So, I consider myself an advanced intermediate fiddler. I probably know several dozen old time tunes with a few versions each; a dozen Irish tunes, and a few dozen intermediate level breaks to Bluegrass tunes. Plus a couple of books on scales and arpeggios . So my question is how do you break down the components of an hour or so practice.
Thanks
Rick
Edited by - stumpkicker on 03/16/2023 10:25:10
It all depends on if you are trying to make a living with the fiddle or just having fun. As for this dedicated amateur, I start out by slowly bowing open strings until my bow stops being shaky and the tone sounds "good enough." Then I'll do D or G scales for a bit to let my left and fingers zero in on where they're supposed to land. I'll lapse into Soldier's Joy, and do it until I decide it sounds "okay." I'll work on shifts to third and fifth position just to mess with my mind. From that point on, it's just havin' fun making music.
Similar to Ed.
15 minutes max "warm up"--long bow exercises, left hand finger tapping without bow, trills, etc
15 minutes on scales/arps--C,D,E,F,G,A,Bb,B (maj one day, minor next)
optional etude or two
the balance spent woodshedding tunes/songs you're learning or polishing. Paying close attention to cleaning up rough spots.
Try not to loaf too much in between; get in and get out. After you've put in the hour, you can sit around and noodle and have fun.
Good topic, BTW. I believe I'll follow it.
These days I start with Rolls (still workin' on those rolls!) ... every string, every finger.
Then New Tune I'm Learning. (1-2 per week)
Then playing old tunes for fun, whatever I feel like.
When I was playing classical, same format...
Doublestops, scales, arpeggios (blech)
Then work on New Piece
Enjoy playing my old pieces (or look over orchestra music if I'm struggling with any of it)
This format goes from "not much fun" to "funner" to "most fun"... so it kind of keeps me going to the end!
I don't have an exact time breakdown and don't tend to look at the clock.
( Sometimes I wake up with a tune in my head and I just have to spend a chunk of time playing that and order/routines go out the window, though! :-)
** I am probably considered an advanced player of violin but am a newcomer to fiddle.
Edited by - NCnotes on 03/16/2023 15:20:36
Start out with whatever you are working on, and give 'er 'ell... Then go to the next tune.. Been playing 50 years and have yet to start out a fiddle day with a scale.. ..To each his own..
Not that I'm recommending it for everyone, but I don't do warmups or scales. I consider playing tunes to already be a form of warmup and scale practice. I consider what tunes, or sometimes what particular parts of a tune, I want to work on and start there.
Hey Lee, we just said pretty much the same thing!
I may not play a fiddle everyday, but I play some music everyday.
The very best thing anyone can do is play tunes with someone else. If it's a fellow fiddler work on common tunes or trade lead and rhythm lines. Pretty much the same with a guitar or banjer picker. At the very minimum, play with an artificial friend. Either backing tracks or a drum machine or something. Just playing fiddle tunes by yourself doesn't get much done really. Not without recording it for objectivity. Even if you don't have a gig, pretend that you do. Work on a set list. Make a CD, or pretend to make a CD. It gets you to consider tunes and package each one into a unit. Create a project. The tunes don't have to be tuff, just well played. Well arranged, etc. Well, that's more than two bits. Sorry
Edited by - farmerjones on 03/16/2023 17:44:50
quote:
Originally posted by Brian WoodHey Lee, we just said pretty much the same thing!
BIg brained people think alike!! Hey, your transcription of Nine Days in Bethel was a breakthrough for me..!!! VERY helpful..
I will add, depending on your level of playing expertise, play scales and arpeggios with a key specific tone playing in the background. It helped me tremendously with pitch accuracy. R/
Just keep fiddling ... just keep fiddling ... just keep fiddling fiddling fiddling ... What do you do? You fiddle, fiddle ...
(Bonus points if you still recognize this movie reference )
quote:
Originally posted by EarwormJust keep fiddling ... just keep fiddling ... just keep fiddling fiddling fiddling ... What do you do? You fiddle, fiddle ...
(Bonus points if you still recognize this movie reference
"This is Spinal Tap" ??
I think that everyone has given great suggestions for you and after you sort through them you will have a good basis for your daily routine.... the one thing that I will add which has helped me is learning scales etc in keys that you normally don't play in.... Cm, Ebm, Ab, etc... these will help you fine tune your scales and ear... if you play in other than first position, take all your scales and arpeggios etc up the neck...again it helps to fine tune everything....
Play Happy
Swing
quote:
Originally posted by farmerjonesquote:
Originally posted by EarwormJust keep fiddling ... just keep fiddling ... just keep fiddling fiddling fiddling ... What do you do? You fiddle, fiddle ...
(Bonus points if you still recognize this movie reference"This is Spinal Tap" ??
No - "Finding Nemo," specifically, Dory the fish. But you're right. Every other movie quote comes from "Spinal Tap", or maybe "The Princess Bride." :) Oh, revise the quote to say "just keep swimming..."
Edited by - Earworm on 03/17/2023 11:15:42
I agree with Tuneweaver but in general I start out with whatever's on my mind, might be something new I'm working on but might be an old comfortable tune also. I would say that I'm always working on new tunes sometimes during a playing time (guess it's practice but it feels more like just playing the fiddle) and that's where growth takes place. Seems like there's always something in a new tune that pushes me and that push exists in 'simple' tunes as well as 'more complex' tunes.
Also, as far as learning; remember every one has a different brain and learns in different ways. A rigid format, or specific approaches, might work for some and then be unhelpful for someone else and vice versa.
An hour a day has never been enough for me. It's a life style thing which may, or may not bear fruit.
This discussion reminds me of recent video I saw. Many folks relate more to this idea. Though it's guitar, much applies to fiddle or other instrument.
To the OP question... some of this relates to what does "practice" mean?
I never have been much of a scheduled time routine type. Not generally on the clock, or watching it. Nor (as video mentions) forcing myself to play.
I have instruments that don't live in cases... sitting on stand or wall mount, ready to be picked up and play. As little time windows opportunity or as inspiration hits. That might be picking it up for a quick tune or so for fun. Might be a tune popped into my head, or an idea; maybe something I was listening to. Might be working out specific tunes (or just bits, phrases), ideas, arrangement, or problem solving, (process which I typically also find fun, and can get engrossed in). I also sometimes just noodle; kind of open end exploration, experimenting and discovery. All of this I think of as learning and could be considered as "practice".
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Some of the folks I play music with, sort of a "band" - out band practice starts with idea of warming up on a few tunes for fun... then end up having so much fun, we play more tunes/songs; and we forgot to "practice" 
Joke about we've been playing gigs for 10 years, and still haven't had a real band practice/rehearsal.
Edited by - alaskafiddler on 03/17/2023 15:37:46
I guess what you practice depends on your goals, what you need, what you like, and where you want to put your energy and be as a player. Personal tastes aside, there are general themes that guide all musicians, tone, timing taste. For fiddlers there's left hand, bowing, coordination. This is just my personal quick over view, I may be leaving some things out but I'll add them in. Others will have their own practice routines. How much of an hour you spend on what will vary. You could be very regular and methodical or mix it up?
There's always a waiting list of new material and tunes in different stages of assembly. I suss out tunes from sheet music occasionally just practice reading music. Regarding technical challenges, sometimes 90% of a tune has to wait for 10% problem area to catch up. Learning another tune can be a vehicle for improving if it pushes you in some way, but I'm technically oriented. I try to practice a mix of styles and keys. I think Celtic fiddle ornaments are just good practice for everything generally. For me the goal is to do practice things will make all my tunes better. I don't use a metronome religiously but I have one set up and I refer to at various points along the way and I'm often surprised. I play from memory so I drill down and repeat phrases a lot (a real lot) when I practice. The way I see it, if there's a problem area in a tune, say it's just 5 second phrase in normal listener time. If you give it just 5 minutes of focused practice effort with time to slow it down and gather yourself for repeats, you can practice that phrase at least 30 times! Do that 3 of times a week and you will improve and you've only spent 15 minutes! I also spend a portion of time ear training and figuring out slowed down melodies. I figure out the chords to the tunes I play. These days I spend a good amount of time working on bluegrass double stops and their intonation it's like finger yoga and improves flexibilty. I like waltzes and slow material to practice tone and to work on slurs and bow phrasing. There's a weekly OT session close by, so I try to be reasonably up on what's being played just so I can contribute. I spend time managing and organizing material so I can access it easily, it's not really practicing but it takes up time.
Edited by - Peghead on 03/19/2023 16:42:17
