As Minnesota Public Radio (MPR) explains, you’re not likely to tell the difference between a fiddle and violin from across the room. That’s mainly because there often is no discernible difference, because “the main components — body, neck, pegbox, and scroll — are identical no matter which term is used.” So theoretically, a bluegrass (Charlie Daniels) or classical (Itzhak Perlman) musician could pick up the same instrument and reliably perform in their preferred style.

But most serious musicians develop strong preferences over time, and some choose to modify their instruments. Generally, as Johnson String Instrument points out, violinists prefer to pizzicato on gut or synthetic core strings, while fiddlers opt to saw away on steel strings instead — one of the components that lends bluegrass its distinctive twang.

Once you account for string preference, the only other real difference between the two instruments is how they are played. As you might expect, a violin will typically be played with technical precision by musicians who strive to perform a piece of music as closely as possible to the way the composer intended. As for fiddlers — well, they enjoy a bit more freedom. As Strings Magazine puts it, “[Sheet music] is usually only a skeleton of what [fiddlers] play, often lacking bowings, dynamics, ornaments, variations, or even chords.”

So now you know how to tell a violin from a fiddle. But just to be safe, maybe don’t spill beer on either one.