Hello, my name is Brad. I have played guitar for over 20 years, but have recently stopped being a slave to tabs and began developing my ear. I dabble in piano and harmonica, but have recently picked up an Eastman VL100 and have been practicing an hour a day since I got it. I have the "Old Time fiddle for the complete Ignoramus" book which is awesome, and I have a keen eye on picking up the Darol Anger "Blues on the Fiddle" DVD if it isn't far beyond my ability, which is a question I was going to pose to the forum after introducing myself.

I am also having issues with choosing a chinrest. It seems like I need one that doesn't have the higher end facing the outer edge of the fiddle, but tapers up slightly from the outer edge to the inside of the chinrest. I have a Kun shoulder rest, but am wondering if a properly fitted chinrest would eliminate that need? Are there measurements and observations that could be related here to help me choose the proper rest? There is a store in town i'm going to attempt perusing tomorrow which would be the one and only place around to audition chinrests, and I am not sure how many different sorts they stock.

Currently I've gotten through the first few songs and the D scale in the ignoramus book, and am trying to get intonation down which is how I came to the need for a properly fitting instrument. I have some trouble keeping the thumb bent in the bow as well, and not knowing what should and shouldn't hurt after just starting to play. The lack of frets isn't what's getting to me it is the small amount of space compared to an acoustic guitar, and the fact my muscle memory thinks a whole step is nearly 2 inches still. =) Oh and I've worked out two songs partially by ear, I looked at sheet music for the first few notes, and learned "When Johnny comes Marching Home" and "Willie the Pimp" (Zappa). The bowing required for those is a little more complicated than the skeletal "Ida Red" from the Ignoramus book that I love to play leads me to believe I should stick with going through the Ignoramus book because it seems to gently guide you through the rough spots.

My problem with guitar is I am still able to run better than walk, and I feel 20 years of relying on tabs has been very detrimental to me and am willing to fight to gain the ear I think I should have after as long as I have played. Oddly enough this bizarre little instrument called a fiddle seems to be what I need to unlock the music I know is inside. I want to make sure I do this without being reliant on a book or a computer or anything.

Of all the forums on the internet regarding fiddle, I chose this one to post in. I lurk everywhere, but I like what I see here. Thanks for being splendid, and reading the novel I just wrote.

Brad