FOLK MUSIC INSTRUMENTS:

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THE FIDDLE

Call it fiddle or violin . . . it's basically the same instrument: The real distinction is the style in which it's played. Many musicians feel that the fiddle is the king of acoustic instruments . . . the most difficult to play, and capable of the greatest range of tone and feeling. There are almost no limits to the types of music it can play. True, the fiddle's not much of an instrument for accompanying solo singing or for sounding full chords, but other than that, you can do almost anything on it.

The very things that make the fiddle difficult to play are the attributes that give the instrument its expressive range. To begin with, the fingerboard has no frets. That means you have to put your fingers down in precisely the right place each time to get a clean note, and that takes a lot of practice. But the advantage of not having frets is that you can slide into or out of notes, which is part of the reason the fiddle is such a great jazz and blues tool.

While the left-handed, fret less-fretting technique may sound difficult, it's really the bowing that makes the instrument unique, wonderful ... and maddening. When drawn steadily across the strings, the bow can make the fiddle sing in beautiful, rich tones. Or, with short, quick strokes, it can spit out notes at lightning speed. But in the hands of the beginner, the bow only squawks, requiring nerves of steel to get through the early stages of learning (and a great deal of patience from your family and friends). You can get the hang of it, though, if you just keep trying.

The bowing technique is the primary thing distinguishing the folk fiddle from the classical violin. In fiddling, a loose wrist is essential . . . whereas a classical violinist generally uses a stiffer technique. (That's why classically trained violinists often sound so stiff when they try to fiddle.) The two styles aren't mutually exclusive, you just have to practice both. Certainly, some classical training can help any fiddler get better intonation and tone.

If ever there was an instrument that you couldn't learn halfheartedly, it's this one. You've got to have a passionate interest in learning to play the fiddle to keep at it long enough to make it sing. But what a joy when it does!

THE MANDOLIN

The mandolin is tuned like the fiddle: in fifths, which makes it "logical" (that is, the next note up or down the scale will always be right where you expect it to be). Unlike its musical cousin, though, the mandolin has double strings and is played with a pick, giving the instrument a bright, lively sound with very little "sustain". It's also capable of producing the full range of chords. And, because the instrument has frets, you can play it with your left hand more easily than you can the fiddle (though its double strings are harder to press down at first).

The mandolin can play melodies or serve as an excellent rhythm instrument. Because it lacks a full bass tonal range, though, it's not a great soloist. But even with just a single guitar for backup, the little gem is superb for almost any style of folk music.

As is the case with playing most instruments, it's the picking hand that takes the most work. For the mandolin to sound its best, you have to play rapidly, accurately, and forcefully . . . not an easy task on such a small instrument. [EDITOR'S NOTE: A MOTHER staffer who's been a happily struggling mandolin player for over a year reports that he's still learning to playtremolo . . . that fast, single-note fluttering that's such a distinctive part of the instrument's sound.] But once you've got the basics, the mandolin can make music that's sweet and simple, hard and driving, or wild and jazzy.

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