Fiddle
“What is the difference between the violin and the fiddle? … One has strings and the other has strangs.”
- Anonymous
Also known as a violin, the fiddle is a four-stringed instrument that can either be plucked or played with a bow made with horsehair. The history of the fiddle is as complex as its rich tones. In its earliest form, the rabab appeared around the 8th century, brought to Africa and Europe through trade and travel. During this same period, the Byzantine lyra made its way to Western Europe, influencing the modern violin’s sound and construction. By the time the British and French were designing the modern violin, various cultures throughout Western Europe were adapting it to their own unique sound. No singular group is responsible for bringing the fiddle to America. Immigrants from Europe and enslaved Blacks all brought the fiddle with them and the mix of Celtic/European traditional music and traditional African music played on the fiddle and banjo gave birth to the old-time style.
When played in the old-time style, the fiddle blends with the other instruments to create a wall of sound using complex bowing techniques and, often, different cross tunings which result in a sound with deep resonance and drone. The fiddle plays a multitude of parts in a bluegrass band ranging from leading the melody in an instrumental, to sharing improvised solos with the other instruments, to playing rhythm with short “staccato” bowing to set the tempo for the band. Expert fiddlers use double stops and string crossing to produce songs like the "Orange Blossom Special," a showpiece tune where the fiddle imitates the sound of a speeding train, a song once described by fiddler, Stacy Phillips as “crowd manipulation and riot control for the bluegrass fiddle.”
Lester Flatt and Earl Scruggs playing "Orange Blossom Special".
Alma Russ playing the fiddle to "Orange Blossom Special" with the Silly Ridge Band at the Ugly Dog Pub in Highlands.
Bill Monroe wrote this song to honor his Uncle Pen, his favorite fiddle partner.