Traditional Irish Folk Music 8 Instrumentation 4 The Fiddle

The Fiddle.
The Fiddle used in traditional Irish Folk music is simply a Violin, though it does appear that Irish Fiddlers like many folk fiddlers prefer a flat backed instrument instead of the classical arched back style.The only other differences between an instrument used for folk playing are, shaving the bridge down to allow easier playing of double stops and also fiddle players tend to favor fine tuners on all four strings in stead of just the E string as preferred by classical players.

Parts of a violin/fiddle

[http://www.private-violin-lessons.co.uk/images/Violin-large.jpeg]

The fiddle is presumed to be a descendant of the Byzantine lyra.

An interesting set of three articles by Caoimhín Mac Aoidh(1) about Irish fiddling,originally published in Vol. 1 of An Fhidil Ghaelach (now out of print).

Part three covers the different regional styles including:

North Donegal / West Tyrone / Northwest Tyrone, East Derry / Antrim/ Southwest Tyrone, South Donegal / Fermanagh / North Leitrim, Sligo, East Galway, Clare and Sliabh Luachra

Tuned the same as a classical violin GDAE. Though Cross tuning appears very common, including lowering all the strings by a semitone to play with the uilleann  Pipes, also tunings such as AEAE which allowed the fiddler to play a pipe like drone alongside the melody[ http://www.fiddlingaround.co.uk/ireland/]. Irish fiddle players  make less use of vibrato than classical player.

Upon listening to Irish fiddle tunes, it appears to me that fiddlers play with a tighter bow than classical players, perhaps this is to give the bow more of a bounce against the strings aiding in the playing style, or perhaps as the fiddle is generally taught by ear, it has just become 'the norm'. I believe that this tighter bow combined with the technique of slurring into the beat common in Irish fiddle playing, adds to the natural lilt of Irish fiddle playing. This lilt is very reminiscent of the Irish brogue of the spoken language, and as a conscious or unconscious decision it  makes Irish fiddle playing very distinctive.

The other thing that makes Irish fiddle playing so distinctive is the use of ornamentation. Irish folk melodies appear to be relatively simplistic on fist examination. It is the ornamentation used by the fiddle player that adds the complexity to the style.
The most common ornamentations are:

The Cut

When two notes of the same pitch are together in a tune, a usually higher grace note is inserted between them, played with a slur of the bow. 

The Tap  

The same as a cut yet a lower grace note is used( more common on tin whistle)

The Double Cut or Casadh

Similar to an upper mordant in classical styles, where a melody note is preceded by two grace notes,  the same note and a note higher. For example a B would be preceded by a B and D.

The Long Roll

Prevalent in jig playing where a note lasting half a bar of 6/8 or a dotted crochet( three quavers) is split into five rapid notes played with a single slur of the bow. For example a D may become DEDCD.

The Short Roll

Identical to the long roll except that the five notes are squeezed into a a crochet instead of dotted crochet

The Cran

An imitation of pipe ornamentation, basically a roll using an open string.

The Slide

Used at the start of a phrase for one or two key notes of a tune, the player slided into the melody note usually from a semitone below

The Treble, or Bowed Triplet

The treble is a down-up-down or up-down-up bow technique splitting usually a crochet into three short flicks or stutters of the bow instead of three  distinct separate bow movements.

Reference:
Brewczynska M, 2011 'Violin facts & history' (image) [online] available at: <http://www.private-violin-lessons.co.uk/images/Violin-large.jpeg> (accessed 5 October 2013)
(1) Mac Aoidh, Caoimhín. 2000. “Caoimhín Mac Aoidh on Regional Fiddle Styles,” originally published in Vol. 1 An Fhidil Ghaelach (out of print) (article) [online] available at:<http://www.standingstones.com/caoimhin.html> (accessed 5 October 2013)
Haigh Chris,  'Irish Fiddle' fiddlingaround (no date) (article) [online]Available at:<http://www.fiddlingaround.co.uk/ireland/> (accessed 5 October 2013)