Were I to take up the fiddle ...

[Mark Gunter]

Not that I haven’t tried before; I definitely get the same reaction:

[DougC]

Great photo there. I wonder how she trained the dog. She must be a special pet.

My cats just leave the room. And I know I'm really doing well if they stay.
They will stay for the mandola.

[Mark Gunter]

The cats like my mandolin playing for some reason, especially melodies, and especially Bach. But they run and hide from the guitar. I think they’re partial to the mandolin because it’s in their voice range.

[Kevin Stueve]

The cats like my mandolin playing for some reason, especially melodies, and especially Bach. But they run and hide from the guitar. I think they’re partial to the mandolin because it’s in their voice range.

When I want to get the dog off the couch I sit down next to her and play mandolin. She will get up and move to the floor. That reaction is slightly better than my wife's. My wife will glare and go upstairs.

[Stephen Perry]

Fiddle is easy. Big stick, and no frets to trip over!

[wormpicker]

Fiddle is easy. Big stick, and no frets to trip over!

You joke, but when I first picked up the mandolin about a year and a half ago after scratching on fiddle for about 10 years, I really DID trip all over the frets! It was the weirdest feeling, not knowing where the notes were because of the darned frets.

[John Lloyd]

The cats like my mandolin playing for some reason, especially melodies, and especially Bach. But they run and hide from the guitar. I think they’re partial to the mandolin because it’s in their voice range.

When I play mando* or guitar (usually tenor these days), my cat sits and listens for a while, then comes over and starts pawing and nibbling at the strings. Not sure what she's trying to tell me there.

When I play violin or viola, she just gives me the side-eye and nods off.

[Bob Visentin]

My cat pushes the harmonica out of my mouth.

[Simon DS]

I started the fiddle, played for a while, I have a 'brand new', second hand Stagg. Embarrasingly cheap -I don't know who nor where it was made, but not such a bad tone. I loved playing it when the cat was out. The transition from mando was easy enough but in some ways it's a very different instrument. Then I couldn't continue, I have terrible tinnitus. Putting in and removing earplugs ten times a day, no way. So there you go.

[Bertram Henze]

If you want a grateful audience, play for cows. They can't applaude, but they would if they could.

[Stephen Perry]

You joke, but when I first picked up the mandolin about a year and a half ago after scratching on fiddle for about 10 years, I really DID trip all over the frets! It was the weirdest feeling, not knowing where the notes were because of the darned frets.

That's been my experience. And when I played gamba a lot, I kept finding myself trying to push the frets a little for better intonation!! Rather odd feelings.

[DougC]

That's been my experience. And when I played gamba a lot, I kept finding myself trying to push the frets a little for better intonation!! Rather odd feelings.

I agree.
It seems that violins are easier to play in tune. Also on guitar, I'm often pressing harder to make it go up to pitch. There are more strings so I suppose the temperament, (mine included) needs to be adjusted.

[Bertram Henze]

Also on guitar, I'm often pressing harder to make it go up to pitch.

That is more easily done on a GDAE-tuned tenor banjo, but it has to be done carefully to not drift into the inadvertent zone.

[HonketyHank]

My wife reports a similar experience for her when she started playing the oboe. But for her it was the dog PLUS four siblings howling, honking, and covering ears. The parents just tried to grin and bear it.