stringy said
What in yoir opinion is the very best exercise for promoting beautiful tone, is it just a case of practice, or soft and hard inflections in playing. I have noticed a tune played softer and harder at times regardless of what it says in the music, usually sounds more interesting and better, how much scope is there in written music for putting your own feel into it without deviating so much that the music to a purist is destroyed.

That is a great question. Yes, dynamics are super important. Like colors in a painting.
I would for sure practice playing vey softly, and practice playing from as soft as you can to as loud as you can. Slow bows, and fast bows.

To play softly, you need to play away from the bridge, even sometimes over the fingerboard. You need to have very little pressure but consistent. When playing softly, you "can" use a lot of bow, but with almost no pressure, "Flautando"....

To play loudly, you'll play closer to the bridge with more pressure. When playing loudly, you will either use a lot of bow, or slow very heavy strokes with a lot of pressure. 

Practice bowing long slow bows, as this is the most difficult to achieve.

I have been learning Aria Amorosa and it doesnt have any signs for soft light hard fast or anything in the written music, I have learned the first page and my timing is ok, but I them listen to a violinist on you tube and with the variance in her playing makes it sound like a different piece altogether.

If I were to describe dynamics as a rule, I would suggest that you grow when the notes go up in a phrase, and get softer when they go down. There are exceptions but this works most of the time.
Try singing the piece and see what you do naturally and try to imitate that on the violin.

I know in baroque the musician is supposed to put his own interpretation on the music.

Back to my original question, do you think there is a specific exercise that you personally like or is it as I suspect down to differences that you put into the music yourself.

Growing up, taking lessons from fabulous teachers, I was constantly told what to do, how to phrase.... But I've learned that "your" interpretation is the one that matters, and if you constantly do what is on the page, "someone else's" interpretation, you will grow less as a musician.

I originally was happy just to play in tune, which with ornaments on fiddle music is enough, but classical seems to be a different ball game, if you have the time I would greatly value your opinion , is this something that can be developed or is a teacher required, or does it come with time.
  

Just the fact that you are thinking about it, wondering about it, asking about it, shows that you are there. You are definitely ready to experiment....

Test your feelings out. Record yourself and give yourself critique, work on that, then record yourself again and see if its better.

I'm looking forward to getting a report. 😁

Sorry for the late reply. Thanks for your questions.

stringy said

A question for the maestro fiddlerman

ELCBK said
This title stuff must be a 'guy thing'... Kevin has our Alexa calling him "Master". 😏

I actually have Siri calling me, "My Lord".... ROFL

But obviously it's a joke too. Kind of 😉

JohnG said
Personally, I think Exalted Leader has a nice ring to it! @Fiddlerman.

🤣

Mouse said
The topic title was changed from "A question for the maestro fiddlerman" to "Dynamics and Tone" for people searching in the "learning" for this information. "A question for the maestro fiddlerman" is in the subject area of the topic title for those who visited during the early days of the topic.

But now my quote doesn't make sense. 🤣

Good idea though Cynth. Thanks!