Transcript

File: cheverieomar06-oh-gettingstarted_M.mp3

Speakers:

OC – Omar Cheverie

KP: At what age did you take up the fiddle?

OC: About 11. I tried the fiddle before that but my arm was a little too short to reach the neck. They wouldn't let me play it, you better wait till your arm grows a bit. So at 11 I got permission to go ahead. But Dad wasn't a bit mean with his fiddle. He showed me how to look after it and he said, “The first time you don't look after it properly, you won't have the fiddle to play on.” So I took excellent care of that fiddle.

KP: What did he tell you to do?

OC: Be careful not to drop it, not hit it against any thing. And when you put it in a case, he said “Use your fiddle like if it's a dozen of eggs.” You don't take a dozen of eggs and throw them around, you wouldn’t do the same to your fiddle, and you'll always have the fiddle.” But it was a great treat to be able to get the old fiddle and start playing.

KP: You said when you were younger you used to sit next to your father and play with...

OC: … with two sticks.

KP: Yes, tell me about that.

OC: I was no more than probably 6 or 7. And Dad used to – He had a habit of going down in the evening in the front room and playin' the fiddle. He used to say it was a way of relaxing. Because it was pretty heavy work, fishing alone. And he went down and played the fiddle and of course I'd saunter down with my two sticks and I'd sit down beside of him. He'd play the tunes; he'd play the fiddle - And I got that I used to jig [sing] the tunes. I’d doodle doodle the tunes out, you know. And I learned all the tunes that way. Every tune he could play, I could jig the tune. And I knew how to tune the fiddle before I ever could play it. ‘Cause he used to – He and my grandfather used to give me the fiddle; it got out a little bit. And fiddles were hard to tune then because it was all done with the keys, there was no fine tuning on them at all. And my grandfather was great at this, “I think that's out a bit.” Hands it to me, and I'd get plunkin' away on >er. I got it pretty good, you know.

KP: I see. So even before you started playing they would get you to tune it.

OC: Get me to tune the fiddle.

KP: Did they show you how to use the bow?

OC: No. They said (laughs), “Here's the fiddle, and the bow. Now if you're going to be able to play the fiddle you have to learn it yourself.