Can you play violin from Guitar chords?

[Elizabeth]

This is probably a really stupid question, but I don't play fiddle, so I was wondering if you can play violin from guitar chords. If not, would somone care to explain what you do with guitar chords to make them playable on fiddle?

Thanks
Elizabeth

[Bart Simpson]

If you are wondering about the actual position of the fingers then no you cant. The fingering on a guitar is completly different then the fingering on the fiddle.

[MemphisLovesNC]

Correct that the fingering is different for guitar and violin. However, if you know your music theory and your scales, then you can use the guitar chords to know the general structure of the song, and improv solos, double stops, various harmonies and accompanying parts, etc. over those chords.

Also, in case you didn't know, violin and mandolin are tuned the same, so that's a big help in figuring out melodies.

[mandoBob]

maybe it would help to point out that guitar chords is really a misnomer when you're looking at a song with G,C,D,etc....it's just chords. Of course most people play the chords with a guitar, but you could play them with a harpsichord if you knew how to play those chords on a harpsichord. Am I making any sense?

[Elizabeth]

Thanks for trying to help, but I'm still a little confused!

What I mean is, if I violin player looked at guitar music and it said play G, would the violin player play G on the violin? You know how on normal notation, if it sayc C, a sax would play the note a minor third down? Well would I violin player have to transpose guitar chords up or down? That's what I was trying to get at. It's just my friend plays violin and would like to play some NC stuff and I only have guitar chords, so I wondred if she could use them.

[mandoBob]

you've got it...the fiddle plays the same C. no transposing. wind instruments are different than string this way.

[Elizabeth]

Cool, thanks! My friend will be exceedingly happy that she will be able to play NC stuff. She actually contemplated quiting fiddle and I said I would play her some music that would inspire her to play. So I played her Sara, she was so impressed that she said she had to learn to play like her. So she's still having lessons.