Are Violins and Fiddles the Same or Not?

I fully believe in the saying, “it’s better late than never”. This is in connection with things that I have always wanted to do, but have never had the opportunity to do so, not until today that is. As long as there is a chance that I can do those things, and still be able to enjoy myself while doing so, then I will always try to pursue it. And of course I shall try and help my cause by doing my best to create time for those said interests, even if finding time proves to be quite the challenge. After all, a chance to experience and enjoy those interests is why I why I insisted on trying it despite being a little late.

The saying I mentioned above is perfectly applicable to my delayed effort to learn how to play the violin. Despite the fact that it is quite late, I am not totally without any background in music. I used to play the drums and piano, but that was during my grade school and high school days, which have been years and years before. Circumstances prevented me from learning the violin, and when I went to work after college I completely lost the chance to pursue it then, as I was already too busy. But these days, I have a lot more time in my hands, which now gives me the chance to finally becoming the violinist that I have long ago wanted to be. However, I need to settle a question that has been bugging me lately, and that is this question – are violins and fiddles the same?

Of Violins and Fiddles

So are violins and fiddles the same or not? In my research about the matter, I encountered some pretty interesting and surprising answers to my query. It turns out that a fiddle and a violin is simply one and the same. I have always suspected much of the same, although I have never really encountered any credible explanation before. Apparently, it is nothing more than two names that describe exactly the same thing. The kind of music that is played on the instrument also plays a part in whether it is going to be called a fiddle or a violin. Fiddles seem to be used to play traditional, or folk, music. Violins, on the other hand, are said to be used to play pieces that are composition based, like Jazz and Western classical music. But still, there have been instances when the names have been interchanged, and by no less than those are considered experts in playing the instrument. So what I gather from all of this is that the name should actually matter less than the music and the quality of the playing. You can play a fiddle or a violin, it does not matter, what matters is that you are able to produce great music through the instrument.