Chances are, if you're looking for a buying guide for fiddles, it's because you want to learn to play the violin. Those who are accomplished players already know what to look for in a good instrument, after all. So on the assumption that you're looking for an instrument to start learning with, there are some things you'll want to keep in mind as you shop for your first fiddle.

First, it's not necessary to spend hundreds of dollars. You might find fiddle buying guides that try to help you distinguish between that $600 fiddle and the $800 model, but it's just necessary to spend that kind of money up front to get a quality learning instrument. Once you're sure that you love playing the violin and you want to continue your education, or you quickly become quite skilled at it and want a better instrument for better sound, then you can look at the high-end violins available today.

For right now, you'll want to spend as little money as possible while still getting an instrument that's decent. But unfortunately, inexpensive fiddles often give you exactly what you pay for. If you find a great fiddle auction on eBay for example, and this supposedly high quality new musical instrument will only cost you $49.95, you're probably going to end up with a fiddle that sounds terrible, doesn't feel right in your hands and is difficult to play. While you might not think sound quality matters in the beginning, it does. If you practice and the sound is poor, the strings are hard to tune or constantly loosen, the bow isn't tight enough or the fiddle feels awkward to you, chances are that your study of the fiddle will come to a quick end.

No one wants to play something that constantly frustrates you or sounds shaky no matter how well you play that beginning piece of music. So even though you're just learning, buying a cheap, poorly made instrument is not the best way to start. If you're going browsing for a fiddle, try to get someone who knows about acoustic musical instruments to go with you to help you out. Stores that carry only musical instruments will have knowledgeable staff who can also help you choose the right instrument.

One inexpensive violin that music teachers seem to be able to agree on is the Palatino violin. For only about $150 you can get a decent, well-made student violin, and you may even be able to find a used one for less than that on eBay or in other online auctions. While the instrument won't suit you after you're really progressing, it's the perfect good quality instrument for learning to play the fiddle.

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Originally posted 2009-01-14 05:41:39. Republished by Blog Post Promoter

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The violin is also commonly associated with Indian classical music. There is also a written tradition here, but it involves more improvisation than western Classical music offers. On the other hand, fiddle styles of music have preserved aspects of music that Classical violin music lost during the 16th century and 17th century. Many musical selections played with a fiddle are written in scales that the classical violin no longer makes use of. Also, there is a lot more improvisation involved in playing the fiddle, which was especially popular during the 1700s. Classical violinists also play instruments using different tunings, but the most popular tuning is GDAE, which was settled on in the 1700s. Occasional fiddle styles and tunes require changing the way that the instrument is tuned. There are a wide variety of different fiddle traditions ranging from Cajun to Scottish, from Irish to Canadian and from Cape Breton to Old Time.

There are multiple styles of fiddling within different regions, like Irish fiddling styles which vary significantly from one country to the next. Fiddling is not passed down through written music, but rather through oral tradition, as younger fiddlers tend to do their learning directly through older fiddlers. Currently most fiddlers are still learning through one another, either through in-person training or through music recordings.

Oral tradition has a completely different affect on music in interesting ways. Fiddlers may not exactly remember directly what someone else played, and therefore may adapt the music to themselves, playing some notes differently. Fiddlers often play for dances, so they vary the tunes so that they are not simply repeating themselves over and over again while people complete an entire dance set. Some traditions are related historically when it comes to fiddling, which sets it apart from the traditions set forth by violin playing. For example, a song called Devil's Dream was originally a tune from Ireland, but it became an Appalachian Mountain tune throughout history. The Irish version and the Appalachian version differ significantly, and yet there is still something between them that is common to both versions.

Originally posted 2009-01-07 05:47:55. Republished by Blog Post Promoter

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Where is he now?

O'Connor recorded a special album giving a retrospect of the past 30 years of his music career. His music has had a reaching extent, collaborating on numerous albums and providing his talents four countless more. Appalachia Waltz, one of the most popular of his works, is frequently used as music for weddings, which includes two of Vice President Gore's Daughters.

These days, O'Connor is providing music instruction, allowing his gift to help others grow in the process. These include an annual fiddle and string camp in Tennessee. He frequently gives two day residencies, where he would provide lectures and or workshops. Much of his time is donated to causes promoting music education and outreach projects.

Career Highlights:

- 1974 - National Junior Fiddling Champion
- 1975 - Pickin' in the Wind
- 1978 - Markology
- 1979 - On the Rampage
- 1979 - Soppin' the Gravy
- 1982 - Industry Standard - The Dregs
- 1982 - False Dawn
- 1985 - Meanings Of
- 1986 - Stone from Which the Arch was Made
- 1988 - Elysian Forest
- 1989 - The Championship Years
- 1989 - On the Mark
- 1990 - Retrospective
- 1991 - The New Nashville Cats
- 1992 - Johnny Appleseed
- 1993 - Heroes
- 1993 - The Night Before Christmas
- 1994 - The Fiddle Concerto
- 1997 - Liberty!
- 1998 - Midnight On The Water
- 1999 - Fanfare for the Volunteer
- 2001 - The American Seasons
- 2001 - Hot Swing!
- 2003 - Thirty-Year Retrospective
- 2003 - Hot Swing Trio- In Full Swing
- 2004 - Crossing Bridges
- 2005 - Hot Swing Trio- Live In New York
- 2005 - Double Violin Concerto
- 2006 - Folk Mass
- 2007 - Fiddle Camp
- 2007 - The Essential Mark O'Connor (compilation)

Interesting and Inspirational Quotes:

"This music is really addictive. I can get into the swing and never want to leave. I think audiences will feel something similar."

"I don't recall having, in recent memory, anything remotely resembling this kind of an event where the need is to bring back a group of people dispersed by a calamity. It signifies not only a healing for their symphony and what they've worked for. It also represents the larger community of New Orleans musicians. That's exactly what people there are wanting to do. They want to put their community back together. And that community needs to heal with what the arts can give the heart and soul."

"Musicians coming together at a time of need is one of the great traditions in this country. It's like people taking charge."

Originally posted 2009-01-05 05:32:49. Republished by Blog Post Promoter

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