FiddleHed - Posted - 09/15/2017:  07:45:47

Do you play every day? If so, do you have to discipline yourself somehow? Or do you just do it simply because you love it?

I have taught a lot of people who want to make fiddling a regular part of their life but can't seem to get rolling. And so I'm always trying to discover what makes other fiddlers tick. 

How did you successfully become a musician (someone who plays every day)?

Tobus - Posted - 09/15/2017:  08:20:22

I've tried to play every day for many years. I have to spread my playing between banjo, mandolin, and fiddle, so I don't get to play each individual instrument every day. Setting aside time to play every single day is tough, and not always achievable. But it does pay off in the long run. I don't think there's necessarily any magic formula to it, but it does take certain efforts.

1. First and most important is the matter of rearranging obligations and family expectations so that others realize you're serious about having that time to devote to your music. If others don't respect your time, they will sabotage it. Whether intentionally or unintentionally, they will constantly be fighting you for your playing time. So you have to DEMAND a scheduled period where you're allowed to play uninterrupted.

2. There's the hurdle of motivation and keeping it moving and interesting. This is where I sometimes fail. Playing the same old favorite tunes over and over gets old. So I am constantly looking for new tunes, new techniques, and new things to work on that will keep me interested over the long run and continue to bring joy. I make sure to incorporate backing tracks to play along with so that I'm not just playing solo all the time. Playing along with a full band worth of instruments using a track in TablEdit allows me to switch back and forth between rhythm/backup and lead playing, and I can adjust tempo as desired, etc. It never gets old.

3. Playing with others. Having a weekly jam, or several local groups that meet up regularly, is always good motivation to work on stuff between sessions. It's a good excuse to force yourself to woodshed on something every day for a week so you can kill it at next week's jam.

gapbob - Posted - 09/15/2017:  08:23:33

The sound of the violin.

Lowdown TMoe - Posted - 09/15/2017:  08:34:17

I try to play everyday if not just for a quick few minutes.  I have however learned with working shifts not to force myself to play when I simply don't feel like it.  I try to keep it fun and not an obligation to myself.

amwildman - Posted - 09/15/2017:  09:02:41

Speaking as a learner, i think that what makes me want to play more boils down to one word: fun.  I enjoy playing and music in general, but something has to be more-than-normal fun to get me to work at practice.  

Some things that might make things more fun for me:

A new tune

Good tunes with friends at the session

Funny/otherwise motivating teacher

Tangible improvement I can hear in my own playing

Hearing good playing by others

Jimbeaux - Posted - 09/15/2017:  09:10:17

I didn't start playing every day until I had a fiddle I love. That 40 dollar Amazon fiddle just didn't get my heart pumping.

I also can get to work early and practice before anyone else gets to work, so I'm pretty lucky to have a space to be loud without interruption or embarrassment. 

It's also a love thing. I've lived outside the US for over 10 years now, and it's amazing how much this little instrument makes me feel still connected to my culture. 

Edited by - Jimbeaux on 09/15/2017 09:13:29

Fremont - Posted - 09/15/2017:  09:22:23

I've "practiced" my fiddle everyday for going on 8 years now. I guess I get it done because, 1). I'm a farmer and so my day is my own, though I have a lot to do 2). I get up early 4:30 - 5:30 (usually) and first thing I get a cup of tea, grab my fiddle and practice for at least one hour, sometimes an hour and a half. 3). No one bothers me while I practice and 4) I'm a member of an old time string band and we play every Saturday at our local farmer's market and it's something I look forward to. 5). I'm always looking for new tunes (I save my favorites in a binder and there are around 200 tunes in there by now. I try to go through all 200 every couple of weeks (usually takes 4 or 5 days to do so). 6). I love my fiddle. I didn't start playing until I turned 65 and so I've got lots of lost time to make up. I also play clawhammer banjo, but my banjo isn't as demanding as the fiddle and so I practice the banjo when I have an hour or so during the day, and there are days when I just can't get to it; worn out, other things that have to be done, or the day is gone and it's too late and bed time. Bob

sbhikes2 - Posted - 09/15/2017:  09:50:37

For a long time I only played once a week at the jam, never outside of the jam. One day I recorded a video of myself and was surprised that I was actually pretty good. That's when I started playing a lot more frequently.

So I guess the motivating thing for me has been the increasing confidence that comes with becoming a better player.

The biggest motivator is the weekly jam, though, because without that I can't see any real reason to play an instrument at all. I don't think it would have held my interest for more than a year. The jam has kept me coming back for over 10 years now. I've gone to the jam even when I didn't want to go because I always told myself that participating in real life community with real people is necessary for a full and rich life. The alternative is the isolated life most people are descending into. I have fought the inertia as best as I can and I do feel my life is enriched because of it. I'm the richest woman in the world because I'm paid in wildflowers (when I go hiking) and great music that I can actually produce with my own hands.

Lonesome Fiddler - Posted - 09/15/2017:  11:03:31

I don't take along musical instruments when I'm on a vacation.  In general, though, if there's a musical instrument within reach it is truly a rare day when I don't play music for an hour at the very least.  Yes, the stereo can sometimes keep me from my instruments (I love my stereo), but I'm preternaturally compelled to create music...or a reasonable facsimile thereof.

Viper - Posted - 09/15/2017:  12:17:42

I play everyday during the work week, as I've made it a habit of taking my fiddle to the office and practicing during my lunch break. I try to get at least one session during the weekend, but family obligations usually take priority. My motivation right now is working through the tunes of Ward Jarvis. Having a set project for the year has really given me good direction and motivation to play as much as possible. 

bluenote23 - Posted - 09/15/2017:  12:32:14

I play a few instruments. I started learning the violin a little over a year ago. I play every day.

For your students, I think the only thing you can actively do is to fit their practice material to their tastes. So if you are teaching OT and your student would rather play New Country or some sappy MOR tune that they heard on the radio, then you could change their practice material to these styles.

But if the student is not willing to make the sacrifices necessary to learn, then there's not much you can do about it but be patient and encouraging and hope they will come around.

When I was 9, I started piano lessons. I did not like to practice and was not a very good student. But my teacher would give me encouragement and make remarks about my progress. He would not chide me for being lazy, in fact I remember him once making excuses for me (Oh, you had to cut the lawn this morning. That's not so good for you hands…)

I took lessons for several years (at one point, he gave me some 'blues' lessons) and somewhere along the line, I decided that I liked playing and then practice was no longer a chore but something to enjoy.

imapicker2 - Posted - 09/15/2017:  14:11:24

I play banjo,guitar,and fiddle. I have never enjoyed tv,much. So, guess what I do at night while my wife watches tv.

 Playing stringed instruments makes me happy: tv, not so much.

novolis - Posted - 09/15/2017:  14:25:12

I play almost every day because I enjoy it. I miss practice days sometimes for odd reason, and I get mad at myself for it. Make a habit of playing on a regular basis, at least 4 days a week, I'd say.

Edited by - novolis on 09/15/2017 14:26:11

Brian Wood - Posted - 09/15/2017:  14:43:18

Yes, almost every day for a couple hours. If you want to constantly improve you have to put in the time. There is no other way. Find ways to make it interesting. But even if you're having an off day try to stick with it.

And for me at least, it's not that I am putting in the time now so I'll be better later on. That's an illusion. It's a lifestyle thing. I am always going to put in the time, and I am always going to improve.

Edited by - Brian Wood on 09/15/2017 14:44:09

Mojohand40 - Posted - 09/15/2017:  15:11:19

For me the trick is to simply leave instruments strewn about the house..

I keep my electric and a bow out in the main room always.  On days I'm off, I may play it it twenty times; two to ten minutes at a time.   I similarly keep an acoustic and bow out, in another room, and probably pick up that one about every other day, sometimes more.

A lot of the time I have a banjo on a stand in my living room (along with my digital piano with a couple of synths on top of it).

I used to be strict about practicing an hour or two straight EVERY day...but in the last few years I find I make better progress practing in small fifteen to thirty minute bites.   I like about twenty minutes in the morning most days and here and there in the eveninings for ten minutes, sometimes it goes an hour, depends on mood.

Anyway, I do think that two 30 minute sessions, spaced apart, can be more benificial than an hour straight if I'm working on something.   Just my opinion.

pete_fiddle - Posted - 09/15/2017:  15:23:36

yep every day...health permitting..sometimes i wonder why...... but that feeling goes after about 30 seconds of playing

carlb - Posted - 09/16/2017:  05:50:50

I do play music everyday, but not always the fiddle. I just love to play music!

tonyelder - Posted - 09/16/2017:  07:34:34

yeap
nope
yeap
I love to play

boxbow - Posted - 09/16/2017:  08:57:27

I chose to back off from playing every day. It was never a chore, as such. I could tell there were benefits. I have come to believe that I can access the wonder of it all just a little bit better by taking a day off every so often. Yes, I suppose I suffer for it a little bit in terms of technical advancement. I make music for the fun, for the challenge, and just to stick a finger in the eye of those who would have me believe that music is meant to produce income streams for the music industry and to hold blocks of advertising apart on-air. It is, indeed, a serious endeavor on my part, intended to produce fun for none other than myself.

Fun and done.

ChickenMan - Posted - 09/16/2017:  09:48:17

I play music every day.  I play fiddle when I feel like it, but not every day.

Like Walter, I find that, especially after much time spent on something new, taking a day off helps my brain and muscles work out some details that then present themselves the next time I play. 

Fiddler - Posted - 09/16/2017:  09:59:16

I only play on days that end in "Y".

I also agree with Billy and Walter above.

Lawnisg0tmail - Posted - 09/16/2017:  11:41:26

Hmmmm, well I've had success in learning other things just by doing a little every day. Some days it's more of a hassle to remember to do it but those days I'll just practice for a short time.

If I'm really not feeling it, I won't.

I tend to find that I stick with what I'm doing if it stays fun for me, it worked wonders with running, just go as long as its fun and as soon as it's not, go home as well as spanish. So I figure, keep it fun and I'll keep with it!

At the end of the day, I assume I play because I love it, and it helps me escape daily stresses

PS. I also find that having an instrument easily accesible makes it way easier to practice. Y'all know the saying "out of sight out of mind"

Edited by - Lawnisg0tmail on 09/16/2017 11:45:39

FiddleHed - Posted - 09/17/2017:  10:01:34

A lot of great answers, people.

To sum up:
-Keep it fun.
-Most everyone plays a lot, but not necessarily every single day.
-Fiddling is approached with love, not as a chore.
-Set aside time for music. Train people around you to respect that you need to do this.
-Keep learning new things to stay motivated. New tunes, techniques and styles.
-If you see you are improving, you will be motivated to keep playing.
-Play along with other people, backing tracks and/or drones.
-Own a halfway decent fiddle.
-Play during your lunch break.
-Play the music you want to play.
-Keep your instrument readily accessible.
-Avoid TV :)

I would add: every time you play, realize how amazing it is to make music, and try to be grateful for it.

stumpkicker - Posted - 09/18/2017:  03:37:32

From 73 to 2012 I was primarily a bluegrass banjo picker. I played the 5 every day; the fiddle a few times a week.  Once I became an emptying nester I found I played the fiddle more frequently. About 5 years ago my b.g. guitarist friend fell head over heels for claw hammer banjo.So I began learning more fiddle tunes and played it almost everyday. A couple of years ago I began learning b.g. fiddle so I play every day.  I'm retired now so I leave the fiddle out and besides my formal set aside time in the morning I'll often pick it up a couple of times as I walk by, a play a few tunes and go on to something else. Plus I still set aside time for the 5, guitar, and mandolin a few times each week. Its amazing how little t.v. or internet time you really need. ;-)

Fiddlemouse - Posted - 09/18/2017:  04:21:08

I play and practice to cope with stress.  That's what drives me to play daily.  I think if students see fiddle as the thing they do to block out their worries then daily practice comes naturally.

farmerjones - Posted - 09/18/2017:  08:46:54

In the first ten years, I missed maybe 5 days. Somebody was quoted, "If I miss a day, I notice it. If I miss two, everybody notices." That gave me a false sense of fear. For me, it's more like brushing your teeth. It's something I just do. Day to day, the more I play out, the less I play in.

But I can't stress it more to newer players, it's all about playing with others. Don't wait until you get good. You get good because, you didn't wait.

pete_fiddle - Posted - 09/20/2017:  09:01:50

One thing that might stop me playing every day is if somebody told me i should.........nahh i dont think that even that would stop me...but it might stop some folk??

tpquinn - Posted - 09/20/2017:  15:01:45

Jason, I think you captured most of what folk do and why. Before my first lesson I asked a friend, who had been playing for 2 years prior, how often she practiced and when she said every day I took a mental step back. Like some others, years of being told to practice when I was taking piano made me think I'd never practice that often. Well, it came as a surprise to me when I realized I want to practice/play every day. Doesn't happen as life constantly throws curve balls, but an hour a day is my goal (an hour and half ideal). My motivation is I really like it and want to be a fiddle player and a musician. Also, against common advice, when home, I never put my fiddle in it's case. Fortunately I have a room with a chair, music stand, and table for the fiddle where it won't be bothered by anyone so I can just sit down and have my bow on the strings in 10 seconds. Even if it's been a rough day, I can usually find 10 minutes to do a tune or three.

And as mentioned before in the thread, it probably comes down to priorities. What's important to you with the limited hours in the day? I have a friend who started guitar (with my teacher) and I told her about my hour/day practice routine. Her eyes got wide and she said she didn't have time for that. We also go to the same gym and she's there a lot. So I asked her to think about how much money she's spending on the gym membership and how many hours a week she's working out versus how much she's spending on music lessons (a lot more) and how many hours a week she feels she should practice. I don't know what she decided, but my teacher said it's obvious she is practicing. It was an adjustment of priorities. I cut out most of my tv watching plus a few gym hours and don't miss either one.

Fiddler65 - Posted - 01/30/2018:  20:03:57

I play my fiddle every day for at least an hour, and usually two. I'm retired, so I have the time, and I just love to play. I was 59 when I started playing from scratch, and so like Fremont, I have a lot of time to make up. I take my fiddles (I have two, one tuned standard, and one tuned Cajun) with me when I travel by car. During an interview a few years before he passed away, Johnny Gimble, the great Western Swing fiddler, was asked by an interviewer if he still practiced his fiddle every day. His answer was: "Yes". The interviewer asked him: "Why?". His response was: "Because if I don't that fiddle forgets who I am." I thought: "I can relate to that".

fujers - Posted - 01/30/2018:  20:53:16

I try to play everyday but my hand problems keep me from it. My first....like I'm ever going to do this again..no is my answer. My first 45 years I had no problems at all..then hand cramps started creeping in. Now Im dealing with this callous..you know how fiddlers get when they have played a long time..mine got infected some how..so I'm down for now. How about you..do you practice every day. Jerry

RinconMtnErnie - Posted - 01/31/2018:  20:52:11

I play most days. For me it's something of a compulsion. I never had kids, so probably have had more free time in the evenings than many. I like to play while watching TV and can do that for hours. It can drive my wife crazy, so recently I've experimented playing while reading an ebook on the computer (large screen), using a Bluetooth foot-controlled page turner. It's not mindless playing. I do work on specific things while playing. Or just "work" on repertoire.

It's not scheduled. It's just what I do.

Having easy access is important. I have instruments hanging on the wall, ready to go. And you do have to get good enough where you don't have to think about things too much.

Earworm - Posted - 02/04/2018:  08:16:39

I had been playing for about 2 years, supported by lessons and monthly jams, when a switch turned on for me. I had been a decent, probably "competent" player for a while at that point, building a repertoire, but really just getting by on practicing a minimal amount of time. (I was listening a lot to lesson material, though.) I made a discovery in a jam session, that a song that I had previously though of as a "hard" song was more achievable than it once was. I decided to put a little gas in this engine and see how much better I could get at it. I took it home and took a solid hour to work on it, then another solid hour. It sparked a cascade of questions and discoveries that has really never stopped.

My technique began to develop in new ways, and I began listening to outside music, collecting CD's, joined another jam group, and really started sweating when I couldn't get to my fiddle for a day. I have rarely approached practicing with a "plan" but often with a question in my head that only my fiddle could answer. Since then, I've picked up mandolin, guitar, and most recently flatfooting :), "just for fun." Also, my old fiddle has been effectively replaced by the "2nd" fiddle I bought as an upgrade. I may begin to feel more inspired about my other instruments after a while, but for me, my pratice with them just illuminates other aspects of the fiddling, and of the music, itself. 

I will point out that my teacher never made me feel deficient when I wasn't practicing much. As an adult student I was made to feel that my practice was for my benefit, not for his. This was a level of trust I really respected, and even needed to get to the next level. You will never do that for someone else, only yourself. 

Humbled by this instrument - Posted - 11/25/2018:  10:30:13

Yeah. It's how I awaken in the morn'.

pete_fiddle - Posted - 11/25/2018:  11:38:44

Morning is the best time to play for me, ....gives me a chance to practice what i was thinking about the night before to get to sleep....time was... i went out and played in the afternoon or evening as well.....or both on Patrick's day!!

captainhook - Posted - 11/25/2018:  15:19:37

The first few years I did play every day. At some point the passion faded, so for several years I have only played in jams, sometimes two a week but now only one. I seldom open the case between except to change something. If anything, the people I play with seem to think I play better than ever. Maybe they lie.

gapbob - Posted - 11/25/2018:  16:59:06

I seem to not play for weeks at a time. Then I will play daily for a week for about 30 minutes a day, perhaps. Sometimes an hour.

ChickenMan - Posted - 11/25/2018:  17:21:01

I've recently added a little morning fiddle before work as my wife has been leaving about 20-10 minutes before I do. The night before, if I have a new tune I'm working on, I will listen to it on repeat for about 20 minutes as I'm falling asleep. Then I work on that tune in the morning. Added two to my repertoire that I've admired from a distance for several years.

fidlpat - Posted - 12/24/2018:  23:49:57

As with what GapBob said, I can put it up for weeks at a time,,,strange to say, was something,,,someone, I was turned on to while reading The Session, that got me off onto a banjo jag (tenor and 5 string clawhammer), both of which I'm no stranger to,,,

So, no I don't play everyday, necessarily, though I can,,,and do, sometimes.

Gallaher - Posted - 01/12/2019:  22:42:16

Everyday, usually a couple of hours. It is a blessing to have an indulgent wife.
I tend to get fixated on an instrument, banjo, guitar, fiddle for months at a time and neglect the others.
I just love it.

neptune - Posted - 01/16/2019:  12:31:40

Started trying to play the fiddle four years ago with a cheap chinese fiddle. Since that day it arrived, I ever never had even a single day when I did not play. Weather permitting, I busk an hour a day. In the evening, my wife watches TV, and I spend that time either playing or doing stuff on the computer. So yes, every day.

Lonesome Fiddler - Posted - 01/16/2019:  16:13:43

It's rare when I don't manage to squeeze a good half-hour or more of fiddling into a day. To my wife's and my neighbors' dismay, I just enjoy the damn thing too much.

BR5-49 - Posted - 01/16/2019:  18:37:05

I play everyday unless I consciously take a break or have the occasional rock n roll gig I need to prepare for on guitar.

I keep it fun and playful. Tunes are to be played with. I go through variations of tunes on my band set list to prepare for the gig.

The fiddle takes a lot of time. I couldn't imagine doing it if I didn't love it. I'm not sure I have trained the people around me, but I am accepted for the musician I am. Also, being a fiddler means you already have significant other ;) I have tunes I am working on to bring into my public play list. Sometimes slowly. I have taken 25 years to take my Elswick's Farewell out into the public! 

Edited by - BR5-49 on 01/16/2019 18:38:23

buckhenry - Posted - 01/16/2019:  22:16:52

I cant remember if I played 'every' day when I first began. But I am sure I played most days of the week, and because I already played several other instruments I understood the importance of regular practice as I had reaped the benefits from practicing those instruments. So I knew before I began playing fiddle that I would become an accomplished player if I continued to pursue the appropriate methods of learning. Of course there were moments when I became disheartened, but as soon as I heard some else play I would be motivated again, no matter if they were a maestro or mediocre, I would either want to play like that, or I could play better..... These days I have other stuff to do and sometimes I got no energy left, but I'm OK with that, I've accomplished most of what I wanted to do, I got plenty of tunes up my sleeve and I can jam along to any song.

TuneWeaver - Posted - 01/18/2019:  13:27:17

I "play until I drop" and then usually don't touch if for a few days. Unless it is busking season.

old cowboy - Posted - 10/02/2019:  14:09:11

I try to play everyday. I simply love blugrass music! I am currently learning the fiddle and mandolin. I also play guitar, harmonica and some dulcimer. If I hear it I want to play it! I wish I could sing as well!