violin ruination?

[Sandra Layman <sandl...>]

Josh Horowitz wrote recently about the *tsvay strunes* style:

<<
noone in the scene has yet had the
patience or (am I allowed to say) courage to *ruin* their violins to
develop this technique.
>>


On the instigation of a prominent Greek folk violinist over 20 years ago,
who filed the grooves in the nut and bridge of my violin, I did venture
this sort of "violin ruination." ;-)

This double-string technique, also known as c,ifte-telli or tsifteteli
(etc.) has, of course, been used by Turks, Greeks, even Romanians, before I
ever stumbled along.

It's not always the A and E strings being played in octaves, by the way. It
can, for example, be the D and A strings, where the A is tuned down to the
D and there is a unison (more or less).

Thanks for the wonderful posts, Josh.

Sandra Layman
sandL (at) compuserve(dot)com
violinist

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