Violin or Fiddle?

[Subdeacon Joe]

An interesting description:

 

"The violin & fiddle exist in a quantum superposition where an object is both a violin & a fiddle at the same time until music is played on it. It is only after hearing the music that you can determine which of the two it is. That's #StringTheory"

[Rye Miles #13621]

Yep fiddle is country and bluegrass, violin is classical and orchestral.

 

Then there’s Jean Luc Ponty

 

 

 

 

 

Edited November 29, 2025 by Rye Miles #13621

[Ozark Huckleberry]

My granddad played the fiddle, he told me the difference was teeth.

 

Edited November 29, 2025 by Ozark Huckleberry

[Sgt. C.J. Sabre, SASS #46770]

 

[Subdeacon Joe]

 

 

 

[Irish Pat]

A violin has strings.  A fiddle has “straings “

[Creeker, SASS #43022]

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Edited November 29, 2025 by Creeker, SASS #43022

[Creeker, SASS #43022]

...

Edited November 29, 2025 by Creeker, SASS #43022

[Sgt. C.J. Sabre, SASS #46770]

1 hour ago, Creeker, SASS #43022 said:

...

 

1 hour ago, Creeker, SASS #43022 said:

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So what are you trying to say here Creeker?

[Three Foot Johnson]

I used to play fiddle and mandolin quite a bit. As above, if you play country/bluegrass and have a Coors at intermission, it's a fiddle and if you play classical and have Dom Perignon at intermission, it's a violin. A fiddle will often have a slightly flatter bridge to make transitioning to a double stop quicker/easier, and enable playing the occasional triple stop.

 

[Blackwater 53393]

But what do you call it when it’s played in Rock ‘n’ Roll???

 

 

[Sedalia Dave]

Both from the same artist.

 

 

 

 

 

[Blackwater 53393]

S’ more Rock ‘n’ Roll!

 

 

[Creeker, SASS #43022]

3 hours ago, Sgt. C.J. Sabre, SASS #46770 said:

 

So what are you trying to say here Creeker?

I made a couple comments that I initially believed to be self deprecating and funny, but after consideration felt insulting.

And as it was NOT my intention to insult; I removed them.

[Rip Snorter]

If i recall the lyrics, the Devil discovered the difference.

[Rye Miles #13621]

One of the best jazz violinists ever!

 

 

[Blackwater 53393]

Just now, Rip Snorter said:

If i recall the lyrics, the Devil discovered the difference.

You mean this ol’ thing?

 

 

[Rip Snorter]

1 minute ago, Blackwater 53393 said:

You mean this ol’ thing?

 

 

No the original.  Charlie Daniels

[Rye Miles #13621]

Another great jazz violinist 

 

 

[Blackwater 53393]

21 minutes ago, Rip Snorter said:

No the original.  Charlie Daniels

That WAS/IS  the original recording by Charlie Daniels! It appeared in the soundtrack for that movie!

 

The other available recordings were covered with commercials! I don’t like to post commercials…

[Rip Snorter]

I do not care to watch videos - most often a waste of my time.  I don't inflict that stuff on others.

[Blackwater 53393]

13 minutes ago, Rip Snorter said:

I do not care to watch videos - most often a waste of my time.  I don't inflict that stuff on others.

Now that you mention it, there’s no video attached to that one! It’s just the picture of the album cover!! 🙄

 

[Sgt. C.J. Sabre, SASS #46770]

1 hour ago, Creeker, SASS #43022 said:

I made a couple comments that I initially believed to be self deprecating and funny, but after consideration felt insulting.

And as it was NOT my intention to insult; I removed them.

No need for self deprecating comments, if we want to insult you, we will.

[watab kid]

ive always felt it had to do with the music more than the instrument - muy daughter plays violin/fiddle , when she played in high school orchestra it was formal , it was violin , when she played in other venues it was a bit more open sounding and free style fiddle , today when she plays at church its both depending on the service

 

ive always been in favor of having both a fiddle and a banjo in the band , but then im partial to fun music while appreciating the formal as well , but then girls arent the only ones that want to have fun ...............

[Rye Miles #13621]

 

 

Origin of “Fiddle”

 

 

• Old English: fithele or fidele
• Proto-Germanic: fiðlō — an early Germanic word for a bowed string instrument
• Old Norse: fiðla — also meant a stringed instrument
• German: related to Fiedel (still means “fiddle/violin” today)

 

 

All of these likely trace back even further to the Late Latin word vitula, which referred to:

 

• a stringed instrument
• or possibly the Roman goddess Vitula, associated with joy and celebration

 

 

Over time, “fiddle” simply became the common, everyday English word for bowed string instruments—especially in folk traditions—while “violin” became the formal Italian-derived term.

[Stump Water]

I can't believe this thread has gone this far and no one has said it yet...

 

It's a violin until you spill beer on it.  

[Rye Miles #13621]

35 minutes ago, Stump Water said:

I can't believe this thread has gone this far and no one has said it yet...

 

It's a violin until you spill beer on it.  

Or moonshine!

[watab kid]

i dont plat so im not the one to speak to that , but ive spilled my share of beer and moonshine in this life so i can relate to that 

[Rye Miles #13621]

Well we sure “fiddled around” on this topic a long time! 😂🤣

[Marshal Mo Hare, SASS #45984]

About other string instruments. The double bass/contrabass is called a bass fiddle when used for country and is tuned differently? Is that right?

 

Viola and cello don't normally get used for country or blugrass but I have seen instructions for that.

[Sgt. C.J. Sabre, SASS #46770]

20 hours ago, Rye Miles #13621 said:

Well we sure “fiddled around” on this topic a long time! 😂🤣

Just "stringing" it along.

[H. K. Uriah, SASS #74619]

I saw a program once many years ago where a guy had been playing the violin.   After finishing some song, he thanked the audience for their applause and something like this happened....

"Thank you.  At this point, I'd like to put away my violin and play a different instrument."  He put the violin behind his back, paused, brought it back out and said, "My fiddle."

The audience laughed, and then he started playing a really great fiddle tune.  Don't remember what it was.