PHOTOGRAPH OF WILL DAVENPORT

WILL DAVENPORT, a fiddler like his son CLYDE DAVENPORT, never played except on his porch, and he never taught his children to play either of his instruments, the fiddle and banjo. They learned by watching and imitating him. Will was so taciturn that Clyde never found out the titles of many tunes he learned from him.

Rather than tucking his fiddle under the chin, Will held it to his chest, as European baroque fiddlers did. Clyde holds his fiddle the same way as you can see in the photos of him.