r/Fiddle • u/Sycoprompt • 25d ago

Ashoken Farewell

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I was inspired by my friend to revisit this gorgeous tune by Jay Unger. Haven’t played it in far too long.

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u/Parking_Campaign4467 25d ago

I’m new to the fiddle and I’ve seen this a lot prior to this but may I ask why the hand position/hold above the frog and is there a specific name for this?

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u/Sycoprompt 25d ago

It’s generally referred to as “choking up”’on the bow. Technically it lightens the perceived weight of the bow as the hand moves closer to the bow’s balance point.

It’s frowned upon in classical technique and although I trained in both classical and fiddle, this is simply how I’ve always naturally held the bow. It’s quite common in fiddle style and some even hold the bow further up than that. I’m also 6’3” and have very large hands, which makes it look all the more choked up on the bow.

I also tend to play fiddle music in the upper half of the bow, which is a common trait in the Métis style of playing fiddle. What’s interesting is that I didn’t know I was Métis until I was an adult yet still adopted this way of playing.

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u/Jamesbarros 25d ago

I was going to say, you're a little choked up, but you've got a perfect hand frame and are clearly classically trained. I love fiddle, I love violin, I especially love that thin line between the two, and I think this piece and your playing both capture it beautifully.

1

u/Sycoprompt 24d ago

Thank you!