Gypsy Violin Loops | Fiddle and String Loops
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Gypsy Violin Playing Style and Sound
Gypsy violin is an eastern European playing style of Hungarian, Romanian or Russian origin. It is the result from a very cool cultural mash up that can be traced back through India and the Arab world.
Gypsy violinists often employ wide, emotive vibrato for slower passages, glissando “slides” between positions and dramatic pauses to give the melodies “breathing space". Faster passages can use bow bouncing “spiccato” to increase the intensity and this genre almost exlcusively uses the “Gypsy scale”.
Gypsy scale actually refers to one of several musical scales associated with Romani or "Gypsy" music. The 3 most common of these scales are:
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Double harmonic major - 1 - ♭2 - 3 - 4 - 5 - ♭6 - 7 - 8
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Double harmonic minor - 1 - 2 -♭3 - ♯4 - 5 -♭6 - 7 - 8
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Phrygian dominant scale - 1 -♭2 - 3 - 4 - 5 -♭6 -♭7 - 8
Double harmonic major scale, the fifth mode of Hungarian minor. The double harmonic major is a scale with gaps that typically sound unfamiliar to Western listeners. It is also known as Mayamalavagowla, Bhairav Raga, Byzantine scale, Arabic (Hijaz Kar), and Gypsy major. It can be identified as a gypsy scale because of the diminished step between the 1st and 2nd degrees.
Double harmonic minor scale, also known as the Byzantine scale. The double Harmonic minor scale is a minor scale with raised fourth and seventh degrees, also known as the Hungarian minor scale.
Phrygian dominant scale, also known as Freygish or Jewish scale (Hava Nagila) and the Spanish Gypsy or Spanish Phrygian scale.
Free Gypsy Violin Loops and Samples
The Free Gypsy Violin Loops below were selected from the extensive ViolinLoops Loop Library. All of the ViolinLoops available from our Loop Library are AppleLoops. This means they are high quality AIF and will automatically snap to your session key and tempo settings if you are using Apple Logic or Garage Band.
No worries if you’re on PC and using a different software DAW, AIF files import as high resolution audio in to all current recording software, regardless of platform. The embedded AppleLoop meta data doesn’t apply on PC, but the Original Key and Tempo of all the loops appears at the beginning of every file name making it easy to stay organized.
If you do want to easily convert these files to any other format, there is a brilliant free audio conversion utility called Audacity. This free app is awesome and has a built in batch processor for converting multiple files in one go.
You can use any of the efiddler ViolinLoops royalty free in any composition, even for commercial purposes! Simply list "efiddler on violin" in your album credits. The only prohibited use of any or our loops is re-selling them on their own. As long as you use them within your song it is all good, no problem.
If you want to search for diferent loops in a wide range of tempos and keys simply click the link below.
Gypsy Violin Loop - 1
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D_150_GY_FILL-4-BAR
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Gypsy Violin Loop - 2
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D_150_GY_HARM-MINOR-TRILL
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Gypsy Violin Loop - 3
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C_156_GY_LO-SPICCATO
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Featured Styles and Free Sample Links
String Samples
String players intonate notes precisely while liberally applying vibrato which typically rolls below the intended pitch. This gives ensembles that lush chorus effect.
Celtic Fiddle
The defining characteristics of Celtic Fiddle are the rapid, rhythmic bow articulations and rolling note ornamentations on either side of the melody note.
Gypsy Violin
Gypsy Violin often uses harmonic minor or double harmonic minor Byzantine tonalities combined with wider emotive vibrato.
Country Fiddle
Country Fiddle is unique stylistically because the players often slide into the intended notes. Rhythmic sawing bow paterns give this style it’s characteristic propulsion.
Cajun Fiddle
Cajun music is dance music plain and simple. This style is all about bow rhythms and open notes are often dragged along with the melody notes to add gumbo.