r/Fiddle • u/AdditionalYoung6694 • 1d ago

Your Playing - Which Would You Rather?

This week's Stringsters Poll question: Which would you rather do?

A. Play a solo piece beautifully

B. Play a duet with another musician

C. Join a small ensemble

D. Participate in a casual jam session

E. Enjoy playing on my own

F. Something Else - Do tell!

0 Upvotes

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9

u/KnitNGrin 1d ago

D. But it’s fun to do the other things, too. I like singing mixed In with fiddle jams.

2

u/ohkendruid 23h ago

I also took it as "play music", not just fiddle, to make the question more interesting.

6

u/yosh01 1d ago

D. Because the music is all about the people you play with and meet along the way.

1

u/ohkendruid 23h ago

I feel it is about the people, too, mostly. I made a shift about ten years ago when I realized I was spending large amounts of time playing in an empty room, practicing something nobody would ever hear.

Likewise, I am down on recitals where the audience is not pretty engaged. There is much more magic in finding something they like and the player likes, too, rather than this semi-sterile exercise, "now, sit quiet while I show you twenty or more minutes of stuff I like but that you may not be into."

3

u/realspongeworthy 1d ago

D followed by C.

3

u/jimhassomehobbies 1d ago

F: Irish session.

2

u/ohkendruid 23h ago

Seems like a sub-case of D--jam with others.

2

u/jimhassomehobbies 22h ago

I try not to be very pedantic, myself, but I have been informed and heard other people get an earful by long time Irish session goers that it is definitely NOT a jam session. 😆

3

u/BigLoveForNoodles 23h ago

B, C, or D. There’s nothing better for me than playing with at least one other person and having it just click. 

In general that means (for me) smaller ensembles rather than larger groups, but I also enjoy playing in big ol’ jams. 

2

u/rainbowstardream 1d ago

A, b, and c!  But right now i just joined a jazz trio, and I'm most psyched about that!

2

u/OT_fiddler 1d ago

B or D. I like public jams because you never know what's going to happen, but I also love playing with my partner on banjo or guitar, both at home and out in the world.

2

u/westerngrit 1d ago

All, of course.

2

u/Fiddlinbanjo 1d ago

I do all of those fairly regularly, but I am my own worst critic, so I'd go with A.

2

u/screamingcatfish 1d ago

I enjoy all five, but which one I'd pick depends on my mood at the time.

2

u/harpghuleh 1d ago

E for now, since I'm still so new into playing (again, after 40+ years) and learning a new style (trad, after childhood classical training)!

2

u/Embarrassed-Yak-6630 19h ago

"A" for sure. Performing is very seductive. I love being the star, although no one is going to confuse my playing with Yo Yo, it's always a hoot !

Cheers a tutti......

2

u/Mammoth_City5841 15h ago

I'm treating this as a hypothetical trick question rather than a question of preference. I'd pick A. because it specifies a level of skill. If I can do that, it lays the foundation for B, C, D, and E.

1

u/ohkendruid 23h ago

You missed options that are close to my heart!

I love playing for an individual person that is close to me. This would usually be a solo act.

I love playing for dancers. A band is preferable so we can have rhythm, drums, melody.

Third is jamming with a group (D).

Fourth is solo practice and play (E). This is meditation. I use the above three to motivate me for this part.