[FPC 2019] Day Three

Days you practiced so far:

Practice strategy: Find Your Notes

Slowly play the first few notes of the tune, scale or exercise. Are they in tune? Listen and adjust them. How is the tone (that is, the quality of the sound)? Can you get it to sound more solid? Try using a throw-away bow or saw bow to improve the sound. Finally play them with a simple rhythm, preferably a rhythm from the tune. If you’re unsure, just play hoedown or triplets. The point is to get a sense of timing and groove before starting.

Before you start to play the tune, see if you can enjoy the sound of these first few notes. Then launch into it!

This might take a minute, but it can help you have a more successful run at what you’re practicing. And it will give you a little confidence boost to make these few notes sound good. I’ve been playing a pretty long time, but I still like to check in on my sound and tuning by playing a few notes.

And if in the course of playing the tune it becomes a struggle, just pause again, take a breath and find your notes once more.

Here’s a video lesson on this: Find Your Notes Before You Start

Go to the Practicipant page if you want to chat with other fiddlers or share videos of your fiddling.