this fiddle is the second in a series exploring the sources of variety that we see in violins. A broader discussion of the ideas behind this series is laid out in an earlier post. where I suggest that there are four sources of variety in any violin, or man made...
Un-Natural. Playing the violin in the conventional manner requires some rather un-natural contortions. The left elbow is held more or less directly below the violin neck. This requires some contortion when the instrument is played in the third and higher positions,...
I made this fiddle as the first of a series to explore the sources of variety that we see in violins. I'm also thinking about traditional violinmaking in the Digital Age. A broader discussion of the ideas behind this series is laid out in an earlier post. Variations...
This post is about variety in violins, why it is important, where it come from, and how it has been influenced by mechanization. I will also look at the effects and possibilities of digitization on modern violinmaking. Every violin that you come across is slightly...
Strad Magazine (March 2023) published an article on my Off-Beat Violins There's some online companion material , and the full online feature for subscribers
There’s a great feature on Mia Pixley and her Ripple cello in this months Strings Magazine. This project was so much fun…..and it’s still making waves! To read the full article you'll have to subscribe to Strings
Having run through the process once with the Ripple Fiddle, I was ready to tackle the cello, starting with a review of the "prototype". I met with Mia and her colleague, violinist and musical improvisor Alisa Rose, who is interested in the project. They were both...
A commission from Bay Area cellist, composer, and songwriter, Mia Pixley led to a creative partnership and the development of one of the few new sounds ever to be added to acoustic bowed instruments. Mia was interested in the Off Beat Fiddles. In her performances Mia...
The Tabolin was strung up and played with different configurations of weights on the velum panels. https://youtu.be/cMvSN32r9Pc Thanks to my friends Gabriel Wheaton and Joe Peterson, who helped me sound test the Tabolin Results With no weights The Tabolin is...
A collection of instruments for tonal and aesthetic exploration. This began as a Covid project. I'd long wanted to make an instrument that showed off some of the the attractive stages that the violin goes through during the construction process. The Dimpled Viola made...