Dan Grotewohl - Bear in the Greengrass

Here we are well into spring and headed quickly toward summer.  Winter is often a season of dryness; spring and summer are more humid.  If your fiddle doesn't sound or play as well of late, keep in mind that wood absorbs moisture, causing swelling and making the sound post tighter.  If that's the case, your luthier can make the necessary adjustments.  While at it, the luthier can also inspect your instrument for any new cracks which might have opened up during the dry winter months.  Of course, if you're a budding luthier, you can do that all yourself, though sometimes it can be helpful to have a neutral ear to help you.   It might not be a bad time to change over to a fresh batch of strings.  On that note, after nearly three months of playing on the Corelli Alliance (see previous blog), my opinion has shifted not one bit, so to compensate for my dislike of this string on this fiddle, I play with a heavy bridge mute.  But, 'nuff said 'bout that.

More than anything, opening up the windows in your own playing might be the best piece of advice I can give this season.  Make up your own tune, your own lick, something that is authentically you.  Take one thing from your day, anything, and blend it with an emotion or an image and see what comes through your own playing.  If nothing else, have fun and forget the rest.