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Which is more difficult? Fiddle style or Classical Style?
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Readalot
Albuquerque NM

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June 25, 2011 - 8:45 pm
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I was wondering which do you feel is more difficult to learn classical or fiddle? Or are the just different? what is your opinion?

I am aware that this is the fiddler-man's website but i'm really curious.

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Pikachu
Pallet Town

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June 25, 2011 - 9:11 pm
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The fiddle style has a lot of playing on two strings.  The music I've read through doesn't seem any harder than the classical music on the same beginner level, but you have to have more dexterity to not touch strings while fingering.

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Fiddlerman
Fort Lauderdale
June 26, 2011 - 12:36 am
Member Since: September 26, 2010
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ANY style is difficult to perfect. Fiddlers can accept less perfection than classical musicians do. That doesn't mean that one would be easier but perhaps more laid back. Also, you can get away with less variation when only playing bluegrass, folk, and country. Vibrato is not absolutely necessary to learn when playing fiddle.......

Learning easy classical music is not difficult but becoming a full time professional violinist and winning auditions is. I've seen plenty of successful fiddlers who don't have good technique and even play way out of tune. Mind you, there are great fiddle technicians as well.

"The richest person is not the one who has the most,
but the one who needs the least."

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Readalot
Albuquerque NM

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June 26, 2011 - 12:48 am
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Thanks for the great input!
On the upside it makes me really glad i don't want to be a professional violinist. (especially in my state we treat classical musicians horribly here) I wanted to know what actual violin players had to say. ^_^Laugh

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Oliver
NC

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June 26, 2011 - 5:15 am
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My son spent a few weeks in Santa Fe during a festival and he said the music scene was great !  I guess he was there at the right time!

When you come to a fork in the road, take it.

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Fiddlerman
Fort Lauderdale
June 26, 2011 - 8:19 am
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That is a classical festival right?

I don't think it matters what kind of music you play on the fiddle if you enjoy it and strive to do your best. I love all great music. In any case, the best technique in order to play great is the same playing any style.

"The richest person is not the one who has the most,
but the one who needs the least."

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Oliver
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June 26, 2011 - 8:59 am
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I believe it was classical. 

I think that the biggest difference fiddle and classical is that fiddle roots come from the dance which signifies people having a good time.  Calling classical "fun" would be insulting to many people.  ( However, I do love Mozart's sense of humor)

I never remember any classical performance where people tapped their foot ??

I don't remember any fiddle performance where anyone fell asleep !!

PS  Most fiddle music is too fast to fit in any vibrato although there are fiddlers who DO play vibrato on a limited basis for ballads, church music, etc.

Also, I think classical music is more fussy about technique such as bowing directions and other articulations but then fiddle music almost always has a lot of double stops.  Fiddle music does not have nearly as many shifts, if any.  Then too, nothing is faster (tempo) than Blue Grass!

 

 

 

When you come to a fork in the road, take it.

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Readalot
Albuquerque NM

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June 26, 2011 - 3:04 pm
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Oliver said:

My son spent a few weeks in Santa Fe during a festival and he said the music scene was great !  I guess he was there at the right time!

Oh the festivals are really nice, If any one can they should come down to old town during its festival its absolutly amazing, people and everywhere music every.

Last time I went there was a young man playing the violin on one of the side streets and he was amazing!

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Oliver
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June 26, 2011 - 3:27 pm
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Is that a Classical event?  I would think there would be a lot of country music going on in NM ...... or Spanish ?

 

When you come to a fork in the road, take it.

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Readalot
Albuquerque NM

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June 26, 2011 - 3:40 pm
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There is all kinds of music, there's usually mariachi bands at least two, theres all kinds of folk and modern, classical. That and the food is amazing ^_^. My grandma works a both with her cousin almost every year.  Sometimes there are some traditional native american musicians that play.

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Oliver
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June 26, 2011 - 5:06 pm
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And what kind of music do you prefer to play?

I began mainly as a classical student but I have switched to "fiddle" after attending a fiddlers convention.  That change has not been easy and I figure at least the rest of the year to really show progress.

I am not a blue grass fan, but prefer folk and mountain music.

 

When you come to a fork in the road, take it.

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Fiddlerman
Fort Lauderdale
June 26, 2011 - 8:19 pm
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Have you ever posted yourself playing Oliver? I'm kind of curious.

"The richest person is not the one who has the most,
but the one who needs the least."

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Oliver
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June 26, 2011 - 11:58 pm
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No.

I don't own any useful audio equipment for recording.
I do not like the sound of any of my acoustics.

I have only recently gone to playing without a shoulder rest which will take some time getting used to although I still like it.  (Major repositioning of left elbow as I have mentioned before.)

I am also making a shift in repertoire from Classic to Folk so everything is in a state of change.  Frequent double stops is coming along but slowly.

I am also awaiting the ZOOM G1N (tomorrow) and I will see to what extent I might use that with my electric ( the one I just re-glued ).

However, I am expecting to sort all this out by the end of Summer so maybe I can record something then.

 

PS  It is my endless string of dilemmas that qualify me as an expert regarding what not to do.  That can work sometimes blink

When you come to a fork in the road, take it.

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Fiddlerman
Fort Lauderdale
June 27, 2011 - 11:00 am
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LOL.  I just thought that I had seen a post with you but I was mistaken, it was something you had posted of someone else. No pressures, I love reading your comments and advice. Look forward to hearing your thoughts on the G1 thumbs-up

"The richest person is not the one who has the most,
but the one who needs the least."

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bob.andrews
Apalachicola Florida

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June 27, 2011 - 12:47 pm
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On the tpic of which is harder. I (and this is probably just me) find that the MOST difficult to learn is the one that you wish to learn the most. Whatever I am trying to learn I find myself to be too much of a perfectionist and overly critical of myself but on the items i am just playing with and have no intention of "perfecting" I find those easy..... well at least easier lol

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Readalot
Albuquerque NM

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June 27, 2011 - 2:18 pm
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bob.andrews said:

On the tpic of which is harder. I (and this is probably just me) find that the MOST difficult to learn is the one that you wish to learn the most. Whatever I am trying to learn I find myself to be too much of a perfectionist and overly critical of myself but on the items i am just playing with and have no intention of "perfecting" I find those easy….. well at least easier lol

Lol that makes a lot of sense. Because if you don't really want to learn it you won't care how well it sounds. =]

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pky
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April 22, 2014 - 1:48 am
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I'd like to pick up this thread again.
I pick up songs/music from Suzuki book much faster than picking up fiddle music probably because I've heard the music before and hearing my daughter's practice and the cd.

To me, it is harder to play fiddle music for the following reasons:
1. too fast for me
2. too many repeats (similar parts)
3. Because of #2, it is harder for me to memorize the music, even though most of the music I play now only have part A and part B and mostly four lines (16 to 20 measures).
4. It's harder for me to learn by ear which most fiddlers do and I am a visual learner.
5. I am not familiar with the music.

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Fiddlerman
Fort Lauderdale
April 22, 2014 - 5:54 pm
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Pky, I think you need to compare apples to apples. IOW, the easier classical works should be compared to easier country, folk, old time, etc.
When you say that fiddle music is too fast for you it appears you're comparing faster music to slow Suzuki classical works.
I think you would change your mind on this topic if you were to move up to some more advanced classical music. Not saying that either is more difficult, just that the better you are the more advanced technical playing you can achieve.

"The richest person is not the one who has the most,
but the one who needs the least."

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pky
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April 22, 2014 - 7:13 pm
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I didn't start the thread. After all, I am comparing fruit, citrus fruit in particular- lemon, orange, grape fruit, tangerine, etc. May be I am comparing apples to apples. Mckintosh, red delicious, Fuji apple, etc. (they are still different)? Because if it is citrus fruit it would be violin, viola, cello, and bass music. oranges and apples would be piano and violin or something else:)

It was just how I felt when I try to learn fiddle music, even after I am familiar with the music - listening to it till it stuck to my mind, it is till difficult for me even though a particular song only has about 20 measures. I could play by sight no problem, it is just more difficult for me to memorize a piece.

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Fiddlerman
Fort Lauderdale
April 22, 2014 - 8:27 pm
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:-)

"The richest person is not the one who has the most,
but the one who needs the least."

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