Fiddling: 5 Questions of Bowing

This past weekend, I attended the 23rd Annual Dance Flurry in Saratoga Springs, NY. This event brings together folk artists from New York and surrounding states to perform and give workshops in dance, fiddle, guitar, singing, banjo, mandolin, and a variety of other folk genres.

As I've discussed in class, the bowing of fiddle tunes can often provide insight into the character of the tune and its background. However, "fiddle bowings" can be complicated and different from the bowings that classically-trained musicians are accustomed to. One presenter offered a solution to the daunting task of figuring out fiddle bowings. She offered 5 questions of bowing to ask when presented with a new tune:

1. What bow does it start on?
2. What bow does it end on?
3. How many slurs are there?
4. How many notes on a slur?
5. Where does the slur start?

By asking these questions, we can listen more carefully and with greater purpose. With the answers organized in our minds, we can learn the tunes more quickly and accurately.