I've got a question about a rattlesnake rattle.
My beloved fiddle, turn-of-the-century German, belonged to my grandfather, an Irish-American who was born in Garryowen, Iowa around 1895. He died years before I was born. My aunt had his fiddle and she gave it to me some years ago. There was a rattlesnake rattle inside. Does the rattle have any meaning/significance? I really want to believe that it does. Anyone know?
This is much referred to on the mandolin website, mandolincafe.com; mostly in a bluegrass context (we all know there haven't been any snakes in Ireland since the time of St. Patrick...). I don't know the meaning of the rattle, but you could post something over there. I think maybe Bill Monroe kept on in his mandolin...should be an interesting story.
You might also look in to the rattle thing in traditional Appalachian culture.
Good luck; please let us know what the story is when you find out.
Cited on Nelson McGary's Oldtime Fiddle Pages, from "The Devil's Box - Masters of Southern Fiddling":
"They called the instrument 'the devil's box' because some thought it was sinful to play one. Sometimes in recent years, people would be tearing down old log cabins to get at the logs and they would find hidden in the wall an old beat-up fiddle. At first they puzzled about this, but then people explained that the man who lived there was once a fine old-time fiddler, but that in later years he had gotten religion. In his zeal, he became convinced that he must turn his back on his old life, and especially that devil's instrument, the fiddle.
"After all, the fiddle was for good times and strong drink. Look at the old tunes: you gave the fiddler a 'dram', and you heard tunes like 'Devil's Dream' and 'Devil in the Woodpile,' 'Hell Among the Yearlings' and 'Hell Broke Loose in Georgia,' 'Hell and Scissors' and 'Hell Bound for Alabama.' And didn't one take the rattles of a serpent-the rattlesnake-and put them in the fiddle to improve the tone? "
"My favourite use for rattlesnake rattles is the Appalachian fiddle-players' custom of placing them in one's instrument before entering a fiddle contest. Even folks who do not believe the rattles will help them win a contest may add a rattle to their fiddle to make it "sound better." The origin of this belief is unknown, but it is quite commonly encountered, even to the present day. In the South, rattlesnake rattles are sometimes placed in guitars for the same reason."
Intersting stuff.
Here in Poland we ain't got rattlesnakes but there was a similar superstition. Insted of that rattle they push bat wing under the sound post, they believe that it will allow the fiddler to play better and it will give a better sound to the fiddle.
On a Bill Monbroe DVD I've got the Big Mon says that the old time fiddlers and mando players put a rattle snake rattle in to keep spiders out.
Wodeninjun
Any theories on wasps in mandolins? In Feakle, around the time of the festival, given favourable weather conditions, the wasps are rife. And they like nothing more than to crawl inside my mandolin whilst I am playing it. They seem quite happy roaming around inside, exploring the crevices, enjoying the vibrations, then sure enough, after a few minutes, they come crawling out again, with an air of contentment about them. One once tried to crawl in the window of my whistle while I was playing, but I had to draw the line at that.
I read something about how long ago (American) farmers who also played fiddle used to keep their fiddles hanging in the barn, and putting a rattlesnake rattle inside would keep mice and other critters away because they would smell the rattle and think it was a snake. And then it turned into a whole legend where people began to think it was good luck to have a rattle in your fiddle.. I'd kind of like to have one in mine!
Staying in the countryside once, I practised the flute next to a herd of cattle. When I blew a long note, they all stampeded to the far end of quite a long field. When I blew another, they all came galloping back again. I left it at that, not wishing to reduce their deadweight, or whatever, any further.
Hello Kennedy, I would like to put a rattlesnake rattle in my mando too but the real rattlesnake is rare in Scotland although there are plenty of folk who might be described as rattlesnakes and I wouldn't want any of them in my mando.
I once heard that putting rattles on instruments was originally an african tradition. They believed the noise of the rattle was the ancestors singing along... Maybe the tradition just survived among american musicans somehow, I have heard about blues guitar players using it like:
"Woke up this morning/heard a noise at the door (rattle, rattle) I got a feeling/my baby don't love me no more" etc, etc
Early sound effects live on stage, that is...
The bit about the bat wings is plain creepy. Actually, if you do that, your fiddle will morph onto a bodhran and you will forget all of the tunes you know. Your friends will shun you and your feet will develop an unpleasant odor. Your taxes will be audited yearly, and your daughters will pierce thier tongues on the way home from the tattoo parlor. You will develop a taste for 'lite' beer. So let's just leave bats out of this discussion, okay?
For each year the snake is alive there is a small section of rattle, so the older the sanke, the bigger the rattle. Isnt't that a tune? "The Older the Snake the Bigger the Rattle." copyright 2006... there noone can steal it!
I also inherited my grandfather's fiddle, also with a rattlesnake rattle inside. Apparently, lots of folks used to believe it improved the sound. There may be something to that. I took it out and I sound like crap when I play.
Put it back in! The rattle acts as a supernatural microchip of sorts that has like 3000gigabyte memory that records all the music ever played and transfers it to the molecules of the top of the fiddle... these older folks knew that
Rattlesnake rattle
Rattlesnake rattle
I've got a question about a rattlesnake rattle.
My beloved fiddle, turn-of-the-century German, belonged to my grandfather, an Irish-American who was born in Garryowen, Iowa around 1895. He died years before I was born. My aunt had his fiddle and she gave it to me some years ago. There was a rattlesnake rattle inside. Does the rattle have any meaning/significance? I really want to believe that it does. Anyone know?
# Posted on September 25th 2006 by joelynch
Re: Rattlesnake rattle
Joel,
This is much referred to on the mandolin website, mandolincafe.com; mostly in a bluegrass context (we all know there haven't been any snakes in Ireland since the time of St. Patrick...). I don't know the meaning of the rattle, but you could post something over there. I think maybe Bill Monroe kept on in his mandolin...should be an interesting story.
You might also look in to the rattle thing in traditional Appalachian culture.
Good luck; please let us know what the story is when you find out.
# Posted on September 25th 2006 by Keith Dubinsky
Re: Rattlesnake rattle
Great question!
Cited on Nelson McGary's Oldtime Fiddle Pages, from "The Devil's Box - Masters of Southern Fiddling":
"They called the instrument 'the devil's box' because some thought it was sinful to play one. Sometimes in recent years, people would be tearing down old log cabins to get at the logs and they would find hidden in the wall an old beat-up fiddle. At first they puzzled about this, but then people explained that the man who lived there was once a fine old-time fiddler, but that in later years he had gotten religion. In his zeal, he became convinced that he must turn his back on his old life, and especially that devil's instrument, the fiddle.
"After all, the fiddle was for good times and strong drink. Look at the old tunes: you gave the fiddler a 'dram', and you heard tunes like 'Devil's Dream' and 'Devil in the Woodpile,' 'Hell Among the Yearlings' and 'Hell Broke Loose in Georgia,' 'Hell and Scissors' and 'Hell Bound for Alabama.' And didn't one take the rattles of a serpent-the rattlesnake-and put them in the fiddle to improve the tone? "
And from http://www.luckymojo.com/rattlesnake.html
"My favourite use for rattlesnake rattles is the Appalachian fiddle-players' custom of placing them in one's instrument before entering a fiddle contest. Even folks who do not believe the rattles will help them win a contest may add a rattle to their fiddle to make it "sound better." The origin of this belief is unknown, but it is quite commonly encountered, even to the present day. In the South, rattlesnake rattles are sometimes placed in guitars for the same reason."
# Posted on September 25th 2006 by John Galt
Re: Rattlesnake rattle
And lots more at http://www.fiddlerwoman.com/id75.htm
# Posted on September 25th 2006 by John Galt
Re: Rattlesnake rattle
Intersting stuff.
Here in Poland we ain't got rattlesnakes but there was a similar superstition. Insted of that rattle they push bat wing under the sound post, they believe that it will allow the fiddler to play better and it will give a better sound to the fiddle.
# Posted on September 25th 2006 by padre
Re: Rattlesnake rattle
On a Bill Monbroe DVD I've got the Big Mon says that the old time fiddlers and mando players put a rattle snake rattle in to keep spiders out.
Wodeninjun
# Posted on September 25th 2006 by wodeninjun
Re: Rattlesnake rattle
So Polish fiddlers hang upside down to play, do they?
# Posted on September 25th 2006 by geoffwright
Re: Rattlesnake rattle
No, but they hold the bow under their chin and wag the fiddle.
# Posted on September 25th 2006 by Janek
Re: Rattlesnake rattle
Any theories on wasps in mandolins? In Feakle, around the time of the festival, given favourable weather conditions, the wasps are rife. And they like nothing more than to crawl inside my mandolin whilst I am playing it. They seem quite happy roaming around inside, exploring the crevices, enjoying the vibrations, then sure enough, after a few minutes, they come crawling out again, with an air of contentment about them. One once tried to crawl in the window of my whistle while I was playing, but I had to draw the line at that.
# Posted on September 25th 2006 by CreadurMawnOrganig
Re: Rattlesnake rattle
Somone I knew who lived on a farm once said that when he played Brahms, the pigs would congregate outside his window.
# Posted on September 25th 2006 by Mark Harmer
Re: Rattlesnake rattle
I read something about how long ago (American) farmers who also played fiddle used to keep their fiddles hanging in the barn, and putting a rattlesnake rattle inside would keep mice and other critters away because they would smell the rattle and think it was a snake. And then it turned into a whole legend where people began to think it was good luck to have a rattle in your fiddle.. I'd kind of like to have one in mine!
# Posted on September 25th 2006 by kennedy
Re: Rattlesnake rattle
Staying in the countryside once, I practised the flute next to a herd of cattle. When I blew a long note, they all stampeded to the far end of quite a long field. When I blew another, they all came galloping back again. I left it at that, not wishing to reduce their deadweight, or whatever, any further.
# Posted on September 25th 2006 by nicholas
Re: Rattlesnake rattle
Hello Kennedy, I would like to put a rattlesnake rattle in my mando too but the real rattlesnake is rare in Scotland although there are plenty of folk who might be described as rattlesnakes and I wouldn't want any of them in my mando.
# Posted on September 25th 2006 by wodeninjun
Re: Rattlesnake rattle
I once heard that putting rattles on instruments was originally an african tradition. They believed the noise of the rattle was the ancestors singing along... Maybe the tradition just survived among american musicans somehow, I have heard about blues guitar players using it like:
"Woke up this morning/heard a noise at the door (rattle, rattle) I got a feeling/my baby don't love me no more" etc, etc
Early sound effects live on stage, that is...
# Posted on September 25th 2006 by blackbox
Re: Rattlesnake rattle
It is a natural humidity stabilizer
# Posted on September 25th 2006 by The Merry Highlander
Re: Rattlesnake rattle
The bit about the bat wings is plain creepy. Actually, if you do that, your fiddle will morph onto a bodhran and you will forget all of the tunes you know. Your friends will shun you and your feet will develop an unpleasant odor. Your taxes will be audited yearly, and your daughters will pierce thier tongues on the way home from the tattoo parlor. You will develop a taste for 'lite' beer. So let's just leave bats out of this discussion, okay?
# Posted on September 25th 2006 by Michele Sims
Re: Rattlesnake rattle
How big are these rattles ?
All I ever had in my guitar was a ball of fluff and a plectrum or two.
# Posted on September 25th 2006 by Guernsey Pete
Re: Rattlesnake rattle
For each year the snake is alive there is a small section of rattle, so the older the sanke, the bigger the rattle. Isnt't that a tune? "The Older the Snake the Bigger the Rattle." copyright 2006... there noone can steal it!
# Posted on September 25th 2006 by The Merry Highlander
Re: Rattlesnake rattle
Actually, there's a band called "The Older the Snake the Bigger the Rattle" - true!
# Posted on September 25th 2006 by Mark Harmer
Re: Rattlesnake rattle
Ok...
# Posted on September 25th 2006 by Mark Harmer
Re: Rattlesnake rattle
...not true!
# Posted on September 25th 2006 by Mark Harmer
Re: Rattlesnake rattle
I also inherited my grandfather's fiddle, also with a rattlesnake rattle inside. Apparently, lots of folks used to believe it improved the sound. There may be something to that. I took it out and I sound like crap when I play.
# Posted on September 26th 2006 by Bob himself
Re: Rattlesnake rattle
Put it back in! The rattle acts as a supernatural microchip of sorts that has like 3000gigabyte memory that records all the music ever played and transfers it to the molecules of the top of the fiddle... these older folks knew that
# Posted on September 26th 2006 by The Merry Highlander
Re: Rattlesnake rattle
I have a rattlesnake rattle in my guitar. It's good mojo.
# Posted on January 22nd 2011 by Zazzaliss