Katie L said
I’ve been working on a few random pieces lately , Ain’t no Sunshine, Nights in White Satin, My Cherie Amore are a few of them. 

I’d like to know, what do you do to tackle the rhythm when you first look at a piece. Basically that’s my question. 

I admit I feel like time signatures are a big black hole for me and I know this is me not understanding them but I don’t see their relevance if you know how long the notes are supposed to be . Saying that,  I do understand how a waltz is different and that’s a different time signature to the 4/4 … that’s as far as my time signature knowledge goes and I could be wrong ha ha !!

Anyway I’d love to know how you all tackle a pice and also how you annotate it ? Anything to do with the rhythm when you first start a piece. I find that myself singing the song the song in my head and holding the length of the words to match the notes ( well that’s what I try to ) I do do any of the ta -ta -tata or 1-e-and-a and I feel like I should be . 

  

So I usually try and play something Ive heard already.. most of the time more than once, because I like the tune.  So Ill already know a version of the melody.  The sheet music then is basically an outline because its almost impossible to find the exact version of a tune Im trying to learn.

I almost always will have to slow down whatever recording Im trying to play with.  Ill try and find the notes with that recording and whatever trouble spots I hit ill refer to printed notation and see whats going on.  Sometimes ill make a bowing mark or slur so i remember to try that when playing.  Especially if im watching a video and can see the bowing of whoever is playing.   Most times its just by feel now.

Lately i dont even play along with fiddle videos.  Im using a youtube channel of a flute player.  Theres a concertina channel i like too.  i like irish tenor banjo but learning from that seems to lock into that feel more than i want so usually dont choose that as an instrument to learn a tune from.

thats on my own.. if its a lesson alot of time i have the version being taught so its easier.

if its a totally new tune with no reference to how its played ill look at the key, and time signature.   since most all my stuff is Irish that tells me the rhythm and about what the tempo should be.  Im always slower than that.