A place where Cajun fiddlers (or prospects thereof) can discuss Cajun fiddling in all its glory.

55 Members, Created 5/26/2012 -

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A day in the Prarie and Seconding on the Fiddle

From tcadien on 6/24/2012 12:10:45 PM

Spent the day in the Prairie yesterday, I love going back home and spending the day out there.  Anyway I learned some important things about fiddling that day.  

1.)  When going to a jam session where there are old timers, I would always try and play my best to gain their acceptance, but this time I had done some meditating and realized that when I was growing up children were meant to be seen and not heard.  So me being a child (in terms of learning the fiddle) I went with a new attitude.  Its always best to just sit back and second and watch/listen to the way those old timers play.  This was the most fun I've had at a jam session in a long time.  I was there just to sit quietly behind the old guys, seconding on the fiddle and watch them play their music they way they've played it for some 80 odd years.  When I played later that night for an impromptu bal de maison in Plaisance I could tell that I had absorbed some of those old guys ways.  

2.)  I learned a process for learning Cajun music.   I was already well aware of and practicing it, but I always jump the gun on when to pick the instrument up and try the tune.  I questioned several old timers about the way they learned and they all gave me the same answer.  

   -  don't pick up the instrument until you have listened to the tune enough to where you know every single note by heart.  You should be able to sing, whistle, or hum the tune before you pick up the fiddle.  After this its just a matter of pecking out the notes starting with the first.  Then you have to add the stuff that makes it pretty and has rhythm.  Thats the hardest part.      
 

2 Comments
	Ted says: 6/24/2012 9:36:04 PM I've heard Marc Savoy relay this in some of writings. It really is the best way to learn the music. Same goes for learning French I guess. Sometimes just sitting back and opening your ears will do so much to improve your speaking abilities. When people ask me about 'sheet music' for cajun music, I tell them to just listen. I suppose its a pretty hard for us considering we are so used to learning from reading and sight, and neglect are ears.
	tcadien says: 6/25/2012 7:00:08 PM That's pretty much who told me that Ted. Good memory!
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