Losing Your Place

[Sherry Cadenhead]

I still find myself losing track of whether I have played the A or B part once or twice in fiddle tunes. Tunes like Angelina Baker or Goldrush without a strong chord progression are easy to lose track of where you are at against a rhythm track.

What is even worse and I do not believe you can ever completely get away from is mixing up A and B parts of different tunes or the tunes themselves. I have heard some of the best, most experienced fiddlers I know play things like Salt Haired Boy or Red Headed Creek as they unintentionally mashed two tunes together. Everyone laughed and moved on. I have been on stage where a person called one tune and played another. We covered for one another. Or I have forgotten lyrics on stage and improvised, faked or mumbled them. Part of becoming a good musician is learning to play through the mistakes and keep the song or tune moving forward. Kind of like missing a basketball shot then getting the rebound or falling back on defense rather than freezing or falling apart.

I'm so glad to know this is not unique with me!

[Sherry Cadenhead]

I could say, "Who the heck doesn't know Home Sweet Home?" -- but that's unfair.

Allen, I actually do know "Home Sweet Home." I just was playing it so slowly, as I've said previously, I didn't recognize it.

[Sherry Cadenhead]

Why on earth do that?

I mean the trying part. Just keep reading it from the music, and eventually you will find that you are not actually seeing the music, it is just a mental jog, an anxiety reducer if you are performing, and you will find that actually you can remember the music just fine without having to try and memorize it. Its just something that happens.

I have also found this to be true.

[Sherry Cadenhead]

Katie is very methodical and gets it done. I could never adhere strictly to this method, but I do use a modified (slacker's) version, and it works. I think I've posted before, but Katie is a delight, and her method works.

This is a great technique. My teacher has had me use it for learning difficult (for me) rhythms, except that I would make a mark every time I played it correctly (from the written music), and I didn't have to start over every time I didn't play it correctly. Had to force myself to do it.

[Jon Hall]

This is a great technique. My teacher has had me use it for learning difficult (for me) rhythms, except that I would make a mark every time I played it correctly (from the written music), and I didn't have to start over every time I didn't play it correctly. Had to force myself to do it.

Thanks Sherry! I’m going to try this method. My memory needs all the help it can get.

[Sherry Cadenhead]

Thanks Sherry! I’m going to try this method. My memory needs all the help it can get.

Jon, promise not to hate me when you're playing the same thing over and over - and over!

[Jill McAuley]

Simon and/or John Kelly (or anyone else), must the music for the SAW group always be played from memory as opposed to playing from the written music?

There's no requirement in the SAW group that the tunes be played by memory - folks just post recordings - video, and sometimes just audio, of them playing whatever the chosen tune is.

[Simon DS]

That’s a good point Jill, I’ve actually just reached that block out stage where I can read fast enough to be able to play a lot of tunes straight off.
This means that I can play new tunes by reading, but five minutes later I have no idea how to begin them.

-though for some strange reason I can remember the finger flow if they are standard tunes once I get started.

So my objective now is to play ‘air’ mandolin a lot more often.
Like miming with fingers but with no mandolin.

[John Kelly]

Sherry, as Jill says, there is no requirement to play from notation but equally no ban on anyone using notation for SAW postings. In my own case there are lots of tunes I have posted on the SAW group where I just played them from the notation and if you asked me to play them now I doubt if I could, certainly not without having the notes in front of me. I am a reasonably fluent reader of standard notation and so I find that those tunes have not been learned but just played as I recorded them.

Tunes I can play from memory are ones I play regularly, both alone and in the sessions I play in and also with my band, though the band has not been happening over the past year. It is interesting that even when I have not played a memorised tune for some time, it seems to come back to me as soon as I start to play it.
I am just back in from playing in a live session from 8pm till 10.30 and there was not a single piece of notation during this session. We all know each other and well and are also familiar with the tunes and sets that are likely to crop up during the evening. We have no set list but just take it in turns to start a tune and see what happens. It is great fun!