What is a Donegal fiddle style and how does it differ from American styles?
The Irish Donegal tradition is at least 200 years old and, in this time, has eclipsed all other instrumental traditions in the Donegal County that it was founded. The style itself is characterized by a rapid pace and a tendency toward straight- ahead (unswung) reels and jigs. Its properties include short (one-note-per-bowstroke), aggressive bowing, and sparse ornamentation, with the use of bowed triplets more than rolls as ornaments. It employs the use of double stops and droning (playing on more than one string at once), and Highlands (4/4 tunes based on Scottish strathspeys) are most commonly played in the county. Some notable Donegal players include Neillidh Boyle, Francie Byrne, Con Cassidy, Hugh Gillespie, and Paddy Glackin.
