Posted by brya31 on Monday, June 1, 2009
My inotation has been off since puchasing this new fiddle. I could not for the life of me figure it out. I even took it back to the luthier and had him flatten the bridge just like my ole student fiddle......well hours of playing later and I had a thought.....What if my student fiddle wasnt the same size??? Yep you guessed it. My student fiddle was about a 1/4" smaller!! Yikes no wonder I felt like I kept needing to slide to find the G and D and A... I always use these to check to make sure I am in the right location with my fingers. Jeesh, I guess I have learned another new lesson.
8 comments on “Why is my inotation suddenly off!! Uh oh....”
Arkansas Traveler Says:
Monday, June 1, 2009 @6:09:34 PM
Brya,
Sounds like you' ve cracked it , and your fiddle will be singin...
'appy fiddlin'
FiddlerFaddler Says:
Monday, June 1, 2009 @7:32:56 PM
Ha, it's time to start acquiring more and different sized fiddles. A 14-inch viola strung with fiddle strings and Cajun tuned to FCGD would be a fine acquisition. Then you should add more standard-sized, cross-tuned fiddles. Lastly, a 5-string, 15-inch viola-violin will give you extra notes down to a C so that you can take tunes down an octave - just so you can say that you did so.
Once you get used to it, switching between different sized instruments will be a piece of cake. Really. I have 3 standard-sized fiddles, a large 3/4-scale fiddle (closer to a 7/8-scale, I've been told), and a 16-1/2-inch viola, and I can switch between them effortlessly. Your ear puts your mind and your fingers into the right groove and away you go.
mudbug Says:
Tuesday, June 2, 2009 @2:14:05 AM
Or, maybe fiddles are like woman, in that once you find the one that you adore, you should forsake all others. Of course, some are never satisfied with JUST one, and and require a harum of nubile fiddles awaiting their beck and call. This can never replace the love of one great fiddle, where the two of you will merge in ecstatic bliss. I hope you have many happy hours running your fingers through her hair..... er, strings.
bj Says:
Tuesday, June 2, 2009 @5:04:24 AM
Another thing to be aware of, and a lesson I learned the hard way-- bridge placement affects the length of the scale. So if your bridge manages to move out of adjustment, it's changing where your fingers go. Then putting the bridge right is going to correct that-- and screw up your intonation.
So it could also be that the two are also adjusted somewhat differently that way. You bought this new one from a luthier, so I'd suspect that's the "correct" scale length/finger placement.
Just run some scales before each playing session, to reacclimate your fingers. I know you don't believe it, but this difference and your discovery of it is actually is a GOOD thing. First of all, the fact that you could tell instantly that your intonation is off says your ears are working fine. Secondly, readjusting your fingers to the new way will make you aware of all this, and make you a better and more versatile fiddler, who can pick up any fiddle and play it.
brya31 Says:
Tuesday, June 2, 2009 @5:59:28 AM
I believe you are exactly right bj I think I have noticed what you are saying! : ( Oh well all part of the fun of learning!
Ozarkian DL Says:
Tuesday, June 2, 2009 @7:47:32 AM
MUD......ur full'a IT......LOL.....but
ur words of wisdom hit TRUE.
& Byra....ya got it fig.out. My cigar-box fiddle is very hard ta get used to noting cause it aint x'catually ta scale.
bj Says:
Friday, June 5, 2009 @1:34:26 PM
So, now that you've had some time with it, how is it going?
brya31 Says:
Friday, June 5, 2009 @5:58:59 PM
I am finally gettin the intonation back on track, shewwwwww I have to admit I feel a bit proud to have a nice ole fiddle to be playing with that nobody can say.....thats a nice student fiddle there, LOL
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