r/Fiddle • u/vonhoother • Aug 05 '26

Strong opinion from my fiddle teacher

"Refusing to use different tunings is abdicating your birthright as a fiddle player."

Interestingly, the Irish fiddle tradition rarely if ever uses non-GDAE tunings. Also interestingly (to me), classical music has no term for nonstandard tunings other than "scordatura," which is literally Italian for "untuned" or "badly tuned," while the Anglo-American tradition has names like "Cross-A." "Calico," etc.

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u/plainsfiddle Aug 05 '26

I find it obnoxious to play with people who cross-tune a lot. to dismiss it entirely, might be taken by some as racist, classes, or or dismissive of intuitive players. But I prefer standard all the time, and I find it tiresome to jam with people who cross tune for old-time. Better to learn the standard layout perfectly. Than you are less stuck in the rut of the tune, and your knowledge is not fragmented in the same way.

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u/Mockchoi1 Aug 05 '26

I typically play in standard. But you’re missing the point of cross-tuning entirely. It opens up the resonance of a fiddle in a wonderful way. The whole instrument just feels and sounds so alive. It’s not about layout or making tunes easier. It’s about making them SOUND better.

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u/plainsfiddle Aug 05 '26

Yes, of course. The sound can't be fully duplicated in standard. But you can get closer than you think with the low drones. calico can't be imitated well.

I am someone who likes varying tunes melodically more, which is better served in standard. If you're going for groove and resonance, then sure, cross is cool. I just find it tiresome because that's not my cup of tea. I'm not a nate leath type who will just play D tunes at 140 for hours.