"The Blonde" and "The Redhead"

We now come to the root of the traditional folk instruments, the violin.  From the earliest one-stringed version to today's modern instrument, the humble fiddle has proved to be the most popular instrument for many folk musicians.  Unfortunately, as I have already mentioned elsewhere, despite a couple of years with a youth orchestra during my teens, I was described as playing the violin and viola as though the strings were still inside the cat!  Fortunately, the lessons of childhood have managed to stick in my memory and all those tedious exercises now seem realtively simple.  I now apparently have developed a sound not unlike fingernails running across a chalkboard.  You know, there are some unkind people about who should try playing an instrument themselves rather than making stupid comments.  When it comes to the crunch, I suppose I sound just like Stefan Grapelli or Vanessa Mae did when they took their first lessons!  At least at this stage I will always know there is someone worse than me, somewhere.

Judi playing "The Redhead"

As Judi showed a natural tendency towards the bodhran, it seemed only fair to give her a shot at the fiddle. Looks good to me and considering we have two cats who are very vocal when it comes to requests for food, the noise won't be too hard to live with.

Of course before you start to play I recommend you make two useful purchases.  The first one is a tuning device to get the strings absolutely in tune and the second is a mute which will cut down the sound of your practice sessions considerably.

A set of reeded pitch pipes, the cheapest way to keep your instrument in tune, but they can go flat with age or if they are overblown.

A metal mute, not like the traditional wooden mute, this one is specifically made for banjos, but it is ideal for practice sessions in the home.

The mute in position on the violin bridge.  The large weight simply dampens the vibrations of the strings through the bridge to the sounding post in the body of the fiddle.

Here is a reference chart for the fingerings on a violin.  I recommend strongly that you take a few lessons from a teacher and buy a good tutor then the fingering positions will be explained fully and enable you to utilize the full range of your instrument.

Finally a few words on the care and maintenance of your instrument.  A soft duster and a tin of spray polish will remove fingermarks and, if you have been playing at an outside event, water splashes from rain.  Do not polish the upper surface of the fingerboard.  Resin dust can build up beside the bridge, it should be cleaned off regularly although I personally like to leave it there as it adds a bit of character and makes the fiddle look like it's being used frequently.  The excess can be removed with a soft brush after each session.

The bow should always be well resined and any loose hairs removed.  Be careful with the tension of the bow, it should be just enough so that when the bow is bounced off the back of your hand, you should not feel the wood touching your skin.  It is a common mistake with novices to overtighten the bow to a point that would make any archer proud.

Many instruments are now fitted with fine-tuners on each string.  These devices are a boon to get the tuning exactly right.

If you have trouble with the tuning pegs, I found that removing them when I needed to change a string and giving them a rub over with a block of solid beeswax allowed them to stay in position a lot easier without pushing them too far in to the hole.  It also makes them easier to turn when rough tuning the instrument.

If your instrument is going to be stored for long periods, slacken the bow, loosen the strings and keep the instrument in a dry place  at a constant temperature.  It should last you for years and may even become an heirloom for your grandchildren.

Perfect tuning every time.

I had to add this small electric tuner to my purchases.  It allows you to tune to the exact pitch on a variety of instruments.  As it is shown, it is set for the violin and the CLIP setting means it will pick up the physical vibrations from the bridge of the instrument. It will also function as a MICrophone and can pick up the sounds coming directly from your instrument.

"The Redhead" models a matching chinrest.

This was another essential purchase after a few days of playing.  It takes away the strain of playing with one shoulder pushed upwards to keep the instrument level.  If you are like me and have a longer than average neck and steeply sloped shoulders, you will see how useful a chin rest can be to your comfort and playing style.

"The Blonde"

I was given this fiddle by a friend of mine, Ralph Musgrave.  If any of you recognize the name, the answer is.. Yes, he is a cousin of Thea Musgrave, the composer.

When I got it, it was a sorry sight.  Splashed with gloss paint, back coming away at the seams, with  tuning peg, taipiece, bridge and soundpost missing.

Someone had given it away to be hung on the wall for "decoration" and Ralph asked me if I could make use of it. Once I'd settled down after ranting about what I would like to do with these 'Phillistines' and would they hang an old car on their walls just because it had no wheels or seats.  I took a better look at it.  I suspect it had been well played as it felt comfortable to hold.  It contained the obligatory "Anton Stradivari" label* (don't they all?) and worse, it was splashed with modern gloss paint.

*I could probably say if I found a violin without a label it had more chance of bing a Strad.

Now, I am a great believer that instruments should be played and not just left lying around so, I took up the challenge and set out to breathe life into the body.  The paint was removed with plenty of elbow grease and turpentine which at least left the varnish intact.  I eventually tracked down a tailpiece, bridge, tuning pegs and a set of strings and started the operation.  My friend Ken gave me some animal glue to repair the bodywork and now, fully fitted with all new parts and several polishings with beeswax, the old girl is recovering satisfactorily and has spoken for the first time in about 30 years - and what a voice.  A few weeks of playing should revive the timbre.

The history is a little vague, but I have been told the scrollwork and body shape points to it being made in middle to eastern Europe about the 1880's.  What a history.  How many hands have played tunes on that neck over the past 130 years?  If only it could talk.