I agree....just playing is important, and daily...

But make sure it's focused play and also make sure you have some clear goals in your head as well. For instance, the style you want to learn, techniques, licks and songs.

Violin takes more patience and focus than other instruments, it's awkward to play, it's fickle, and it's demanding. I'm concerned that playing and practicing at the workplace is probably not a good idea in my opinion. There's going to be alot of distraction and you may be subconciously aware that others are around you, listening, and this could have an effect on your practice as well.

You really need (IMHO) a secluded place, free of disrtaction where you can really focus and listen without any exterior distraction. This way you'll be more concious to hearing things and maybe catching things that could end up being problematic down the road.

Eventually you might get to a point to where you can practice that way. However, in the beginning when you're trying to establish good form, posture, techniques and start that solid foundation to build upon...im my opinion I don't think it's a good idea. But, hey this is only me......just my opinion.

1.) But life doesn't always work that way, and if I only practised when I can have a nice level of seclusion and privacy, the amount of time I could practice each day would be much more limited.  My household tends to be a busy one - I understand that, but do you have a garage or maybe even an outside area that you can get too at times? Or better yet, is their anyway to negotiate a compromise in your household with wife/kids where you can at least secure an hour or so in a room in the house with the door closed? I mean, this way maybwe they can step out for an hour or two and give you at least that time?

2.) Maybe it depends on what sort of performance one eventually wants to do, but I feel that learning to keep enough focus to play even with distraction can also be important.  When my household is active, and people may walk through or be talking and etc is more challenging and not usually as relaxing as the nice quiet practice time where the instrument can be my whole world for a bit.  But it does rather simulate the environment of a club or party type of gig - I disagree with you a little on this point. In the beginning, when your trying to establish a solid foundation of even the very basics, the last thing you want to do is to create any un-necessary challenges to that crucial stage of the learning process. Later on, down the road, when one HAS already established certain basic fundamentals and has some experience, then I can understand, but not in the very beginning. Even just the basics of bowing and intonation, learning the fiddle: it's pretty taxing from a cognitive standpoint for even the most attentive person and I think it would be pretty hard to make good progress out of it. Doable, I guess if you had no other choice, but sure could be making learning more difficult that necessary in my opinion. 

3.) Playing with people around (even a few of them) does tend to change what you will want to play.  When people can hear, I may run a scale once or twice quickly to limber up a little, but then I move into working on actual songs/pieces, because I know that scales and etc are pretty dull to listen to.  I make that work for me by practising the more "exercise" oriented things and first attempts on fresh material when I have some seclusion and low distraction, so those things get worked on every day.  Then when people are around and active, I think of it as working more on realistic performance - Well, in my case I have an agreement with my wife each day and I can go upstairs, shut the door and I know I won't be disturbed. Of course I have a 2 year old, so I know what you mean, avoiding any noise or distraction ( unless we have a studio maybe or basement etc... ) is completely unrealistic in every situation when we practice ....we live with other human beings! But in this particular situation, where the gentlemen was practicing at work, I was mainly referring to his specific mention about that and the fact that he's very much at the beginning of the whole process. You're farther along and maybe at a point where you can benefit from this type of practice. The fiddle is an instrument that requires more hand eye coordination, and also the use of tasking different aspects at once, more so than other instruments IMO. So, when it comes to building a foundation and really learning the instrument, we need to try and require as much focus, with the minimal amount of distraction necessary, is what I'm getting at. I think it's just so necessary with an instrument like the Violin. There's just too much going on, all at once and it's difficult as it is to try to isolate each aspect and work on each individually.

4.) I think that if practising in slow times at work can get you some extra time with maybe even a small "captive audience", it could be really great as an addition, but it shouldn't completely replace spending some quiet time when you can put all your attention on practice without distraction - Your last point here I totally agree with. I mean, if one can get some practice on a lunch break or something why not? But, I think they should go off somewhere alone. Now, as I mentioned, later on, with time and more experience...or let's say one is to the point of where they are going to have their first gig or maybe even jam session playing the fiddle? Then, in that case I see where what you've said IMO applies totally in a situation like that. But, if it's a real newbie who hasn't reached that point, if they practice at work, I think they should do it without folks around. The last thing you want to do is be trying to focus on some specific essential fiddling technique or excercise, while at the same time be aware ) or subconciously aware ) of others around you. In my case ( maybe it's because I'm ADHD!!! hahha ) this would be REALLY hard for me! I'd go bezerk and get frustrated! I just think it's putting the cart before the horse a bit IMHO.

Schaick said
I like it when family members are around when I practice.  I have asked them to go ahead and ask that question they need answered.  Then there is my grandson who does a sort of flat stepping on occasion when I am practicing.  He also inevitably needs something when I start playing.  They aren't interrupting, they are helping to grow my ability to play and sing/talk at the same time.  Who knew that was needed at a bluegrass jam?!? 

Also since the jam I attend is at a music store, there are always people at the jam I attend who are talking/laughing in the background.

Well, I think the point that I was trying to make is it really depends on what stage of learning your at also. If your able to go out and attend jams than your well on your way. I'm referring to mainly someone who is a rank beginner and just beginning to form good habits such as proper bow technique bowing, intonation fingering, holding the Violin etc..

These are crucial activities and involve multi tasking many things at once. It's better to be able to have as much focus as one can during this stage especially. I mean I'm at 1 year and 4 months now and I am well on my way and developing a decent foundation ( I think LOL ) but I've determined I'm not really quite ready yet to start heading out to jams just yet ( I can't anyways...I live in Argentina...I have NO ONE to jam with practically!!....but I'm getting there.

It took me the better part of the first year just to even get my bowing barely off of the ground with a somewhat looser wrist and fingers, to where I could even bow half way decent..

But everyone is different so I totally understand that...

That's a great story and it makes perfect sense... however, I also agree that patience is important. As a matter of fact, I actually have one day a week ( generally Thursdays ) where I don't practice at all, I don't even pick up the fiddle.... I also understand that Violin is very challenging and that one just can't push any faster than one's own ability to learn....trust me whenever I try, it's like I have to pull back on the reigns and let go and just continue. You just can't really push the learning any faster with this instrument. You just take it day by day and tackle the challenges as they come. Many times it's small increments with long plateus.... so I understand. I mean afterall, there's alot of physical and mental multi-tasking going on with this instrument.

However, what I'm getting at is not about how fast, or even how much one practices...it's about "the quality of that practice time"

Sometimes I have interruptions as well, and of course, I understand some folks have an easier go about getting practice time as opposed to others. Luckily, I have a daily schedule and it's worked out with my wife where she'll watch my son during those times so I can get a pretty decent practice in with little to no interruptions. It's a sacrifice on her part, and a huge one, but I also do it for her as well. When I'm done and she wants to go out shopping or do something with her friends or go for a jog...etc.. It's communication, sacrifice and compromise ( ok getting a bit personal here LOL. She knows learning Violin is imp to me, so we've worked out a plan to where I can have a bit of dedicated time each day to focus on this ( more so on the weekends ) I think personally, in my case, without this, it wouldn't be doable. But it allows me to go into a room, shut the door during that time and become immersed in what I need to focus on, albeit during that time. It's become habitual for us now, and we are pretty used to it.

I think frequency of practice is very good....and I also believe that if one can get more frequency, they'll obviously learn faster. Yet, I believe that "quality of that practice time" is much more important. However, most of us are adults, with responsibilities, that makes it MUCH more challenging, but it's still doable. 

Even so, I can't compare "apples and oranges" many of you are learning what fiddlerman plays, very demanding and challenging classical Violin which uses a myriad of techniques and stylings and is incredibly difficult to learn. As opposed to Bluegrass or Folk fiddle, which is easily as challenging within it's own context yet compared to classical techniques and the study and learning required...I mean there really isn't any comparison in many ways.

Anyways maybe I'm digressing..

I think it depends on the stage one is in, but I'd say definately in the beginning one should try to get as much of a focused practice as possible so as to form at least good, basic playing habits... even if it's less practice, try as much as possible. Just my opinion and approach I guess.