Fiddlers’ Goals
Violinists accept the goals their teacher gives them, usually without much discussion. It’s good for any student to be an active shareholder in the goals selection. Sometimes you have to be assertive about this with your teacher.
The most common goal, among fiddlers I’ve met, is learning new tunes. Usually the tune choice is a personal preference, whatever strikes the fiddler’s fancy.
I’ve made choices on that basis many times. I’ve also made choices based upon a larger project. The album, A Fiddler’s Year, is an example. I went through Fiddler Magazine’s tune a month calendar one year and learned all the tunes for that year, (except one that I just didn’t want to play).
Another example is the Money Tunes project. I found tunes that had something about money in the title.
My emphasis on teaching has also pushed me in the direction that supports the needs of my students. Much of my current Irish fiddle music repertory is directly inspired by leading my students where they wanted me to go.
I’ve also chosen tunes that exemplify the playing of great players like Vassar Clements, Mark O’Connor and Darol Anger. Playing their tunes as close to the way those virtuoso’s play them makes your education stretch beyond your comfortable choices of fingering and bowing. Mastering the licks of top fiddlers expands your ability quickly.
You may find the goal of mastering a particular technique to be the pole star of your effort. Early in my fiddling effort I put in weeks of focus on just the pinkie drone note effect. Then, a few years later I radically changed my left hand position and put in several weeks just getting used to the new way of holding the fiddle.
This may be your year to master vibrato for slow tunes, or get up into third position for a more advanced tune requiring that move.
It’s a personal choice. You decide your goals, where you want to go with your fiddle education.
Tags:fiddle tunes,music education goals,music practice,technique