Fiddles are pretty cool!

Hey Guys,

I bought one of those cheap Barcus Berry blue electric violins a while back. After screeching on it for 2 weeks, I put it in the closet. About 3 weeks ago, I got it back out, tuned it up, and started goofing around with it again.

I try to play all of the instruments on most of my recordings.

I have been playing guitar, by ear, for years. I figured that maybe I'll try to play some guitar licks on my fiddle, to see what happens.

Here is a sample of my complete 3 weeks worth of self taught training. As you can tell, I have no bow technique or any idea of what I am doing. If I had to guess, I would say that I have 50 hours total on a fiddle.

I can think of all kinds of cool licks, but I can't play them yet, so you will have to settle with the poor selection on the tune. I think that I can be good some day, but it seems like a world away.

I didn't use a mic, and sometimes it sounds like a Sax or something! I ran it through some of my guitar effects processors, so it sounds pretty strange.

Let me know what you think!

Click the link below!

http://www.atlanticplumbing.net/mikefiddle.mp3

 

Wow, Does that mean "Good Brave", or "Bad Brave" ?

I was very shy about placing my only recording online. I am glad that you enjoy it. Since I have only been playing for a short time, I have to slide in and out of the notes in order to hit the correct pitch. It is cheating, but it will have to work for now!

I also don't use any reference markings on the neck. I don't want it to be a crutch to lean on. I just turn on the recorder and let things happen.

For years, I have played Lead and Slide Guitar. Slide Guitar is about the same concept as fiddle. You don't play between the frets, you have to play exactly on top of the fret. Steel Guitar is the same. You have to nail it right on top of the fret, or you are out of key one way or the other, flat or sharp.

I read music like a Kindergarten Student. I play 100% by ear. Since the strings on a guitar are E A D G, and on a fiddle they are G D A E, it takes some getting use to. I just bought a Mel Bay " First Violin Lesson" book, but I am kind of lazy to play "Mary had a little lamb", and "Jingle Bells". I do realize that it will pay off in the long run to sight read.

My brain hears certain notes when I start to fret them on a fiddle, but due to the different tuning, a completely different note happens. I will have to keep exploring in order to get use to it!

I play and enjoy pretty much every kind of music. My CD collection is everything from Bach to Metallica, Pagini to George Jones and everything in between.

Here is one of my Guitar Tunes, for example. I play all of the instruments on my songs, sometimes a good thing, and sometimes bad!

Click the link below:

http://www.atlanticplumbing.net/moodswing.mp3

 

Hey,

I appreciate your feedback.

I checked out your MP3's and Video. You have some really nice stuff.
Since I have been playing, I used to have all sorts of guitars from Les Pauls, Kramers, Ibanez, Dean, BC Rich, Yamaha, etc., but if I could have only one guitar, it would be my Tele. It is a jack of all trades.

It is really the only guitar that you can sound country, rock, blues, jazz, and anything else that you can throw at it.

I have heard guys trying to play country on a Strat or Les Paul and it just don't work, and I've never seen a real country picker playing one.

I really like Johnny Hiland. His PRS sounds really great, but I heard him playing country on it and just didn't do country picking justice. The super country twang was just not there.

I really love my Les Paul and Strat, but they just can't do everything like a Tele.

I'm going to lay off of my guitars for a while and fool around with my fiddle more. I ran it through some of my distortion and echo effects last night and it sounded really cool. I can get these high pitched slides, screams, and howls that I can't produce on a guitar.

I really like the Dixie Dregs style of Violin. I guess that is the direction that I am headed for right now.