Gordon LOL! 

To answer cid on type of strings/violin projection as it pertains to fiddle music .vs classical music. Seems to be a lot of variation there, at least in Irish music. I mean, you generally want a high projecting instrument for loud bar situations or no one will hear you. Exceptions to every rule. If not playing jigs I like to hear a more discrete sound. Say with Irish waltzes, reels and such. Much of this has more to do with technique than the violin or strings, not discrediting either as factors. I think it can be done with either though, at least the "darker" violins I've heard have a different flavor to the tone, yet can still be heard.

In classical music it seems the soloist or group leaders are intended to be heard, so some of them have high powered violins for that. Sorry I don't have a better term than "high powered". Maybe similar to an Irish musician playing in a loud bar...you need to be heard. The flip side of this for classical is, those who play 2nd and 3rd parts often probably have the goal to blend and not stick out....so firecracker violins might be prohibited or discouraged? Some violinists need ear protection to practice because those violins are so loud.

I get the need to learn beginner classical fingering techniques for some of the fiddle tunes. Many of the Irish tunes often use a higher 1st position E which as a beginner, I always played open E and have started to move away from that to often playing the 4th finger E if it's easier for that tune. Same can be said for G and A 4th finger alternates if they fit and have a place. I should mention one of my violins has higher tension strings and I was struggling with the 4th finger positions. When I went to a violin with less tension that whole thing got way easier. So far, that's about as far  up the neck on fiddle tunes as I've gone. When that feels almost automatic I plan to move on up further. Many of the tunes are so much easier to play using those 4th finger moves. 

The more I get into some of the more esoteric fiddle tunes I would say they seem less alike. There are a bunch that are very similar in construction.

Some of the main differences I'm finding between the two types is: In classical they start you off on slow material trying to develop solid tone and intonation. During that same time a person who is learning fast fiddle tunes is building up speed on the music. From what I've seen the result is fiddlers learn to play faster earlier while classical players learn to make a long solid tone and vibrato. Judging from my classical education so far, it's a sin of the highest order to play fast in the beginning. I don't think this is a good thing because two or three years into their training they still struggle with fast material, while fiddlers can't  play slower  melodic material with as much feeling.

cid said
This is quite interesting with the different theories behind learning classical and fiddling. It explains a lot of what I thought was just me, and my lack of experience in each. 

Unfortunately, I am interested in both, which given the differences, makes it hard to actually use lessons for one to help with the other, in a few aspects. But, not impossible. 

I wonder, though, would doing the fast fiddle on your own, help with using more speed with the classical? I am really slow with the classical lesson songs, but I can go a little, just a little, faster with the fiddle. 

How about memorizing? I can memorize a lesson classical piece, but it took me forever to memorize, “Going to Boston”, and for the life of me, I cannot memorize, “Irish Rover”. Why?

Given than this is basically a classical and fiddle talk, where does, for the lack of a better term, pop music fall in the way you learn it, hold tbe violin, etc. I am talking “Moon River”, “Over the Rainbow”, “Rainbow Connection”, not the current music the teens are listening to, 60’s and 70’s and some show tunes. How does that play out?

  

While classical seems to get into faster string crossings eventually, most of it seems to be later on and in small amounts until a player gets to the intermediate level.. Fast playing involves accurate string crossings and fingers in positions that maximize the minimum distance. Dexterity is important and I think fiddlers tend to develop some of that earlier, possibly at the expense of other things. I think the best training is well rounded. If I only have an hour to practice I try to cover all of it in smaller increments. Fiddlers who want to branch out should probably be looking at vibrato, holding notes out for longer duration with accurate intonation. Moves at extremes on the scale. This is something I think classical is known for. It's a whole lot deeper than just these few things. 

Pop music violin is likely borrowing most of that technique from classical music. It's still mostly long melodic music. Really "dumbed down" classical but still classical technique. Amplified violins are often used in pop. Has some advantages that I think trade good tone. Lots of possibilities though. Can play softer on the strings and still be heard because you're amplified.

For me, songs that have a repetitive sort of construction are easiest to memorize. Many of the Irish songs throw in something unexpected not as predictable as is found in more western music, so I always need to be wary of that. Basically anything can be memorized in small chunks, like eating an elephant. I have spent weeks trying to memorize more complicated material. I don't want to think about how many times I've played some of it until I finally started to get it right. Most of memory is based on associations and connections to other things....like an invisible chain. If one link is missed it can throw off the whole thing. Most songs I've memorized have at least one or two sticklers where I can easily get hung up because the links don't always flow well there.