Fiddle vs Violin - Difference and Comparison

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	Fiddle	Violin
Training:	Not required	Required
About:	Stringed musical instrument.	Stringed musical instrument.
String:	made of steel	made of either gut or synthetic materials
Playing style:	Folk	Classical
Purpose:	For dancing	For creation of music

The violin and fiddle are string instruments used to pay music. They're both pretty much the same instrument but it is called a fiddle when used to play folk music and violin when playing classical music.

1 Definition
2 Physical Structure
3 Playing style
4 Historical
5 Purpose
6 Playability
7 Playing Technique
8 External Links
9 References

[edit] Definition

The violin is a bowed string instrument with four strings tuned in perfect fifths. It is the smallest and highest-pitched member of the violin family of string instruments, which also includes the viola and cello. A violin is called a fiddle when playing folk music. A "fiddle" is also a colloquial term for instruments used by players in all genres, including classical music. Fiddle playing, or fiddling, is a style of music.

[edit] Physical Structure

Both a fiddle and a violin look alike in physical appearance. One difference between "fiddles" and ordinary violins may be seen in American fiddling: In these styles, the top of the bridge may be cut so that it is very slightly less curved. This reduces the range of right-arm motion required for the rapid string-crossings found in some styles, and is said to make it easier to play double stops and shuffles (bariolage), or to make triple stops possible, allowing one to play chords.

Another common difference may be the use of synthetic or gut strings in Violin while Steel strings in a Violin.

[edit] Playing style

When played in a folk style, then it is said to be a fiddle while when played in classical tones then it is a Violin. In fact, the playing style is a major criteria that differs the fiddle from the violin.

[edit] Historical

Historically, the term Fiddle describes the modern day Violin. Like the Violin this instrument also had four strings. Now both are used but in making different genres of music.

[edit] Purpose

It is also said that the purpose of a violin is making beautiful music for listening while the purpose of a Fiddle is creating music for dancing. Though fiddle's are generally played solo, violins may be played solo and also in a choir.

[edit] Playability

It is often also said that a Fiddle doesn't require any formal training and hence is easier to play. Violin, on the other hand requires training as it is difficult to play.

[edit] Playing Technique

The fiddling technique usually means resting the violin on the chest and holding the neck of the instrument between the thumb and side of the first finger. Since most times there are no other chordal instruments playing, the natural thing to do is to play two strings at a time (one an "open" string"), in order to provide a drone type accompaniment to the melody. With fiddle technique, it is very difficult to shift the left hand around to different positions, and so most things are played in first position, limiting the range of notes possible. Violin Technique involves using more of double stops and complex bowing. That means bringing the violin up to be held between the chin and the shoulder, so that the instrument can be held in place momentarily while the player shifts the position of the left hand up and down the fingerboard. The violin is usually played in the context of a group of other instruments, one of which is usually a chordal instrument like the lute or harpsichord, so it is not so important to fill out the harmony all by itself.