I need advice from fiddlers around here! Years ago I’ve take fiddle lessons, but after a relative success holding the instrument and producing sounds… even playing tunes… I left it in its case and take flute… And now, the fiddle thing is appealing me again… but I’m too lazy, this violin is something really difficult to play and get the tunes… Any recommendation? I know I have to be constant, listen to fiddler’s CD’s… But I need to be encouraged, because the tuning and bowing are too many things to do at a time! What did you do in these days you could’t get a single note in tune? How the h**l did you get your bowing patterns?
sorry for my poor english (i think I’m writing in English, hahah)
If you start off with tunes you know from playing on the flute that’ll help you a lot. The tune’s flow helps one find out how to bow it. Start out with all single bows, and then perhaps slur two or more notes together where that feels right, either because it’s handier or because it sounds better. Just try out different things, keep what you like, toss the rest.
You don’t have to listen to just fiddle CD’s, although it does help to listen to fiddlers, just listen to the tunes you want to learn to play on any instrument. It does help to pick up and play the fiddle every day. Even though on some days you’re going to put it back down in five or ten minutes, that’s better then not playing it at all, esp. in the beginning.
Perhaps it’s just not for you, if you don’t feel like picking it up every day and having a go, if the working stuff out doesn’t invade your dreams at night. Perhaps you’re immune to the addiction.
I spent years scraping away trying to make sense of the fiddle as an instrument, years! It was only when I took on board scales, and spent a lot of time with simple major scales, ie Gmaj D maj C mmaj A maj. that I improved to a point where now , after 16yrs daily practice , I feel Im getting somewhere! LOL.
So its working on tone production and bowing, and intonation with arpeggios scales varous patterns without the issues of tune/form to get in the way.
I also recomend, after this is done for a few months, to ‘jam’ with a guitar player, not tunes, just freee improv to get used to playing in tune . When everything is in tune, there is a build up of harmonics and overtones that can create a very big sound and is very rewarding to be part of. The overtones from Arpeggios and open strings should create a whole ‘life’ in yr fiddle. All the while practice instrument specific ornaments, in your case rolls cuts.taps and bowed triplets.
Do this and when you feel able , play tunes. Easier ones at first. get a couple simple tunes that you can really nail well, simple simple tunes.
now its a matter of building on these 2 tunes to form a repertoire.
This is exactly the same advice I would give a piper. Start on one simple note, steady, intune . this is the foundation, once one note is well formed repeat with the other notes through , at first, simple scales and patterns.
Thank You very much, zai & fiddlerwill… very good tips…
I try to play ITM… but at the moment it sound like somebody killing cats…
I pick the instrument every day, and as you have pointed, i’ll play the tune’s scale before playing the tune itself… rediscovering the fingers’ placement… and going from slow to faster…
I’m wondering if the bowing slurs I put have to be learned to play them each time the same, or you just relax and slur when it comes to you… I have to note it down or didn’t care for them…
I really love the fiddle.. it has “somethin”. It is THE instrument for ITM… many odd things when playing the tunes in the flute, make sense trasposed for the violin…
(by the way, I also have a mando…for fingering benefit… but it clearly doesn’t improve my bowing! )
I am also learning to play the fiddle. My advice to you is to practice each day..and yes, you will sound like you are killing cats for awhile, until you learn the correct position of your bowing arm. Watch some Utubes on violin lessons. There are some great ones out there. Red Dessert Violin, Jaci Sikes…you will find them just by doing “fiddle lessons”.
I start out with the scales in my warm up and do some simple songs..like twinkle twinkle, Ida Red, Shorten bread. I work in the Fiddle for the Complete Ignoramous book, which is pretty simple. I am also working in the Fiddle for Idiots book–which is written by a former member of Gaelic Storm, so there is alot of Irish music in there. (but it is a little more difficult than the Ignoramous book.) I will be playing for an entire 3 months now…(as of Nov 17th) and have almost gotten through half of the Ignoramous book and still in the Simple Songs in the Idiots book. But, my tonation is much better and I’m learning correct stance for bowing as well as fingering.
Hang in there..and watch a BUNCH of You Tubes!!! Since you already know ITM, you are a step above, and the music will come after you learn the rudimentary ways of the fiddle. Practice some Christmas music too…since we will be in the season soon…You already know the songs, how they should sound…practice slowly, get your tones right.
Last suggestion—if you are having a problem keeping your bow straight, put a couple of plastic straws in the f holes to guide you…they are a pain, but you learn quick to stay perpendicular to the strings!!!
