A question i am going to ask now requires a short, crisp, answer and can fulfill my thirst for knowledge of this subject.
Any lefthanded fiddlers out there and, if so, gis one of ur old fiddles. Thanks
Well, there is an alternative approach... look at Kinnon Beaton... if you watch closely, you'll notice he plays a right-handed fiddle, left-handed. And makes a great job of it too!
Kinnon Beaton certainly makes a great job of it, although he is holding the fiddle at a strange angle , which I imagine is to enable him to get at his E string more easily.
the other alternative is simply to learn to play right handed, as I and many other left handers have done. I've never had a problem,and after all the left hand does the elaborate fingering,so it's even possible we left handers have an advatage there!
Trouble is, i've been playing banjo and other instruments left handed for eight years now, so i cannot change over to right handed, its just too awkward
There are two kinds of lefty fiddlers. The first group bow left handed, but use a righthanded instrument. Charlie Acuff, Charles Osborne,
Martin Weiss and a Scottish fiddler who's name escapes me are examples. The second group bow left handed, and play a reversed, left-handed instrument. I would be in the latter group as is the fiddler in the first posted video. I played for a long time before trying fiddle, and my right hand was well developed for fingering. I have five left handed fiddles. The lefties on Ebay are not unreasonable student instruments with proper strings and setup, in my opinion.
Hold on a second Jim... you're saying a lefty fiddle and a righty fiddle are not the same except with the strings opposite and maybe the bridge turned around? A lefty instrument is made differently?
There is a long bass bar glued (or carved into the) inside of the top, which runs lengthwise in relation to the body beneath the G end of the bridge. Also, the soundpost is positioned between the top and back near the treble end of the bridge. You would have to open the body of the instrument to change the position of the bass bar, which is not a trivial undertaking. And make a new soundpost, also a delicate job.
The fingerboard is not arched symmetrically, and would require reshaping or replacement for a lefty setup. And the size of the slots in the nut fit the diameters of the strings, so you need a new nut.
Yes, fiddles are not constructed nor setup symetrically. So for optimum tone and volume and playability, you need a fiddle constructed and setup for a lefty.
However, you CAN reverse strings, refit the nut, and fit a new bridge (non-trivial), and get a very convincing lefty instrument. It will not be optimal, since the internal sound post and bass bar are not reversed. Also, on the better instruments, the fingerboard has more relief or scoop under the G string than the E string for good reason. For optimal playability, you'd need to have the fingerboard replaned. My estimate is that most new fiddles under 2K don't have this feature, and many old fiddles don't either. Unless they recieved a modern adjustment. With lefties on Ebay for $70, there's not much to keep someone from trying a lefty. Gliga and others offer nicer lefties, and a conversion on an old fiddle can be had for as little as $600. But lookout: Left handed fiddling is considered by some a sinister derrangement. <g>
\what also needs to be considered is the position of the pegs. The pegholes need to be filled and reamed in the opposite direction, otherwise the lefty player will have difficulty fingering the F note on the E string and Bb on the A string etc!!
The pegs, I forgot. Actually, I don't have a problem with this, as long as the E string peg is clocked so the button is out of the way. But others may have longer fingers and find that this is a problem. Good catch.
Left handed fiddlers
Left handed fiddlers
A question i am going to ask now requires a short, crisp, answer and can fulfill my thirst for knowledge of this subject.
Any lefthanded fiddlers out there and, if so, gis one of ur old fiddles. Thanks
# Posted on June 4th 2007 by copo24
Re: Left handed fiddlers
Yes here's one
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7_4yao6Pu_E
Dont think he'd part with yon fiddle though but.
# Posted on June 4th 2007 by Pete Stephenson.
Re: Left handed fiddlers
Well, there is an alternative approach... look at Kinnon Beaton... if you watch closely, you'll notice he plays a right-handed fiddle, left-handed. And makes a great job of it too!
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VfazypdZhpU&mode=related&search=
# Posted on June 4th 2007 by Ron P
Re: Left handed fiddlers
Kinnon Beaton certainly makes a great job of it, although he is holding the fiddle at a strange angle , which I imagine is to enable him to get at his E string more easily.
the other alternative is simply to learn to play right handed, as I and many other left handers have done. I've never had a problem,and after all the left hand does the elaborate fingering,so it's even possible we left handers have an advatage there!
# Posted on June 5th 2007 by cathycook
Re: Left handed fiddlers
Strange angle or not, he does a great job... I've never seen a lefty play a right handed fiddle. That's a little too much for me to process!
# Posted on June 5th 2007 by pastrings
Re: Left handed fiddlers
Trouble is, i've been playing banjo and other instruments left handed for eight years now, so i cannot change over to right handed, its just too awkward
# Posted on June 5th 2007 by copo24
Re: Left handed fiddlers
There are two kinds of lefty fiddlers. The first group bow left handed, but use a righthanded instrument. Charlie Acuff, Charles Osborne,
Martin Weiss and a Scottish fiddler who's name escapes me are examples. The second group bow left handed, and play a reversed, left-handed instrument. I would be in the latter group as is the fiddler in the first posted video. I played for a long time before trying fiddle, and my right hand was well developed for fingering. I have five left handed fiddles. The lefties on Ebay are not unreasonable student instruments with proper strings and setup, in my opinion.
Jim
# Posted on June 5th 2007 by jhol111964
Re: Left handed fiddlers
Hold on a second Jim... you're saying a lefty fiddle and a righty fiddle are not the same except with the strings opposite and maybe the bridge turned around? A lefty instrument is made differently?
# Posted on June 5th 2007 by pastrings
Re: Left handed fiddlers
> A lefty instrument is made differently?
There is a long bass bar glued (or carved into the) inside of the top, which runs lengthwise in relation to the body beneath the G end of the bridge. Also, the soundpost is positioned between the top and back near the treble end of the bridge. You would have to open the body of the instrument to change the position of the bass bar, which is not a trivial undertaking. And make a new soundpost, also a delicate job.
The fingerboard is not arched symmetrically, and would require reshaping or replacement for a lefty setup. And the size of the slots in the nut fit the diameters of the strings, so you need a new nut.
But other than that they're more or less the same
# Posted on June 5th 2007 by Jumper
Re: Left handed fiddlers
Thanks, Jumper... now I know why I play a righty!
# Posted on June 6th 2007 by pastrings
Re: Left handed fiddlers
Yes, fiddles are not constructed nor setup symetrically. So for optimum tone and volume and playability, you need a fiddle constructed and setup for a lefty.
However, you CAN reverse strings, refit the nut, and fit a new bridge (non-trivial), and get a very convincing lefty instrument. It will not be optimal, since the internal sound post and bass bar are not reversed. Also, on the better instruments, the fingerboard has more relief or scoop under the G string than the E string for good reason. For optimal playability, you'd need to have the fingerboard replaned. My estimate is that most new fiddles under 2K don't have this feature, and many old fiddles don't either. Unless they recieved a modern adjustment. With lefties on Ebay for $70, there's not much to keep someone from trying a lefty. Gliga and others offer nicer lefties, and a conversion on an old fiddle can be had for as little as $600. But lookout: Left handed fiddling is considered by some a sinister derrangement. <g>
Jim
# Posted on June 6th 2007 by jhol111964
Re: Left handed fiddlers
\what also needs to be considered is the position of the pegs. The pegholes need to be filled and reamed in the opposite direction, otherwise the lefty player will have difficulty fingering the F note on the E string and Bb on the A string etc!!
# Posted on June 6th 2007 by reel player
Re: Left handed fiddlers
The pegs, I forgot. Actually, I don't have a problem with this, as long as the E string peg is clocked so the button is out of the way. But others may have longer fingers and find that this is a problem. Good catch.
Jim
# Posted on June 6th 2007 by jhol111964