I've noticed a strange occurrence lately. Whenever I write a new song -specifically an instrumental- it always sounds like a fiddle tune, whether I play it on the guitar or banjo.

Not that it actually sounds like a fiddle, but in my mind, while I'm making up the melody, and other bits of the tune,  I'm sort of imagining fiddle licks.

I suppose that that's not too unusual considering that the fiddle was pretty much the dominant lead instrument in old time music for many, many years. It's loud enough to be played un-amplified at a barn dance, it's got no frets, and is played with a bow, which gives it the sustain and tone of the human voice. Sometimes, it really does sound like someone singing.

Then, I get to thinking 'why didn't I ever learn how to play the fiddle if I'm constantly hearing it in my head?'

I 'spose it's because the fiddle is not commonly known as a solo instrument to accompany the voice. I like to sing, and it seems to me that any time I've seen or heard a fiddle player who sings, they always stop fiddling when they do.

Mind you, there's probably a few out there who do -I just haven't heard them.

I love old-time fiddle music (obviously, that's why I find myself playing fiddle melodies on the guitar and banjo) and find myself listening to more fiddle junk than banjo stuff these days.

I'm not about to buy one and try to play it though. I'd just be setting myself up for failure. It took me decades of playing guitar just to get to what I thought was a competent level; and as for the banjo: I still consider myself to be a rank amateur.

Maybe I'll just pull all the frets out of my banjo, and start bowing it à lá Jimmy Page and his Les Paul.

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