What does seafood gumbo, an accordian and a rip-roaring time all have in common?  Go to Lafayette Louisiana and find out for yourself.  Recently, I’ve revived my interest in Cajun fiddle music…and it’s hot, hot, hot! 

“Cajuns are an ethnic group mainly living in Louisiana, consisting of the descendants of Acadian exiles.” – Source: Wikipedia

Largely carrying a two step or waltz beat, cajun fiddle is a pleasure by which to dance.  Tunes are mostly sung in French with an unmistakable howling quality.  It is deliciously unique and I would guess that most music purveyors would not recognize the music if they heard it.  Instrumentation is chiefly fiddle, accordian, guitar, triangle and fiddlesticks.  Some great bands have emerged form the style such as Balfa Toujours (Balfa Forever) http://www.balfatoujours.com/.  I was fortunate to hear this marvelous group play at Jay Ungar’s Ashokan Fiddle and Dance Camp in 2002, and study Cajun fiddle with Kevin Wimmer.

Is variety the spice of life or spicy food and music the variety of life? http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cajun

Take a listen to seasoned fiddler/singer, Kevin Wimmer and his mother in this wonderful video:

This is possibly the most frequently asked question I have ever received as a player.  I often facetiously retort, “It’s a violin when you buy it and a fiddle when you sell it.” 

Actually, there is no real difference between the instruments.  Some say,” a violin is a fiddle and a fiddle is a violin.”  Sometimes, the bridge is flatter on a fiddle so the player can more easily play on two strings.  Oftentimes “fiddlers” use a different quality string, such as a coarser steel string as opposed to a gut string used for a sweeter sounding instrument, but in the end, it’s the approach to the instrument and the style of music played that determines Carnegie or the Ozarks.

Here are some of the differences you may observe when hearing the violin or Fiddle: 

Bowing – “God made the violin and the devil made the bow.”  The fiddle has a certain bow style unique unto itself.  Depending on the fiddle music (e.g. Irish, Virginia, Texas, Cajun, Old Tyme, Bluegrass, etc.) the player will accent notes by use of slurs, pulses and ornaments in their bow style.  Classically trained players also have a myriad of bow styles in their quivers but are generally more formal and all have fancy Italian & French names (i.e. staccato, legato, detache, etc.).  Fiddlers play more “drones” which is dragging the adjacent string along for the ride with only one finger down on the fingerboard while playing two notes.  Violinists play “double stops”, which are two separate notes using two fingers to achieve the effect.  Both can sound like two violins/fiddles playing at the same time even though it’s just one player. 

Music – Fiddlers tend to play more by ear, listening and grabbing nuances through auditory skills. Violinists typically work off sheet music.  One is classical music, the other is folk music.  It is not uncommon for an experienced fiddler to learn a “fiddle tune” in minutes as they can hear the key immediately.  Many classical players play fiddle music and lots of fiddlers have some classical training.   Both styles use extensive memorization for concerts and jams. 

Position – Both violin and fiddle are usually played under the cheek, even though the piece on the instrument is called the “chin rest.”  Sometimes I’ve seen fiddlers hold the fiddle much lower resting on the forearm and lodged into one’s side much like coddling a baby.  Fiddlers sometimes use only ¾ of  the bow by playing “up on the stick.” 

I’m sure there are many, many more differences, and when it’s all said and done, enjoyment of either the violin or fiddle is profoundly personal and each can grab you like the dickens depending on your mood.

Please check out this great fiddler below and don’t worry…a “Pig’s Foot” is a BLACKSMITH’S TOOL.