Fiddle-singing

Fiddle-singing is a vocal–instrumental performance practice in which a musician sings while simultaneously playing the fiddle (violin), often maintaining rhythmic bowing patterns or melodic counterpoint beneath the vocal line. The technique is found in multiple traditional music cultures, including Métis, Québécois, Appalachian, Scandinavian, and Celtic traditions. It is particularly associated with dance music repertoires in which the fiddle serves both melodic and rhythmic functions.

Fiddle-singing differs from simple accompaniment in that the fiddle part frequently retains structural independence from the vocal melody, sometimes sustaining ostinato figures, drone textures, or interlocking rhythmic bow strokes while the performer sings.