How much should you practice fiddle?
I often make a point of telling my students that I don’t mind how much they practice the fiddle. Really, I don’t! Some find it surprising, but I understand that everyone’s situation is different; we all have competing time commitments and priorities. Few
of us can practice as much as we might like. (That includes me.) We also all go through phases of having the time and motivation to practice, and other times when finding the time is challenging.
So, making the very best of your fiddle practice time is really important. More tips coming soon on that! The one thing I do ask my students to do, is to think about their play:practice ratio.
Play and practice
What does that mean, exactly? Playing is when you pick up the fiddle and play whatever you fancy. It’s playing for fun. It’s playing without thinking too much. Normally for fiddlers that means playing tunes, whatever is in your head at the moment.
Sometimes it means ignoring the bits that don’t sound so great, and enjoying the bits that do. Fiddle practice is focussed attention. It means working on something specific. It’s repetition, but repetition with intention.
Trying to make each go round, each iteration, better than the last in some specified way. Practice can be fun, but it isn’t always.
Fiddle practice is about trying to get better. Practice means ignoring the bits that are already good, and honing the bits that need work. A glib way of putting this: practice is what you’d rather other people didn’t hear.
So, how much fiddle practice should you do? The answer is, as much as you want for your goals.
Your play:practice ratio
So, you decide: what ratio do you want of play to practice? There’s no right or wrong amount. If you want to get better fast, I recommend a higher ratio of practice. If you most of all want to just enjoy playing, have more play in your ratio. The only wrong thing would be a year down the line, thinking ‘I don’t know why I’m not improving as fast as I’d like’; or even worse, giving up because you’re not finding time to play for the joy of it. If that’s the case, you got your ratio wrong.
0:100 doesn’t work
For most people 0:100 and 100:0 don’t work. All play, or all practice: one means little improvement; the other, no fun. Find a balance instead. Your balance. Got 20 minutes? Try 5 minutes intensive warm-up on exercises, 10 minutes playing your favourite new tune, 5 minutes playing only the trickiest phrase. Or whatever works for you. But do it knowingly. Decide what play:practice ratio you are going to aim for in 2026.
Do you already play some fiddle? but maybe you are feeling a little bit stuck in your fiddle playing? or you’d like to take your playing further?
- Looking for … that authentic flowing Irish fiddle sound?
- Feel like your bowing is a little …. rigid or mechanical?
- A bit confused by …. how and where to play proper ornamentation?
- Struggling to play …. with real rhythm, pulse and lift?
- Want to play join in sessions …. but intimidated by the speed?
My Complete Irish Fiddle Courses will transform your playing.
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