Posted by DrtyDon on Wednesday, September 17, 2008
Well, I am new to fiddling and new to bloggin so I hope you will bear with me. I am 52 this year and and just picked up a fiddle for the first time this past June 2008. As many, I started with a cheapie Chinese from amazon.com just to see if I really would like it. I have a tried the guitar a time or two and never got anywhere. Anyway, I found I was totally hooked on fiddling before I ever even got the thang tuned. I was soooo lost, I had to find an instructor right away. He got it tuned, showed me how to hold it and few other tips. I was not able to afford to keep going to him, so I started on this journey of country fiddling. Thank the good Lord I found this site.
I dont know if the members here really know how much they help others with the information and experience you all pass on. I will never get all the names, but people like SuperDave, Percy, bsed, Swing, OT Junky, Twelvefret and oh so many others have helped keep me going day after day when I thought there was no help. See, I am one of the few (it seems) that didnt come from a musical background. I never seemed to be able to play anything or sing or do much other than stand around tapping my foot and loving the sweet sound of old country music.
I was able to upgrade my 1st fiddle with a Gliga Gemis2 Advanced Student fiddle. After changing out the strings with some Dominants I have what I think is a very good sounding fiddle. Every day it gets better and better. One day I hope to feel confident enough to record some lil diddy for here. But for now I am on the journey, one lil step at a time.
I am from Oak View, Ca. in Ventura County. Anyone coming this way that would like to visit or play a little, stop by. I have a spare bedroom, two friendly lab pups and bbq going most ot the time.
6 comments on “Hello, Im Don and glad to meetcha”
Percy Says:
Thursday, September 18, 2008 @2:15:43 AM
Congratulations on your new fiddle -- equipment upgrades are important. I don't care what anybody says -- this is a difficult instrument to learn and there's no point in handicapping yourself by trying to learn on junk! I know that great fiddlers can pick up a cheap fiddle and make it sound like the angels are singing. But for newbies, we need to experience a bit of progress in order to stay inspired -- and I found that with a few fiddle and bow upgrades, my sound has improved and that has inspired me enough to keep working through the hard times!
And don't be surprised if you find me on your doorstep in January or February -- it would be fun to get away from the Minnesota winter for a few days of fiddling in sunny California!
OTJunky Says:
Thursday, September 18, 2008 @4:12:55 AM
Don,
Good for you.
The secret seems to be just plugging away at it day after day.
Sounds like you've got it down.
--OTJ
Rene Says:
Thursday, September 18, 2008 @9:57:46 AM
Congrat's....you'll do great. 3/4 the battle is won with a great desire to play. If you ever truck through missouri give a holler.
brya31 Says:
Thursday, September 18, 2008 @5:23:10 PM
Don, I know exactly how you feel. I too have had absolutely no musical background, but I have always been drawn to the sound of the fiddle and finally got the guts to dive right in. It has been 5 months for me now and I am more addicted than ever. My only advice, since I am no ways near being a pro is this....dont ever give up! You will have up and downs, but the next day will always bring another step to your learning process and another step to becoming a better fiddler.
SteveO Says:
Saturday, September 20, 2008 @10:19:28 PM
Hey Don!
....dang you sound like a nice fella.......
Hang in there dude. This thing we all have between us isn't called a "devil's box" for nothin'. Some days it'll get so aggrevatin' as the devil, and when that happens I just put 'er down for a day or two......then return with a fresh mindset toward makin it do what I want it to do.....other times it'll seem like work ...trying to pick the combination on a combination lock...... you wiggle it around a while...shake it up some...listen close......try some different things......different ways......trial and error what works for you....and all the sudden.........boom..... a tune will unlock itself and all the sudden you understand how you need to play/bow it. Man it's a trip! And it'll work out great!
When I had been playing about a year, I did find a great instructor. I had during that first year, picked up some not so good habits. He set me down and essentially had to break down what I had done and rebuilt me (mechanically speaking). Now a new fiddler doesn't HAVE to have an instructor, but even a few lessons getting you started on the right way will help you TREMENDOUSLY. It sounds like you may have had that happen. Just try to stay close to what the instructor said, and be open with your playing.....meaning....be open to use what works for you. Some people mistakenly think fiddling HAS to be done a certain way, and if it's not that way, you're not a good fiddler. Well I learned you can throw that rule out the window. Just when you think you got it all figured out....you'll run across a fiddler.....in a jam...or at a festival.... that will break every rule you ever heard of.............AND SOUND FANTASTIC! .... and you have to step back and see what's goin' on here.......they found somethin' that worked for them..............then take that home...and use it..........find out "how" you learn and tune.....that is ....determine how your mind can learn a new tune......the actual process......then it's just a matter of repeating that process.....over and over and over....learning more and more and more tunes..........wolah'
You are gonna make a good fiddler........ you got the spirit on you............."come on over, stay a while, and let's play some tunes"........ yep..... you gonna do good!
Just remember, it is "ain't" fun ....you doin' somethin' wrong...
Steve
Ozarkian DL Says:
Wednesday, October 15, 2008 @6:26:30 PM
Y u sound like ta me u belong in S. Mo. or N. Arkansaw. Jus a good ole boy. Steve O is right ... fiddlin & bowing is jus like life....has it's ups & downs.... twists & turns....ya jus gotta steer tween tha ditches...& miss as many chuck-holes as ya can. Remember this too : God doe's not subtract from man's alotted time on earth.....the time he spends fiddlin. SO......Keep on fiddlin.
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