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Have any mandolin players successfuly moved on to fiddle ?
Have any mandolin players successfuly moved on to fiddle ?
I have been playing mandolin and tenor banjo for around 8 years now and the last 5 a bit more compitently and have built up a nice selection of a few hundred tunes along the way. I have always admired the fiddles diversity and I have tried to teach myself a few times but to no avail the stalling point mainly being the old right arm gets cramp after 3 minutes and I suddenly feel proud to be a mandolin player again. Is it worth me getting some lessons along with the under 5's or am I living in false hope that once I've grasped the basics I'm away. Should I persevere as I feel I have an advantage of knowing some tunes already. I would just like to have a few tunes for a bit of diversity.
Anyone know of a teacher within the M25 ? preferably the western stretch
Re: Have any mandolin players successfuly moved on to fiddle ?
I played mandolin for about 3 years before switching to fiddle. I've been playing fiddle now for about 11 years. It wasn't long after starting lessons on fiddle (like a month) that I knew I'd never go back to mandolin. It wasn't as relatively easy as the mandolin and I had to work a lot harder at it. No frets, and the bowing is still something I'm learning every day. But it's never boring and the diversity and flow you can get out of a fiddle is the best part. Now when I occasionally mess around with the Mandolin it feels...clunky.
It might be worth a try, taking some lessons and seeing how it goes. But don't give up too soon! It's an awkward instrument to play in the beginning so give yourself time to become accustomed to it.
Re: Have any mandolin players successfuly moved on to fiddle ?
I played mandolin for a few years (and guitar and banjo before that) before making the switch to fiddle some 30 years ago. Never looked back.
Rip, if your bow arm is cramping, chances are you've got a bad case of the death grip and/or too much pressure and big bow movements. Try to use less bow--no pressure on the stick (let the weight of the bow do all the work), fairly short bow strokes (2 to 4 inches up and down, at most, primarily moving from the wrist and fingers, not the whole arm), and a totally relaxed hold on the bow (like cupping a hummingbird, or a hand-rolled cigarette--you don't want to squeeze all the stuffing out).
A friend of mine who also moved from mando to fiddle many years ago says he still tends to think of bow strokes as picking motions--think small and "from the fingers."
Re: Have any mandolin players successfuly moved on to fiddle ?
I wouldn't say I've "successfully" moved on but I've been playing both now for a number of years.
Perhaps, my fiddle playing woukld be a lot better if I concentrated on it solely but reverting to mandolin in sessions is often too tempting. However, there's some tunes I much prefer to play on fiddle and vice versa.
Also, I'd argue that the fiddle is actually easier once you get past the initial stages(which can admittedly last quite some time).
Whoosis has described the fact that you need to adopt a different approach with the right hand for each of the instruments much better than I could. Good advice.
Re: Have any mandolin players successfuly moved on to fiddle ?
I'm feeling exactly the same as you Rip right now . . I,ve been a mandolin player for about 4 years and can play reasonabley well now and know 100 tunes? I'd love to be able to play the fiddle , but I'm afraid of the steep learning curve .
A friend of mine is selling me an old maidstone he bought from a car boot sale this week for a tenner . . it obviously will need some more money spending on it to set it up etc. but it might be the best £10 I will have spent, and it may turn out to be a nice instrument.
Impossible question I know . . but say I was to practice for 2 hours a day . . how long would it take (taking into account I'm a mando player to start with) , to play to an acceptable standard. Be gentle on me . . if you tell me 5 years or more you could put me off !
Re: Have any mandolin players successfuly moved on to fiddle ?
It should take anyone at least 5 years, surely????
That's not a long time in the great scheme of things.
As has been mentined, the hardest part is the bowing. I know there's no frets either but that's not so much of a problem especially if you have a good ear. Once you get the bowing sorted out, you should be able to play most of your "100" tunes nae bother but I'd pick new tunes while you learn too.
Re: Have any mandolin players successfuly moved on to fiddle ?
Thats why I started by saying it was an impossible question to answer . . . but I have an idea in my own mind what I perceive as a "reasonable standard ".
Re: Have any mandolin players successfuly moved on to fiddle ?
So glad you said moved 'on' & not 'up' Ripthecalico, because so often you hear folks refer to the Mandolin as a lesser instrument, in much the same way as they refer to the Whistle.
I started on Mandolin myself but quickly got myself a Banjo so that I could hear myself in sessions. Then a couple of years later my grandad gave me his father's Fiddle, so of course I had to try & learn to play it, but at that time I didn't really like the scratchy sound of the session Fiddles I'd heard.
Here's the interesting thing though, I gave up playing the Banjo many years ago, once I started getting some kind of a handle on the Fiddle, but I still play the Mandolin every week, so I wouldn't necessarily advice you to automatically forget all about the Mandolin.
However, although I felt quite comfortable on the Banjo at one time & I still do on the Mandolin, I don't think I will ever be comfortable enough on the instrument to ever be able to call myself a Fiddle player - there's just so much to learn about playing the Fiddle. I think I'll always just feel like a Banjo player who is learning to play the Fiddle.
But before I depress you too much Rip, I should say I only started playing the Mandolin when I was 26, the Banjo at 27 & I was 30 before I took up the Fiddle, so I reckon if your much younger you'll probably pick it up much faster.
I'd say you should get yourself a few lessons first, to get you on the right road & away from bad habits, right from the start - GOOD LUCK.
Re: Have any mandolin players successfuly moved on to fiddle ?
I don’t know how “successful” I’ve been either at switching over, but here are some things to think about:
1. Get some thin white lithographers tape and put it on the fiddle fretboard where the second, fourth and fifth fret would be on a mando. Use a tuner to find the notes. This will make playing a little easier, at first.
2. Oddly, I found that watching where the bow touches the strings and ignoring my left hand made it easier to get the right intonation and a better tone.
3. With flatpicking, you usually accent or punch a note with a downstroke of the plectrum. With my fiddling, more often than not the lift comes with an up-bow. This was probably the hardest mental re-wiring to come to grips with.
I learned a lot of mandolin stuff with tablature. It still haunts me. My fiddle teacher will sometimes refer to a note by a number, like saying “two” to mean c# on the A string. Meaning, I think, for me to use my second finger. Of course, I want to put my first/index finger down where the second fret would be (B) and I get some frustrated/concerned looks.
I still love the mandolin. There are things you can do don’t fall easily on the fiddle like chords etc. Plus it has such a pretty sound all its own.
Re: Have any mandolin players successfuly moved on to fiddle ?
I bought a mando in spring of 2000, and then a fiddle in December 2003. I was "good enough" by summer of this year that my fiddle playing did not prevent my band (www.craicwisely.com) from winning the MIchigan Celtic Battle of the Bands. Some might even say that my playing helped us win, but I try not to get too big for my britches
So it is possible to move from mando to fiddle and at least progress to "not sucking" within 2 or 3 years. I certainly have a long way to go though.
My take is: if you want it, just go for it. You can have it if you truly want it.
Re: Have any mandolin players successfuly moved on to fiddle ?
I tried and failed, but only coz my fiddle was knackered... the fiddle had been previously repaired when I bought it, and the repair eventually failed leaving it untunable. (cracked scoll across the peg for the A string)
As I played by ear I was able to pick up the tunes and fingering quickly, the bowing took more time. I've got to say though when I eventually got a afew tunes out of it there were few things that have given me a greater sense of achievement.
- so I'd recommend you persevere ... you've inspired me to get mine fixed and try again too.
Re: Have any mandolin players successfuly moved on to fiddle ?
Yup- couldn't figure out no frets for a while but then it all dawned and I haven't gone back to mando playing. The question should be "how many fiddle players migrate to uilleann pipes?"
Re: Have any mandolin players successfuly moved on to fiddle ?
I would never consider the mandolin a lesser choice of instrument neither would I ever ever stop playing it. There are things you can do with a mandolin that are not possible on fiiddle such as some nice airs
Re: Have any mandolin players successfuly moved on to fiddle ?
I have had a few goes at trying the reverse, from fid to mando, but each time when my left hand has got too sore I've given it in. I recon the mando is harder on the fret hand/fingers. In the process have bought and sold a few mandolins. Love the sound of mandolin, but it isn't worth risking RSI affecting playing of the fiddle. So, I'm happy just to play fiddle with the occasional tinker on someone else's mando for a laugh and to think, one day, maybe I'll seriously try again. Then again, not. Hard to say. I think I'm kindda content to stick with fidddle.
Re: Have any mandolin players successfuly moved on to fiddle ?
I've played mando and tenor banjo collectively for about 20 years. Started fiddling about 9 months ago so the transitioning issue is really fresh in mind. I'm no spring chicken either (55). Just be patient and practice. At first it was really difficult-- frustrating because I expected progress to come alot quicker than it did. But after about 7 or 8 months, things started to click. Not enough to emerge from behind the woodshed, but its to to point where my wife is no longer complaining.
Really focus on the bowing. Get some lessons and instruction videos if you can. If you can find a fiddling workshop, go for it. They often have good beginner programs. The tune repetoire you have really helps, but its frustrating at first.
The great thing I've discovered with the fiddle is cross tuning. Its opened up whole new musical styles to explore.
Re: Have any mandolin players successfuly moved on to fiddle ?
I played mandolin for several years before I got the courage to overcome my bowphobia and give the fiddle a try. It's been wonderful... and I would say that even though it's all fretless now, playing the mandolin really did give me some help early on knowing *about* where the notes are.
Re: Have any mandolin players successfuly moved on to fiddle ?
I'm in the middle of the transition too. Sometimes drive myself crazy on those days that my intonation s*cks no matter what, but there's something VERY satisfying about when it all does work. Tho my teacher, who has taught me both the mando and the fidde....gets the giggle's more often when I'm making those ohmigodIsoundawful faces when I play the fiddle!
Re: Have any mandolin players successfuly moved on to fiddle ?
I played the mandolin and then bazouki for a few years before picking up the fiddle. I'd gained a repertoire which helped enormously, not least because it made practice much less tedious. Though I never was that good on the mandolin, so I didn't have the problem of leaving anything behind.
But I think people should be aware of the problems that can come with being a multi instrumentalist. I remember a time when I owned a myriad of instruments and not only could I give none of them the time they deserved, I didn't have the funds to own a single decent instrument. So I sold the lot and got one decent fiddle. And that did me for nearly 15 years.
But then I got a proper job and just couldn't resist it. I got me a grand viola. And a good low whistle,. And a dobro. I just can't help it.
In defence though, I don't play the whistle seriously, I use it more as a research tool to see how the tunes are played on the whistle, flute and pipes. And the dobro sounds so lovely with such little effort (bar intonation) I am content with the simplest of tunes. Much as I love Gerry Douglas, I have no ambitions.
The viola, however, has presented me with a different criteria. Its mechanics is sufficiently similar to the violin that to simply play the thing is relatively simple, provided you can cope with the extra physicality. But the harmonic space is so different, the change has ended up being a fascinating exercise in the whole harmonic structures of the music. Very rewarding.
So when it comes down to it, ask your self why you want to learn the fiddle over the mandolin. Do you want to be a fiddle player? Or do you want a knowledge of the fiddle to help your mandolin playing? Ten years ago I would have scoffed at the second scenario. But that was before I'd played with a very very good mandolin player indeed.
Re: Have any mandolin players successfuly moved on to fiddle ?
"Why do I want to learn the fiddle over the mandolin" mick ? Its because I want to really express myself . . become totally emersed . .rich new heights . .nirvana . . and the fiddle will take me there one day . Dont get me wrong I love my mandolin . . but theres only a limited amount of expression to mandolin playing, whereas a violin trancends . . or go to bed and stop talking crap . .
Re: Have any mandolin players successfuly moved on to fiddle ?
Yep, stewpot, don't go to bed. It isn't crap. I think, one day, I will be able to play solo a lovely slow aire that doesn't sound like a sick cat followed by a hot reel that really really rocks, and its that that keeps me hooked on the fiddle, despite the odds, and working toward that sound that echoes sublimely around the head. One day ........, ah, one day ..... It is there for the finding on the fiddle. One day.
Re: Have any mandolin players successfuly moved on to fiddle ?
I didn't play music for several years, and then when I was in the mood to play again, I decided to stop being so... what's the word I'm looking for? A little of this, a little of that, being okay on several instruments instead of really focusing on one, getting that muscle memory honed with one instrument. Having decided to *focus*, I had to pick one. I chose the fiddle because of how its voice makes me feel.
Re: Have any mandolin players successfuly moved on to fiddle ?
Here's a suggestion; 'cross-train' to improve. For example: I've learned to play the Bodhran as a way to cross-train to improve my bowing skills. Being a good fiddler is achieved with good bow control. By learning the elements of Bodhran playing i.e. the Kerry Method of striking the Bodhran, creates the same elements that are required for good bow control, and less frustrating because it also removes those elements that are not required for this learning such as, fingering.
Re: Have any mandolin players successfuly moved on to fiddle ?
You'll have cracked playing the fiddle well within 12 months if you're going to work at it 2 hours most days. I wouldn't bother about lack of frets, just use your ears and it all falls into place! You'll find the bow' s bit clumsy at first but then it'll suddenly just click and you'll be away.
Re: Have any mandolin players successfuly moved on to fiddle ?
GM : "I don't play the whistle seriously, I use it more as a research tool to see how the tunes are played on the whistle, flute and pipes."
That's partly why I took up the fiddle after playing mandolin for about 10 years - Much of the music I play evolved around the fiddle (and the pipes - I have been playing the whistle for about as long as the mandolin, although it always been secondary) and I felt that learning to play the tunes on the fiddle would give me a better understanding of ornamentation and phrasing). However, I decided, while I'm at it, I might as well try to become a half-decent fiddler.
It's not easy, though. Jay-eye - I've been at it for longer than 30 months now (I spent a good 12 months of that playing almost every day, often considerably more han 2 hours, although I'm slacking at the moment - and it shows) and I'm still a long way from cracking it. My bowing is still very clumsy. I can manage jigs passably, but can't get the hang of reels. I would no doubt benefit from a few one-on-one lessons with a good teacher - and lots of practice.
The problem with living somewhere with a lot of high quality sessions is, I have to choose between going to sessions and playing the mandolin, or staying at home and practising the fiddle. Everyone prefers a competently played mandolin to an incompetently played fiddle, and knowing that I am capable of the former, would find it most annoying that I choose to do the latter. However, I shouldn't complain about the standard of music being too high. The flipside is, on the occasions when I have had the audacity to play the fiddle in sessions, I have played with musicians good enough not to be put off by my playing.
Re: Have any mandolin players successfuly moved on to fiddle ?
I knew someone in his mid-twenties in the '70's who made the transition. He said of the two instruments, "Play the fiddle - it's easier." (He was competent enough at both.)
Re: Have any mandolin players successfuly moved on to fiddle ?
I'd love to play the fiddle and agree to some extent that it has more expressive possibilities than the mandolin. It sounds "right" sometimes when a mandolin doesn't - though I try to make the mandolin sound "right". I do admire and envy fiddle players sometimes.
But I have very little practice time as it is, and I think that if I do have time, I should spend it trying to play the mandolin better instead of the cheap thrill of a new instrument.
Re: Have any mandolin players successfuly moved on to fiddle ?
Hey Bren - what's this about cheap thrills. Is this a reference to me trying to swap guitar -> mandolin -> fiddle ?
As for the topic question I can't answer because I don't know what is meant by successfully making the transition. I can now join in on more than a third of our local session's regular tunes. Don't think that's really successful but I am getting there!
Re: Have any mandolin players successfuly moved on to fiddle ?
MichaelBolton: I thought my post made it clear that I have "successsfully" moved on to fiddle. (Althought I don't consider it a step up, just a different instrument.)
Re: Have any mandolin players successfuly moved on to fiddle ?
Wasn't referring to you Donough!
I meant for me it would be a "cheap thrill" as in the thrill of the new as opposed to the hard work of making tiny incremental progress (or clawing back lost ground) on an instrument I plateau'd on many years ago.
If I started on fiddle I'd probably put the mandolin aside while carousing with my new love and then end up being rubbish on both instruments
Have any mandolin players successfuly moved on to fiddle ?
Have any mandolin players successfuly moved on to fiddle ?
I have been playing mandolin and tenor banjo for around 8 years now and the last 5 a bit more compitently and have built up a nice selection of a few hundred tunes along the way. I have always admired the fiddles diversity and I have tried to teach myself a few times but to no avail the stalling point mainly being the old right arm gets cramp after 3 minutes and I suddenly feel proud to be a mandolin player again. Is it worth me getting some lessons along with the under 5's or am I living in false hope that once I've grasped the basics I'm away. Should I persevere as I feel I have an advantage of knowing some tunes already. I would just like to have a few tunes for a bit of diversity.
Anyone know of a teacher within the M25 ? preferably the western stretch
# Posted on November 3rd 2006 by Ripthecalico
Re: Have any mandolin players successfuly moved on to fiddle ?
maybe get intouch with the some of the london branches of comhaltas? they might know of some teachers...
# Posted on November 3rd 2006 by bathfiddler
Re: Have any mandolin players successfuly moved on to fiddle ?
I played mandolin for about 3 years before switching to fiddle. I've been playing fiddle now for about 11 years. It wasn't long after starting lessons on fiddle (like a month) that I knew I'd never go back to mandolin. It wasn't as relatively easy as the mandolin and I had to work a lot harder at it. No frets, and the bowing is still something I'm learning every day. But it's never boring and the diversity and flow you can get out of a fiddle is the best part. Now when I occasionally mess around with the Mandolin it feels...clunky.
It might be worth a try, taking some lessons and seeing how it goes. But don't give up too soon! It's an awkward instrument to play in the beginning so give yourself time to become accustomed to it.
# Posted on November 3rd 2006 by soft black stars
Re: Have any mandolin players successfuly moved on to fiddle ?
I played mandolin for a few years (and guitar and banjo before that) before making the switch to fiddle some 30 years ago. Never looked back.
Rip, if your bow arm is cramping, chances are you've got a bad case of the death grip and/or too much pressure and big bow movements. Try to use less bow--no pressure on the stick (let the weight of the bow do all the work), fairly short bow strokes (2 to 4 inches up and down, at most, primarily moving from the wrist and fingers, not the whole arm), and a totally relaxed hold on the bow (like cupping a hummingbird, or a hand-rolled cigarette--you don't want to squeeze all the stuffing out).
A friend of mine who also moved from mando to fiddle many years ago says he still tends to think of bow strokes as picking motions--think small and "from the fingers."
# Posted on November 3rd 2006 by Will CPT
Re: Have any mandolin players successfuly moved on to fiddle ?
I wouldn't say I've "successfully" moved on but I've been playing both now for a number of years.
Perhaps, my fiddle playing woukld be a lot better if I concentrated on it solely but reverting to mandolin in sessions is often too tempting. However, there's some tunes I much prefer to play on fiddle and vice versa.
Also, I'd argue that the fiddle is actually easier once you get past the initial stages(which can admittedly last quite some time).
Whoosis has described the fact that you need to adopt a different approach with the right hand for each of the instruments much better than I could. Good advice.
# Posted on November 3rd 2006 by Johannes J
Re: Have any mandolin players successfuly moved on to fiddle ?
I'm feeling exactly the same as you Rip right now . . I,ve been a mandolin player for about 4 years and can play reasonabley well now and know 100 tunes? I'd love to be able to play the fiddle , but I'm afraid of the steep learning curve .
A friend of mine is selling me an old maidstone he bought from a car boot sale this week for a tenner . . it obviously will need some more money spending on it to set it up etc. but it might be the best £10 I will have spent, and it may turn out to be a nice instrument.
Impossible question I know . . but say I was to practice for 2 hours a day . . how long would it take (taking into account I'm a mando player to start with) , to play to an acceptable standard. Be gentle on me . . if you tell me 5 years or more you could put me off !
# Posted on November 3rd 2006 by Justintime
Re: Have any mandolin players successfuly moved on to fiddle ?
It should take anyone at least 5 years, surely????
That's not a long time in the great scheme of things.
As has been mentined, the hardest part is the bowing. I know there's no frets either but that's not so much of a problem especially if you have a good ear. Once you get the bowing sorted out, you should be able to play most of your "100" tunes nae bother but I'd pick new tunes while you learn too.
# Posted on November 3rd 2006 by Johannes J
Re: Have any mandolin players successfuly moved on to fiddle ?
www.fiddlingaround.co.uk/chris/
# Posted on November 3rd 2006 by c.g.
Re: Have any mandolin players successfuly moved on to fiddle ?
"play reasonably well"
Actually, this won't take as long as 5 years but..remember..a good player's definition of "reasonably well" is probably a lot different from ours.
# Posted on November 3rd 2006 by Johannes J
Re: Have any mandolin players successfuly moved on to fiddle ?
Its along time if your 80 years old to start with !
# Posted on November 3rd 2006 by Justintime
Re: Have any mandolin players successfuly moved on to fiddle ?
Thats why I started by saying it was an impossible question to answer . . . but I have an idea in my own mind what I perceive as a "reasonable standard ".
# Posted on November 3rd 2006 by Justintime
Re: Have any mandolin players successfuly moved on to fiddle ?
Yeh its the bowing I'm worried about . . and yes, thankfully I've got the ears of an elephant !
# Posted on November 3rd 2006 by Justintime
Re: Have any mandolin players successfuly moved on to fiddle ?
Indian or African? - because with ears that size it could affect your bowing action!!
# Posted on November 3rd 2006 by No Cause For Alarm
Re: Have any mandolin players successfuly moved on to fiddle ?
So glad you said moved 'on' & not 'up' Ripthecalico, because so often you hear folks refer to the Mandolin as a lesser instrument, in much the same way as they refer to the Whistle.
I started on Mandolin myself but quickly got myself a Banjo so that I could hear myself in sessions. Then a couple of years later my grandad gave me his father's Fiddle, so of course I had to try & learn to play it, but at that time I didn't really like the scratchy sound of the session Fiddles I'd heard.
Here's the interesting thing though, I gave up playing the Banjo many years ago, once I started getting some kind of a handle on the Fiddle, but I still play the Mandolin every week, so I wouldn't necessarily advice you to automatically forget all about the Mandolin.
However, although I felt quite comfortable on the Banjo at one time & I still do on the Mandolin, I don't think I will ever be comfortable enough on the instrument to ever be able to call myself a Fiddle player - there's just so much to learn about playing the Fiddle. I think I'll always just feel like a Banjo player who is learning to play the Fiddle.
But before I depress you too much Rip, I should say I only started playing the Mandolin when I was 26, the Banjo at 27 & I was 30 before I took up the Fiddle, so I reckon if your much younger you'll probably pick it up much faster.
I'd say you should get yourself a few lessons first, to get you on the right road & away from bad habits, right from the start - GOOD LUCK.
# Posted on November 3rd 2006 by Ptarmigan
Re: Have any mandolin players successfuly moved on to fiddle ?
I don’t know how “successful” I’ve been either at switching over, but here are some things to think about:
1. Get some thin white lithographers tape and put it on the fiddle fretboard where the second, fourth and fifth fret would be on a mando. Use a tuner to find the notes. This will make playing a little easier, at first.
2. Oddly, I found that watching where the bow touches the strings and ignoring my left hand made it easier to get the right intonation and a better tone.
3. With flatpicking, you usually accent or punch a note with a downstroke of the plectrum. With my fiddling, more often than not the lift comes with an up-bow. This was probably the hardest mental re-wiring to come to grips with.
I learned a lot of mandolin stuff with tablature. It still haunts me. My fiddle teacher will sometimes refer to a note by a number, like saying “two” to mean c# on the A string. Meaning, I think, for me to use my second finger. Of course, I want to put my first/index finger down where the second fret would be (B) and I get some frustrated/concerned looks.
I still love the mandolin. There are things you can do don’t fall easily on the fiddle like chords etc. Plus it has such a pretty sound all its own.
# Posted on November 3rd 2006 by fidkid
Re: Have any mandolin players successfuly moved on to fiddle ?
I bought a mando in spring of 2000, and then a fiddle in December 2003. I was "good enough" by summer of this year that my fiddle playing did not prevent my band (www.craicwisely.com) from winning the MIchigan Celtic Battle of the Bands. Some might even say that my playing helped us win, but I try not to get too big for my britches
So it is possible to move from mando to fiddle and at least progress to "not sucking" within 2 or 3 years. I certainly have a long way to go though.
My take is: if you want it, just go for it. You can have it if you truly want it.
# Posted on November 3rd 2006 by crazy_fingerz
Re: Have any mandolin players successfuly moved on to fiddle ?
I tried and failed, but only coz my fiddle was knackered... the fiddle had been previously repaired when I bought it, and the repair eventually failed leaving it untunable. (cracked scoll across the peg for the A string)
As I played by ear I was able to pick up the tunes and fingering quickly, the bowing took more time. I've got to say though when I eventually got a afew tunes out of it there were few things that have given me a greater sense of achievement.
- so I'd recommend you persevere ... you've inspired me to get mine fixed and try again too.
# Posted on November 4th 2006 by stripthewillow
Re: Have any mandolin players successfuly moved on to fiddle ?
Yup- couldn't figure out no frets for a while but then it all dawned and I haven't gone back to mando playing. The question should be "how many fiddle players migrate to uilleann pipes?"
# Posted on November 4th 2006 by I_Fel
Re: Have any mandolin players successfuly moved on to fiddle ?
I would never consider the mandolin a lesser choice of instrument neither would I ever ever stop playing it. There are things you can do with a mandolin that are not possible on fiiddle such as some nice airs
# Posted on November 4th 2006 by Ripthecalico
Re: Have any mandolin players successfuly moved on to fiddle ?
Diper just burst at the seems has it ?!!?
# Posted on November 4th 2006 by Ripthecalico
Re: Have any mandolin players successfuly moved on to Concertina?
Hey, I hope it was only a diper that just burst at the seams, & not a Dipper:
http://www.wccp.info/index_files/page6.htm
Which reminds me, how many Mandolin players successfully moved on to the Concertina?
I did, & of course there's no easy 'fret' to 'no fret' thingy to help you change over!
# Posted on November 4th 2006 by Ptarmigan
Re: Have any mandolin players successfuly moved on to fiddle ?
I have had a few goes at trying the reverse, from fid to mando, but each time when my left hand has got too sore I've given it in. I recon the mando is harder on the fret hand/fingers. In the process have bought and sold a few mandolins. Love the sound of mandolin, but it isn't worth risking RSI affecting playing of the fiddle. So, I'm happy just to play fiddle with the occasional tinker on someone else's mando for a laugh and to think, one day, maybe I'll seriously try again. Then again, not. Hard to say. I think I'm kindda content to stick with fidddle.
# Posted on November 4th 2006 by Clear Drops
Re: Have any mandolin players successfuly moved on to fiddle ?
I've played mando and tenor banjo collectively for about 20 years. Started fiddling about 9 months ago so the transitioning issue is really fresh in mind. I'm no spring chicken either (55). Just be patient and practice. At first it was really difficult-- frustrating because I expected progress to come alot quicker than it did. But after about 7 or 8 months, things started to click. Not enough to emerge from behind the woodshed, but its to to point where my wife is no longer complaining.
Really focus on the bowing. Get some lessons and instruction videos if you can. If you can find a fiddling workshop, go for it. They often have good beginner programs. The tune repetoire you have really helps, but its frustrating at first.
The great thing I've discovered with the fiddle is cross tuning. Its opened up whole new musical styles to explore.
Have fun and enjoy.
# Posted on November 4th 2006 by mandomac2
Re: Have any mandolin players successfuly moved on to fiddle ?
I played mandolin for several years before I got the courage to overcome my bowphobia and give the fiddle a try. It's been wonderful... and I would say that even though it's all fretless now, playing the mandolin really did give me some help early on knowing *about* where the notes are.
# Posted on November 5th 2006 by winterowl
Re: Have any mandolin players successfuly moved on to fiddle ?
I'm in the middle of the transition too. Sometimes drive myself crazy on those days that my intonation s*cks no matter what, but there's something VERY satisfying about when it all does work. Tho my teacher, who has taught me both the mando and the fidde....gets the giggle's more often when I'm making those ohmigodIsoundawful faces when I play the fiddle!
# Posted on November 5th 2006 by TheCurvyFiddle
Re: Have any mandolin players successfuly moved on to fiddle ?
I played the mandolin and then bazouki for a few years before picking up the fiddle. I'd gained a repertoire which helped enormously, not least because it made practice much less tedious. Though I never was that good on the mandolin, so I didn't have the problem of leaving anything behind.
But I think people should be aware of the problems that can come with being a multi instrumentalist. I remember a time when I owned a myriad of instruments and not only could I give none of them the time they deserved, I didn't have the funds to own a single decent instrument. So I sold the lot and got one decent fiddle. And that did me for nearly 15 years.
But then I got a proper job and just couldn't resist it. I got me a grand viola. And a good low whistle,. And a dobro. I just can't help it.
In defence though, I don't play the whistle seriously, I use it more as a research tool to see how the tunes are played on the whistle, flute and pipes. And the dobro sounds so lovely with such little effort (bar intonation) I am content with the simplest of tunes. Much as I love Gerry Douglas, I have no ambitions.
The viola, however, has presented me with a different criteria. Its mechanics is sufficiently similar to the violin that to simply play the thing is relatively simple, provided you can cope with the extra physicality. But the harmonic space is so different, the change has ended up being a fascinating exercise in the whole harmonic structures of the music. Very rewarding.
So when it comes down to it, ask your self why you want to learn the fiddle over the mandolin. Do you want to be a fiddle player? Or do you want a knowledge of the fiddle to help your mandolin playing? Ten years ago I would have scoffed at the second scenario. But that was before I'd played with a very very good mandolin player indeed.
# Posted on November 5th 2006 by llig leahcim
Re: Have any mandolin players successfuly moved on to fiddle ?
"Why do I want to learn the fiddle over the mandolin" mick ? Its because I want to really express myself . . become totally emersed . .rich new heights . .nirvana . . and the fiddle will take me there one day . Dont get me wrong I love my mandolin . . but theres only a limited amount of expression to mandolin playing, whereas a violin trancends . . or go to bed and stop talking crap . .
# Posted on November 5th 2006 by Justintime
Re: Have any mandolin players successfuly moved on to fiddle ?
Yep, stewpot, don't go to bed. It isn't crap. I think, one day, I will be able to play solo a lovely slow aire that doesn't sound like a sick cat followed by a hot reel that really really rocks, and its that that keeps me hooked on the fiddle, despite the odds, and working toward that sound that echoes sublimely around the head. One day ........, ah, one day ..... It is there for the finding on the fiddle. One day.
# Posted on November 5th 2006 by Clear Drops
Re: Have any mandolin players successfuly moved on to fiddle ?
I just hope I live long enough to feel the feeling you describe Jan . . .
# Posted on November 5th 2006 by Justintime
Re: Have any mandolin players successfuly moved on to fiddle ?
Time to refer to this thread, but bear in mind the last sentence of my post above:
http://www.thesession.org/discussions/display/6109/
# Posted on November 5th 2006 by llig leahcim
Re: Have any mandolin players successfuly moved on to fiddle ?
I didn't play music for several years, and then when I was in the mood to play again, I decided to stop being so... what's the word I'm looking for? A little of this, a little of that, being okay on several instruments instead of really focusing on one, getting that muscle memory honed with one instrument. Having decided to *focus*, I had to pick one. I chose the fiddle because of how its voice makes me feel.
# Posted on November 5th 2006 by winterowl
Re: Have any mandolin players successfuly moved on to fiddle ?
Here's a suggestion; 'cross-train' to improve. For example: I've learned to play the Bodhran as a way to cross-train to improve my bowing skills. Being a good fiddler is achieved with good bow control. By learning the elements of Bodhran playing i.e. the Kerry Method of striking the Bodhran, creates the same elements that are required for good bow control, and less frustrating because it also removes those elements that are not required for this learning such as, fingering.
# Posted on November 5th 2006 by kjmeskis
Re: Have any mandolin players successfuly moved on to fiddle ?
You'll have cracked playing the fiddle well within 12 months if you're going to work at it 2 hours most days. I wouldn't bother about lack of frets, just use your ears and it all falls into place! You'll find the bow' s bit clumsy at first but then it'll suddenly just click and you'll be away.
# Posted on November 5th 2006 by Jay-eye
Re: Have any mandolin players successfuly moved on to fiddle ?
GM : "I don't play the whistle seriously, I use it more as a research tool to see how the tunes are played on the whistle, flute and pipes."
That's partly why I took up the fiddle after playing mandolin for about 10 years - Much of the music I play evolved around the fiddle (and the pipes - I have been playing the whistle for about as long as the mandolin, although it always been secondary) and I felt that learning to play the tunes on the fiddle would give me a better understanding of ornamentation and phrasing). However, I decided, while I'm at it, I might as well try to become a half-decent fiddler.
It's not easy, though. Jay-eye - I've been at it for longer than 30 months now (I spent a good 12 months of that playing almost every day, often considerably more han 2 hours, although I'm slacking at the moment - and it shows) and I'm still a long way from cracking it. My bowing is still very clumsy. I can manage jigs passably, but can't get the hang of reels. I would no doubt benefit from a few one-on-one lessons with a good teacher - and lots of practice.
The problem with living somewhere with a lot of high quality sessions is, I have to choose between going to sessions and playing the mandolin, or staying at home and practising the fiddle. Everyone prefers a competently played mandolin to an incompetently played fiddle, and knowing that I am capable of the former, would find it most annoying that I choose to do the latter. However, I shouldn't complain about the standard of music being too high. The flipside is, on the occasions when I have had the audacity to play the fiddle in sessions, I have played with musicians good enough not to be put off by my playing.
# Posted on November 5th 2006 by granama
Re: Have any mandolin players successfuly moved on to fiddle ?
I knew someone in his mid-twenties in the '70's who made the transition. He said of the two instruments, "Play the fiddle - it's easier." (He was competent enough at both.)
# Posted on November 6th 2006 by nicholas
Re: Have any mandolin players successfuly moved on to fiddle ?
I'd love to play the fiddle and agree to some extent that it has more expressive possibilities than the mandolin. It sounds "right" sometimes when a mandolin doesn't - though I try to make the mandolin sound "right". I do admire and envy fiddle players sometimes.
But I have very little practice time as it is, and I think that if I do have time, I should spend it trying to play the mandolin better instead of the cheap thrill of a new instrument.
# Posted on November 6th 2006 by Bren
Re: Have any mandolin players successfuly moved on to fiddle ?
smart arses are just great ! would love to hear you play so I could cross examine every nuance and comment on it.
# Posted on November 6th 2006 by Ripthecalico
Re: Have any mandolin players successfuly moved on to fiddle ?
Has ANYONE successfully moved on to fiddle?
---Michael B.
# Posted on November 6th 2006 by MichaelBolton
Re: Have any mandolin players successfuly moved on to fiddle ?
Hey Bren - what's this about cheap thrills. Is this a reference to me trying to swap guitar -> mandolin -> fiddle ?
As for the topic question I can't answer because I don't know what is meant by successfully making the transition. I can now join in on more than a third of our local session's regular tunes. Don't think that's really successful but I am getting there!
# Posted on November 6th 2006 by Donough
Re: Have any mandolin players successfuly moved on to fiddle ?
Ripthecalico - Which smart-arse you were referring to?
# Posted on November 6th 2006 by granama
Re: Have any mandolin players successfuly moved on to fiddle ?
"The great thing I've discovered with the fiddle is cross tuning."
mandomac2 - What do you mean by 'cross tuning'?
# Posted on November 6th 2006 by granama
Re: Have any mandolin players successfuly moved on to fiddle ?
MichaelBolton: I thought my post made it clear that I have "successsfully" moved on to fiddle. (Althought I don't consider it a step up, just a different instrument.)
# Posted on November 6th 2006 by crazy_fingerz
Re: Have any mandolin players successfuly moved on to fiddle ?
Wasn't referring to you Donough!
I meant for me it would be a "cheap thrill" as in the thrill of the new as opposed to the hard work of making tiny incremental progress (or clawing back lost ground) on an instrument I plateau'd on many years ago.
If I started on fiddle I'd probably put the mandolin aside while carousing with my new love and then end up being rubbish on both instruments
# Posted on November 6th 2006 by Bren
Re: Have any mandolin players successfuly moved on to fiddle ?
... a bit like ditching your "S.O". for a young floozie ..
# Posted on November 7th 2006 by Bren