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It’s Not a Race – Quick Practice Tip

Teacher: Vi Wickam

About It’s Not a Race – Quick Practice Tip:

Hi I’m Vi Wickam and this is your Quick Tip of the Week brought to you by myTalentForge.com.

It’s not a race! Now what do I mean when I say it’s not a race…

We’re not playing fiddle to see who can get to the finish line first. We have to all finish together. And we never want to play our tune faster than we can play it.

This is one of my favorite things to tell my students…

They try to play something faster than they can play it. I don’t want to catch you playing something faster than you can play it!

Slow down. Relax. Play it clean, have fun with it!

If you’re playing it faster than you can play it, you’re going to have stress and tension and anxiety. I want you to be having fun! So play it at a speed that you can play it.

Play it with finesse and clean and beautifully! Because you don’t have to play it faster than you can play it.

In fact, I encourage you… relax, enjoy it! Play it at a speed that you enjoy playing it. Don’t play it faster than you can, because it’s not a race.

[…]

See you next time!

PS. For a great lesson on getting connected to your instrument, check out the free 5 Minute Bow lesson by Dr. David Wallace.

About Vi Wickam

Vi Wickam of Loveland, CO has been performing fiddle and writing music since before he could read. Along with his brothers and dad, The Wickam Family Band performed regularly on Blinky’s Fun Club, a nationally syndicated TV program.

Vi’s fiddling can be heard on numerous CD recordings, including two of his own. He’s played with many different bands throughout the United States, and even briefly in England.

Among his fiddling honors, Vi has won the Colorado State Championship twice, and been a finalist four times at the Grand Masters’ Fiddler Championship. He has judged fiddle contests throughout the US, and directed regional and state level fiddle contests.

Join Talent Forge to learn tunes from Vi.

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