Practice Tips
Listen to tunes as much as possible. This is the way tunes get passed around. Listening to the younger bands is a good way to get a feel of how the tunes are played now, but it is still good to listen to some of the sources all these younger bands have learned from.
Remember there is no such thing as a right version. Everyone plays a little different, but knowing a simple or more standard version will make it easier to play with other people. Remember this is social music. It is most fun to be playing with people or for dancing people.
The way to become a really good musician is to listen, listen and then listen. Listen to the music you want to play. You can’t become fluent in a foreign language by just reading the words. You have to practice and listen. It is the same in music. Just reading the music makes you a player, but to become a real musician you need to feel the music and the best way is to listen to lots of it.
Jam etiquette:
Jam etiquette is very important. Just jumping into a jam before assessing the situation is a good way to get known as a “Jam Buster.” You will find that you won’t be welcome in many situations if you are known as a Jam Buster.
Listen to the people playing and decide if you are likely to fit in with the jam. Everyone wants to play, but there are times where it is just good to listen and learn.
Bands playing on a stage or for a dance are bands and spend time practicing together to get a good sound, don’t ruin it. There are dances where the band is an open band. These are times where it is ok to play along. Don’t expect to get your own microphone. Usually the stronger musicians with more dance playing experience will get the mics. Remember it isn’t so important to be heard by everyone. Mics amplify what you play, the good and the bad, not what you think you play or want to play. Don’t embarrass yourself.
If there is a small jam going on don’t just jump in. It might be better to ask if it is a private session. Some times people just want to play in a small group. That is their right. You can always go start your own jam. If you bust up a jam, people will remember and you won’t likely get asked to play with them. No One Likes a Jam Buster. Just be sensitive to other musicians. Remember someday you may be playing and a big loud guy with a tuba might just jump in. He may not know the tunes and not play in tune and have terrible rhythm. It may not be fun. Don’t be like the big obnoxious tuba player!
If you practice you will get better. You will get there before too long so don’t worry about not getting to jam as much as you want. Most people want to play more than they do. It’s natural. Your day to shine is just around the corner. Just practice and most importantly be patient. Nobody became a good musician overnight. The people you see that are really good have spent a lot of time practicing just like you are doing.
The idea is to play music and have fun. If your idea of having fun is playing for a bunch of people, practice and practice and get a band together and get some gigs. It can be fun. And remember not everyone will like what you play. That’s just how it goes. Not everyone likes the same kind of music. There is nothing so irritating as a performer or group of performers who want their music turned up so loud that no one can think. Remember we want people to enjoy our music. We don’t want to force it on them. If the music is not loud enough and people want to hear it they will ask for you to turn it up. People will ask to have the music turned up, but very seldom ask to turn it down. It is embarrassing for them and you.
Learning tunes in a jam.
Here are some guidelines on learning tunes in a jam situation.
1.
Listen for a while. In old time music the tunes will be played enough that there will be time to play. Don’t just jump in and ruin it for the others playing.
Listen for a while. In old time music the tunes will be played enough that there will be time to play. Don’t just jump in and ruin it for the others playing.2.Figure out what the different parts of the tune are. Most fiddle tunes are played in 2 parts in this way AA BB. There are lots of tunes that are played other ways so listen. Also listen for the regularity of the tunes. Some tunes are irregular or crooked. These are difficult to pick up, even for an experienced player. So listen closely.
Figure out what the different parts of the tune are. Most fiddle tunes are played in 2 parts in this way AA BB. There are lots of tunes that are played other ways so listen. Also listen for the regularity of the tunes. Some tunes are irregular or crooked. These are difficult to pick up, even for an experienced player. So listen closely.3.Try to break each part into a simple melody and chords if you can. Then simplify the melody even more. When you have the basic melody you can start to play along. Start simply and then add as you learn more. As you are playing you will start picking up the intricacies along the way. Play quietly until you are pretty sure you have it. Remember it isn’t necessary to be the loudest. Just have fun and don’t spoil everyone else’s fun.
Try to break each part into a simple melody and chords if you can. Then simplify the melody even more. When you have the basic melody you can start to play along. Start simply and then add as you learn more. As you are playing you will start picking up the intricacies along the way. Play quietly until you are pretty sure you have it. Remember it isn’t necessary to be the loudest. Just have fun and don’t spoil everyone else’s fun.