|
Log in to post
|
Print Thread |
|
|
|
|
|
Off-Topic
|
Joined: Apr 2012
Posts: 236
Apprentice
|
OP
Apprentice
Joined: Apr 2012
Posts: 236 |
Lucky me! My father-in-law gave me a fiddle this weekend that he had gotten in a trade many years ago.
I have always wanted to learn to play but didn't want to spend any $$ on one. I tuned it and was actually able to make some decent sounds with it but now I would like some advice on how to get started. Any recommendations on Mel Bay-esque primers for fiddle playing? Web sites?
Todd
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Off-Topic
|
Joined: Oct 2007
Posts: 4,251
Veteran
|
|
Veteran
Joined: Oct 2007
Posts: 4,251 |
Todd, I highly recommend Homespun for a whole slew of instruments and different styles. Here's some of their fiddle options: http://www.homespun.com/Instruments/Fiddle
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Off-Topic
|
Joined: Apr 2012
Posts: 236
Apprentice
|
|
OP
Apprentice
Joined: Apr 2012
Posts: 236 |
Thanks Bob! I will definitely check that out.
Todd
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Off-Topic
|
Joined: Dec 2003
Posts: 24,286
Veteran
|
|
Veteran
Joined: Dec 2003
Posts: 24,286 |
Todd, google ‘fiddle instruction’ (no quotes) and you will find a lot of fiddle lessons on DVD, in books and both. There are some free lessons listed also.
Good luck!
Principal: Your child always causes trouble in school.
Me: My child causes trouble at home, do I ever call you?
64 bit Win 10 Pro, the latest BiaB/RB, Roland Octa-Capture audio interface, a ton of software/hardware
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Off-Topic
|
Joined: Oct 2012
Posts: 9
Newbie
|
|
Newbie
Joined: Oct 2012
Posts: 9 |
Besides whatever books, tapes, and lessons that make you feel comfortable:
The right hand is the hard part.
Bow straight, bow loud. You can adjust down later. Play loud and proud.
Ignore all faces, gestures, and insulting comments from loved ones. They are not your friends - that is a terrible thing to do.
Sit back, look off in the distance, at the TV, or close your eyes and play any ditty you can think of: Twinkle, Mary Had Some Mutton, etc
Finger on string time will get you there - the only way.
Listen to those who make you feel good. Ignore the rest.
There are many methods. Don't get sucked into absolutes.
Best of luck,
Have fun
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Off-Topic
|
Joined: Sep 2010
Posts: 8,143
Veteran
|
|
Veteran
Joined: Sep 2010
Posts: 8,143 |
I really liked the video lessons by Todd Ehle - especially since they're free!  The Mel Bay book You Can Teach Yourself Fiddling is pretty much your basic fiddling primer, but perhaps moves ahead a bit too quickly. The author (Craig Duncan) seems to have a number of books that are pretty much the same thing repackaged. (I've got a several of them). The Complete Idiots Guide to Playing Fiddle is a good overview, and Violin For Dummies isn't too bad - both can be previewed at Amazon. I thought Picture Yourself Playing Violin was a bit disappointing - aimed at much younger players, and probably more "classical" than you're looking for. Be sure you get a shoulder rest! I spent a lot of time struggling to hold the violin properly, and when I finally got a shoulder rest, it made a world of difference. I agree with Bob - I've only seen their guitar videos, but the videos from Homespun Tapes look pretty good.
-- David Cuny My virtual singer development blogVocal control, you say. Never heard of it. Is that some kind of ProTools thing?BiaB 2025 | Windows 11 | Reaper | Way too many VSTis.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Off-Topic
|
Joined: Jun 2012
Posts: 3,876
Veteran
|
|
Veteran
Joined: Jun 2012
Posts: 3,876 |
Quote:
Be sure you get a shoulder rest! I spent a lot of time struggling to hold the violin properly, and when I finally got a shoulder rest, it made a world of difference.
Best advice yet!!!
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Off-Topic
|
Joined: Apr 2012
Posts: 236
Apprentice
|
|
OP
Apprentice
Joined: Apr 2012
Posts: 236 |
Thanks for all the great ideas! Fortunately its just me and my wife around the house now. She is a properly trained musicians wife. She puts up with feedback, little too loud PA for inside the house, horrible keyboard playing, thumping bass guitar, whining steel guitar but I make up for it with decent guitar and vocal skills. Fiddle learning noise shouldn't phase her.
Regarding the shoulder rest, what is it?
Todd
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Off-Topic
|
Joined: Oct 2007
Posts: 4,251
Veteran
|
|
Veteran
Joined: Oct 2007
Posts: 4,251 |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Off-Topic
|
Joined: Oct 2012
Posts: 9
Newbie
|
|
Newbie
Joined: Oct 2012
Posts: 9 |
All of my shoulder rests are collapsible. I threw away my old rigid ones. It's much easier for packing.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Off-Topic
|
Joined: Sep 2003
Posts: 8,333
Veteran
|
|
Veteran
Joined: Sep 2003
Posts: 8,333 |
Just an FYI. My father in law played guitar, mandolin, fiddle. All of them ok for a middling country/bluegrass local band.
Last year he stared having memory problems. Right now he can barely start the car. His shop is idle. He was playing with 4 other guys in Nursing Homes. He can't remember how. His tractor sits alone, he rebuilt it from spare parts, painted it up, an old Oliver, looks like an old girl in fresh makeup sitting there. But it was used to drag logs, and he can't remember how to start it. My chainsaw he kept running for 28 years needs a new starting cable. He can't do it. His wife has to start the lawnmower.
This is so sad. He's now 75. Do it when you can. He just sits and stares. I was so in awe of him, his carpentry skills, every one of us had end tables, dressers and chairs he made. He asked my wife yesterday if she had any kids. Wow.
What do you say?
John Conley
Musica est vita
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Off-Topic
|
Joined: Apr 2012
Posts: 236
Apprentice
|
|
OP
Apprentice
Joined: Apr 2012
Posts: 236 |
I say live life like there is no tomorrow.
Todd
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Off-Topic
|
Joined: Sep 2010
Posts: 8,143
Veteran
|
|
Veteran
Joined: Sep 2010
Posts: 8,143 |
Quote:
Regarding the shoulder rest, what is it?
It's used to help the fiddle so it won't slip off your shoulder.
They come with two different types of feet - solid rubber, or metal with rubber covering. I prefer the solid rubber, since it feels more secure (and less cheat). The newer Kun shoulder rests are like that - it looks like Musician's Friend is selling the older versions.
-- David Cuny My virtual singer development blogVocal control, you say. Never heard of it. Is that some kind of ProTools thing?BiaB 2025 | Windows 11 | Reaper | Way too many VSTis.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Off-Topic
|
Joined: Dec 2007
Posts: 2,448
Veteran
|
|
Veteran
Joined: Dec 2007
Posts: 2,448 |
Quote:
... She puts up with feedback, little too loud PA for inside the house, horrible keyboard playing, thumping bass guitar, whining steel guitar .....
So YOU'RE the guy who moved in next door... 
Cheers,
Keith
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Off-Topic
|
Joined: Jan 2011
Posts: 4,026
Veteran
|
|
Veteran
Joined: Jan 2011
Posts: 4,026 |
I use to play in a Fiddle show band, where we played behind our back, between the legs,and took turns bowing and fingering where we both played the same Fiddle. I had a 1/10th scale hidden in my jacket and would whip it out near the end of the show. My specialty was putting a bow upside down in the front of my pants and dragging the inverted Fiddle across it. Still play a little, but arthritis makes it uncomfortable now days. I've used foam rubber held on with rubber bands, taped on an old rolled up sock, and various other shoulder rests. I like Carbon Fiber bows the best. I treat a new bow with spray-on rosin that is meant for drum sticks and the switch to regular afterward. I love "Super Sensitive" brand strings. Any time you can play 2 strings at once and one is open is a good way to help stay in tune. If your bow bounces a lot grip it a little further away from the end. I tighten mine so that when playing hard the hair almost drags the stick. Still have my first Fiddle that I got when I was 6, also one with frets that I call my drunk proof Fiddle (I was drunk a lot).
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Off-Topic
|
Joined: Apr 2012
Posts: 236
Apprentice
|
|
OP
Apprentice
Joined: Apr 2012
Posts: 236 |
Yeah Keith, that would probably be me...
Hey Tommy, is there any instrument you don't play?
Todd
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Off-Topic
|
Joined: Apr 2012
Posts: 236
Apprentice
|
|
OP
Apprentice
Joined: Apr 2012
Posts: 236 |
BTW, had some fun playing with it last night. Going fretless will take some getting used to but I am beginning to catch on. Took alittlebitofiddle's advice and skreetched out "Silent Night" (good thing Christmas is still a ways away!). The fiddle looks to be one of the thousands of copies of the Stradivarius Cremonensis made in one of a number of countries but what the heck it sounds good to me and it was free after all.
Todd
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Off-Topic
|
Joined: Jan 2011
Posts: 4,026
Veteran
|
|
Veteran
Joined: Jan 2011
Posts: 4,026 |
Some people use thin tape markers or pencil marks to find notes. Use a tuner to find the note and make a mark, I used pin strip tape when I started. Check your strings for rosin build up, that can make screeching sounds. Clean with a dry rag and don't touch the area where you bow with your fingers, also don't touch the bow hair.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Ask sales and support questions about Band-in-a-Box using natural language.
ChatPG's knowledge base includes the full Band-in-a-Box User Manual and sales information from the website.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Band-in-a-Box 2026 for Windows Special Offers End Tomorrow (January 15th, 2026) at 11:59 PM PST!
Time really is running out! Save up to 50% on Band-in-a-Box® 2026 for Windows® upgrades and receive a FREE Bonus PAK—only when you order by 11:59 PM PST on Thursday, January 15, 2026!
We've added many major new features and new content in a redesigned Band-in-a-Box® 2026 for Windows®!
Version 2026 introduces a modernized GUI redesign across the program, with updated toolbars, refreshed windows, smoother workflows, and a new Dark Mode option. There’s also a new side toolbar for quicker access to commonly used windows, and the new Multi-View feature lets you arrange multiple windows as layered panels without overlap, making it easier to customize your workspace.
Another exciting new addition is the new AI-Notes feature, which can transcribe polyphonic audio into MIDI. You can view the results in notation or play them back as MIDI, and choose whether to process an entire track or focus on specific parts like drums, bass, guitars/piano, or vocals. There's over 100 new features in Band-in-a-Box® 2026 for Windows®.
There's an amazing collection of new content too, including 202 RealTracks, new RealStyles, MIDI SuperTracks, Instrumental Studies, “Songs with Vocals” Artist Performance Sets, Playable RealTracks Set 5, two RealDrums Stems sets, XPro Styles PAK 10, Xtra Styles PAK 21, and much more!
Upgrade your Band-in-a-Box for Windows to save up to 50% on most Band-in-a-Box® 2026 upgrade packages!
Plus, when you order your Band-in-a-Box® 2026 upgrade during our special, you'll receive a Free Bonus PAK of exciting new add-ons.
If you need any help deciding which package is the best option for you, just let us know. We are here to help!
Band-in-a-Box® 2026 for Windows® Special Offers Extended Until January 15, 2026!
Good news! You still have time to upgrade to the latest version of Band-in-a-Box® for Windows® and save. Our Band-in-a-Box® 2026 for Windows® special now runs through January 15, 2025!
We've packed Band-in-a-Box® 2026 with major new features, enhancements, and an incredible lineup of new content! The program now sports a sleek, modern GUI redesign across the entire interface, including updated toolbars, refreshed windows, smoother workflows, a new dark mode option, and more. The brand-new side toolbar provides quicker access to key windows, while the new Multi-View feature lets you arrange multiple windows as layered panels without overlap, creating a flexible, clutter-free workspace. We have an amazing new “AI-Notes” feature. This transcribes polyphonic audio into MIDI so you can view it in notation or play it back as MIDI. You can process an entire track (all pitched instruments and drums) or focus on individual parts like drums, bass, guitars/piano, or vocals. There's an amazing collection of new content too, including 202 RealTracks, new RealStyles, MIDI SuperTracks, Instrumental Studies, “Songs with Vocals” Artist Performance Sets, Playable RealTracks Set 5, two RealDrums Stems sets, XPro Styles PAK 10, Xtra Styles PAK 21, and much more!
There are over 100 new features in Band-in-a-Box® 2026 for Windows®.
When you order purchase Band-in-a-Box® 2026 before 11:59 PM PST on January 15th, you'll also receive a Free Bonus PAK packed with exciting new add-ons.
Upgrade to Band-in-a-Box® 2026 for Windows® today! Check out the Band-in-a-Box® packages page for all the purchase options available.
Happy New Year!
Thank you for being part of the Band-in-a-Box® community.
Wishing you and yours a very happy 2026—Happy New Year from all of us at PG Music!
Season's Greetings!
Wishing everyone a happy, healthy holiday season—thanks for being part of our community!
The office will be closed for Christmas Day, but we will be back on Boxing Day (Dec 26th) at 6:00am PST.
Team PG
Band-in-a-Box 2026 Video: The Newly Designed Piano Roll Window
In this video, we explore the updated Piano Roll, complete with a modernized look and exciting new features. You’ll see new filtering options that make it easy to focus on specific note groups, smoother and more intuitive note entry and editing, and enhanced options for zooming, looping, and more.
Watch the video.
You can see all the 2026 videos on our forum!
Band-in-a-Box 2026 Video: AI Stems & Notes - split polyphonic audio into instruments and transcribe
This video demonstrates how to use the new AI-Notes feature together with the AI-Stems splitter, allowing you to select an audio file and have it separated into individual stems while transcribing each one to its own MIDI track. AI-Notes converts polyphonic audio—either full mixes or individual instruments—into MIDI that you can view in notation or play back instantly.
Watch the video.
You can see all the 2026 videos on our forum!
Bonus PAK and 49-PAK for Band-in-a-Box® 2026 for Windows®
With your version 2026 for Windows Pro, MegaPAK, UltraPAK, UltraPAK+, Audiophile Edition or PlusPAK purchase, we'll include a Bonus PAK full of great new Add-ons for FREE! Or upgrade to the 2026 49-PAK for only $49 to receive even more NEW Add-ons including 20 additional RealTracks!
These PAKs are loaded with additional add-ons to supercharge your Band-in-a-Box®!
This Free Bonus PAK includes:
- The 2026 RealCombos Booster PAK:
-For Pro customers, this includes 27 new RealTracks and 23 new RealStyles.
-For MegaPAK customers, this includes 25 new RealTracks and 23 new RealStyles.
-For UltraPAK customers, this includes 12 new RealStyles.
- MIDI Styles Set 92: Look Ma! More MIDI 15: Latin Jazz
- MIDI SuperTracks Set 46: Piano & Organ
- Instrumental Studies Set 24: Groovin' Blues Soloing
- Artist Performance Set 19: Songs with Vocals 9
- Playable RealTracks Set 5
- RealDrums Stems Set 9: Cool Brushes
- SynthMaster Sounds Set 1 (with audio demos)
- Android Band-in-a-Box® App (included)
Looking for more great add-ons, then upgrade to the 2026 49-PAK for just $49 and you'll get:
- 20 Bonus Unreleased RealTracks and RealDrums with 20 RealStyle.
- FLAC Files (lossless audio files) for the 20 Bonus Unreleased RealTracks and RealDrums
- MIDI Styles Set 93: Look Ma! More MIDI 16: SynthMaster
- MIDI SuperTracks Set 47: More SynthMaster
- Instrumental Studies 25 - Soul Jazz Guitar Soloing
- Artist Performance Set 20: Songs with Vocals 10
- RealDrums Stems Set 10: Groovin' Sticks
- SynthMaster Sounds & Styles Set 2 (sounds & styles with audio demos)
Learn more about the Bonus PAKs for Band-in-a-Box® 2026 for Windows®!
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Forums57
Topics85,751
Posts795,789
Members39,950
| |
Most Online25,754
Jan 24th, 2025
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Dansk
Deutsch - Windows
Español
Français - Windows
Italiano - Windows
Nederlands
Polski
Português
Svenskt
русский
Japanese
Simplified Chinese
Traditional Chinese
Korean