The fiddle chop is a short, percussive stroke made by dropping the bow onto the strings near the frog. It makes a dry crunch, not a ringing note. Fiddlers use it on the offbeat to play rhythm, the same job the mandolin chop does. It is the fiddle’s main way to back up a mandolin break.
Where the chop comes from
Richard Greene is credited with bringing the chop to the fiddle in 1966, while he played with Bill Monroe and the Blue Grass Boys. He later taught it to Darol Anger, who built it into a full rhythm style and taught it to many players. Today fiddlers in bluegrass and other string band styles use it.
Where it falls in the beat
Count “1 and 2 and.” The bass plays on 1 and 2. The chop lands on each “and,” with the mandolin. Read how to play the mandolin chop in a bluegrass jam.
The left hand
Hold two notes of the chord on two strings next to each other. Fingered notes work better than open strings, because you can stop them.
For a G chord, hold B on the A string with your first finger and G on the D string with your third finger.
For other chords, use the two-string shapes in fiddle double stops in A, D, and G.
Right after the bow hits, relax your fingers so the notes stop. Keep the fingers touching the strings.
The right hand
Work at the frog, the end of the bow in your hand. Use the first few inches of hair.
Hold the bow an inch above the two strings. Drop it onto the strings and let it stop dead. Do not draw the bow. Leave the hair resting on the strings.
Some teachers add a small push as the hair lands, to make the crunch sharper. Get the plain drop first.
The sound is a short “chk.” If you hear a clear pitch that rings, you drew the bow. If you hear a bounce or a rattle, your hand is too stiff or the bow dropped from too high.
Your wrist and fingers do the work. The arm stays quiet.
Getting ready for the next chop
After the chop, the bow sits on the strings. Lift it straight up during the downbeat. Some players let the lift make a soft scrape, which adds a second, lighter sound. Leave that for later. Start with a silent lift.
So the pattern is: lift on the beat, drop on the “and.”
Practice
Step 1: with no left hand, drop the bow on the open D and A strings and let it stop. Do this until every drop sounds the same.
Step 2: add a metronome at a slow speed. Let the click be the downbeat. Chop between the clicks.
Step 3: hold the G chord shape and chop for one minute. Then C, then D.
Step 4: change chords. Four bars of G, two of C, two of D, and back to G.
Step 5: chop along with a recording of a medium speed song.
Go easy on the volume. The crunch carries farther than you expect.
When to chop in a jam
Chop when the mandolin player takes a break. The mandolin has stopped chopping to play lead, and the offbeat needs cover.
Chop when no mandolin is in the circle.
Chop soft on a fast song to add drive behind a banjo or guitar break.
When not to chop
Do not chop over a mandolin that is chopping, unless you can lock in with it. Two chops that do not line up sound like a stumble.
Do not chop through a slow song. Long bows and soft double stops fit better. Read how to play fiddle backup in a bluegrass jam.
Do not chop loud. The chop is a hard sound, and a little goes a long way. Many circles welcome it in small doses. Some old-time jams do not use it. Read bluegrass vs old-time music.
Care for your bow and strings
A chop puts more force on the hair near the frog than normal bowing does. Keep the bow at normal tension. Start with a small drop, not a slam. A light, clean crunch is the goal.
For classical violinists
Nothing in classical training matches the chop, so expect it to feel wrong at first. The motion is small and loose. Keep your normal bow hold and let the fingers flex as the hair lands.
The chop is worth the work. It lets a fiddler play rhythm, and rhythm is most of what a jam asks for. Read how a classical violinist can join a bluegrass jam and fiddle vs violin.
Sources
Richard Greene (musician), Wikipedia
How a sore wrist and a fondness for noise forever changed the way the violin is played, WBUR