in typical English usage, the “fiddle” and the “violin” are exactly the same instrument, but almost without exception, folk/trad players call the instrument a fiddle while classical players call it a violin.
but on MB, “violin” is an instrument while “fiddle” is a family.
if i’m adding credit for a folk/trad recording where a “fiddle player” plays a “fiddle” (according to the liner notes), should i use “violin” but add “credited as: fiddle”, or should i use “fiddle” (the family) even though this is less precise?
using the former shows up like this: “Emma Sweeney performed violin [fiddle] on The Singing Kettle”, which while technically correct, reads very oddly to me - she’s not a “violin [fiddle] player”!
As they printed fiddle, I would certainly use Fiddle, even if it is a family.
It’s like Bass and Drums families, that are very often used, as they are printed that way.
if you know it’s a violin-type fiddle, I’d say use violin credited as fiddle, just like if you know it’s an electric bass guitar, you’d use that credited as bass. I don’t think it hurts to be more specific than the given credits if you know it’s true (and/or have a source for it)
Q: What’s the difference between a violin and a fiddle?
A: You can spill beer on a fiddle.
There’s no such thing as a “violin-type fiddle”. In standard usage, they are two words for the same instrument. I would (and do) use violin or fiddle depending on how it’s credited on the release.
I don’t work much with classical music, but in bluegrass, country, and cajun/creole music the term “violin” is definitely used at times, although less frequently than “fiddle”. Jazz violin is relatively rare, but is more commonly called violin rather than fiddle. If I’m working off secondary sources (like discographies) I would go with “fiddle” for a country recording but “violin” for jazz.
Hi! instrument guy here!
UltimateRiff is right, you should use "'violin” but add “credited as: fiddle”
it might seem unintuitive. but it would just be as unintuitive if the instrument was called “fiddle” and all the credits for “violin” where “fiddle [violin]”!
It’s a compromise that favours classical over folk, unfortunately.
I kinda get the feeling “fiddle” should then work like our “bass” instrument: it’s a generic credit that usually means violin, so if people are sure then they can use violin as fiddle, but it should be fine to keep fiddle credits under “fiddle” too - I’d probably do the same as with bass and mark it as “Other” though rather than “Family”.
Yea and I’m not sure it’s really a family in the traditional meaning of it - it’s not so much “different very similar instruments that are kinda variations of each other” as “different instruments that can be played in a similar style”.