Where Did the Fiddle Come From?
The term fiddle can be used to refer to any stringed instrument that can be played with a bow. Fiddles come in all shapes and sizes, but despite being used to play very different styles of music around the world, all fiddles share some common historical origins.
Earliest Fiddles
Stringed instruments similar to the fiddle were first developed in India around 3000 B.C. These instruments may have been played with bows or plucked with the fingers. They figured prominently in Indian mythology and were crafted as part of a religious practice. Over time the Indian fiddle was introduced to other Asian cultures where it was modified and gradually evolved.
By the ninth century, fiddles that were played with bows became widespread. The lyra was an instrument used throughout the vast Byzantine Empire, which included northern Africa, southern and southeastern Europe, and parts of the Middle East. The lyra was bowed much like a violin. Its strings, which ranged in number from three to five, were also stopped with the fingers of the player's other hand to control pitch, also as with a violin.
Evolution
Today the lyra is considered the forerunner of most of the stringed instruments developed in Europe. By the 12th century, fiddles were in general use throughout Europe and the term "fiddle" was fully established. During the Renaissance, the fiddle evolved into two distinct classes of instruments. The first were larger instruments, such as the cello, that were played while held between the legs and braced against the floor. The second category included early violins and was made up of instruments held in the arms or resting against the chin, neck, and shoulders.
Both types of fiddles were important in the development of Renaissance music. Eventually smaller fiddles became increasingly popular and came to dominate much of the music produced during the later Renaissance, evolving toward the modern violin.
The Violin
The four-stringed violin emerged as a distinct type of fiddle in the early 16th century. It became popular in the city of Brescia in northern Italy, which was known for its musical contributions to the Renaissance. Brescia was a gathering place for students and elite violinists, among other musicians. Eventually it also became a major manufacturing center for violins. By the mid-1550s, violins in the Brescia style were being used all across Europe.
By the mid-17th century violin making had shifted from Brescia to the northern Italian city of Cremona. It was there that violin makers such as the Guarnieri family and Antonio Stradivari established workshops that produced some of the finest instruments ever made. Fiddles from these makers are highly prized collector's items today.
American Fiddles
Various types of fiddles were brought to America in the 18th and 19th centuries by European immigrants. The American folk music that developed during the colonial era made use of the fiddle. Soon the term "fiddle" became separated from the more specific violin, and was commonly used to refer colloquially to the smaller variety of bowed string instruments used in folk music.
Country and bluegrass musical traditions arose, with the fiddle playing a prominent role. Fiddles were also used in such American fusion styles of music as zydeco and eventually, rock 'n' roll.
Today in the United States violins used in classical music are seldom called fiddles. The exception to this is the community of classical musicians themselves, who retain the term as an affectionate name for their instruments.
Fiddles Around the World
Today many of the various styles of fiddles are still played in their country of origin as part of a larger cultural or musical legacy. In Canada, fiddling remains a popular musical style, derived from the combined French and English fiddle traditions. Fiddles are also common in Eastern Europe where they are part of traditional Roma and Jewish cultures. English and Irish folk music are also highly reliant on fiddles.
Fiddle music is also played in places as diverse as India, Scandinavia, China, and Mexico.
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