Re: The need for speed
For me, 120 bpm on fiddle is about where speed vs expression becomes an issue. I think there's two parts of that - how fast listeners can hear an ornament and how fast you can play it. I've played Highland bagpipes, where there's an ornament called a torluath which has seven notes in it and sounds kind of like 'abrah'. It takes about as fast as you can say "onetwo". IMO most fiddle tune ornaments aren't in that category, and the listener benefits from hearing each note. As a mandolin beginner, I've discovered that if I can't play a triplet decoration fast enough, playing the first and third notes only is a useful cheat till I can - especially if the three notes are either the same or a scale run.
Eastman MD305 mandolin
Kentucky KM250 mandolin
2 x Fiddles, 1 x 5 string viola, 1 x 5 string octave viola, 2 X nyckelharpas
2 X 12 string guitars, 3 x 6 string guitars, 1 x Cuatro de Puerto Rico
5 x recorders - descant, alto, tenor
1 X Highland bagpipes
1 x Garvie 'Session' mouth blown bagpipes in A
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