Just an observation on practicing guitar & the results it has on fiddle playing

[815C]

The last few months I've been wood shedding on my guitar for 6 - 10 hours a day. I've been playing thru the contents of my book (which has over a thousand 2 octave scale, mode, and arpeggio patterns in it), and running thru a bunch of flat picking and finger style tunes every day.

Late last night while practicing I watched the movie Peanut Butter Falcon (great movie BTW) which has some great music in it. When the movie finished I was inspired to get my fiddle off the wall.

I played fiddle in a band 40 years ago and used to be pretty good on it (played it on the Grand Ol' Opry way back in '85), but have barely touched it for decades as I haven't had time to work on multiple instruments. I have probably played it a total of an hour in the last few years.

But last night I was amazed at my fiddle chops - and intonation. It seems all this work on guitar the last few months has had a profound impact on my fiddle playing. I can understand improved dexterity in my fretting fingers, but I can't understand why my intonation has improved.

[catt]

I've had similar experiences when laying off fiddle - it seems strange that after a period away from the instrument that intonation, particularly, is often so accurate. Albeit, fiddle has been a primary instrument for decades; I suspect this has something to do with it. (*Also, good ears.)

[shufflebeat]

I'd be inclined to look more to Jean Piaget for an explanation of this one. The improvements you make in your physical capability and muscle control are reflected in cognitive schemata which make sense of the patterns you recognise. As the laws of physics are the same for the fiddle as the guitar these patterns are directly transferrable from one to the other.

Muscle strength, coordination and pattern recognition.

[Mr. Jelly]

Experience has a way of giving one the confidence in what they are hearing. Hence playing. Confidence shares some space with boldness. Bold confidence often has a tone all it's own. Enjoy.

[zeeway]

Without trying to get too touchy-feely, I do believe that musical ability is one of those gifts that comes from above. Otherwise, how do we explain a child prodigy who can play the piano at age three or four? Skeptics will say it was just a lucky roll of the genetic dice. I say try to roll snake eyes twelve times in a row, and get back to me when you have done it.

My belief is that anyone who can play a musical instrument to any level of proficiency, was born with at least a spark of music in them. My view is that the correct response is a prayer of thanks.

[shufflebeat]

Originally Posted by zeeway

Without trying to get too touchy-feely, I do believe that musical ability is one of those gifts that comes from above. Otherwise, how do we explain a child prodigy who can play the piano at age three or four? Skeptics will say it was just a lucky roll of the genetic dice. I say try to roll snake eyes twelve times in a row, and get back to me when you have done it.

My belief is that anyone who can play a musical instrument to any level of proficiency, was born with at least a spark of music in them. My view is that the correct response is a prayer of thanks.

For the record, snake eyes 12 in a row is just as likely as any other series of outcomes you might like to predict. Nature doesn't know what those dots represent to us. Likewise, every child is unique within the bounds of bio-physics and now and again one will take to the piano like others take to sport or language (did you know there are many children in Europe and Africa that can speak FRENCH fluently before they leave primary school? Very rare in the UK).

[Bob Womack]

Originally Posted by 815C

But last night I was amazed at my fiddle chops - and intonation. It seems all this work on guitar the last few months has had a profound impact on my fiddle playing. I can understand improved dexterity in my fretting fingers, but I can't understand why my intonation has improved.

I'm inclined to credit both. As we play guitar, the intuitive business of connecting the left hand and ear to affect intonation is honed. As you well know, fiddle starts and ends with intonation because there are no frets to keep you on tuning and sweetness of tone is the point of the whole exercise. It is just your hand and your ear. The same is true for slide guitar. The more I practice fretted lead playing, the more intuitive my intonation on slide guitar becomes. Apparently the intuitive business of bending onto pitch and bending and applying pressure within chords to sweeten them in fretted guitar naturally improves our handling intonation in unfretted instruments.

Bob

[archerscreek]

You mentioned playing the Opry and fiddle tunes. I’m sure you’re aware then of the number of top flight bluegrass musicians that play multiple instruments. If one digs enough, it seems like the vast majority of pros play at least two different instruments, of which one might be casually but competently played and the other primarily what they’re known for. I think the skills transfer over.

[Mandobart]

I'm a multi-instrumentalist, started with violin at 10 years old. I've found its like cross training in sports - improving on one instrument helps on all of them.

Regarding the age old "talent/gift" vs "hard work/practice" discussion, my feeling is that we all have some "raw material" that we start out with in all fields - athletic ability, musical ability, language skills, logical thinking, mechanical aptitude, etc. Some things come easier to each of us than other things.

Each of us can improve from where we are. If we live long enough, each of us will also peak and decline.

[cmd612]

Originally Posted by 815C

I can understand improved dexterity in my fretting fingers, but I can't understand why my intonation has improved.

This is something I've been thinking about lately - I came back to violin about two months ago after a couple of decades away from it. I've realized that it takes a LOT of muscle strength and control in the left hand to play a fiddle in tune.

For the past several months, I had not been playing guitar anywhere near as much as you have--some days not at all and other days maybe an hour or two at the most. When I picked up my violin I couldn't play more than about 5 or 10 minutes without my left hand cramping up. It also was extremely difficult to play in tune. My ear knew it was bad, but my fingers just couldn't make it right. I started with very simple exercises, a few minutes at a time, just to build up strength. As my hand has gotten stronger, the intonation has gotten better and easier. It's been an good exercise in patience as I slowly try to work my way up toward more challenging pieces I used to be able to play.

It makes sense to me that the hand strength you've gotten from the hours you're putting in on the guitar might have a great deal to do with the improved intonation.

[Twin Six]

As a sitarist, I've found that sitar & guitar are mutually complementary.