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09 Aug 04 - 08:32 AM (#1243107) Subject: Fiddling Tips? From: *Laura* Hi - wondering if I can get any tips from any fiddlers out there. I've always played flute, but at Sidmouth I fell in love with a rather beautiful fiddle and had a bit of an impulse buy! I've found someone (a folkie) who can give me a few lessons - but if anyone has any tips I'd be very grateful! laura xx |
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09 Aug 04 - 08:39 AM (#1243113) Subject: RE: Fiddling Tips? From: Dave Hanson Don't use soap instead of rosin. eric |
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09 Aug 04 - 08:41 AM (#1243115) Subject: RE: Fiddling Tips? From: greg stephens It's not the notes, it's the bowing. Get someone you admire to show you the elements of a good shuffle rhythm, and stuff like that. There are all sorts of good bowing styles, there's not just one right way, but you need some background knowledge to pick something that really works. What might take you ages to work out by listening and trial and error can be shown to you in half an hour by the right person. Good luck, you're in for a lot of fun. Your nearest and dearest, on the other hand, are in for hell for quite a while. |
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09 Aug 04 - 11:43 AM (#1243244) Subject: RE: Fiddling Tips? From: *Laura* haha yeh - I live in the middle of nowhere - maybe theres a barn I can use instead! Thanks for the tips xx |
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09 Aug 04 - 12:09 PM (#1243266) Subject: RE: Fiddling Tips? From: The Borchester Echo The most inspiring fiddle workshop I ever attended was run by the Okehampton-based Wren Trust. I'm still working through the William Andrews Tunebook that I got at Sidmouth last year. |
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09 Aug 04 - 12:14 PM (#1243272) Subject: RE: Fiddling Tips? From: Fibula Mattock Don't worry about making awful sounds. That's part and parcel of the learning process. Concentrate on one thing at a time: i.e. either the tone, or the bowing, or the position of your hands, or the way you feel, or the tune, or the rhythm... do these separately and eventually they will all come together. I'm still waiting for them to all come together, but at least you don't stress about managing everything at once! And go with what Greg says - it's definitely all in the bowing. |
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09 Aug 04 - 01:24 PM (#1243331) Subject: RE: Fiddling Tips? From: fiddler I agree with everything stated above - get playing before looking for style - There are so many - Cape Breton, Old Time, Cajun, Bluegrass, English, Scottish etc. they are all very different and they all use the same instrument and Bow!!! We can all offer advice but buy some earplugs for teh rest of the household and get playing. Andy |
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09 Aug 04 - 01:55 PM (#1243359) Subject: RE: Fiddling Tips? From: DonMeixner My son's Akido instructor says you need to make the same move 10,000 times correctly before you can make the same move....correctly. In other words, practice. Learn the bow, the rest will come to you as long as you have a fair ear. Don |
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09 Aug 04 - 01:58 PM (#1243361) Subject: RE: Fiddling Tips? From: GUEST,winniemih Discipline pays off. Find a good teacher who will teach you the correct way to hold the instrument and bow early on. Work on good intonation, and get your teacher to give you some basic exercises and scales. Then play every day. I do my exercises Mon-Fri. before I work on any tunes, and I take weekends off from the exercises ( I can play whatever I want). Try to play at least 1/2 hour a day in any case. The fiddle is not an instrument you can put aside for long if you want to play adequately. You lose your technique fast. It's a very demanding instrument, but worth the effort. You might look into music camps once you have a basic grasp of the instrument, and go to local sessions (just to listen at first), and make note of the tunes you would like to learn. Find some tolerant friends to play with that are at your level. Try to have a good time however you approach it. Good luck and happy fiddling! Winnie |
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09 Aug 04 - 02:06 PM (#1243372) Subject: RE: Fiddling Tips? From: GUEST,Charlie My advice is find a tune you really want to play - then learn it, then find another. The trick is to find the next item you want to play so that you keep your interest. There are a lot of excellent but fairly simple fiddle tunes so it isn't too difficult (once you've learnt the basics). You need to do some exercises but I recommend learning tunes - otherwise you can quickly lose interest! |
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09 Aug 04 - 02:46 PM (#1243407) Subject: RE: Fiddling Tips? From: The Shambles It's not really fair on your workmates to fiddle tips. Find a noisy session where you can play along without anyone noticing the level of your playing and it will not be long before your level improves. The important thing is to play it, despite the pain in your shoulders and your ears.......Good luck. |
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09 Aug 04 - 04:33 PM (#1243484) Subject: RE: Fiddling Tips? From: *Laura* Thanks and thanks again. You're all very helpful! Right.... better go and practice........... laura xx |
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09 Aug 04 - 05:27 PM (#1243533) Subject: RE: Fiddling Tips? From: Peter T. (1)What is the price of an average violin? (2) What are the criteria for knowing if it is any good as an instrument when you set out to buy it? (If it has STRADIVARIUS stamped on it, you know it is made in Taiwan.....) (just interested.) yours, Peter T. |
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10 Aug 04 - 07:07 AM (#1243918) Subject: RE: Fiddling Tips? From: Mooh At the very least, try to get some pro advice about bow technique. From casual observance and personal experience this is the most important element of playing satisfaction as a beginner, most else will follow. One early solution for me was a tailpiece with four integrated fine tuners (yes, I kept the original) to reduce friction peg frustration. An electronic tuner helps, even to reassure your ears when they get pitch fatigue, but make a regular effort to tune by ear. Tune the bowed, not plucked, note. Tune some intervals, especially fifths. Listen to fiddle and violin music with an ear for phrasing and embellishment. At the start, several short energized daily practice sessions might be more beneficial than one long tiring one. Ask a lot of questions! Qualifier: I'm a crappy fiddler, but I play guitars with a very fine fiddler in a duo...that's a real education that's paying off! Dumb luck dropped my grandfather's fiddle in my lap a couple of years ago, so I figured I might as well use it. Luck also has it that I volunteer at a decent celtic festival and get to watch, listen, and ask questions...lots of questions. Good luck! Peace, Mooh. |
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10 Aug 04 - 07:55 AM (#1243947) Subject: RE: Fiddling Tips? From: The Borchester Echo If it has STRADIVARIUS stamped on it, you know it is made in Taiwan..... Well, in Germany, probably. Around 80 to 100 years ago. Mine was. If you're a complete beginner, it's a lot less tiring (and less cacophonous!) to get the fingering by playing pizzicato at first, holding the fiddle upright or like a guitar. Then when you pick up the bow, the bowed notes will at least be in tune. I could not agree more about getting pro advice about bow technique. Having been originally classicly trained, this changed me overnight from a bloody awful fiddler to a mediocre one. And online playalong sessions are brilliant before braving a real one. |
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26 Sep 04 - 09:43 AM (#1281369) Subject: RE: Fiddling Tips? From: Mooh When I discovered the neighbour lady could hear me practice because the windows are always open (well, for 3 seasons of the year) I started using a mute on quiet evenings. At the moment a pair of clothespins on the bridge do the job, but I think I'll make a nice hardwood one when I've got some down time in the shop. Peace, Mooh. |
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26 Sep 04 - 12:57 PM (#1281502) Subject: RE: Fiddling Tips? From: GUEST,Sarah The trick to good fluid bowing is a flexible wrist, not held with any tension. A good practice device is to play in front of a full length mirror and watch your wrist movement there - if it is stiff you won't be able to move the bow fast and fluidly. Also, invest in a good shoulder rest. If your fiddle touches your upturned wrist when you are playing, then it will eventually cut off the circulation in your fingering arm. A shoulder rest prevents this from happening. Also, don't rest the scroll on your knee when you are sitting and playing - I did all these things until I found out better! Finding a tune you like is good advice. See if you can get one that you can play with one of the other strings as a drone (flatten the bow across both - called double stopping)as it will help you to keep in tune as you go. And don't keep a cat in the room as you practice - they don't like it even when you are proficient... Enjoy it. Cheers Sarah |
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26 Sep 04 - 02:38 PM (#1281566) Subject: RE: Fiddling Tips? From: Sorcha Proper posture and good technique are essential. And, as Sarah says, don't lock your left wrist. Left wrist should never be 'cocked up'...keep it as vertical and flexible as possible. Keep as light a grip on the bow as possible w/o dropping it. If you have any ear at all, you will know when your fingers in the correct position. Pick a tune and listen listen listen then try to play it.....find a good book with actual photographs of proper position and imitate. |
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26 Sep 04 - 05:06 PM (#1281677) Subject: RE: Fiddling Tips? From: BanjoRay I found a cheap electric fiddle to practice on. It's nearly silent, but sounds fine through a pair of headphones, and doesn't bother anyone. But playing my real fiddle at sessions is great. Ray |