brent
Hi again!
The violin, ie. the classical instrument, normally comes only in one tuning and with four strings.
In non-classical music where you see violins and where those violins are often called fiddles (and still are the same instruments, of course) there are a lot of different tunings - guitarists know what I'm on about: Tune that damn thing for whatever sound you need!
If you tighten a string it produces a higher pitch, so if for example two of your normally four strings are tuned higher the whole instrument will sound different, more "on the edge" if you will. That is what a lot of fiddle music makes use of all over the globe: Individual tunings.
And, to be precise, even in so-called classical music (isn't music just music no matter what it's called?) there were times when different tunings were used, too. It's just not so common anymore.
To give you one example of someone with the ability to play both classical music and non-classical fiddle stuff at neck-breaking speed and at the same time with great taste (not always the case with people playing at neck-breaking speed...) and also being able to improvise you dizzy I suggest listening to Mark O'Connor. Just search him on YT and look for recordings with his NEW NASHVILLE CATS and recordings of his own music for solo violin and orchestra.
You'll find a hell of a virtuoso with the ability to play one and the same instrument in all kinds of different ways:
The violin. Skrzypce. A hegedű. Die Geige. The fiddle.
(Is there a way to contact forum users privately, via email or the like? I could send you wonderful examples!)