Cape Breton playing is highly accented,
characterized by driven up-bowing
. The tunes of other music origins (Irish, Canadian, French-Canadian, etc.) sound quite different when performed by Cape Breton players. The strong downbeat pulse is driven by the fiddler’s heel into the floor.
Is a violin a fiddle?
Western classical players sometimes use “fiddle” as an
affectionate term for the violin
, that intimate companion and workmate. But in the United States, most often “fiddle” means the violin as used in Irish-Scottish-French traditional music and all the descendant American styles: Appalachian, bluegrass, Cajun, etc.
Is the fiddle Scottish?
The fiddle is
one of the three national instruments of Scotland
, the others being the bagpipes and the clarsach. The fiddle may have come to Scotland first with the crusaders.
When was the big fiddle built?
The Big Fiddle, as many call it, was designed and constructed by Cyril Hearn in
2005
. It is a tribute to the folk music and traditions of the province’s Celtic community. Made of solid steel, the giant fiddle was dubbed FIDHEAL MHOR A’ CEILIDH or the “Big Fiddle of the Ceilidh”.
What genre uses the fiddle?
| String instrument | Developed Early 16th century | Playing range | Related instruments | Violin family (viola, cello) Viol family (includes double bass) |
|---|
What is the hardest instrument to play?
- French Horn – Hardest Brass Instrument to Play.
- Violin – Hardest String Instrument to Play.
- Bassoon – Hardest Woodwind Instrument to Play.
- Organ – Hardest Instrument to Learn.
- Oboe – Hardest Instrument to Play in a Marching Band.
- Bagpipes.
- Harp.
- Accordion.
Why do they call a violin a fiddle?
A violin is sometimes informally called a fiddle, regardless of the kind of music being played with it. The words “violin” and “fiddle” come from the same Latin root, but
“violin” came through the romance languages and “
fiddle” through the Germanic languages.
Can you play a violin like a fiddle?
The answer is a surprising “no.”
A violin and a fiddle are the same four-stringed instrument
, generally played with a bow, strummed, or plucked. They are identical in their physical appearance. What distinguishes a violin from a fiddle is the style of music that is played on the instrument; it’s all in how you play it.
Is the fiddle hard to play?
Among the many stringed instruments, the fiddle or violin has long been revered but also feared. Somewhere along the line, it
got the reputation of being the most difficult instrument to play
.
Who is the best fiddle player?
- Bob Wills (1905–1975) …
- Craig Duncan (1954–present) …
- Jay Ungar (1946–present) …
- Justin Branum (1984–present) …
- Bobby Hicks (1933–present) …
- Alasdair Fraser (1955–present) …
- Natalie MacMaster (1972–present) …
- Martin Hayes (1961–present)
How much is a fiddle?
The majority of fiddlers cost
between $30 and $70
. Pricier models tend to be made of heavier wood, which can give the instrument more sustain and make it easier to play.
How many strings does a fiddle have?
But however you play your violin or fiddle, you’re still dealing with the same
four
-string wooden instrument that dates back to sixteenth-century models from northern Italy.
What is a second fiddle?
:
one that plays a supporting or subservient role
.
Where is the largest violin in the world?
The largest violin is 4.27 m (14 ft) long, has a maximum width of 1.4 m (4.5 ft) and a bow with a length of 5.2 m (17 ft). It was made by the Vogtland masters of violin and bow making (Germany)
in Markneukirchen, Germany
, and completed on 14 June 2010.
What is a big fiddle called?
The strings are the largest family of instruments in the orchestra and they come in four sizes: the violin, which is the smallest, viola, cello, and the biggest, the double bass, sometimes called
the contrabass
.
Which town in Cape Breton has a massive fiddle?
The World’s Largest Fiddle (and bow) on the
Sydney waterfront
in Cape Breton. Cape Breton fiddling is a regional violin style which falls within the Celtic music idiom.
