Lucking upon a David Bragger "Learn to fiddle" ad in the local underground newspaper. The journey to Bragger's house was a truly liberating moment after suffering through several stultifying lessons at a couple of music stores close by.
I was fortunate to have some great mentors when I started. These mentors were both old-timers in the Ozarks (the real deal!) and revivalist musicians in both the Ozarks and in Austin, Tx. I learned so much from these folks when I was learning. The old-timers are now gone, but my "revivalist" musician mentors and friends are still around and we continue to learn from each other and encourage each other. These have blossomed into my most significant friendships!
Hi Jason, first, your online content has helped me tremendously, so thank you for that. I think the one thing that has helped me the most, and I can't remember who offer the advice (maybe many people did), was to learn the pentatonic scales, major and minor. That has helped me improse and gave me confidence to particpate in jams sooner than later. And then, once you start playing with others, everything just takes off from there at warp speed!
Playing with others helped me a lot.
Very actively listening to the players/genre I wanted to emulate, live or recorded.
Very actively listening while playing with others (I'm the guy who's looking around the circle with a silly grin, making uncomfortable eye contact).
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Originally posted by TuneWeaver"How do you get to Carnegie Hall?".. Practice practice practice...
The key for me was Commitment.......Knowing that nothing was going to stop me from playing my fiddle, ..well, that attitude was the catalyst.......I might add.. For years I struggled with phrasing, timing and Everything else UNTIL I discovered the Nashville Shuffle.. Not everyone is impressed with it but for me, learning it open a large door WIDE....
I did play Carnegie Hall once, albeit in Lewisburg, WV and on banjo. ;-)
Something that helped me was listening to many different fiddle players and hearing each person’s style of playing.
What helped me the most?
Being able to play the mandolin for over 60 years now.
Getting a different bow 3 years ago, giving me the incentive to continue, instead of giving up again like 30 years ago.
Realizing that Old Time is definitely NOT my thing, therefore putting all my energy into Bluegrass and similar styles, meanwhile maintaining my skills on banjo, mandolin, dobro & guitar.
YouTube and the slowdown gear!!
I will replay pieces of a tune over and over, trying to catch every note and everything the player is doing.
( I don’t even bother to look at the sheet music anymore, it just feels like an artificial filter/barrier that gets in the way … and coming from classical, I never ever thought I would abandon the dots! But 2 years in, am now primarily an “ear learner”…)
Yep, being able to learn a tune by ear, or by reading simple music notation.
What could be more simple (especially with todays tech), than your musical friend(s) sending a short, simple recording of themselves lilting or playing a tune, so you are both singing from the same hymn sheet?
For me, in my early 50s, it was the realization that something I always hoped to do in my life, play the fiddle, wouldn't happen if I didn't get started soon. I realized that if I was going to be able to play in my 70s, say, I'd better start. Now at 72 I play for pleasure, and the pleasure to keep improving while I can. I'm not great, but reasonably good, and it's satisfying. Realizing that life is short spurred me on my fiddle journey.
Learning piano starting about age 4, learning clarinet and playing in various ensembles starting about age 10, and btw marching band may have helped more than I realized. Singing everywhere I went (and go), learning, writing, memorizing & presenting speeches and participating in plays. And learning to play nice with others.
We often start our fiddle conversations as if they begin with the fiddle (often as an advanced adult), but I honestly don't know what it's like to learn fiddle if you don't have some musical, drama, or memorization experience early in life. It's all part of the mix.
Edited by - Earworm on 10/01/2023 06:33:25
*advanced adult = an adult who already has plenty of experience being an adult LOL :)
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Originally posted by pete_fiddleYep, being able to learn a tune by ear, or by reading simple music notation.
What could be more simple (especially with todays tech), than your musical friend(s) sending a short, simple recording of themselves lilting or playing a tune, so you are both singing from the same hymn sheet?
Yep, with YouTube it's me studying/learning playing of tunes from top fiddlers...closest I can get to Irish fiddle lessons for now ... :-)
...with session members, we share YT links by email and sometimes I do ask to record their playing of a tune. I have the "heathery breeze" (reel) in my voice memos right now...
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Originally posted by NCnotesYouTube and the slowdown gear!!
I will replay pieces of a tune over and over, trying to catch every note and everything the player is doing.
I love this too and love videos with the right camera angle when you can easily see how the player puts his or her fingers and when you can follow the bowing directions.
Sometimes I find out this way some tunes are not yet meant for me but sometimes I succeed.
Heard Bromberg in '72 w/his big band (Unger, Glasser and Stover on fiddle) - and caught the fever. Never looked back. Standing on the 'outer limits' of jam sessions in Central Park; loosing every friend and most family members as I felt my way thru scales and double stops; endless hours practicing in college staircases, taxi stands as I waited for fares; played in a band with someone who told me 'There is time enough in any measure to do whatever you want to', just break it down to smaller bits; playing and learning old time, bluegrass, new grass, Irish, Scottish, swing and old/new country; playing with reckless abandon an ner' mind the finesse til its fully baked.
Edited by - wrench13 on 10/02/2023 10:39:35
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Originally posted by NCnotesYouTube and the slowdown gear!!
I learned how to play the bass long before the Internet and YouTube existed. I would just turn on the radio and try to play along with whatever I heard. No teachers, no books, no videos. I may have gone to the library just to figure out how to tune the thing - can't really remember exactly... :)
It took me about 2 weeks to be able to play "passably", and by the 3 month mark I joined a band. By 9 months we were getting offers for gigs instead of chasing after them. There's no substitute for playing with others.
YouTube can almost be a reverse curse - it slows me down and wastes my time more often than it helps. I prefer to sit in a room with no computer or gadgets and just "figure it out".
That said, YouTube can be great for getting ideas and inspiration, but I only go there when I'm *not* practicing or trying to learn something...
i can't ignore great players, arrangers and composers interpretations arrangements, and compositions. Therefore i am eternally grateful for the insights that youtube etc, offer in this respect.
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Originally posted by OregonJimquote:
Originally posted by NCnotesYouTube and the slowdown gear!!
I learned how to play the bass long before the Internet and YouTube existed. I would just turn on the radio and try to play along with whatever I heard. No teachers, no books, no videos. I may have gone to the library just to figure out how to tune the thing - can't really remember exactly... :)
It took me about 2 weeks to be able to play "passably", and by the 3 month mark I joined a band. By 9 months we were getting offers for gigs instead of chasing after them. There's no substitute for playing with others.
YouTube can almost be a reverse curse - it slows me down and wastes my time more often than it helps. I prefer to sit in a room with no computer or gadgets and just "figure it out".
That said, YouTube can be great for getting ideas and inspiration, but I only go there when I'm *not* practicing or trying to learn something...
Was that the first time you played an instrument? Kind of amazing if so...
I also learned bass from cassette tapes of reggae and blues songs. But I had violin lessons as a kid so had a foundation...
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Originally posted by EarwormLearning piano starting about age 4, learning clarinet and playing in various ensembles starting about age 10, and btw marching band may have helped more than I realized. Singing everywhere I went (and go), learning, writing, memorizing & presenting speeches and participating in plays. And learning to play nice with others.
We often start our fiddle conversations as if they begin with the fiddle (often as an advanced adult), but I honestly don't know what it's like to learn fiddle if you don't have some musical, drama, or memorization experience early in life. It's all part of the mix.
Good point.
The question is really more broad: What has helped you learn and create music?
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Originally posted by NCnotesYouTube and the slowdown gear!!
I will replay pieces of a tune over and over, trying to catch every note and everything the player is doing.
( I don’t even bother to look at the sheet music anymore, it just feels like an artificial filter/barrier that gets in the way … and coming from classical, I never ever thought I would abandon the dots! But 2 years in, am now primarily an “ear learner”…)
Maybe I'm overly optimistic, but I think we're in a Golden Age of Learning.
If you want to learn something and invest your time and energy, then you can find a way to learn it.
By the way, nice going on transitioning to playing by ear from classical. A lot of people never get over that hump.
Yes It’s been kind of funny because I keep a “tunebook” in ForScore (app). I used to put PDFs of tunes in there after learning them from that PDF.
But now I learn/play the tune (by ear) - then I am scrounging around for music that kind of matches the setting I learned… so I can put in the tunebook! It’s a weird reverse process now! I get lazy and am about 4 tunes behind now…but somehow, saving my learned tunes in one place and having a record of them feels good. Defense against brain decay!
Edited by - NCnotes on 10/03/2023 07:19:28
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Originally posted by FiddleHedquote:
Originally posted by OregonJimquote:
Originally posted by NCnotesYouTube and the slowdown gear!!
I learned how to play the bass long before the Internet and YouTube existed. I would just turn on the radio and try to play along with whatever I heard. No teachers, no books, no videos. I may have gone to the library just to figure out how to tune the thing - can't really remember exactly... :)
It took me about 2 weeks to be able to play "passably", and by the 3 month mark I joined a band. By 9 months we were getting offers for gigs instead of chasing after them. There's no substitute for playing with others.
YouTube can almost be a reverse curse - it slows me down and wastes my time more often than it helps. I prefer to sit in a room with no computer or gadgets and just "figure it out".
That said, YouTube can be great for getting ideas and inspiration, but I only go there when I'm *not* practicing or trying to learn something...
Was that the first time you played an instrument? Kind of amazing if so...
I also learned bass from cassette tapes of reggae and blues songs. But I had violin lessons as a kid so had a foundation...
My grandmother taught me to play the organ when I was 8 or 10. That was the extent of my foundation...
Three years in... and three things jump WAY out:
1. Incredibly kind, helpful and skilled players - everything from nuanced instrument advice to technique all delivered by folks of Saharan dry wit and humility.
2. Playing (practicing) every-single-day. I wasted the first year by not playing every day. Huge leap in learning happened through the simple self-discipline of forcing myself (even on lazy days) to practice a little (even for as little as 15-20 min).
3. Playing with others. About six months ago finally reached minimum state to join local sessions - again a HUGE leap in skills and learning happening now - getting better much faster with better players to learn from.
Many thanks to you all. Cheers, Bob W, Bristol RI, US
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Originally posted by FiddleHedFor me it's "Chunking" - the process of breaking down complex tunes and skills into manageable pieces.
I do like idea of playing fiddle more as a journey, rather than a destination.
I don't think in terms of "helped most"; or narrow down any specific one thing.
But along the idea of chunking, breaking down tunes into manageable pieces; is similar but perhaps more top down approach. To separate or strip the tune down to more core elements and structure; focus on more important big aspects; then finer and more granular details. A common example, a core melodic idea or essence; less notey detailed, or complex. I found quite useful in many ways.
"By the way, nice going on transitioning to playing by ear from classical. A lot of people never get over that hump."
Amen to that. I can spot a classically trained fiddle player after just a few notes. Too clean, too 'pretty' and mostly devoid of feel or expression. Literally playing the dots with little regard to rhythm or phrasing. Wooden. A few manage to inject feeling onto tunes and lead breaks, most start to put in classical riffs and techniques that are out of place in 'fiddle' music.
