Sounds good to work with a formal instruction. I could stand to do that sometimes. Why does it matter if you're sitting? I do both, but when I'm playing with others I stand.

Here's another good read....

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Originally posted by Brian Wood

Sounds good to work with a formal instruction. I could stand to do that sometimes. Why does it matter if you're sitting? I do both, but when I'm playing with others I stand.

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I'm not fussed whether I stand or sit. Here in Ireland everyone seems to sit for everything. Sessions, gigs, competitions even buskers bring their own stools. I’ll often stand if there aren't any seats at a session (years of gigs back home in Aus) Irish guys don't want to. From the technical viewpoint of this book it's probably simpler to sit although I still need a pay attention to posture. 
Tonight is the night we enroll for the next year in our respective cheoltas branches throughout the country (world perhaps?). So I'm going to sign up again for fiddle lessons. I'd like to be able to play from notation on the fiddle. (I'm fully literate on the saxophone). Who knows I might be taking lessons along side a bunch of children? done that before, and learnt plenty. 

I've always just felt more comfortable playing any instrument sitting down. I used to stand up to pick a guitar at times when I had to for one reason or another, but the angles of the wrists and such are very awkward to me while playing from a standing position.

MartyJoe, re “Posture”… haha…
I had a few online lessons with James Kelly. I logged in and there I was sitting in my proper orchestra violinist position, upright in chair, back not touching, violin up.
He said, “Relax! By the next lesson I want to see you slouched in your chair.”

I’m taking fiddle lessons this fall with Caitlin Warbelow (online group lesson)! I find those relaxing…no packing up & driving, just log on…and you’re not on the spot because there’s a friendly group of you. (Caitlin leads “Tune Supply”, leads sessions in NYC, has played for Riverdance, has her own band, etc)

Re the children:
Our piper said he watched the All-Irelands and realized that this young girl played the pipes better than he could ever dream of… so if you can keep up with those kind of ‘children’, whoa that’s good! :-)

I always played standing up from day one, until 2 motorcycle accidents busted both legs, 2 open heart surgeries and 73 years of age put a stop to that!

Al, ouch! At least you are still playing, sitting down though.

I find it more “relaxing” to sit while playing but I find I sound better and have better control and better playing habits if I stand.

I stand, walk around, sit down, get up, stand, walk around, sit down .....

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Originally posted by wrench13

I always played standing up from day one, until 2 motorcycle accidents busted both legs, 2 open heart surgeries and 73 years of age put a stop to that!

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I think you need to prepare yourself for playing the fiddle lying down. 

Wow Martyjoe what a thing to say. And here I thought we had such an understanding on here. If I was in Westmeath, I'd lock you in my trunk and help them look for you!

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Originally posted by wrench13

Wow Martyjoe what a thing to say. And here I thought we had such an understanding on here. If I was in Westmeath, I'd lock you in my trunk and help them look for you!

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I've practiced lots of different instruments lying down for short spells. I can't recall ever trying that on the fiddle, I imagine gravity would be working against the bow. It's now on the must try list (before I take up motorcycle racing).

I reckon it would would be tricky to keep the bow on the strings at 120mph in freefall out of a plane. 

I just layed back on the pillow and played a tune…….. not a goe’er. Too awkward. I think I’ll can the idea of jumping out of a plane with a fiddle & bow any time soon!

…probably not a recommended playing position by Kato Havas! :-)

I used to mostly always stand up for playing, but now it's too tiring. I stay seated until my bum hurts, which is about the 3 hour mark, then I'm finished. The only annoying thing about seated is my bow arm sometimes crashes into my thigh if I'm not careful. I've seen some strange positions adopted while seated, one guy sits right on the edge of the seat and tucks his right leg under the seat.

What about fiddling outside in the wind...Martyjoe's airplane jump idea made me think of that. It's terrible when the wind whips around your bow one way and you're trying to get it going the other way...lol.

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Originally posted by groundhogpeggy

What about fiddling outside in the wind...Martyjoe's airplane jump idea made me think of that. It's terrible when the wind whips around your bow one way and you're trying to get it going the other way...lol.

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The worst instrument for playing in the wind in my experience is without a doubt is the 'Flute'. Gusts of wind can take the sound away completely. 

A very classically trained violinist, (Hungarian Gypsie Orchestra, Liverpool Philharmonic, and various other Pit orchestra's etc,) Used to advocate lying down flat out to practice.

He turned up at Samois sur seine Django festival back in the 80's-90's. Got his violin out and layed down flat out in the middle of the group of us, and took his solo. He must have been in his late 70's at the time!

We do a lot of gigs and shows near the shore line (occupational hazard for pirates). Sometimes the on or off shore breeze is so strong I have to turn so the wind is not trying to make the bow into a sail. That might not end up with me facing the audience, which gets hard to explain to them. One time i tied a strip off a bandana to the scroll to show folks I wasn't joking.

I'm sure some can relate to this: trying to perform with your band on a stage with the floorspace of a bath matt. It's like living Jenga

When the speed of air doubles the actual force of that air quadruples. So l can imagine that a 15mph breeze gusting to 25mph is going to be quite hazardous to pirates.

Yep We have a park session and I was surprised when the flute/whistle players suddenly all turned their backs on us! I said, “ did I do something wrong?” They said, “no it’s the WIND!”

My other windy memory is playing at graduation…Everybody’s sheet music blew away. Luckily 90% of us had “Pomp and Circumstance” memorized, phew!

All this reminds me of that time in Nova Scotia when I walked down to the beach on a windy day, and, as I turned to stroll along the edge of the tide, I suddenly heard music - not far away, and not a melody, but right there with me, one chord. I turned back, and it was gone; I turned into the wind again and there it was, that chord. Well, failing to come up with a supernatural explanation, I looked for a logical one, and found it: I had a harmonica half-jammed into my front pocket, so the first four holes were exposed, facing into the wind ....

I've had the opposite experience trying to play string band music outdoors in La Paz, Bolivia, elevation about 12,000 feet. The air was so thin we could hardly hear each other, standing just a few feet apart. So if we're getting back to basics, let's not forget the basic importance of air molecules.

Probably why ships fiddlers may have developed the "on string" bowing technique? i love that no nonsense, straight ahead, bow on the string fiddling.

What the "on string" bowing technique? I can't really imagine doing much bowing "off string" ... ? Or am I missing the joke?