Don't be absurd, how could anyone possibly duplicate such precision machining? [/sarcasm] You could easy...ezy just take a chin rest and cut away most of the wood or etc, then tie a bit of luggage strap around the chin rest's dogs. Voila. Pardon the pun.
I just have a strip of leather looped around the shoulder rest, that goes over my shoulder. Seems to work, it's not very mad scientist though. How about hiring someone to hold the violin up? Or some yoke involving magnets repulsing each other?
it looks better than the banjo strap and bungee cord setup I tried out today. I was worried the chin rest clamp couldn't support the fiddle, but I'll try it, or maybe a combination of chin rest and shoulder rest - thanks.
Yeah, I would worry that the chin rest clamp would slip. It should have some wiggle to it--if it's too tight, you can slowly crush the side of the fiddle (a not inexpensive repair). At about the proper snugness, if could easily wiggle loose with the truss pulling on it, and your fiddle ends up on the floor.
I've been trying to ride my bike and fiddle - I know it's nuts, but there are a couple good flat stretches on my commute home and I think I could learn a tune on the way (don't worry - I wasn't planning on adding the ipod just yet). It just occurred to me today that if I attached the fiddle to myself then I wouldn't have to worry about dropping it, but then the neck kept getting in the way of my hand as I tried to get the handlebar. So if it were supported better then it wouldn't get in my way and would free up my head to help balance that would be a huge improvement - well not for my technique, but I'll worry about that later. it's just for tune learning anyway. Well, you did ask...
Gam, I recognize that guy, a true virtuoso on the viola de spalla. His name is Ricardo de Lurra Vaccachio. You can see the strain of playing such an instrument--the poor dude is only 27 years old!
naw - I got it all figured. You need mostly flat, but slightly downhill is best. Uphill's no good - if it's a very slight incline you can increase your speed to compensate, but the wind has to be just right. Then it's just a matter of balancing the panniers and lock. I'm wearing my helmet anyway.
Give that man a medal, quick ... for dedication to the music and/or a vivid imagination! At least I assume airport is male as I don't think any woman would be quite as mad
When I had classical violin lessons in my childhood, I used to prop the scroll end of the violin on the music stand when my left arm got tired! So how about a music stand sticking up from the bike handlebars?
Hrm, I know at least one fiddler who can play quite well without supporting the fiddle with her chin at all - she just uses a shoulder rest. No harness necessary.
With modern bone surgery, it should be no trouble having some sort of support grafted permanently onto your shoulder. If it were designed to support the entire length of the fiddle body, by clamping it in, say, four positions around the rim, then there's be no need for a strap.
...You might also want to consider having the bow connected to your right shoulder via some sort of loosely pivoted pantograph-type arrangement, just in case you need to grab the handlebars suddenly.
"Hrm, I know at least one fiddler who can play quite well without supporting the fiddle with her chin at all - she just uses a shoulder rest. No harness necessary."
But I assume she uses her left hand as well? I imagine the harness is for people who want the violin to be fully supported without the hand.
I notice that Galway fiddler Breda Keville doesn't use a chin rest, and holds the fiddle at a strange angle, with her chin much nearer the f-holes than normal. And when I was in Galway recently I saw a young local fiddler from a very musical family also playing without a chin rest. I wonder if it's a local tradition, or a new fashion.
fiddle ezy
fiddle ezy
Is there anything like this available in the US, or has anyone made one?
http://bit.ly/9SrTvC
# Posted on August 17th 2010 by airport
Re: fiddle ezy
Don't be absurd, how could anyone possibly duplicate such precision machining? [/sarcasm] You could easy...ezy just take a chin rest and cut away most of the wood or etc, then tie a bit of luggage strap around the chin rest's dogs. Voila. Pardon the pun.
I just have a strip of leather looped around the shoulder rest, that goes over my shoulder. Seems to work, it's not very mad scientist though. How about hiring someone to hold the violin up? Or some yoke involving magnets repulsing each other?
# Posted on August 17th 2010 by KLR
Re: fiddle ezy
That looks like a bad idea. And certainly not worth 50 bucks.
# Posted on August 17th 2010 by Will Harmon
Re: fiddle ezy
it looks better than the banjo strap and bungee cord setup I tried out today. I was worried the chin rest clamp couldn't support the fiddle, but I'll try it, or maybe a combination of chin rest and shoulder rest - thanks.
# Posted on August 17th 2010 by airport
Re: fiddle ezy
Why do you need a strap? Do you have some sort of injury?
The best advice I ever got on holding the fiddle was from Kevin Burke. He said, "You *don't* hold the fiddle; just stand underneath it."
# Posted on August 17th 2010 by Will Harmon
Re: fiddle ezy
Yeah, I would worry that the chin rest clamp would slip. It should have some wiggle to it--if it's too tight, you can slowly crush the side of the fiddle (a not inexpensive repair). At about the proper snugness, if could easily wiggle loose with the truss pulling on it, and your fiddle ends up on the floor.
Um...why not simply do what everyone else does?
# Posted on August 17th 2010 by Will Harmon
Re: fiddle ezy
http://www.vpro.nl/tools/images/index.jsp?number=41525897
# Posted on August 17th 2010 by gam
Re: fiddle ezy
I've been trying to ride my bike and fiddle - I know it's nuts, but there are a couple good flat stretches on my commute home and I think I could learn a tune on the way (don't worry - I wasn't planning on adding the ipod just yet). It just occurred to me today that if I attached the fiddle to myself then I wouldn't have to worry about dropping it, but then the neck kept getting in the way of my hand as I tried to get the handlebar. So if it were supported better then it wouldn't get in my way and would free up my head to help balance that would be a huge improvement - well not for my technique, but I'll worry about that later. it's just for tune learning anyway. Well, you did ask...
# Posted on August 17th 2010 by airport
Re: fiddle ezy
Gam, I recognize that guy, a true virtuoso on the viola de spalla. His name is Ricardo de Lurra Vaccachio. You can see the strain of playing such an instrument--the poor dude is only 27 years old!
# Posted on August 17th 2010 by Will Harmon
Re: fiddle ezy
Ah, I see, airport. No worries then. You'll be in a body cast soon enough.
# Posted on August 17th 2010 by Will Harmon
Re: fiddle ezy
naw - I got it all figured. You need mostly flat, but slightly downhill is best. Uphill's no good - if it's a very slight incline you can increase your speed to compensate, but the wind has to be just right. Then it's just a matter of balancing the panniers and lock. I'm wearing my helmet anyway.
# Posted on August 17th 2010 by airport
Re: fiddle ezy
jeez - you'd need an enormous chin rest for that
# Posted on August 17th 2010 by airport
Re: fiddle ezy
Give that man a medal, quick ... for dedication to the music and/or a vivid imagination! At least I assume airport is male as I don't think any woman would be quite as mad
# Posted on August 17th 2010 by the wounded hussar
Re: fiddle ezy
When I had classical violin lessons in my childhood, I used to prop the scroll end of the violin on the music stand when my left arm got tired! So how about a music stand sticking up from the bike handlebars?
# Posted on August 17th 2010 by cathycook
Re: fiddle ezy
To perform on fiddle you need two instruments. One on your shoulder, and one in your head. When you're cycling, just practice on the one in your head.
# Posted on August 17th 2010 by skreech
Re: fiddle ezy
And there's this:
http://www.allviolin.com/viper-mark-woods-electric-violin
# Posted on August 17th 2010 by SteelPlayer
Re: fiddle ezy
All you need is a unicycle. No handlebars to be arsed with.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Kf1f2v7nwd0
# Posted on August 17th 2010 by DrSilverSpear
Re: fiddle ezy
Oh dear sweet airport, why not do what us auto-bound fiddlers do and play tin whistle in the car on the highway while steering with our knees?
# Posted on August 17th 2010 by SWFL Fiddler
Re: fiddle ezy
Oh dear sweet airport, why not do what us auto-bound fiddlers do and play tin whistle in the car on the highway while steering with our knees?
----------------------------
Guilty as charged.
# Posted on August 17th 2010 by FiferFiddler
Re: fiddle ezy
Hrm, I know at least one fiddler who can play quite well without supporting the fiddle with her chin at all - she just uses a shoulder rest. No harness necessary.
# Posted on August 17th 2010 by Tall, Dark, and Mysterious
Re: fiddle ezy
it sounds like no one wants to start a bicycle ceili band with me. This guy rode 113km and only crashed once. (even with the music stand)
http://www.bicycle-world-records.com/worldrecords/Guinnessbook.html
I wonder if that's still the record...
Well anyway, thanks everyone!
# Posted on August 17th 2010 by airport
Re: fiddle ezy
oh wait - he's cycling backwards!
# Posted on August 17th 2010 by airport
Re: fiddle ezy
Loving the part where he crashed into the police inspector.
# Posted on August 17th 2010 by SWFL Fiddler
Re: fiddle ezy
ha! did you read his letter? After further experimentation I've determined that the strap is unnecessary. Up Portland's bike boulevards!
http://www.bta4bikes.org/at_work/bikeboulevards.php
# Posted on August 17th 2010 by airport
Re: fiddle ezy
With modern bone surgery, it should be no trouble having some sort of support grafted permanently onto your shoulder. If it were designed to support the entire length of the fiddle body, by clamping it in, say, four positions around the rim, then there's be no need for a strap.
# Posted on August 17th 2010 by CreadurMawnOrganig
Re: fiddle ezy
I tried, but my two feeble years of High School German wasn't much help.
Maybe you can help the BTA advertise with your combination fiddling and biking!
# Posted on August 17th 2010 by SWFL Fiddler
Re: fiddle ezy
...You might also want to consider having the bow connected to your right shoulder via some sort of loosely pivoted pantograph-type arrangement, just in case you need to grab the handlebars suddenly.
# Posted on August 17th 2010 by CreadurMawnOrganig
Re: fiddle ezy
I can't imagine any self respecting violinist/fiddler using such a contraption in normal playing.
# Posted on August 18th 2010 by banshee misfortune
Re: fiddle ezy
"Hrm, I know at least one fiddler who can play quite well without supporting the fiddle with her chin at all - she just uses a shoulder rest. No harness necessary."
But I assume she uses her left hand as well? I imagine the harness is for people who want the violin to be fully supported without the hand.
I notice that Galway fiddler Breda Keville doesn't use a chin rest, and holds the fiddle at a strange angle, with her chin much nearer the f-holes than normal. And when I was in Galway recently I saw a young local fiddler from a very musical family also playing without a chin rest. I wonder if it's a local tradition, or a new fashion.
# Posted on August 18th 2010 by Bernie 29
Re: fiddle ezy
One of Murphy's Laws of Combat:
"If it's stupid but it works, it's not stupid."
# Posted on August 19th 2010 by jwvansteenwyk
Re: fiddle ezy
super glue the chin rest to your face and just remove fiddle as needed
# Posted on August 20th 2010 by Barry1963