…of fiddle fiending.
This venture into blogging is in large part a self-imposed tool for discipline. You see, in an effort to increase my repertoire of tunes and my self-discipline, I’ve committed to learning one new tune a day for one hundred days. Yes folks, one new tune a day, for one hundred days.
How it works: Everyday, I learn a new tune and I write about it. Making it public and telling a few, choice, hard-fiddlin’ friends will ensure I stick to this regiment. I hope also, that by writing about each tune I will remember and appreciate each one a little more than otherwise. And perhaps, over the course of these one hundred days, some insights into the musical learning process will emerge.
The tunes: Mostly bluegrass, with some Appalachian Old Time, jazz, French-Canadian, Cape Breton, Irish and Scottish thrown in for versatility of style and plain kicks.
The method: I will learn most tunes by ear, by using recordings, youtube videos and friends. I will diligently practice every new tune for ten days, and then ‘drop it’ to learn a new tune. For example, by day eleven, I will have played tune number 1 for ten days and hopefully will have it in the fingers, so I’ll stop practicing it daily. Day eleven would then have me practicing tunes 2 to 10, and learning tune 11.
And so it starts. Oh lord, what have I got myself into…
This is awesome! I’m going to keep up with your blog for sure! Do you have the songs picked out already, or are you finding them as you go?
Hello! I would love it if you checked in on this every once in a while. It’s great knowing there are lovely people witnessing the process…and contributing their thoughts!
As for the tunes, so far I’ve picked them out the day I of, and a couple friends – James and Meaghan – have shared their top ten fiddle tunes list with me, so I go and pick from there, too.