hello

[matt the fiddler]

as a fiddler, i had to be the first one to post here- have fun talking about fiddling, and the great fiddler, Sara Watkins:cool:
matt_the_fiddler

[Creekster814]

Hi Matt the fidder -i'm leslie and i absolutly love Sara Watkins. I got the chance to meet her at a Nickel Creek concert and she is absolutly amazing-so talented and very nice! We were talking about fiddling like we were old friends. I have a question, Matt-have you ever attempted to play the fiddle parts to some Nickel Creek songs? I know the songs pretty well, and by now I can play along with Sara on the CD! ~lez :)

[hokie_mel]

Hey matt and leslie, that is awesome about playing along to the songs! I am not that good yet. I have gotten to chat with sara quite a bit through email and she is so awesome! Her talents surpass any that I have seen before. If you guys have any pointers for me, I have only been playing for a couple months, (BUT I LOVE IT!) and could use a little guidance... thanks -mel

[Thilefan]

I am abosolutely amazed by her playing! She really has a good understanding of theory. I love her variations, and have currently decided to learn some of them on the mandolin. I am also in the process of buying a fiddle, and can't wait to start!

Robin

[fidlmaker]

Hi Mel,

The best advice I got when I first started fiddling was from Big Al Byla, 3-time Wisconsin State Fiddling Champ.

Once your fingers can find the strings, don't look at them any more. Let your ear find the note positions. The middle-man (your eyes) only slows down the process.

To get familiar with the intervals, try finding every melody you can think of from Happy Birthday, to the Star Spangled Banner. Then try the same song from a different starting note each time. You'll be improvising before you know it.

When bowing, lead with your wrist. Try to keep your wrist as loose as a noodle without dropping the bow. Let the inertia of the bow help you change directions, using your wrist as kind of a spring. Try not to bow with any muscles above the elbow.

I apologize if this doesn't make alot of sense, but it really got me off on the right foot. Also, if you're an ear player like me, the videos available from Homespun Music will give you your money's worth. All levels are available from beginner to expert and they feature some well known fiddlers. Have you asked for any pointers from Sara yet? Why not learn from the best.

Hope some of this rambling helps.

Best of luck & happy fiddlin',
Martin

[hokie_mel]

I understand a lot of what you were saying. Thanks so much for all the great advice. I will start today, I have actually started to notice most of what you were saying with the notes and looking at my fingers. It helps me a lot more not to look now! A lot of my problems comes with lack of confidence in my playing. I want to sound good, but learn at the same time, which never always helps.

I can use any help anyone can give me, because I am sure most of you have been through the same problems.

Thanks a million,

mel

[MandoLuke]

Mel, this is to exspond on what Martin said. In my opinion keeping a relaxed and loose wrist is almost the most important thing. This is how I trained myself. For one month all I did for practise was stand in a doorway with my bowing arm firmly pressed on the door jam just above my wrist. I would play scales and my favorite tunes while doing this. It really limits your motion so you really sound worse then ever. After doing this for awile when you step away from the door jam and you will find that most of the movment in your bowing arm is in the wrist, as it should be. When your doing scales this way don't forget to move your arm up and down the jam so that your attacking the string from the correct angle. I could talk about the importents of the wrist for hours so I'll stop now. Good luck!

Luke

[nitejule]

all i can really say in this thred is that sara is just amazing!!!

[fiddlincklcrker]

i can play a long with 2 nickel creek songs. reasons why and smoothie song and i am now trying to do when you come back down

[aubrey]

they've definitely (Nickel Creek) motivated me to become a stronger guitarist, as well as pick up the mandolin...

... so the ONLY logical next step is the violin!!!

once i uh.. get a job and stuff...

but violin's definitely coming up, hopefully by the end of the year..

[MandoMusic07]

Hi nice to meet you! My name is Justine and I play mandolin. I can't wait till I can play fiddle too! Mandolin and fiddle fingering patterns are the same so you should be able to play mando like riding a bike.


Musicly yours,
Justine
(AOL/AIM = BendedMovies5)

[fiddlincklcrker]

my dad says that once i get a bit better on the fiddle he will buy me a mando or any other instrument i want

[obsessedwithNC]

I've decided. I want to play the fiddle. I told my parents I would love it if I got a fiddle next week; I would go til my Sweet 16th with no presents for birthdays and Christmas. I would offer to get hit by a car I want to play the fiddle so bad.
But my question is: What type of fiddle does Sara have? I'm sure this has been asked thousands of times but I am too lazy to find the answer to it. ;) All I know is I want it! ...



also, i'm a complete newbie to the whole world of fiddling, so any advice on that would be appreciated as well!

[SeanWfan33]

my mom wants me to learn the fiddle! maybe i will.... and i think that in the first nickel creek cd that they have it shows in there what type it is... or maybe not

[LuckyGurl2001]

In Acoustic Guitar Mag, it says she plays a German-made fiddle dating from the early 1900s. Kind of a broad description, but that should give you an idea. And of course, she plays the 5-string that Martin Brunkalla made for her. Hope that helps!

[fiddlincklcrker]

that is basically what i told my dad. i told him if i don't get anything else for the rest of my life just let the last thing i get be a fiddle. so then on my birthday i got one. about what kind of fiddle sara plays the only kind i know is the 5 stringed fiddle that martin brunkalla made but i am not sure of the other one. fiddling is really easy to me. i think because you can see the finger positions and stuff as with a guitar and mando you keep having to look up and down at the paper and stuff. i will write more later. but i hope that some of this helped.


Originally posted by obsessedwithNC
I've decided. I want to play the fiddle. I told my parents I would love it if I got a fiddle next week; I would go til my Sweet 16th with no presents for birthdays and Christmas. I would offer to get hit by a car I want to play the fiddle so bad.
But my question is: What type of fiddle does Sara have? I'm sure this has been asked thousands of times but I am too lazy to find the answer to it. ;) All I know is I want it! ...



also, i'm a complete newbie to the whole world of fiddling, so any advice on that would be appreciated as well!