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Fiddle Challenge, on viola???

March 24, 2012 at 2:37 AM

After reaching out to Adam DeGraff, the sheet music for the fiddle challenge arrived - for violin. One small catch, I play viola (primarily). In exchange for the violin version, I promised to send him a one of a kind, hand-scribed, signed alto clef version.

Before simply dropping the whole thing by a 5th, I gave it a go as written. Things went quite well until around measure 28 when it required fingered octaves up in 7th position and beyond. Nope, dropping it a 5th so I can get the open strings was going to be necessary. So, I tried fingering it as if I were playing violin. This was easier than I expected for the most part, until I got up in the higher register and lost my fingerboard-bearings.

I have a stack of fresh manuscript paper and a sharp pencil waiting for me to get to work transcribing some '80's music. I'm a bit old-fashioned in this regard, transcribing by hand, but it is something I enjoy doing. After that, I can start tackling the finer techniques of bowing such as the "grab" and the "chop".

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Mendy, I just entered TRFC 2012 as well. For us classically trained violinists, the "grab" and "chop" are quite foreign concepts!
Gene, you're telling me! It's turning out more of a 'gliss' and 'sFz' than a grab & chop.

Maybe I should just try a different interpretation, maybe in the style of Beethoven...

I just entered my first part--on violin. I think it will sound great on viola too!