Till about an year or so ago, Irish trad was just another genre of music that I liked. However, slowly it has somehow taken over and I find myself listening to it almost all the times, plus I have become very serious with learning the tunes on the whistle(and intend to start learning the flute asap)! And suddenly I have found myself in the midst of so many tunes that I like and want to learn to play, which has made it all haphazard! Any help in the right direction that I should take? (or is this the right one? :P)
We have all been there. In fact, I still get overwhelmed with learning all the tunes. There are just too many. But take your time, and soon you will build a nice repertoire. I have made it a goal to learn at least three a week. I started with two to three a month when I very first started, and you just get better learning them as more time and experience goes by. Try not to get overwhelmed, just make a goal and stick to it. You will get there. But make sure you can play the tunes well before you try to learn more. It's no good in knowing tons of tunes that you can't play well.
For a while I tried learning tunes other folks were playing so I could play along. Now I only learn tunes that "grab" me - whether others play them or not. It's all good, right? I figure I'll get around to most of the ones folks play around here in good time...sometimes a tune has to grow on me for a while before I'm ready to tackle it.
It happens to all of us, sort of like a happy mental illness. You're in the right direction. As Pipersgrip says, just be sure you can play the tunes you choose well, rather than learning a bunch of tunes halfway.
Don't try and learn too many too quickly. If you hear a tune you want to learn, make a note of the name and add it to the list in your 'to learn' file. When you are learning a tune, move it to your 'learning' file, and when you have got the hang of it, move it to your 'learned' file. Whether you use ABC, mp3, youtube urls, downloads, iTunes, sheet music, friends, cd track numbers, and the amount you have in each file at any one time -- it's your choice, but you can be sure that there will always be 'just one more' tune that won't let you get away,
Learn tunes regularly. And GO TO SESSIONS! It's by far the best way to practice and pick up tunes. Trust me, out of all the musicians I know, the only good ones are the ones who go to sessions and stuff xD
And also, if you're gonna learn tunes at all: Learn them right!
Some kind of recording device is advisable... if you hear a tune in a session you're gonna wanna record it. ;P
I'm where you are, except I'm still learning tunes really slow. It's been about 3 months and i only know 8 that i have kind of down-pat(and most of those are really easy), but i practice them several times a day, then i practice the harder tunes a couple times and keep them in my "learning" file.
Some of the first tunes I started learning just so happened to be REALLY HARD(as if i knew... all of it was hard to me XP) and even though I've learned several easier tunes well, i still play the harder ones badly. (A bit ironic to me, cause I've been playing them longer than any of the other ones :/)
Right now I'm trying not to over-expose myself to too many tunes at once. I made the mistake of downloading over 53 tunes one night, and ended up with so much listening material i didn't even know where to start.(haven't really touched those folders much either). So now i just look for multiple recordings of the tunes I'm aware of, whether I'm learning them or not.
I like gams' idea about priority. "to learn", "learning", "learned". It seems like a good priority system to me. I think mine is too complicated... But I haven't lost the rest of my sanity yet so i figure it's working.
I'm trying to keep myself in a little "box". Basically a specific order of tunes that i want to learn. If i really really really like a tune, i begin working on it immediately(no matter how hard it is.) I figure that if i begin learning them now, a year or two from now I'll be able play them well, especially if i practice everyday right?
I also don't move on to a new tune(or set of tunes) until i know the ones I've learned well enough to put in a set, and play the set through, well.
Hey Fiddlelearner, nice to see someone in the same phase xP. I think I should also take it a little slowly, one by one! Also, you can check out http://my.irishtune.info for a decent tool to keep a track of your tunes..
Also, the 53 tunes you mentioned, where did you get them from? I mean is there a repository or something having tunes which you can download/buy (and is indexed by tunes rather than artists)?
I got those tunes from the "comhaltas" website. www.comhaltas.ie The have some cd's called that they sell, but for some reason they offer the individual tunes for free if you download them... I don't know why... Also, i posted a thread a couple of weeks ago titled "Solo fiddle cd's, do they exist." I think thats what its called. I would post a link but i'm away from my computer right now. But in that thread, some folks posted links to websites that offer free recordings of cd's. But thats by artist though. The comhaltas is a session. I think those cd`s are called "Foinn Sesiun" But if you search for a tune in the searchbar, you'll likely to find it, and it could also lead to the link.
I'm always a bit wary of putting a tune in a 'learnt' folder. They have a habit of coming back and biting me on the backside when I least expect it. Also I now find myself playing tunes that I learnt in a certain way slightly differently each time through. Does this mean that no tune is truely learnt until it can be unlearnt? If you know what I mean.
Flossie, i hope this helps(even though this is outside of ITM). But with piano, i didn't realize how bad of a musician i was until i learned how to improvise, and flow. Even though i knew how to play "songs, pieces, tunes", i didn't know how to play piano. It was about my 11th year of piano that i learned how to do it the right way. I use to think that it was bad to play a note outside of what i learned from the recording, or what i learned on paper. But when i learned that music is free expression, i could open up to more musical ideas. Playing piano has been different ever since. But i am a little syndromed. Some pieces i felt that the artist did it the best way it could be done, so in some pieces, i rather play them the way i learned them. Yiruma's "It's Your Day" is a great example. I about lost my mind, cause the studio recording and sheet, were different were different from the live recording. His live recording included an improve, and the sheet didn't have it :/ So i learned the sheet and included the improv where he out it lol. Great times those were. Every little note on that paper... pure magic! Ugh! Good Stuff!
And i've also learned that you don't have to add a bunch of embellishments and ornaments "to work it". Just change up the dynamics "a lil' bit". Play with the timing, run it like a river. Some places being more still than others. But remember, for me this is outside of ITM. This is just how i enjoy playing my piano music.
"I'm always a bit wary of putting a tune in a 'learnt' folder..." Yes, so am I. It was the best way I could think of to say, 'move them out of the 'learning' folder to make room for more coming in. I find tunes constantly get moved around -- one I thought I knew will often go right back into the 'to learn properly this time you eejit' folder. There is also the 'whatever made you think this was a good tune / rejects' folder, and the 'tunes to try later when I can do them justice'. Thank God for computers (and brains -- handy things to have)
Overwhelmed with tunes
Overwhelmed with tunes
Till about an year or so ago, Irish trad was just another genre of music that I liked. However, slowly it has somehow taken over and I find myself listening to it almost all the times, plus I have become very serious with learning the tunes on the whistle(and intend to start learning the flute asap)! And suddenly I have found myself in the midst of so many tunes that I like and want to learn to play, which has made it all haphazard! Any help in the right direction that I should take? (or is this the right one? :P)
# Posted on April 27th 2011 by tradguy
Re: Overwhelmed with tunes
We have all been there. In fact, I still get overwhelmed with learning all the tunes. There are just too many. But take your time, and soon you will build a nice repertoire. I have made it a goal to learn at least three a week. I started with two to three a month when I very first started, and you just get better learning them as more time and experience goes by. Try not to get overwhelmed, just make a goal and stick to it. You will get there. But make sure you can play the tunes well before you try to learn more. It's no good in knowing tons of tunes that you can't play well.
# Posted on April 27th 2011 by pipersgrip
Re: Overwhelmed with tunes
Yup, sounds about right. Enjoy the ride
For a while I tried learning tunes other folks were playing so I could play along. Now I only learn tunes that "grab" me - whether others play them or not. It's all good, right? I figure I'll get around to most of the ones folks play around here in good time...sometimes a tune has to grow on me for a while before I'm ready to tackle it.
# Posted on April 27th 2011 by thejigisup
Re: Overwhelmed with tunes
It happens to all of us, sort of like a happy mental illness.
You're in the right direction. As Pipersgrip says, just be sure you can play the tunes you choose well, rather than learning a bunch of tunes halfway.
# Posted on April 27th 2011 by ElaineT
Re: Overwhelmed with tunes
Don't try and learn too many too quickly. If you hear a tune you want to learn, make a note of the name and add it to the list in your 'to learn' file. When you are learning a tune, move it to your 'learning' file, and when you have got the hang of it, move it to your 'learned' file. Whether you use ABC, mp3, youtube urls, downloads, iTunes, sheet music, friends, cd track numbers, and the amount you have in each file at any one time -- it's your choice, but you can be sure that there will always be 'just one more' tune that won't let you get away,
# Posted on April 27th 2011 by gam
Re: Overwhelmed with tunes
"Any help in the right direction that I should take? (or is this the right one? :P"
Enjoy the madness while it lasts. Just don't mention it to a psychiatrist.
# Posted on April 27th 2011 by CreadurMawnOrganig
Re: Overwhelmed with tunes
Don't try and learn too many too quickly.
Sound advice Gam. Learn them correctly, one at a time.
# Posted on April 27th 2011 by ormepipes
Re: Overwhelmed with tunes
Thanks all for the help, I will keep these points in mind. Also, my.irishtune.info has a good tool to keep a track of the tunes learned
# Posted on April 27th 2011 by tradguy
Re: Overwhelmed with tunes
Learn tunes regularly. And GO TO SESSIONS! It's by far the best way to practice and pick up tunes. Trust me, out of all the musicians I know, the only good ones are the ones who go to sessions and stuff xD
# Posted on April 28th 2011 by Patrick Murray
Re: Overwhelmed with tunes
And also, if you're gonna learn tunes at all: Learn them right!
Some kind of recording device is advisable... if you hear a tune in a session you're gonna wanna record it. ;P
# Posted on April 28th 2011 by Patrick Murray
Re: Overwhelmed with tunes
I'm where you are, except I'm still learning tunes really slow. It's been about 3 months and i only know 8 that i have kind of down-pat(and most of those are really easy), but i practice them several times a day, then i practice the harder tunes a couple times and keep them in my "learning" file.
Some of the first tunes I started learning just so happened to be REALLY HARD(as if i knew... all of it was hard to me XP) and even though I've learned several easier tunes well, i still play the harder ones badly. (A bit ironic to me, cause I've been playing them longer than any of the other ones :/)
Right now I'm trying not to over-expose myself to too many tunes at once. I made the mistake of downloading over 53 tunes one night, and ended up with so much listening material i didn't even know where to start.(haven't really touched those folders much either). So now i just look for multiple recordings of the tunes I'm aware of, whether I'm learning them or not.
I like gams' idea about priority. "to learn", "learning", "learned". It seems like a good priority system to me. I think mine is too complicated... But I haven't lost the rest of my sanity yet so i figure it's working.
I'm trying to keep myself in a little "box". Basically a specific order of tunes that i want to learn. If i really really really like a tune, i begin working on it immediately(no matter how hard it is.) I figure that if i begin learning them now, a year or two from now I'll be able play them well, especially if i practice everyday right?
I also don't move on to a new tune(or set of tunes) until i know the ones I've learned well enough to put in a set, and play the set through, well.
# Posted on April 28th 2011 by fiddlelearner
Re: Overwhelmed with tunes
Hey Fiddlelearner, nice to see someone in the same phase xP. I think I should also take it a little slowly, one by one! Also, you can check out http://my.irishtune.info for a decent tool to keep a track of your tunes..
Also, the 53 tunes you mentioned, where did you get them from? I mean is there a repository or something having tunes which you can download/buy (and is indexed by tunes rather than artists)?
# Posted on April 28th 2011 by tradguy
Re: Overwhelmed with tunes
I got those tunes from the "comhaltas" website. www.comhaltas.ie The have some cd's called that they sell, but for some reason they offer the individual tunes for free if you download them... I don't know why... Also, i posted a thread a couple of weeks ago titled "Solo fiddle cd's, do they exist." I think thats what its called. I would post a link but i'm away from my computer right now. But in that thread, some folks posted links to websites that offer free recordings of cd's. But thats by artist though. The comhaltas is a session. I think those cd`s are called "Foinn Sesiun" But if you search for a tune in the searchbar, you'll likely to find it, and it could also lead to the link.
# Posted on April 29th 2011 by fiddlelearner
Re: Overwhelmed with tunes
I'm always a bit wary of putting a tune in a 'learnt' folder. They have a habit of coming back and biting me on the backside when I least expect it. Also I now find myself playing tunes that I learnt in a certain way slightly differently each time through. Does this mean that no tune is truely learnt until it can be unlearnt? If you know what I mean.
# Posted on April 29th 2011 by flossie
Re: Overwhelmed with tunes
Flossie, i hope this helps(even though this is outside of ITM). But with piano, i didn't realize how bad of a musician i was until i learned how to improvise, and flow. Even though i knew how to play "songs, pieces, tunes", i didn't know how to play piano. It was about my 11th year of piano that i learned how to do it the right way. I use to think that it was bad to play a note outside of what i learned from the recording, or what i learned on paper. But when i learned that music is free expression, i could open up to more musical ideas. Playing piano has been different ever since. But i am a little syndromed. Some pieces i felt that the artist did it the best way it could be done, so in some pieces, i rather play them the way i learned them. Yiruma's "It's Your Day" is a great example. I about lost my mind, cause the studio recording and sheet, were different were different from the live recording. His live recording included an improve, and the sheet didn't have it :/ So i learned the sheet and included the improv where he out it lol. Great times those were. Every little note on that paper... pure magic! Ugh! Good Stuff!
# Posted on April 30th 2011 by fiddlelearner
Re: Overwhelmed with tunes
Sorry about my rambling, i guess my point in all that was "You can't play it until you know how to WORK it."
# Posted on April 30th 2011 by fiddlelearner
Re: Overwhelmed with tunes
And i've also learned that you don't have to add a bunch of embellishments and ornaments "to work it". Just change up the dynamics "a lil' bit". Play with the timing, run it like a river. Some places being more still than others. But remember, for me this is outside of ITM. This is just how i enjoy playing my piano music.
# Posted on April 30th 2011 by fiddlelearner
Re: Overwhelmed with tunes
"I'm always a bit wary of putting a tune in a 'learnt' folder..." Yes, so am I. It was the best way I could think of to say, 'move them out of the 'learning' folder to make room for more coming in. I find tunes constantly get moved around -- one I thought I knew will often go right back into the 'to learn properly this time you eejit' folder. There is also the 'whatever made you think this was a good tune / rejects' folder, and the 'tunes to try later when I can do them justice'. Thank God for computers (and brains -- handy things to have)
# Posted on April 30th 2011 by gam