Re: violin buying question to you trusted cafe goers (NMC)
Originally Posted by
catmandu2
GM - ever try playing in positions other than 'proper' classical? I also grew weary of that position - which is certainly unnecessary for a bunch of fiddling. When I got into hdgfl I started playing off my shoulder, down to my chest, etc which greatly alleviates the pronation of the hand/wrist - also lessening the stress on the bow arm. After a few years, it felt novel to put it back up on my shoulder.
I still prefer the shoulder, but I don't use a shoulder rest on my hdgfl and so I can shift it around to various positions and angles of comfort. Of course, this wouldn't work for classical violin and playing up the neck..
In fact, I had fiddle lessons from David Greenberg, who is not only a fine Cape Breton fiddler but a concert violinist of international repute. He explained to me that the "incorrect" violin positions and bow holds used by many Cape Breton fiddlers were more effective for the sound they wanted than was the classical position and grip. I'm sure this is true of many other styles as well.
Last edited by Ranald; Nov-04-2022 at 8:28pm.
Robert Johnson's mother, describing blues musicians:
"I never did have no trouble with him until he got big enough to be round with bigger boys and off from home. Then he used to follow all these harp blowers, mandoleen (sic) and guitar players."
Lomax, Alan, The Land where The Blues Began, NY: Pantheon, 1993, p.14.
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