight change in finger position causes a variance in pitch. If there are frets, you do not get this variance.

[timmy47]

that is actually not true. granted, i dont know of all fiddle fretters but there are actual fretted violins and you are still able to slide like without frets. plus the frets ive seen for violins are quite small. you would still have to play pretty much right on top of them in order to play.

[blueiis2]

Both! You can't get normal slides on a fiddle with a fret -- they sound like any other fretted instrument if you have raised "frets." I don't believe it fosters bad habits as well, because you place your finger behind the raised area, not directly on it. On a fiddle, every slight change in finger position should cause a variance in pitch. That's one of the things that makes it so unique.

[Mandolin1944]

Thanks for the comment!

You noted that: "The only type of "fiddle fretter" that I DON'T recommend is the kind that is raised like a fret."

Is this because you give up the infinite variation in pitch that is possible with the fretless instrument -- like a fiddle -- or to you just think that it fosters "bad habits".

[blueiis2]

I would recommend the "Don't Fret" decal for this because it has all the half steps marked. Mandolin players would just need to remember to finger directly on top of the marks instead of behind them (like a fret). The only type of "fiddle fretter" that I DON'T recommend is the kind that is raised like a fret.

[Mandolin1944]

Interesting idea. How about going the other way -- mandolin to fiddle? Do you recommend using a "fiddle fretter"? Thanks!