File: hughesemmett-oh-doublestops_M.mp3
Speakers
EH – Emmett Hughes
KP – Curator Ken Perlman
KP I think I heard you use a lot of double strings in your playing, is that true? You try to hit two strings?
EH Yes, and a lot of times you finger two strings, too. See, you double down on them and take two at a time.
KP Why is that?
EH It saves fingering, Rather than pick the finger up and put it down again, you just bend it down.
KP Why do you hit two strings at once?
EH Well, this is a tune like that, the "Princess Reel" has it ...
Hughes demonstrates opening strain of Princess Reel
EH See you use the two strings...and rather than go for that, [demonstrates finger movements] -- you couldn't do it fast enough. And holdin on to the fiddle strings you keep the finger and that finger there and you keep that down an awful lot
Hughes demonstrates opening strain of Heather on the Hill
EH See that saves you all putting them back down again. But them that are learnin see they don't get that.
KP I've noticed the fiddlers, you can tell what key they're in - for G they do it on the second and third string, for C they do it on the third and fourth.
EH That's right, and B flat you go there (demonstrates). D is here (demonstrates). In the B flat you keep the two strings down pretty near all the time. In the E minor you keep the two strings down.
KP What do you do for C?
EH Well, C is just mostly the one (demonstrates). It's one string it's not doubled. And A major, you take two strings (demonstrates). D is just... [demonstrates] . Or here [demo]. Or here too [demo]
KP It really makes the fiddle ring out
EH Yeah. I guess in each one there's three different places you can start -- in most of the keys there's three different places . Like D there [demonstrates]. And then open [demo] and then [demo]. And G you have here see [demo] and [demo] and ...
Hughes demonstrates opening strain of Paddy on the Turnpike
EH See there you double two strings. Just saves you from moving the fingers a whole lot. That's what it does.
