I always try to catch tunes on the fly.

Well, I start with the chord sequence and timing then move on to a grasp of the melody. I usually wind up partly knowing the tune or song. So, the next time it kicks off I have a better place to start. That is one of the things I appreciate about OT. By the time a tune is played out I mostly know how it goes. R/

On the fly here. Of course this gets easier, much easier, with more experience. Your ear picks up the little snippets of a given tune and you realize its part of some other tune you already know, and so on. Not much is new under the sun, and let's be frank, fiddling is not rocket science or brain surgery.

At an Old Time jam, I pick up tunes as they’re being played. When it’s one I don’t know, I usually listen to one or two iterations before jumping in so I have a basic map for the tune in my head to start.

At most sessions, I only play if I know a tune, as it will be criticized, sometimes severely, if the notes are not in unison. If there are a lot of tunes I don’t know, I just have to sit out a lot. When a song is played, I improvise an accompaniment only if invited to do so by the singer. Since there is no amplification there’s an unspoken limit on how many instruments can participate and everyone has to make sure not to compete with the singer so the singing can be heard clearly.

And I thought I was in a rare club (or maybe I still am, with my friends here).

The reason I asked was I go to so many sessions, with GOOD musicians. And if I play a tune nobody else knows, then I'd be the only one playing it.

But I can pick up on tunes I've heard rarely or not at all. I've been doing it for a long, long time.

But it doesn't seem like a lot of players have that skill. Put it this way: If I didn't or couldn't do that, I'd spend a lot of time sitting on my butt.

I've been surprised at the caliber of musicians who are surprised at my ability to pick up tunes in OT jams. I'm not a good musician, but I can get by in most sub-professional level jams "on the fly" where better players often sit out. I play a simplistic, but rhythmic, framework of an unfamiliar tune, then add "fill-in" notes as I learn. Others don't really seem to notice how much I'm faking it. I'd surely crash and burn if the other fiddler(s) suddenly stopped playing.

I listen for the tune’s rhythm and let its pattern get into my head. Then I play backup using the 1 4 5 chord notes (softly at first) and listen for the landing notes. That leads me into the melody. If the tune is too weird I might just listen.

At an old time jam I would try to pick up the tune. At a bluegrass jam I'd be more likely to sit it out.

Sit fiddle on knee and wait cannot stand the mele of noodlers

unless it is a jazz or swing session or someone asks me to noodle in the fiddle break

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Originally posted by Strabo

I listen for the tune’s rhythm and let its pattern get into my head. Then I play backup using the 1 4 5 chord notes (softly at first) and listen for the landing notes. That leads me into the melody. If the tune is too weird I might just listen.

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Exactly!

I haven't been to outside jams in a while, but I always found picking up the chords was easy. Then the general shape of the melody would often give me a map for a harmony. Playing a credible harmony is is usually much easier than matching note for note a melody you don't know. But it's a question of whether a harmony is acceptable to your group. Lots of players don't go for it. Around here they mostly did.

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Originally posted by bacfire

I've been surprised at the caliber of musicians who are surprised at my ability to pick up tunes in OT jams. I'm not a good musician, but I can get by in most sub-professional level jams "on the fly" where better players often sit out. I play a simplistic, but rhythmic, framework of an unfamiliar tune, then add "fill-in" notes as I learn. Others don't really seem to notice how much I'm faking it. I'd surely crash and burn if the other fiddler(s) suddenly stopped playing.

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Right! You start with the One. Then look for the IV and V.

Another thing: If you've played in an idiom (like Old Time) for a long time, you can easily make predictions of where you think this tune is going. In Irish, you know what the common riffs and string crossing patterns are. You also can follow the chordal structure very easily. 

So the more you play in a style, the easier it gets to follow new tunes.

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Originally posted by screecher

At an old time jam I would try to pick up the tune. At a bluegrass jam I'd be more likely to sit it out.

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At a BG jam, you have much less opportunity to learn a tune, bc you can only play melody when it'syour turn to take a break. (Otherwise you're just chunking rhythm all the time.)

But the NICE thing about BG is that many of the tunes are songs---->meaning they are sung! This has always provided me a quick entryway into a tune.

"In Irish, you know what the common riffs and string crossing patterns are. You also can follow the chordal structure very easily. " ...i thought like that once upon a time...

"Do you try to play along, hoping to get a few more notes each time through?"
Some really good Irish players can often have a tune after 1 or 2 go rounds, but not me... so I just sit and enjoy the music. If I really like the tune I'll make an effort to learn it so next time it comes around I can join in. But this of course is a losing battle as there are so many tunes, so little time...

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Originally posted by JonD

"Do you try to play along, hoping to get a few more notes each time through?"
Some really good Irish players can often have a tune after 1 or 2 go rounds, but not me... so I just sit and enjoy the music. If I really like the tune I'll make an effort to learn it so next time it comes around I can join in. But this of course is a losing battle as there are so many tunes, so little time...

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Same... 

ITM to me is a different planet, like rap, or classical. I wouldn't be found in that jam. Pretty much all else, including jazz or showtunes, is fair game.

But I must be careful with my turn. I'd rather keep it simple so everyone can play along.

Repeat this sentence after me. The A part of a tune is a sentence. The good thing is that it often repeats itself so do your best on the repeat. Then listen to the next sentence (the B part). Do your best on the repeat. As you play make a note of what you need to change the next time around by constantly listening to what others are playing. If one two or more are playing a good solid melody it’s easy to follow. If you have someone in the group playing a variation on the tune it becomes difficult. If that tune comes up again in a couple of months doing the process again gets even easier. One of the sessions I attended has a four times through format. You would think it this makes it easier but the piper and the fiddle player don’t play tightly together even though they have been doing it regularly for years so I find it much harder to pick up some of their tunes. Sometimes there’s different notes and other times there’s different phrasing. I love it when you get twenty or more sitting around playing a solid distinct powerful tune set and you can just click into it seamlessly. You must surely experience this in some old time or bluegrass festivals?

It must be me then. I don't like large ensembles, 5 players is too much for me.

A well rehearsed Band of 4 (max), playing in a relaxed atmosphere and a pint or two for me.

Bliss...

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Originally posted by pete_fiddle

It must be me then. I don't like large ensembles, 5 players is too much for me.

A well rehearsed Band of 4 (max), playing in a relaxed atmosphere and a pint or two for me.

Bliss...

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That's the beautiful thing about music there is bliss to found in all of its corners. 

Yes.

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Originally posted by JonD

"Do you try to play along, hoping to get a few more notes each time through?"
Some really good Irish players can often have a tune after 1 or 2 go rounds, but not me... so I just sit and enjoy the music. If I really like the tune I'll make an effort to learn it so next time it comes around I can join in. But this of course is a losing battle as there are so many tunes, so little time...

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So how about this idea---> You hear a tune, you say I must learn that tune, and then.........you actually do put in the work to learn that tune SO THAT you can lead it when next your sesiún meets.

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Originally posted by martyjoe

Repeat this sentence after me. The A part of a tune is a sentence. The good thing is that it often repeats itself so do your best on the repeat. Then listen to the next sentence (the B part). Do your best on the repeat. As you play make a note of what you need to change the next time around by constantly listening to what others are playing. If one two or more are playing a good solid melody it’s easy to follow. If you have someone in the group playing a variation on the tune it becomes difficult. If that tune comes up again in a couple of months doing the process again gets even easier. One of the sessions I attended has a four times through format. You would think it this makes it easier but the piper and the fiddle player don’t play tightly together even though they have been doing it regularly for years so I find it much harder to pick up some of their tunes. Sometimes there’s different notes and other times there’s different phrasing. I love it when you get twenty or more sitting around playing a solid distinct powerful tune set and you can just click into it seamlessly. You must surely experience this in some old time or bluegrass festivals?

Maybe you could arrange to sit next to a person who you know usually plays the melody solidly.

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I would say don't sit next to the person leading the tune and noodle about, (guilty) that is a definite recipe for disaster.

I get that sometimes and it drives me crazy. I'll actively avoid folk who do that.

And someone who knows just enough of the tune to mess it up is even worse (guilty)

Best answer by (Bsed i think) imo: "So how about this idea---> You hear a tune, you say I must learn that tune, and then.........you actually do put in the work to learn that tune SO THAT you can lead it when next your sesiún meets."

Folk will support you if you do this

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Originally posted by pete_fiddle

I would say don't sit next to the person leading the tune and noodle about, (guilty) that is a definite recipe for disaster.

I get that sometimes and it drives me crazy. I'll actively avoid folk who do that.

And someone who knows just enough of the tune to mess it up is even worse (guilty)

Best answer by (Bsed i think) imo: "So how about this idea---> You hear a tune, you say I must learn that tune, and then.........you actually do put in the work to learn that tune SO THAT you can lead it when next your sesiún meets."

Folk will support you if you do this

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...or - "you actually do put in the work to learn that tune SO THAT you can lead it" - only to find out that "these folks" play it differently.  They can't wait until the end of your play to have that conversation.  ahhh, the smiles mean they support you - hoping that you get the hint. 

LOL - don't tell me that never happens.