• Home
  • About Vi
    • Bio
      • Short Bio
      • Full Bio
    • Resume
    • Testimonials
    • Fiddle Lessons
    • Workshops
  • Projects
    • Fritto Misto
    • The Band
    • Fiddle Whamdiddle
    • String Theory Project
    • New Tune Challenge
  • Blog
    • Fiddle Tune a Day
    • Quick Tip of The Week
    • Videos
    • Workshops
  • Shop
    • Albums
    • Singles
    • Digital Downloads
      • Armadillo On a Hot Tin Roof
      • Fiddle Tune a Day
      • I’d Love to Live in Loveland – Digital Download
      • Long Time Comin’
      • Old School Old Time
      • Someone Like You
      • ‘Twas the Night Before Christmas
    • Books
    • Sheet Music
    • Tickets
    • Violins
  • Calendar
  • Contact
    • YouTube
    • Facebook
    • Linkedin
    • Twitter

Vi Wickam

Champion Fiddler, Inspired Performer

You are here: Home / Videos / Quick Tips / Play For A Dance – Quick Practice Tip

December 22, 2017

Play For A Dance – Quick Practice Tip

Find more Quick Tips and lessons by Vi Wickam and other teachers at https://myTalentForge.com.

[The song I play at the beginning of this Quick Tip is called St. Anne’s Reel. Find the fiddle lesson to that tune here, and find it on my album, Old School Old Time.]

I’m Vi Wickam, and here’s a Quick Tip for the day! Hey, it could be your Quick Tip for the week!

Play for a dance!

Now a couple of weeks ago, I had the great pleasure of playing fiddle at a barn dance for one of my good fiddle friend’s weddings.

As I was playing there for 2 1/2 hours of playing breakdowns, pretty much constantly, for the whole time, without a break, without being able to slur very much- I thought this would make a great Quick Tip!

Play for a dance. Everybody should do it!

If you want to become a better fiddler- play for a dance. It is one of the best experiences you will ever have.

And at the end of the night, your arms might fall off… not for real…but they’ll feel like it! You will be a little worn out.

You won’t be playing slurs because you have to keep the beat strong.

And you’ll be in touch with the feeling of the dance. You’ll be in touch with the tradition of the music because, as I’ve told you before, fiddling is dance music.

So you’ll get in touch with they rhythm. You’ll keep your versions a little more simple because if it makes you break time, you’re going to realize that’s not going to work. So you have to keep it in time, keep it in rhythm.

And that’s going to be one of the important lessons you’re going to learn.

You’re also really going to get in touch with these tunes.

Because if you’re in a bluegrass jam, you may play this song through once or twice.

Whereas, when you’re playing in a dance band, or a barn dance, or a square dance, or a contra dance- you may play that tune for 5 or 10 minutes.

And you will play that tune, and play that tune, and play that tune, until it is so in your bones that you know that tune backwards and forwards, and right and left. You’ll know that tune like the back of your hand.

So get out there and play a dance! You won’t regret it.

You will enjoy, and you will be a better fiddler for it.

So go out there and play a dance. That’s your Quick Tip for today!

Article by Vi Wickam / Quick Tips / dance music, down beat, fidde, play for a dance, quick practice tip, quick tip, string instruments, vi wickam Leave a Comment

online fiddle lessons

Featured Products

  • Old School Old Time Book - Fiddle Whamdiddle Old School Old Time - Book/eBook Combo $59.90 $44.95
  • Master Scale System - Violin eBook with Audio $11.95
  • Fast Fiddle Fitness Violin eBook Fast Fiddle Fitness - Violin Book/eBook COMBO $29.90 $24.95
  • Fast Fiddle Fitness Violin eBook Fast Fiddle Fitness eBook - Violin Edition $14.95
  • Old School Old Time Book - Fiddle Whamdiddle Old School Old Time - Bonus Combo $86.90 $54.95

Leave a Reply Cancel reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

Swinging at the Savoy

Get Swinging at the Savoy NOW.

Cart

Keep Up with Vi

    (Fiddle Tune a Day and Quick Tip Subscribers will also get periodic blog updates)
  • This field is for validation purposes and should be left unchanged.

Categories

  • Colorado Music (28)
  • Fiddling (676)
    • Contests (13)
    • Fiddle Tune a Day (367)
    • Free Fiddle Lessons (15)
    • Musician's Round Table (8)
    • New Tune Challenge (21)
    • Workshops (52)
  • Music (144)
  • Musings (13)
  • Videos (609)
    • eGreetings (4)
    • Quick Tips (124)

Popular Posts

  • Fiddle Tune a Day
  • The Difference between a Violin and a Fiddle
  • How to Put on a Fiddle Contest Successfully
  • Play any Song You’ve Ever Heard
  • Binaural Beats Music Technology of the Future
  • Home
  • About Vi
  • Projects
  • Blog
  • Shop
  • Calendar
  • Contact

Copyright © 2023 Vi "The Fiddler" Wickam | Genesis Website by Wickam Group, LLC