Memorized Tunes

Bloomfield · Post by **Bloomfield** » Thu Oct 17, 2002 8:07 am

Jihn Mav,
nop roblm ata ll. Its al inn the bst siprit, adn were allf reinds, rght? rigt.

SteveK · Post by **SteveK** » Thu Oct 17, 2002 8:07 am

Chris Smith has two articles on tune learning on his coyote banjo website. Don't worry, you don't have to play the banjo. The articles are byear and callresp-right at the top of the page.

http://www.geocities.com/coyotebanjo/instruction/

Steve

<font size=-1>[ This Message was edited by: SteveK on 2002-10-17 10:15 ]</font>

colomon · Post by **colomon** » Thu Oct 17, 2002 8:10 am

On 2002-10-17 09:54, srt19170 wrote:
I do question how my tune memory will hold up long-term, since tunes that I don't refresh often do fall out of my head, although I can usually reover them fairly quickly.

That happens to everyone, I think -- it's just that, for the really good players, the recovery time goes down to almost zero. (Like, less than once through a tune - they can hear a few notes and it comes back to them.)

Wandering_Whistler · Post by **Wandering_Whistler** » Thu Oct 17, 2002 9:43 am

On 2002-10-17 09:50, Bloomfield wrote:
Touche. Und von jetzt an werde ich wohl die Benutzung der englischen Sprache vermeiden muessen. Schade eigentlich. Und danke, Stephan, fuer die Schuetzenhilfe.

Alles Gute,
Bllomfield.

Und Armen ich, muß ich das dumme Internet benutzen, um in foriegn Sprachen zu übersetzen. Ich wette dieses irgendjemandes rife mit grammatischen Störungen. Aber für alles das, scheint es nichtsdestoweniger erstaunlich.

kardshark87 · Post by **kardshark87** » Thu Oct 17, 2002 10:05 am

I usually learn tunes from L.E. McCullough's 121 F.I.S.T. Personally, I find that when I learn them from there (using the CD's, by the way) they stay memorized for longer than if I were to use music. It only takes about 5 minutes to learn the tune off of the CD, too.

Brent

Martin Milner · Post by **Martin Milner** » Thu Oct 17, 2002 10:07 am

I'm convinced there's a tune learning muscle somewhere in our brains. If it hasn't been used before, or for some years, it'll be shrivelled, but if you use it often enough, it gets stronger.

Using sheet music is like wearing water wings; it'll help you get started, but the sooner you discard them, the stronger a swimmer/player you'll become.

I've recently returned to playing some guitar tunes (mostly ragtime & blues) I last played 4 or 5 years ago. At first I couldn't find the chords, but in a little while my fingers remembered where to go without my having to guide them, or having to look at the tablature (I never could read sheet music for guitar).

The same is true for whistle tunes at the moment. If I think I know a tune but I haven't played in a while, it takes a few goes to get the fingers limbered up, but it's soon there again.

Regular players have this tune brain muscle so well tuned, their fingers get to the right places without conscious thought much faster than we beginners.

Stef · Post by **Stef** » Thu Oct 17, 2002 2:21 pm

On 2002-10-17 09:32, StevieJ wrote:
I don't think you're mentally deficient Stef but do I think should start trying to trust your ears.

I've seen music students who play staring hard at the music and where (to judge from the result) it seems that, as you say, the ears are not involved at all. This is not just paradoxical, it's not music.

Why not try playing Three Blind Mice with your eyes <i>closed</i>? That way you'll be obliged to listen to what you're doing.

As well, beware of memorizing tunes by "finger memory" - which again is not playing by ear. Playing an instrument not a typing exercise. Keep your ears involved all the time.

Oh... and start singing to yourself as often as possible. If you're not game to do that, I'd recommend a few voice lessons from a teacher used to taking on "remedial" adults.

Good luck - have confidence.
Steve

Thanks Steve,

I'll keep plugging away. Any whistle-stuff going on in Montreal this weekend? I am stuck here with a blown engine and nothing to do.

Cheers,

Stef.

StevieJ · Post by **StevieJ** » Thu Oct 17, 2002 2:48 pm

On 2002-10-17 16:21, Stef wrote:
Any whistle-stuff going on in Montreal this weekend? I am stuck here with a blown engine and nothing to do.

Not whistle-stuff particularly that I know of. There are two sessions on Saturday - Hurley's on Crescent St from about 3:30 to 6 and McKibbin's on Bishop St from about 6 to 9. I haven't been to Hurley's for ages but it can be good or dire depending on who shows up. McKibbin's is as noisy as hell and about as smoky too but aside from that the session is often a lot of fun and sometimes musically good too.

I don't think I'll be showing my face at either 'cos of stuff that has to be done.

Oh I forgot there's the Comhaltas touring concert which is usually well worth attending, especially if you haven't seen two or three of them already.

Here's a quote from an email I received about it:

It's not too late to get tickets to the Comhaltas concert at Loyola
campus, Sat Oct 19 at 7:45 pm. Phone any of these numbers to reserve a
ticket (only $12):

514-697-6918
514-767-2105
514-935-3961

There will be a session afterwards, upstairs at O'Donnells.

The session afterwards at O'Donnell's (also on Bishop St below Ste-Catherine) will probably be a zoo.

Azalin · Post by **Azalin** » Thu Oct 17, 2002 5:53 pm

Stef,

I'll be at Hurley's this saturday if you want to show up. To make sure you do recognize me, well, I'll probably be the only whistle player around, will be with an asian fiddle-player woman... We're heading for the concert afterward, so you're welcome to join us.

Stef · Post by **Stef** » Thu Oct 17, 2002 7:12 pm

On 2002-10-17 19:53, Azalin wrote:
Stef,

I'll be at Hurley's this saturday if you want to show up. To make sure you do recognize me, well, I'll probably be the only whistle player around, will be with an asian fiddle-player woman... We're heading for the concert afterward, so you're welcome to join us.

Thanks!

I will try to drop in for a pint.

Stef.