I bought Seamus Creagh's CD 'Tunes for Practice' just before Christmas and finally decided to take the plunge of using the ears.
Although I've only done a few of jigs and polkas (on the mandolin), it's surprising how the fingers seem to jump almost automatically to the notes. My playing sounds reasonably good when accompanying the fiddle, though the mandolin on its own isn't hugely exciting.
Seamus has a plain (sometimes slow) version of each tune followed by one with ornamentation. My problem is this (many of you are probably sighing already and saying this has been covered before!): I'm finding it hard to work out the ornamentation and some triplets on the second version (even when I slow it down in Audacity).
Should I therefore ignore the ornamented pieces and concentrate on the plain tune, even though it mightn't sound great?
I agree with eb; but bear in mind that the ornaments are his ornaments. Not everyone plays the same, and once your ear gets tuned in, as it were, you will start playing your way, not someone else's. But listen first, and practise.
"it's surprising how the fingers seem to jump almost automatically to the notes" - when you play from a written score you train a reflex so that when it sees a dot in a certain place it moves a finger to a certain place. To play by ear you only have to remap this reflex onto one where knowing that the next note sounds just so causes that finger to move to that place.
Remapping a reflex is very easy - it's only like going from left hand drive to right hand drive.
I'll probably keep saying this until the world understands.
It is good that his efforts have helped. As the others have said, give it time, and take advantage of any 'live' opportunities that come your way and might offer you further guidance on technique and more tunes. Chase up workshops if at all possible. It is obvious your ears are open and, as you've said, working, and that is brilliant. As long as you keep them open, and other things 'open', the understanding will grow... Best of luck with what sounds like a brilliant start.
Don't push it, take it easy, without building any tension into your playing and appreciation of the music ~ appreciation of it at its simplest and of its variety...
...and don't forget that fiddle ornaments and mando ornaments are seldom the same, so you wouldn't be reproducing them in precisely the same way. Get the bones of the tune, then add your own, probably based on something you heard someone else do and liked. Steal them - that's what I do!
And don't forget to check how well you can remember these tunes without the CD, as compared to how you can remember tunes learned from sheet music without the sheet. I'm sure you'll notice a difference.
Best of luck with it - it really does get easier as time goes on.
Here's one thing you can do. Slow down the ornamentation version, and learn some of the ways he adds one or two of the ornaments. Try to see how that ornament fit in the tune and how it could be used in a different place.
Once you know the basic tune, practice it with just one or two ornaments like you heard, but in different places. Then try it again, with different ornaments in different places.You are practicing the basic tune, while practicing ornaments, while learning how to improvise. This is from the fiddle book Im learning out of right now, and it seems to be a smart way of doing it.
ethical blend ~ spot on!
showaddydadito, about that analogy. Try not to think too much about which is the left side & which is the right. It's the thinking takes time. If you're the driver, & it's a two-lane road, your position is toward the center of the road. This works for me. Like riding a bicycle.
But re-training a reflex, I agree with you. 5X5.
emily, I just now read your comment. The night before I was going to rent a right hand drive someone gave me the advice. Worked like a charm. I trust you're comfortable with the driving situation now.
Mine ears doth work!
Mine ears doth work!
I bought Seamus Creagh's CD 'Tunes for Practice' just before Christmas and finally decided to take the plunge of using the ears.
Although I've only done a few of jigs and polkas (on the mandolin), it's surprising how the fingers seem to jump almost automatically to the notes. My playing sounds reasonably good when accompanying the fiddle, though the mandolin on its own isn't hugely exciting.
Seamus has a plain (sometimes slow) version of each tune followed by one with ornamentation. My problem is this (many of you are probably sighing already and saying this has been covered before!): I'm finding it hard to work out the ornamentation and some triplets on the second version (even when I slow it down in Audacity).
Should I therefore ignore the ornamented pieces and concentrate on the plain tune, even though it mightn't sound great?
# Posted on February 16th 2010 by amhrán
Re: Mine ears doth work!
I would say: no, don't ignore them. Just keep listening and keep trying. You'll be fine.
# Posted on February 16th 2010 by ethical blend
Re: Mine ears doth work!
I agree with eb; but bear in mind that the ornaments are his ornaments. Not everyone plays the same, and once your ear gets tuned in, as it were, you will start playing your way, not someone else's. But listen first, and practise.
# Posted on February 16th 2010 by gam
Re: Mine ears doth work!
hurrah for thine ears.
"it's surprising how the fingers seem to jump almost automatically to the notes" - when you play from a written score you train a reflex so that when it sees a dot in a certain place it moves a finger to a certain place. To play by ear you only have to remap this reflex onto one where knowing that the next note sounds just so causes that finger to move to that place.
Remapping a reflex is very easy - it's only like going from left hand drive to right hand drive.
I'll probably keep saying this until the world understands.
# Posted on February 16th 2010 by showaddydadito
Re: Mine ears doth work!
Easy maybe, but not necessarily fast. It took me about 6-8 months to feel comfortable in a right hand drive car. And that was driving most days.
# Posted on February 16th 2010 by DrSilverSpear
"Seamus Creagh: Tunes For Practice"
2 CDs worth of inspiration
http://www.thesession.org/recordings/display/3225
http://tunesforpractice.com/
Just making the connection.
It is good that his efforts have helped. As the others have said, give it time, and take advantage of any 'live' opportunities that come your way and might offer you further guidance on technique and more tunes. Chase up workshops if at all possible. It is obvious your ears are open and, as you've said, working, and that is brilliant. As long as you keep them open, and other things 'open', the understanding will grow... Best of luck with what sounds like a brilliant start.
# Posted on February 16th 2010 by ceolachan
Don't push it, take it easy, without building any tension into your playing and appreciation of the music ~ appreciation of it at its simplest and of its variety...
# Posted on February 16th 2010 by ceolachan
Re: Mine ears doth work!
Thanks everyone for the very kind words. You've really given me heart! That's what I like best about this community of musicians.
# Posted on February 17th 2010 by amhrán
Re: Mine ears doth work!
...and don't forget that fiddle ornaments and mando ornaments are seldom the same, so you wouldn't be reproducing them in precisely the same way. Get the bones of the tune, then add your own, probably based on something you heard someone else do and liked. Steal them - that's what I do!
And don't forget to check how well you can remember these tunes without the CD, as compared to how you can remember tunes learned from sheet music without the sheet. I'm sure you'll notice a difference.
Best of luck with it - it really does get easier as time goes on.
# Posted on February 17th 2010 by bc_box_player
Re: Mine ears doth work!
Here's one thing you can do. Slow down the ornamentation version, and learn some of the ways he adds one or two of the ornaments. Try to see how that ornament fit in the tune and how it could be used in a different place.
Once you know the basic tune, practice it with just one or two ornaments like you heard, but in different places. Then try it again, with different ornaments in different places.You are practicing the basic tune, while practicing ornaments, while learning how to improvise. This is from the fiddle book Im learning out of right now, and it seems to be a smart way of doing it.
# Posted on February 17th 2010 by banshee misfortune
Re: Mine ears doth work!
How wonderful and succinct:
"don't ignore them. Just keep listening and keep trying."
Indeed eb! Hear hear. [Thumps table, spills drop from wobbly pint glass]
# Posted on February 17th 2010 by SWFL Fiddler
Re: Mine ears doth work!
Hi SWFL!
Don't you mean "thumps wobbly table, drops spill from pint glass"? Ha Ha!
Amhrán, you've got it! Nice and gentle, let it soak in and you'll be away flying before you know it.
Also a saying which I heard from Sean Tracey, an Irish athlete I stayed with back in 1971...
"A little a lot is a lot better than a lot a little!"
I think it holds true with a lot of areas. And so it is with music.
Have fun!
Brian xx
# Posted on February 18th 2010 by briantheflute
Re: Mine ears doth work!
ethical blend ~ spot on!
showaddydadito, about that analogy. Try not to think too much about which is the left side & which is the right. It's the thinking takes time. If you're the driver, & it's a two-lane road, your position is toward the center of the road. This works for me. Like riding a bicycle.
But re-training a reflex, I agree with you. 5X5.
# Posted on February 18th 2010 by Ben Steen
~
emily, I just now read your comment. The night before I was going to rent a right hand drive someone gave me the advice. Worked like a charm. I trust you're comfortable with the driving situation now.
# Posted on February 18th 2010 by Ben Steen
Re: Mine ears doth work!
That'll work Brian!
I always think of this place as a virtual e-session, or e-pub, with all the flapping of jaws and table thumping for emphasis.
...and trousers, lots of trousers...and wig glue! (ask yaalhouse)
# Posted on February 18th 2010 by SWFL Fiddler