What is the difference between a fiddle and a violin? The instrument
is the same, but violin playing and fiddlin’ belong to two different
traditions. Classical violin music is written down by a composer and
usually played at formal events. Fiddle music, however, was
traditionally played by common people at informal dances—for example, in
the book
A Christmas Carol, Fezziwig has a fiddler play songs
at his Christmas party. In order to play danceable music, fiddlers use
different techniques than classical violinists. They tune their
instruments differently than violins in order to make it easier to
“drone” and to play double-stops (two notes at once); they do not use
vibrato like classical violinists, but they often play loudly in order
to be heard at dances and parties. Although most fiddlers still learn by
ear rather than by taking lessons, fiddle music is no less challenging
than classical violin music.
Almost every European country and region of America has its own
fiddle tradition and unique style. The South, however, has a unique
claim to the fiddle, due to its use in country and bluegrass music.
Although these styles are the most recognizable, the fiddle has been an
important instrument in many genres, and fiddle music continues to
evolve today. Here’s the fiddle’s history through seven songs which show
the fiddle’s different facets.
The Arkansas Traveler
The song and story of the Arkansas Traveler became a
piece of Arkansas history but was often associated with negative
“hillbilly” stereotypes.The “Arkansas Traveler” was written by
Colonel Sanford C. “Sandy” Faulkner, a Confederate soldier, politician,
and storyteller. The lyrics are based on a real encounter that Faulkner
had with a country fellow while he was out politicking. In Faulkner’s
retelling, the native gave humorous answers to the traveler’s questions;
in some later versions, the dialogue between the traveler and the local
was sandwiched between musical sections. (“Still Trying to Get to
Little Rock” by The Stanley Brothers is an updated version of this,
though with a different tune.) It is unclear whether Faulkner wrote the
tune or simply added a traditional tune to his lyrics, but in any
event, the combination worked. “The Arkansas Traveler” became Arkansas’s
state song in 1947, with an “official” set of lyrics written by
committee. The song is usually played, however, as an instrumental.
There is no definitive recorded version of this song, but like most
old-time fiddle tunes, the melody is usually played without
embellishment, and there are no improvised solos.
The combination of fiddle and accordion became a staple of dances and parties in Cajun country (photo by Michael Miceli)Although
the fiddle traditions of Texas and the Appalachian regions were
probably the most influential on today’s music, the unique Cajun culture
of South Louisiana developed its own fiddle tradition. After accordions
were introduced to the area in the late 1800’s, fiddle and accordion
combos became popular. Fiddle players playing with accordions faced new
sets of problems: the accordions were so loud they would drown out the
fiddles, and fiddle players often re-tuned their instruments to fit in
with the accordions. Nevertheless, fiddle and accordion combos were
popular entertainment at dances and house parties. As societal changes
in the mid-twentieth century opened Southern Louisiana to other
influences, Cajun fiddlers expanded their vocabulary to add in elements
of Western swing, country, and rock and roll. This recording of “Port
Arthur Blues” by legendary Cajun fiddler Wade Frugé is an example of the
older style of Cajun fiddle and accordion music: the fiddle and
accordion trade off playing the melody, with a guitar providing a simple
rhythm. Although the tune includes more embellishments than “The
Arkansas Traveler,” both instruments stick closely to the melody, and
the musicians focus more on providing a backdrop for dancing than
showing off their skills.
he mysterious Mississippi Sheiks never became
household names like Robert Johnson or Muddy Waters, yet they left an
undeniable influence on blues musicThe blues are primarily
associated with the guitar, but a tradition of blues fiddle existed in
the pre-World-War-II era. Much of “blues” and “old-time” music was very
similar, and the distinction between “black” blues and “white”
old-time/country music was artificially created by record companies in
the early twentieth century. Both genres had similar roots, and a
surprising number of blues musicians played the fiddle. After World War
II, however, many black Americans migrated from the American South to
the North, taking blues music with them. As blues went electric and
became more distinct from country and folk, the fiddle was abandoned in
favor of amplified instruments that could be heard in loud nightclubs.
As a consequence, the fiddle is rarely played as a blues instrument
today. “Sittin’ on Top of the World” is a standard originally written by
members of the Mississippi Sheiks, who play it here. Here the fiddle
player roughly mirrors the vocals during the verses and plays a solo
over a different chord progression
—another innovation from the folk
tradition.
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