So just out of curiosity, when sitting down (or standing) to practise, do you have a specific order that you play your songs or is it just what ever comes to your head first? Or is there another kind of ritual that you go through when practising?
Usually I sit (or stand) until I am hitting myself trying to think of other tunes I know. Eventually I end up putting the Whistle or Flute away and every tune that I could have played pops into my head. Really, I jsut play whatever tunes fit the mood and are in my head.
Ditto. But I also try to practice new tunes I’m learning.
I generally obsess over one thing, intensely, at a time (for weeks,) breaking it up only slightly by reviewing old stuff.
When I’m actively practicing, I tend to do a few minutes of exercises to limber up the fingers and work on some finger patterns that aren’t coming smoothly. Then I’ll play through whatever tunes I’m trying to learn – then I’ll stop and play them slower! I try to finish with something I really enjoy playing that I play well enough to be satisfied (ending practice on a bad note is psychologically depressing).
But more often than that, I play a snatch or two of a particular tune (Boys of Ballisodare) then flip through a book to find tunes I haven’t played in a while and try that or go looking for something new.
And far less frequently I’ll put a CD in the computer and go through the process of slowing it down, looping, (sometimes adjusting pitch so I can play my D whistle to their Eb) and attempting to play along.
Tyg
Yeh, I sort of do that. There’ll be one tune I spend most of my time on. However, I do try to play through most of the ones I have fairly nailed as well. When just playing through a load of tunes I try to vary the order I do them in.
I’ve never been obsessive like that.I’ve never been obsessive like that.I’ve never been obsessive like that.I’ve never been obsessive like that.I’ve never been obsessive like that.I’ve never been obsessive like that.I’ve never been obsessive like that.I’ve never been obsessive like that.I’ve never been obsessive like that.I’ve never been obsessive like that.I’ve never been obsessive like that.I’ve never been obsessive like that.I’ve never been obsessive like that.
I’ve never been obsessive like that.I’ve never been obsessive like that.I’ve never been obsessive like that.
I’ve never been obsessive like that.
I’ve never been obsessive like that.
I’ve never been obsessive like that.
I’ve never been obsessive like that.
I’ve never been obsessive like that.I’ve never been obsessive like that.I’ve never been obsessive like that.I’ve never been obsessive like that.I’ve never been obsessive like that.I’ve never been obsessive like that.
I’ve never been obsessive like that.
I’ve never been obsessive like that.
I’ve never been obsessive like that.I’ve never been obsessive like that.I’ve never been obsessive like that.
I first decide on which tunes to practice for the week, and put sound files of them into a folder on the computer desktop. If its a tune that I have no recording of, I record it myself from reading dots. Then I set up the sound files at the slowness needed to play them comfortably. For the tunes I can’t yet play along, they sit in the sound editor so that I can select phrases to repeat. (Once I can play through slowly and know how the tune goes, at that point I transcribe any that were from my teacher.) Then I look up the tunes on the web to find out names, histories and other recordings of it. By the time all that’s done, most of the tunes are on their way to getting stable.
Then every day (ha ha) at whatever time I can squeeze it in, I sit down at the computer with the instrument and a liquid beverage, and there’s my weekly practice waiting for me. Hit play and play along. Once I’m happy that I’m routinely getting most of the notes right, I’ll continue it round a few more times by myself after the recording stops.
If there’s a tune I want to get really stuck into, I’ll record myself to find the mistakes. Then in the sound editor, find the goofs and practice those spots slowly as long tones first and then faster.
Before I had the computer, I did this with cassette tape. 
I warm up with a couple of things I know. If I don’t distract myself, I work on the tune(s) I am trying to learn. Then I play that/those tunes(s) until I’m sick of them (3 to 20 minutes). Then I play a bunch of stuff I know. When I have a lesson to work on, I get the tape player and play my teacher’s tape and try to emulate.
When I’m being smart and disciplined, once or twice a week I look at my list of tunes I know and go through them in order to make sure I can still play them. This is in place of the thing I said above.
Or, I toodle mindlessly until a tune pops into my head.
Easy to see why improvement is slow-going.
If you want to progress in the study of your instrument, ask yourself this question: am I practicing what I already know, or am I practising what I still don’t know?
That’s valid for most instruments, but in order to be able to play sessions you have to keep all the tunes you may need to play ‘at the tip of your fingers.’ It helps to refresh yourself on a regular basis.
Since I’m fairly new to this I am practicing the same few tunes over and over – both by ear and from music in my tutor book. I also play scales, broken thirds, triads – all of which I learned from my first formal study of music (cello) which began just a few years ago. The whistle has been a nice change in approach, similar to my past life as self-taught musician on guitar, mandolin and even whistle (a long time ago) glad to be back.
Most of my musical life has been solitary.
I am not satisfied with how I play anything yet. Always the question of when to move on. How many times can I stand playing “Down in the Sally Gardens” 
even though I still haven’t got it right.
Yep…this is what I do. When I start a new tune I need to keep practicing until I know it cold. Sometimes this takes very little time (usually with an air or something like that). But other times, it takes some time (jigs).
So when I do actually sit down to practice (a wise friend told me to make a time just for yourself, and practice then. Don’t let anything take that time away! It seems to work 
), I start with the tunes I am currently working on. I’ll take about 1/2 hour on those, and then I’ll end up with a few tunes that I know well. It gives you a feeling of accomplishment, even if the tunes you are working on didn’t go so well (again, more advice from a wise friend! 
).
My passion is fiddle. I use whistle to get or keep tunes in my head when my fiddle isn’t handy or I’m not feeling up for the physicalness of the fiddle.
I keep a written list of the titles of tunes I “know” and a formal practice session begins a run through of sets of those tunes (on fiddle or whistle).
Once my ears and hands are warmed up I work on learning a couple new tunes by ear or printed music.
Since my fiddle goes on the kitchen table after breakfast and I have whistles scattered around the house I get in a lot of informal practice as well during the day. That’s when I might take bits of a tune very slowly to work out the bugs or try a new technique.
Hi
My name is James ane I am a music teacher.
It is a very good question. I would advise you to practice the tune that you are learning, until you know it off by heart. This is most important, as many students dont follow this rule and end up with bits of tunes and able to play nothing properly.
I would then suggest that you divide your other tunes into sets. E.G. Three hornpipes or two jigs together. If you practice them in sets, once you play the first tune in the set, you will tend to remember the other tunes automatically.
When arranging tunes in sets, it is good to include key changes. Dont include three tunes in the key of “G” for example as you wont get any nece lift between the changes.
Most of all. … Practice, practice and when you are finished practicing, Practice!!! You cant beat it.
Hope this helps and best of luck with the playing
James
I tend to play scales and arpeggios before I start any tune. It helps me feel what my capability of playing is for the day. I usually have a tune that I am working on and play it all the way through. I then play sections that I am having problems with. Usually just a measure here and there, but if it is a breathing/timing problem, a complete part. After that I play fun, well known tunes.
Most of the above is what I do-slow down, looping phrases all of the above. I practice the “tune o’ the week” until its burned into my memory. I usually start with my fiddle or whistle to get the tune in my head and then transfer it to my pipes. Currently its the Providence reel , The Gold Ring with a touch of Toss the Feathers and Firieze Britches.