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I've been learning the Chop bowing. Every day I practice, and at first, it feels like I’m not improving at all. But then, something clicks—it feels right in the body.
Even after years of learning and practice, I still experience this friction.
But I have faith that I'll eventually get it. I trust the process.
I've developed a relationship with the frustration and doubt. I know these feelings will always visit me, and that’s just part of any creative endeavor.
Recognizing that this is a natural part of the process helps me stay with it.
Often, the learning process alternates between slow progress and sudden breakthroughs.
Have you experienced this too?
I've put a pause on learning the chop "the correct way" and vibrato as well. I'm almost 2 years in and my latest discovery and I guess this is learning and that's "Recall!" My recall is getting better. If there is a tune that I haven't played in some time and I'm lost on the melody, I am able to either listen to the first 5 seconds and bam it's back under my fingers or if I'm lucky, enough noodling and then it's there.
For instance, the tune "Old Horse and Buggy" was out there on YouTube and I taught myself this one by ear and by the sounds of it, I was pretty darn close. The version I learned from was a very SLOW and detailed version. There were 2 fiddles playing 2 different parts and I was still able to pick it out. Then I'd try the Art Stamper version and I could not keep up. Now I'm able to saw right along with his at speed. I hadn't practiced this song at speed, I'm just able to saw faster. Which blows me away because I know how frustrated I was a year in. As long as I hear progress, I'm good.
One more interesting thing...My wife is a musician and great harmony singer. She knows when it's right. She joked and said her and my daughters have a harder time hearing me now that I'm better because the stakes are higher I guess. lol. So when I make a mistake, It's harder to listen to I guess. Before it was, "awww, he's learning the fiddle...listen to him go" to now I get ahead of myself and they are like "what the heck was that??" lol.
Big fan of your channel...
I have had a lot of those "ah-ha" light bulb moments...
Sometimes I think might be a bit of overthinking, trying to force... esp trying to follow prescriptive and presumed singular "right" way.
But relaxing a bit, allowing myself freedom to not over-worry about binary "right/wrong"; just noodle around, experiment.
Part is also the happy accidents discoveries; in that I wasn't intending to work on; my hand did something, mistake or wrong in that context... but rather than rejecting it as such, realizing the "ah-ha" it is the thing clicks for some other context.
I know exactly what you mean. I've always had trouble learning by breaking down phrases, starting slow and speeding up phrases, etc.; all the techniques that it seems everyone else uses to get tunes under their fingers. Maybe I don't have the discipline. I just play at things. Sometimes they work and sometimes they don't. Sometimes I just can't make a tune sound right and give up, only to revisit it months or years later and find it easy.
Yeap. I've said it often that, most of the time, the tunes I learn are not the earliest recordings or most commonly played versions - but a version that an interesting phrase or variation that flips the switch on in my head that screams - "oh, I gotta learn how to do that."
Edited by - tonyelder on 07/19/2024 13:35:34
I am exactly four years away from renting my first instrument, I was so eager to learn how to play fiddle (not violin)... only NOW I am finding out about bowing patterns besides shuffling and how it is a good idea to practise these in order to get certain typical rhythms in your fingers, how to be very precise where you use a double string and where not and be consequent on this matter ... otherwise no pattern can be established at all. That piece of the puzzle was long time missing here hahaha.
Your waltz rhythm short video gave me a new boost , I am discovering more possibilities regarding to bowing patterns now and it is great fun to practise them.
It is just a long road I guess.
I can relate to everything you say here, and about frustration: how much I adore this instrument , sometimes in my mind I am smashing it against the wall. But giving up is not in my dictionary!
I've figured out the way that works best for me...
let my mind go blank/relaxed and just listening to the tune over and over again...
then I can join in on bits of it...then I can play along with most of it...
it's kind of weird but if I am trying to be mentally focused, I can't do it.
I need "empty floaty" brain to do it...
quote:
Originally posted by NCnotesI've figured out the way that works best for me...
let my mind go blank/relaxed and just listening to the tune over and over again...
then I can join in on bits of it...then I can play along with most of it...
it's kind of weird but if I am trying to be mentally focused, I can't do it.
I need "empty floaty" brain to do it...
This is basically what I do. Beginner's mind is open to learning.
NCnotes - Surely you're too young to have heard this when it came out in 1966, but it bears repeating: youtu.be/pHNbHn3i9S4?feature=shared
Yep, i think frustration is definitely part of the process but the problem is not everyone can handle the frustration, and end up with the learning process. super mario 64
Our brains build new neural networks when we're learning, no matter our age. Our brains keep working on that process after a practice, jam or other experience.
A poster here, a few years back, said he would take a nap after a short practice. I do something similar, maybe just take a brain break. Give my brain time to add those neurons and be ready for the next thing.
Learning is cumulative. Keep practicing conscientiously (key) and you'll have "I've got it" moments.