I find the adjusted tuning interesting, but playing in all the keys with standard tuning should probably work out all right - but I will see what you're talking about. I imagine it's an issue of awkward string crossings and or doublestops. It will be an interesting comparison with the southern Appalachian style. I'll be checking out the Yellow Book big time today! Thanks.
you got it right about string crossing and double stops. Once you get to know the music you'll get what I'm saying. The players that can pull it off playing in standard tuning with C accordions and can make it sound "authentic" and not "nashville" are few and far between.
Well, every violinist brings his/her musical soul and background with. I'm an orchestral and chamber music violinist, with lots of experience in improvisation. And I've done tons of wedding gigs, both in solo and and string quartet formats. The Acadian musical world is fun and engaging. It will be a blast to learn the music. But it will have my imprint on it, and that's not a bad thing.
Well, as for fiddling pur sang, and as fiddle teacher at times, i always find that a classical trained violinist very rarely gets to understand the rhythmic ins and outs of a different bowing technique used in folk music like Cajun, Old time Country, Bluegrass, Irish. And they find it even harder to understand the importance of bluesy sliding in to a note and as such how to add some spicy dirt to their playing skills. - Nout