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5-string Fidola
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Subject: 5-string Fidola From: SDShad Date: 12 Jul 00 - 11:34 PM This is for kat, Hardi, and Praise who have asked about my 5-string fiddle in private email with SDShad. I decided it was time to become an entity within myself, separate from my husband. Wow, it's like the 70's all over again. Fidolas, or 5-string fiddles are not all that uncommon. I've seen electrics advertised on the web. They are generally tuned with the top four strings as a violin (EADG) with the addition lower fifth (no pun intended)string (C). Mine, however, is very special as it is the last of seven made by a fine gentleman named Chet Olson. SDShad and I are arguing if he was inductee into the Folk Music Hall of Fame (my memory) or the Old-Time Fiddlers Hall of Fame (Chris's) or The Old-Time Music Hall of Fame (desperate attempt at reconciliation), but you all get the idea. It's a gem! Chet used to play on the old WNAX out of Yankton, SD, the station that gave Lawrence Welk his start. WNAX was one of the earliest radio stations in the U.S. and used to cover several states. True old-timey style, but he mentored many a contest-style player, including Kenny Putnam. I don't have a big enough case for it and early on cracked my bridge. For some reason we couldn't get up to see Chet to fix it, so Chet instructed me to do what he had done--whittle down a cello bridge. The broader curve is not just for the fifth string but facilitates double stops. Chet's in a home now and too independent of a man to want to have folks see him there. That makes me sad. I'm a bass player that he got fiddling again. I'd started to teach our foster daughter to play violin and took her up to meet Chet. He wouldn't let me put it down until we went through his whole hand-written tune book. I seriously sliced my left pointer finger cutting matts, but when it's healed. . . Oh well fiddlers don't get to have nice finger nails very often and I'm working on my singing, something else fiddlers don't do much. Thank you all for your tunes on Hear Me! Pretty long post for a newbie! |
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Subject: RE: 5-string Fidola From: katlaughing Date: 13 Jul 00 - 12:09 AM Wow! Thanks, Hypatia! Those are just the kind of stories we love to have at the Mudcat! Can't wait for that finger to heal up so we can HearYou, too! Thanks and welcome, womon!**BG** kat |
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Subject: RE: 5-string Fidola From: SDShad Date: 13 Jul 00 - 01:23 AM Oops. Beth kinda took over my cookie instead of creating her own. Of course when I claimed it back, it eliminated her "identity," and so now it says the post was from SDShad, not Hypatia. We'll get 'er set up with her own cookie here, though..... Chris |
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Subject: RE: 5-string Fidola From: Jon Freeman Date: 13 Jul 00 - 02:07 AM Chris, there is only one "live" cookie at any time. You need to reset cookie as and when required unless you have more than one computer. Jon |
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Subject: RE: 5-string Fidola From: Willie-O Date: 13 Jul 00 - 07:25 AM Well, what's one more computer? ;)= Hiya Hypatia, that sounds like a great instrument. a CELLO bridge? Aren't they, like, huge? Willie-O |
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Subject: RE: 5-string Fidola From: Callie Date: 13 Jul 00 - 08:44 AM A friend has had one made recently. It has an amazing range, and it even looks great - a gargoyle head on top of the scroll. I'll show her this thread & she'll be excited! |
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Subject: RE: 5-string Fidola From: SDShad Date: 13 Jul 00 - 10:32 AM Yep, Jon, that's exactly what we didn't do. I gave her vague "go-to-Membership-and-create-your-own-cookie" instructions, and forgot to tell her to reset. But we're much better now! If you have both IE and Netscape, though, you can have 'em configured for each of two cookies! And Willie-O, that was my reaction, too, when Beth told me about it. Once it's done, you won't even recognize it as a cello bridge. But a regular violin bridge is just too small. Chris |
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Subject: RE: 5-string Fidola From: Turtle Date: 13 Jul 00 - 11:28 AM Hypatia, do you know my friend David Stenshoel here in Minneapolis? Plays fiddle with Boiled in Lead as well as other bands and venues? He plays a five-string fiddle too, though I never heard him call it a fidola. I had never seen one until I saw his. I just started playing fiddle eighteen months ago, and four strings are really plenty for me right now, but that five-string fiddle sure makes some lovely music with David playing it. He tunes it as you've described, with the low string tuned to C. I think he said it's a Middle Eastern instrument, is that right? |
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Subject: RE: 5-string Fidola From: Jon Freeman Date: 13 Jul 00 - 11:31 AM I know the Netscape / Explorer method - I don't know where my brain was when I made my last post - sorry. Jon |
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Subject: RE: 5-string Fidola From: katlaughing Date: 13 Jul 00 - 12:40 PM Hey, I just found a Fidola Foundation with all kinds of links and some information. Says it is an international org. and that the fidola was invented by a guy in Dedham, Massachusetts, who has also invented something which allows one to play a harp and guitar at the same time! I couldn't get the sound or photos files they ahev lsited to work, but it is still a fun thing to check out. kat |
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Subject: RE: 5-string Fidola From: Sorcha Date: 13 Jul 00 - 02:18 PM All the 5 string fiddles I have seen used a viola bridge. |
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Subject: RE: 5-string Fidola From: wysiwyg Date: 13 Jul 00 - 05:02 PM Welcome Hypatia!!!! I will pass this on to Hardiman, he isn;t here much these days. New Sister!??! ~Susan |
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Subject: RE: 5-string Fidola From: GUEST,Hypatia Date: 13 Jul 00 - 05:05 PM |
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Subject: RE: 5-string Fidola From: GUEST,Hypatia Date: 13 Jul 00 - 05:42 PM Mine's a little broader and with a shallower curve than a standard viola bridge. I still have full string separation, where with a viola bridge you are putting five strings on a bridge designed for four. I think I would have trouble with the closer strings. It would require such concise bowing. The more shallow curve aids in double-stops. Some fiddlers will flatten their regular violin bridges. Mine is shaped like a modern violin, not a viol (vielle?). I'm guessing what the fidola site is talking about when they say "vielle" is the viola de gamba which has sloaping shoulders like a modern bass. I don't know if SDShad has told you about the world class instrument museum here, but we live in the right town to find out if my guess is erroneous. Viola de gamba often have very ornate carved heads instead of the modern scroll. I couldn't get the applettes to run on that site either. Too bad. Well now if we do HearMe at my office, SDS will be on the Mac and I will be on the Gateway! |
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Subject: RE: 5-string Fidola From: Hardiman the Fiddler Date: 15 Jul 00 - 04:56 PM Hey, it is great to be two days late, and a dollar short. Praise told me about this thread. While I've seen a lot of electric fiddles with five strings (never played one) I had never heard of one being acoustic before now. It sounds like a great instrument, and I hope I get the chance to hear it on hear me some time. Welcome to the mudcat Hypatia. Hardiman |
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Subject: RE: 5-string Fidola From: oggie Date: 15 Jul 00 - 06:33 PM There is a 5-string Mandolin that works the same way! All the best Steve |
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Subject: RE: 5-string Fidola From: wysiwyg Date: 16 Jul 00 - 03:11 PM Hypatia, I don't think Macs can do HearMe yet. Or rather, I think that HearMe can't do Macs yet. You'll have to duet together. ~S~ |
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