I just thought I'd start a thread to celebrate the fabulous topic of traditional fiddlin' (and to see if anyone else plays fiddle) - as some of you may have read, I recently started attending Irish music sessions at a local pub (astonished to find such a thing in France, but there you are) and, whilst it was daunting the first night, it's just getting to be more and more fun. My playing by ear has really improved (no choice really when some drunken banjo player from Brittany shouts 'hey Paris, play this one' and then launches into a really fast jig) and I've found that I'm starting to recognise their staple fodder of thirty or so pieces and can manage to recall them when I'm not at the session so can work them out a bit and feel less like a tattie when I go to the next one. I'm also trying to introduce some Northumbrian fiddle music to them (family roots and all) and that seems to be going down well.

All in all, I think it's just the atmosphere of twenty or so musicians sitting round, trying not to poke each other in the eye with various bits of fast moving wood and playing great music, that I love. Sometimes it goes a bit pear shaped (usually as the night has gone on and the guinness has flowed...) but everyone just laughs about it and moves on.

I'm finding it a really refreshing experience and also a musical challenge to play with authentic style (I spent so long developing vibrato that now it won't go away!) but it's great fun.

Anyone else play fiddle?

Allan

Sounds great - I have never done anything like it but beginning to wish I could find people to try it with *grin* - no vibrato sounds like a great idea to me

Yes, no me neither, me too and absolutely!