Published: Aug. 30, 2007 at 6:35 PM
I found a hundred memories today, that nearly overwhelmed me. I thought they were all lost in a fire. I found my awards from Grade school, Jr. High and High School.
I found my award for making it to the regional science fair, and my ID tag from where I picked tobacco a summer during a summer work program. There also in that little packet, I found the article about our High School Graduation, that had a photo of my dear friend who died a few years ago grinning back at me. I miss her so very badly.
I found songs I'd written, and realized I was an environmentalist before the liberalizing influences of college; and, that our beautiful ancient mountains meant the world to me even in my early childhood. I found a poem that impressed a teacher so profoundly, that she hung it enlarged on posters during our spectacular autumns for years.
I found a beautiful letter one of my eighth grade teachers wrote me, telling me she loved me too! But that I needed to quit being so lazy--actually three times at least in the letter. I aggravated her unmercifully on a daily basis, and wish I could see her now.
I found a memorial from a lost friend in eighth grade. And I found a 1943 interpretation by Hawaii's media I had squirreled away, of Hawaii's official response to Pearl Harbor. I can't wait to read this, being a good revisionist revisionist reviser.
And after I stopped wiping my eyes, I realized just what I'm going to give my friend's son when he graduates High School in a couple more years.
Wednesday, December 26, 2007
My Virtuous posture
Published: Aug. 26, 2007 at 9:28 AM
My virtuous moment today, was very very cool. I started feeling my left elbow under the instrument in a somewhat instinctive way, and it was surprisingly fluid though not perfect. Months and months of crunching do not easily go away. I really wonder if Aleve should not pay me a few dollars, or at least grab me some strings.
Ron, I wish I could give you all the credit, but it was many many people who got me here over what feels like a long long time in some ways, but in other ways I'm somehow oblivious to the actual passing of the time.
Raphael, Buri, Sue, teachers, grit, a long long long list,... got me here. When I play cards I always say the winning card out loud for posterity's sake. It was Ron's exercises over the strings that won the game for me.
I started slowly just relaxing and flowing my elbow, then I furthered this by reducing the arcs each string might experience. Then I started focusing on a flow from the center of my neck and back left-wise. And I started feeling the swinging and adapting for notes in a light and fluid fashion. Some days being legatomeister do pay off. Today as tired as I am, I would have no choice anyway--use all moments folks.
So, I felt this flow starting to communicate with my fingers being over the strings actually as the reference point rather than the elbow, as the mental and physical connection was made. Dang, that's clear.
So, given the mountains I've climbed, this is major epiphany again--what for the third time this month?--and opens a lot of new doors for being able to focus on other things.
But the significance of the moment is that it is clear that for months and months and months I've been struggling with this. And just the idea of being able to refocus on technique more is darn awesome. Equally so, the idea of getting to push forward in my actual music isn't half bad either.
Ron, your exercises are finding allies all over the place in what little bag of tricks I've put together over the months. I feel like I'm being ganged up on by Oliver, Clayton, Milstein, Perlman and Hahn on my right side; and, you, a whole darn list of people darn near everywhere on my left side, a little old lady on my overall body, and I'm still a bashful little legatomeister who pants over my violin like a dog over a bone. Life is so unreal some days. I could've have made theoretical math my hobby! Dang. (uh-perhaps sadly, seriously;).)
Raphael's ditching the rest experience loaded the bases, and gracefully eased me into my girl's bosom. A teacher's coaching gave me an idea of where I needed to go overall, and inspired me with less than ten notes. And Hahn melted my Milstein fantasies with the most beautiful beautiful graceful control.
Just feeling my fingers adapt quickly for a vibration is a personal thing, that also deserves another mention concerning having been 'born' on violin with pain. I cash in another chit for having persisting, in taking the fingerboard for my own consistently, even if in an adolescent spirit so far. It's a step beyond the football player learning to dance in "Footlose". By gosh I got the bruises too!.
Also tonight, I felt the instrument floating in my hold, to adapt across the strings. And that showed also, or sounded rather. And I was able to adapt from my waist to augment my G/--somewhat D reaches. I'm currently feeling for my ranges of motion that compliment what I'm working on with my right side. But I'm also minimizing every motion as I go--I luv Hilary!
So this virtuous moment really is a consortium of ideas, angst and basic ability. A posture Festival is good for anyone.
My virtuous moment today, was very very cool. I started feeling my left elbow under the instrument in a somewhat instinctive way, and it was surprisingly fluid though not perfect. Months and months of crunching do not easily go away. I really wonder if Aleve should not pay me a few dollars, or at least grab me some strings.
Ron, I wish I could give you all the credit, but it was many many people who got me here over what feels like a long long time in some ways, but in other ways I'm somehow oblivious to the actual passing of the time.
Raphael, Buri, Sue, teachers, grit, a long long long list,... got me here. When I play cards I always say the winning card out loud for posterity's sake. It was Ron's exercises over the strings that won the game for me.
I started slowly just relaxing and flowing my elbow, then I furthered this by reducing the arcs each string might experience. Then I started focusing on a flow from the center of my neck and back left-wise. And I started feeling the swinging and adapting for notes in a light and fluid fashion. Some days being legatomeister do pay off. Today as tired as I am, I would have no choice anyway--use all moments folks.
So, I felt this flow starting to communicate with my fingers being over the strings actually as the reference point rather than the elbow, as the mental and physical connection was made. Dang, that's clear.
So, given the mountains I've climbed, this is major epiphany again--what for the third time this month?--and opens a lot of new doors for being able to focus on other things.
But the significance of the moment is that it is clear that for months and months and months I've been struggling with this. And just the idea of being able to refocus on technique more is darn awesome. Equally so, the idea of getting to push forward in my actual music isn't half bad either.
Ron, your exercises are finding allies all over the place in what little bag of tricks I've put together over the months. I feel like I'm being ganged up on by Oliver, Clayton, Milstein, Perlman and Hahn on my right side; and, you, a whole darn list of people darn near everywhere on my left side, a little old lady on my overall body, and I'm still a bashful little legatomeister who pants over my violin like a dog over a bone. Life is so unreal some days. I could've have made theoretical math my hobby! Dang. (uh-perhaps sadly, seriously;).)
Raphael's ditching the rest experience loaded the bases, and gracefully eased me into my girl's bosom. A teacher's coaching gave me an idea of where I needed to go overall, and inspired me with less than ten notes. And Hahn melted my Milstein fantasies with the most beautiful beautiful graceful control.
Just feeling my fingers adapt quickly for a vibration is a personal thing, that also deserves another mention concerning having been 'born' on violin with pain. I cash in another chit for having persisting, in taking the fingerboard for my own consistently, even if in an adolescent spirit so far. It's a step beyond the football player learning to dance in "Footlose". By gosh I got the bruises too!.
Also tonight, I felt the instrument floating in my hold, to adapt across the strings. And that showed also, or sounded rather. And I was able to adapt from my waist to augment my G/--somewhat D reaches. I'm currently feeling for my ranges of motion that compliment what I'm working on with my right side. But I'm also minimizing every motion as I go--I luv Hilary!
So this virtuous moment really is a consortium of ideas, angst and basic ability. A posture Festival is good for anyone.
OCD Thought of the Day.
Published: Aug. 24, 2007 at 7:27 PM
My OCD point for the day is that Ron got my left side heading in the correct direction. Again. The exercises for teaching my elbow to flow under the instrument seem to be working 'very' nicely; and, I created one of my own: "London Bridge is Falling down" starting with f3 on each string, very slowly and monitoring focus.
I will certainly work with the patterned exercises generously shared, but returning to this legato London focus is my way of Hahn'ing it out for some time to come. I took the exercises to some more intense etudes, and lasted longer than I thought I would. And I applied the awareness to more 'real' music fairly successfully.
So, I'm watching my left elbow, I'm watching my right elbow (thanks Oliver), I'm watching my neck and moving lightly from time to time to stay relaxed. I'm watching my bow hair contact, my sounding point, my bow pressure (speed is no problem). I'm watching my right shoulder, oh yeah, and I'm reading the music in between.
I've heard, what doesn't kill ya will make ya better. How true!. Had it not been for pegging the arpeggios I'm working on earlier, I'd yell or somethin!. And I love it.
My OCD point for the day is that Ron got my left side heading in the correct direction. Again. The exercises for teaching my elbow to flow under the instrument seem to be working 'very' nicely; and, I created one of my own: "London Bridge is Falling down" starting with f3 on each string, very slowly and monitoring focus.
I will certainly work with the patterned exercises generously shared, but returning to this legato London focus is my way of Hahn'ing it out for some time to come. I took the exercises to some more intense etudes, and lasted longer than I thought I would. And I applied the awareness to more 'real' music fairly successfully.
So, I'm watching my left elbow, I'm watching my right elbow (thanks Oliver), I'm watching my neck and moving lightly from time to time to stay relaxed. I'm watching my bow hair contact, my sounding point, my bow pressure (speed is no problem). I'm watching my right shoulder, oh yeah, and I'm reading the music in between.
I've heard, what doesn't kill ya will make ya better. How true!. Had it not been for pegging the arpeggios I'm working on earlier, I'd yell or somethin!. And I love it.
Albinoni: Part IV
Published: Aug. 19, 2007 at 11:04 PM
Well, I backed up my hope to move Albinoni up the the next octave for the first concept before the beautiful low range runs leading to the arpeggio a couple nights ago.
It's going to be very pretty several months from now, but I found that it works very well. And the contrast I was hoping for jumped out at me immediately.
After finishing a work cycle, I finally got some decent quality time today, though I play daily and after work. I made it through to page six reading, and up through page four is quickly on it's way to long term memory.
Anyway, I'm tempted to begin it an octave up, and jump back down to the runs mentioned, but will not at least for a long time. The elements following page four must be in place, and have an attached flow of their own that I do not want to mess with--I may however approach it as an aside with the higher octave just to prepare for the long run--it's very beautiful that way, and adds a lot to making it stand on it's own for solo and/or single accompaniment.
So tonight, after reading someone's blog I'm starting to get my quarter year goals in place, of course Albinoni memorization being one of them. They will consist of etudes, scales, arpeggios, etudes, etudes, etudes, and Suzuki.
I also want to reinvoke my earlier element studies I borrowed from violinmasterclass. I have to find a smarter approach though to prevent over use as I go forward though. I'm feeling that while learning Albinoni that my inability to walk and chew bubble gum is trying to express itself in making me lose my focus on posture.
So one of my goals will also be to sense where I'm pushing too much or too fast, and re-connect with Hilary's practice advice molded to my realities. I find that once I start successfully sketching something with good focus and slowness, the following efforts seem to find me finding myself getting sloppy on the parts I've already memorized. I know where the pattern comes from, but am not sure what to do about it.
Today, I started moving back towards good posture with page one through four successfully, and the tone shows--though is not where I need it to be yet.
Well, I backed up my hope to move Albinoni up the the next octave for the first concept before the beautiful low range runs leading to the arpeggio a couple nights ago.
It's going to be very pretty several months from now, but I found that it works very well. And the contrast I was hoping for jumped out at me immediately.
After finishing a work cycle, I finally got some decent quality time today, though I play daily and after work. I made it through to page six reading, and up through page four is quickly on it's way to long term memory.
Anyway, I'm tempted to begin it an octave up, and jump back down to the runs mentioned, but will not at least for a long time. The elements following page four must be in place, and have an attached flow of their own that I do not want to mess with--I may however approach it as an aside with the higher octave just to prepare for the long run--it's very beautiful that way, and adds a lot to making it stand on it's own for solo and/or single accompaniment.
So tonight, after reading someone's blog I'm starting to get my quarter year goals in place, of course Albinoni memorization being one of them. They will consist of etudes, scales, arpeggios, etudes, etudes, etudes, and Suzuki.
I also want to reinvoke my earlier element studies I borrowed from violinmasterclass. I have to find a smarter approach though to prevent over use as I go forward though. I'm feeling that while learning Albinoni that my inability to walk and chew bubble gum is trying to express itself in making me lose my focus on posture.
So one of my goals will also be to sense where I'm pushing too much or too fast, and re-connect with Hilary's practice advice molded to my realities. I find that once I start successfully sketching something with good focus and slowness, the following efforts seem to find me finding myself getting sloppy on the parts I've already memorized. I know where the pattern comes from, but am not sure what to do about it.
Today, I started moving back towards good posture with page one through four successfully, and the tone shows--though is not where I need it to be yet.
Albinoni: My Daily Bread, The Saga Part III
Published: Aug. 17, 2007 at 5:33 PM
This morning I started playing consistently through page four, and trying to add better treatment--the kind I'm use to in Em to the first notion,attempting to add this treatment to the first runs, and shooting for the arpeggios. I made it to the arpeggios, but not through them.
So I was fed, to sense that all this work I've done on relaxing will pay it's first dividends as I not perfectly but surprisingly fluidly grabbed the high high G.
And I remembered that someone wrote (someone quoted someone good rather), that we should know "every" way of getting somewhere when shifting.
So, I kicked in my relax zen and just did it(Aside: this zen trickled backwards to what I was already doing ok in a preliminary sense). I still have to figure out the first details in 'style' though.
These details will involve what someone was talking about in terms of each string's character, in relation to what I choose to say with the arpeggios. While I have confidence in choosing music, 'these' details speak directly to Sung's question about becoming a better teacher.
The technician v. musician is at stake here, and I've been there many many times on piano. I've chosen before to take a bass line very low, and consisting of a single disjointed note rhythmically and making the melody and right hand speak well--somewhat like bagpipes or something the right hand in the lower upper ranges.
It will be easy enough to find logical comfortable shifts I think. But that will not be good enough for me ultimately. With this song I'll be gearing towards some of the things we've all discussed, again the individual string's character comes to mind, in making the music stand on it's own.
Though I didn't rosin, I'm wrestling with bow speed near the fingerboard because I do not really want to use vibrato, but I also do not want it to fall on it's face or become whispy on at least the first four violin measures. And as a comparison, m1 and m3 must be brilliant as open e on some levels(from where I tinkered with open e before finding the music AND THE SCORE!).
One of my major current obstacles is laying out eight pages of music. I got confused because a measure wasn't sounding right and nothing I did helped. Uh, page 3 was switched with page 4. For an entire day! ;).
But it's not the requisite fans during dog days, it's my eye sight, and fear of invoking tension leaning towards the music. Of course these problems go away when I've learned something completely--to me, but I've approached this like I did Becker's Gavotte: slowly and note wise.
Finally, the bread this morning was aggregate. Knowing that I'll be able to find my way nicely to the high G, speaks 'something' to the rest of the music. But I'm wise enough to know not to overdo it, if I want this song to progress 'over time'. I took my transposed slow mvmt: pathetique for granted for a couple years--at least--before I discovered the awesome awesome subtle beauty there.
I study of course as an experimental amateur violinist, with the technical things added much much earlier than any instrument I've worked with, and exponentially more intently--an experience I hope to continue.
My goal then is not to take series of techniques towards melody, but to use my ear for music to reverse the process this time, as I remain,
Mr. Legatomeister. (insert here the second and third ideas of slow mvmt: Pathetique).
This morning I started playing consistently through page four, and trying to add better treatment--the kind I'm use to in Em to the first notion,attempting to add this treatment to the first runs, and shooting for the arpeggios. I made it to the arpeggios, but not through them.
So I was fed, to sense that all this work I've done on relaxing will pay it's first dividends as I not perfectly but surprisingly fluidly grabbed the high high G.
And I remembered that someone wrote (someone quoted someone good rather), that we should know "every" way of getting somewhere when shifting.
So, I kicked in my relax zen and just did it(Aside: this zen trickled backwards to what I was already doing ok in a preliminary sense). I still have to figure out the first details in 'style' though.
These details will involve what someone was talking about in terms of each string's character, in relation to what I choose to say with the arpeggios. While I have confidence in choosing music, 'these' details speak directly to Sung's question about becoming a better teacher.
The technician v. musician is at stake here, and I've been there many many times on piano. I've chosen before to take a bass line very low, and consisting of a single disjointed note rhythmically and making the melody and right hand speak well--somewhat like bagpipes or something the right hand in the lower upper ranges.
It will be easy enough to find logical comfortable shifts I think. But that will not be good enough for me ultimately. With this song I'll be gearing towards some of the things we've all discussed, again the individual string's character comes to mind, in making the music stand on it's own.
Though I didn't rosin, I'm wrestling with bow speed near the fingerboard because I do not really want to use vibrato, but I also do not want it to fall on it's face or become whispy on at least the first four violin measures. And as a comparison, m1 and m3 must be brilliant as open e on some levels(from where I tinkered with open e before finding the music AND THE SCORE!).
One of my major current obstacles is laying out eight pages of music. I got confused because a measure wasn't sounding right and nothing I did helped. Uh, page 3 was switched with page 4. For an entire day! ;).
But it's not the requisite fans during dog days, it's my eye sight, and fear of invoking tension leaning towards the music. Of course these problems go away when I've learned something completely--to me, but I've approached this like I did Becker's Gavotte: slowly and note wise.
Finally, the bread this morning was aggregate. Knowing that I'll be able to find my way nicely to the high G, speaks 'something' to the rest of the music. But I'm wise enough to know not to overdo it, if I want this song to progress 'over time'. I took my transposed slow mvmt: pathetique for granted for a couple years--at least--before I discovered the awesome awesome subtle beauty there.
I study of course as an experimental amateur violinist, with the technical things added much much earlier than any instrument I've worked with, and exponentially more intently--an experience I hope to continue.
My goal then is not to take series of techniques towards melody, but to use my ear for music to reverse the process this time, as I remain,
Mr. Legatomeister. (insert here the second and third ideas of slow mvmt: Pathetique).
Albinoni: Legatomeister Bound: The Saga Part II.
Published: Aug. 17, 2007 at 7:25 AM
I was on like page three or four of Albinoni and encountered the low range runs. I melted. I'm still melting. This is humiliating. ;).
I dug in to the runs; and grabbed some slow loud at the bridge, and they are in my entire upper half of my body as I write.
Realizing as I sketched that even the arpeggios are going to be awesome, my brain screeched cuss words. I can't take it!. But I will.
I feel like I'm in a dream as all these things begin coming together: a wonderful, intense, even surreal something. God knows I've worked my 'quite pretty' arse off ;).
I immediately stepped out of the box and up to bat in choosing to do it in upper octaves as well, lower contrasting octaves, and more. This, will be one of my two so far legatomeister signatures for a long long time I'm sure.
My first legatomeister expression was a string of Ave's, which will always be a part of my personal repertoire. Then it was actually my first love, "Air on G", that took me to some 'real' competency. Mary Beth should have listened to me.
God will be jealous.
Come to think of it, I actually now have three legatomeister candidates, McGlothin's "Arms of the Angels" considered. I'm gonna rock that baby. Nonetheless, I'm finding Albinoni a perfect musical expression for violin.
When I make a song my own, it's a cool thing. And at some better percent of luck, I choose well for some reason. When I was grabbing my first lower range notes earlier, I knew that though it would sound cocky, that something very very spayshul was happening.
The 'D' string animated with that first 'G' in a way that made me grin broadly--and I did. And in making the choice for bow speed near(er) the fingerboard for the opening notes, I could hear the ensemble becoming the solo--I grinned again.
I do not even have the words for that experience of bridging the gap between ability, technique and abstraction. Oh'm'gosh.
I was on like page three or four of Albinoni and encountered the low range runs. I melted. I'm still melting. This is humiliating. ;).
I dug in to the runs; and grabbed some slow loud at the bridge, and they are in my entire upper half of my body as I write.
Realizing as I sketched that even the arpeggios are going to be awesome, my brain screeched cuss words. I can't take it!. But I will.
I feel like I'm in a dream as all these things begin coming together: a wonderful, intense, even surreal something. God knows I've worked my 'quite pretty' arse off ;).
I immediately stepped out of the box and up to bat in choosing to do it in upper octaves as well, lower contrasting octaves, and more. This, will be one of my two so far legatomeister signatures for a long long time I'm sure.
My first legatomeister expression was a string of Ave's, which will always be a part of my personal repertoire. Then it was actually my first love, "Air on G", that took me to some 'real' competency. Mary Beth should have listened to me.
God will be jealous.
Come to think of it, I actually now have three legatomeister candidates, McGlothin's "Arms of the Angels" considered. I'm gonna rock that baby. Nonetheless, I'm finding Albinoni a perfect musical expression for violin.
When I make a song my own, it's a cool thing. And at some better percent of luck, I choose well for some reason. When I was grabbing my first lower range notes earlier, I knew that though it would sound cocky, that something very very spayshul was happening.
The 'D' string animated with that first 'G' in a way that made me grin broadly--and I did. And in making the choice for bow speed near(er) the fingerboard for the opening notes, I could hear the ensemble becoming the solo--I grinned again.
I do not even have the words for that experience of bridging the gap between ability, technique and abstraction. Oh'm'gosh.
Albinoni The Saga.
Published: Aug. 15, 2007 at 10:36 PM
How cool that after blogging last, I found the Albinoni music first search. And it had the organ parts included as well. I was in the garden picking some zucchini for a friend and came in to rest a minute and decided to chance a search. Whalah!
I immediately went to working with it and was absolutely thrilled that I won't have to figure out the arpeggio like runs and so forth.
Even more importantly, I found myself reading it first pass, probably because I know it so well in some ways.
Now I have to fight the temptation to play the organ parts as well. And it's given me the written material with which to chose chunks and phrases as a violin solo without so much work as well.
How very cool.
How cool that after blogging last, I found the Albinoni music first search. And it had the organ parts included as well. I was in the garden picking some zucchini for a friend and came in to rest a minute and decided to chance a search. Whalah!
I immediately went to working with it and was absolutely thrilled that I won't have to figure out the arpeggio like runs and so forth.
Even more importantly, I found myself reading it first pass, probably because I know it so well in some ways.
Now I have to fight the temptation to play the organ parts as well. And it's given me the written material with which to chose chunks and phrases as a violin solo without so much work as well.
How very cool.
Albinoni Revisited
Published: Aug. 15, 2007 at 5:44 PM
Adagio in Gm by Albinoni is awesome. Sitting here listening and learning I have to wonder if there is an unaccompanied solo version anywhere. For other adult beginners I highly recommend this piece for something meaty to chew on.
It was one of the first themes that came unexpectedly to my strings when I first started experimenting with violin some time ago. And now, learning some of the other parts is a 'peak' experience for sure. And most importantly, it is very much achievable--and God awful beautiful, especially when done 'exactly' at tempo.
Last night I was even stretching it out a little more because the place I was practicing had wonderful acoustics and it was filling the room awesomely.
Not only the main notion, but the interconnecting arpeggio like themes are just wonderful for working on musicality. And the white space required to pull it off successfully between phrases is good for one as well I think.
I find that it is also somewhat flexible and forgiving if one pushes it a little--unlike other especially largo type stuff that falls apart when pushed. But, m:52 grabs it distinctly.
Beautiful!
Adagio in Gm by Albinoni is awesome. Sitting here listening and learning I have to wonder if there is an unaccompanied solo version anywhere. For other adult beginners I highly recommend this piece for something meaty to chew on.
It was one of the first themes that came unexpectedly to my strings when I first started experimenting with violin some time ago. And now, learning some of the other parts is a 'peak' experience for sure. And most importantly, it is very much achievable--and God awful beautiful, especially when done 'exactly' at tempo.
Last night I was even stretching it out a little more because the place I was practicing had wonderful acoustics and it was filling the room awesomely.
Not only the main notion, but the interconnecting arpeggio like themes are just wonderful for working on musicality. And the white space required to pull it off successfully between phrases is good for one as well I think.
I find that it is also somewhat flexible and forgiving if one pushes it a little--unlike other especially largo type stuff that falls apart when pushed. But, m:52 grabs it distinctly.
Beautiful!
let it go,and be free! Paul's response
Published: Aug. 15, 2007 at 4:46 AM
Last modified: Aug. 15, 2007 at 4:46 AM
Paul, your post generated valuable wisdom all the way 'round. I just finished my first 'fairly' serious passes of "Adagio in Gm", in Em, by Albinoni.
This letting go! Your comment that you are just doing open strings made me think. You also said paraphrased, that "when I don't focus". I wanted to suggest to you that this focus is deceptive.
For your first several years, you will be focusing I hope, on this "letting go". I was writing earlier to someone that, 'this violin is a jealous creature' that demands complete "letting go".
But there is a method to this letting go, based on your specific body-type. Though you may be a natural in posture, there are chances that as an adult beginner that you may 'not be so natural'. Especially in playing violin.
Though this wonderful flowing image seems abstract, it isn't. The image is a matter of all the elements that make up relaxed posture, and apply themselves to the sometimes quarrelsome violin.
Tuck.
Lightness of instrument placement.
yet. secureness of instrument placement. many, my experience
Level control in a balanced but parallel orientation of the instrument. many + external sources
Worth repeating: a lightness of placement,
with the instrument 'resting' on the hand and shoulder. Raphael
Comfortable stance the basics
nice breathing many, external
Especially for adults all these things in a package do not come so easily. So, as you add technique--(different bowings, ....), keep all these things in mind. For instance, good detached notes do not come from scrunching so much, unless you are a scruncher. Good detached notes come from good relaxed control. I hope that makes sense.
When I was playing Albinoni a few minutes ago, it was so awesome! My body after months and months of work was floating--months and months of work--and pain, cussin'.. Not only Albinoni but other candidates in my legato fest, were melting all over the place--if not 100% perfectly.
Though my knees began trembling, I maintained composure a little better this time 'round. And when I just instinctively started sketching the first ascending theme, it came 'too' nicely.
This letting go you see, has many layers from finesse in technique, to effective efficient composure when the spirit hits. Do not take it for granted. Nurture it, make it yours. It will make all the difference.
Last modified: Aug. 15, 2007 at 4:46 AM
Paul, your post generated valuable wisdom all the way 'round. I just finished my first 'fairly' serious passes of "Adagio in Gm", in Em, by Albinoni.
This letting go! Your comment that you are just doing open strings made me think. You also said paraphrased, that "when I don't focus". I wanted to suggest to you that this focus is deceptive.
For your first several years, you will be focusing I hope, on this "letting go". I was writing earlier to someone that, 'this violin is a jealous creature' that demands complete "letting go".
But there is a method to this letting go, based on your specific body-type. Though you may be a natural in posture, there are chances that as an adult beginner that you may 'not be so natural'. Especially in playing violin.
Though this wonderful flowing image seems abstract, it isn't. The image is a matter of all the elements that make up relaxed posture, and apply themselves to the sometimes quarrelsome violin.
Tuck.
Lightness of instrument placement.
yet. secureness of instrument placement. many, my experience
Level control in a balanced but parallel orientation of the instrument. many + external sources
Worth repeating: a lightness of placement,
with the instrument 'resting' on the hand and shoulder. Raphael
Comfortable stance the basics
nice breathing many, external
Especially for adults all these things in a package do not come so easily. So, as you add technique--(different bowings, ....), keep all these things in mind. For instance, good detached notes do not come from scrunching so much, unless you are a scruncher. Good detached notes come from good relaxed control. I hope that makes sense.
When I was playing Albinoni a few minutes ago, it was so awesome! My body after months and months of work was floating--months and months of work--and pain, cussin'.. Not only Albinoni but other candidates in my legato fest, were melting all over the place--if not 100% perfectly.
Though my knees began trembling, I maintained composure a little better this time 'round. And when I just instinctively started sketching the first ascending theme, it came 'too' nicely.
This letting go you see, has many layers from finesse in technique, to effective efficient composure when the spirit hits. Do not take it for granted. Nurture it, make it yours. It will make all the difference.
It's still the small things: Peristence and Rambling
Published: Aug. 13, 2007 at 9:17 AM
Last modified: Aug. 13, 2007 at 9:37 AM
For about eighteen months, I've had a song on my strings that I heard years ago. I asked my friend--even tried to sing it over the telephone (I sing like a bull moose in heat), and never have been able to find where it comes from. Until today.
I had heard this music back in the early eighties and apparently it stuck. And on violin it is haunting and beautiful, if a little sad and mournful. But I've always been into those grab'm by the heart even if you have to make'm cry songs.
Leisurely picking up a classical tape in this mess I've made after traveling for thirty years, I threw it in the tape deck. Whalah! Well I'll be. Barely able to read the label with my tired eyes, I'm driving around the mountain trying to squeeze the letters out.
Anyway, even if I have to do it by ear, this will be a piece I'll always tinker with. It was actually part of my legato-fest last night, before I found it--now how cool is that. So I was refreshing my spelling of the composer, and there she lives on Youtube.
It's "Adagio in Gm" by Albinoni. Some may remember I was asking about Adagio and Cantabile music awhile back. This is definitely one of the reasons I think. And she's worth the waiting, or persisting.
http://youtube.com/watch?v=mz4dpbk8YBs
And finally as related to persisting, how pleasant to find that I can even bring it into a slower presentation than I'm already doing. Oh my. You would have had to been a fly on the wall at my earlier legato fest to understand. Persistence.
I s'pose I should start moving it from Em to Gm sooner rather than later, though I'll miss that open e-study it brought me through sorely. I would be interested to know other's thoughts about, if just making a piece one's own for solo purposes, whether to just leave it, or go ahead and do the transposing.
Musically, I love it more than the Sarabande I trudge along with, and it's been with me so long I know it's not because it's new. I think though that one will effect the other ultimately.
Earlier, I was rocking out Lully and jamming into the song with a sixteenth or so rest (my rests are for hopefully good drama found in white space more than perfect timing--I extend them, shorten them, have made them dramatically long). And I was working on my forte near the bridge, in that first e with focus still on legato--if that makes sense. At least for me, it was powerful.
Anyway, the combination as I get both settled down will be pretty cool. This is sort of E. European to me Mara. And now I've both persisted, and rambled.
And while I'm rambling, the tone improvement thread rocks.
http://www.violinist.com/discussion/response.cfm?ID=11903
Last modified: Aug. 13, 2007 at 9:37 AM
For about eighteen months, I've had a song on my strings that I heard years ago. I asked my friend--even tried to sing it over the telephone (I sing like a bull moose in heat), and never have been able to find where it comes from. Until today.
I had heard this music back in the early eighties and apparently it stuck. And on violin it is haunting and beautiful, if a little sad and mournful. But I've always been into those grab'm by the heart even if you have to make'm cry songs.
Leisurely picking up a classical tape in this mess I've made after traveling for thirty years, I threw it in the tape deck. Whalah! Well I'll be. Barely able to read the label with my tired eyes, I'm driving around the mountain trying to squeeze the letters out.
Anyway, even if I have to do it by ear, this will be a piece I'll always tinker with. It was actually part of my legato-fest last night, before I found it--now how cool is that. So I was refreshing my spelling of the composer, and there she lives on Youtube.
It's "Adagio in Gm" by Albinoni. Some may remember I was asking about Adagio and Cantabile music awhile back. This is definitely one of the reasons I think. And she's worth the waiting, or persisting.
http://youtube.com/watch?v=mz4dpbk8YBs
And finally as related to persisting, how pleasant to find that I can even bring it into a slower presentation than I'm already doing. Oh my. You would have had to been a fly on the wall at my earlier legato fest to understand. Persistence.
I s'pose I should start moving it from Em to Gm sooner rather than later, though I'll miss that open e-study it brought me through sorely. I would be interested to know other's thoughts about, if just making a piece one's own for solo purposes, whether to just leave it, or go ahead and do the transposing.
Musically, I love it more than the Sarabande I trudge along with, and it's been with me so long I know it's not because it's new. I think though that one will effect the other ultimately.
Earlier, I was rocking out Lully and jamming into the song with a sixteenth or so rest (my rests are for hopefully good drama found in white space more than perfect timing--I extend them, shorten them, have made them dramatically long). And I was working on my forte near the bridge, in that first e with focus still on legato--if that makes sense. At least for me, it was powerful.
Anyway, the combination as I get both settled down will be pretty cool. This is sort of E. European to me Mara. And now I've both persisted, and rambled.
And while I'm rambling, the tone improvement thread rocks.
http://www.violinist.com/discussion/response.cfm?ID=11903
My Two Epiphany moments today.
Published: Aug. 1, 2007 at 5:27 PM
Doing away with my shoulder rest took guts, but I'm past that now and putting things back in place technique wise. One epiphany today involved understanding what others were doing with shoulder pads and adapting something along those lines.
I took three rubber bands and non-obtrusively but relatively securely attached my leather like pad to my instrument with no loss of sound. It works wonderfully and I'll still be able to put my instrument away with said pad attached. It's not the most secure setup I suppose, but I handle my violin with kid's gloves anyway, so I can see it doing the job for the foreseeable future.
Finally getting in the the Hahn practice spirit was my other epiphany over the past four or so days. After scanning the last three Suzuki pieces in book three, I started learning Becker's Gavotte.
Not experimenting, and containing the impulse to just play allowed me to learn the entire thing with correct bowings in just a few passes--though of course I have a long way to go to get it to really sing. I seem to have some problem remembering bowings, I think because there is no really fixed pattern as in running scales on piano.
But it was beyond the bowings that I finally got the HH spirit. I just forced myself to slow down as perfectly as I have been able to do so far. I've been working towards this for some time, and the diversion in ditching the rest, putting my bow back to the strings, and finding my centers seems to have created the luxury of space and time to allow me to just hit it note per note, phrase per phrase, detached note per detached note, and finally with continuity in getting through the entire piece.
The restless setup also served as a deterrent for me in getting the Hahn practice gig going. I respect the need for flow and relaxed posture as at no other time, and thus my focus has had to adjust to this 'do not slouch!', attitude.
I thus wonder if all people approaching particularly violin and viola go through this finding one's self body and posture wise? And does cello have it's own unique physical considerations? There is something that feels above and beyond getting my callus on guitar, compared to getting my tuck on violin--very above and beyond--at least for me.
Anyway, learning the Gavotte without that unfocused not-really knowing what was going on was somewhat a first experience for me. I won't say that other learning has been completely chaotic, but I will say this focus on slowness was especially calming and rather stress free.
I found it most notable that I found the ability to stop myself when I had lost my place; and, found the discipline to not try and memorize it without really knowing 'exactly' where each bowing was going. It was 'that' level of detail.
Epiphany is cool, even if it does sometimes only involved the smallest aspects of something.
Doing away with my shoulder rest took guts, but I'm past that now and putting things back in place technique wise. One epiphany today involved understanding what others were doing with shoulder pads and adapting something along those lines.
I took three rubber bands and non-obtrusively but relatively securely attached my leather like pad to my instrument with no loss of sound. It works wonderfully and I'll still be able to put my instrument away with said pad attached. It's not the most secure setup I suppose, but I handle my violin with kid's gloves anyway, so I can see it doing the job for the foreseeable future.
Finally getting in the the Hahn practice spirit was my other epiphany over the past four or so days. After scanning the last three Suzuki pieces in book three, I started learning Becker's Gavotte.
Not experimenting, and containing the impulse to just play allowed me to learn the entire thing with correct bowings in just a few passes--though of course I have a long way to go to get it to really sing. I seem to have some problem remembering bowings, I think because there is no really fixed pattern as in running scales on piano.
But it was beyond the bowings that I finally got the HH spirit. I just forced myself to slow down as perfectly as I have been able to do so far. I've been working towards this for some time, and the diversion in ditching the rest, putting my bow back to the strings, and finding my centers seems to have created the luxury of space and time to allow me to just hit it note per note, phrase per phrase, detached note per detached note, and finally with continuity in getting through the entire piece.
The restless setup also served as a deterrent for me in getting the Hahn practice gig going. I respect the need for flow and relaxed posture as at no other time, and thus my focus has had to adjust to this 'do not slouch!', attitude.
I thus wonder if all people approaching particularly violin and viola go through this finding one's self body and posture wise? And does cello have it's own unique physical considerations? There is something that feels above and beyond getting my callus on guitar, compared to getting my tuck on violin--very above and beyond--at least for me.
Anyway, learning the Gavotte without that unfocused not-really knowing what was going on was somewhat a first experience for me. I won't say that other learning has been completely chaotic, but I will say this focus on slowness was especially calming and rather stress free.
I found it most notable that I found the ability to stop myself when I had lost my place; and, found the discipline to not try and memorize it without really knowing 'exactly' where each bowing was going. It was 'that' level of detail.
Epiphany is cool, even if it does sometimes only involved the smallest aspects of something.
v.com:The Festival that Never Ends
Published: Jul. 2, 2007 at 9:34 PM
Last modified: Jul. 3, 2007 at 4:52 PM
Over the past weeks v.com has experienced The Great Balancing Act, a festival of work, thought and results. That is why this site rocks partly.
For me it began from an aside that involves balance somewhat in getting my bow dynamic to arch subtly so as to grab notes better in some respects. But more directly various discussions approached this from many angles so far as the balancing part is concerned. Basically for me, poor posture also meant poor bow approach and handling as much as anything else.
Raphael Klayman's excellent site has the nuts and bolts about holding the instrument ala no shoulder rest; and, gives the details about how to get there very clearly. For me, a new way of playing has resulted.
Then someone jumped in with research done in the Netherlands, which I have only begun to digest. This site takes Raphael's notions and truly breaks them down with photos, techniques and even philosophy. The site. I cannot find the original post, but some portions seem to be having technical difficulties. Nonetheless, the parts related to balance are quite clear in meaning.
Then Michael Schallock-How to Hold the violin. creates a wonderful streamlined but complete discussion on the entire topic hosted right here on v.com. With all this information, guess what I'll be working on the rest of the summer Buri.
Though I have found violin fairly overwhelming, mainly because of serial injuries and having to trudge along the best I can, v.com has always kept me thinking, and some days feeling like I'm making progress as a result of these discussions.
Beyond the festival though, Emily keeps me inspired with her photos of Alaska--a region nearly as beautiful as my mountains in southern West Virginia ;-) ; and, Maura keeps me close to the spirit of the Gypsy fidder--the attitude with which I began. And Emil has turned me into a crazy man who in turn has Paganini doing flips in his grave over my Witch's Dance--but God it's fun.
Sue made me feel welcome from the start, and Buri nearly worked me to death along with Kim Jee or something like that--who seems to have disappeared. And many others along the way (Jennifer, Kimberlee, Christian, .......) have patiently tolerated my sometimes repeated questions when I re-encounter an issue I really already know about, and later privately say *#&$#, I already knew that in embarrassment.
And I have to give a mention at least to my persistence in 'getting there' in trying to hammer down some solid basics. For anyone interested these basics to me means fiddling later, with a much expanded technique that allows me to at least realize my love for general classical--using Suzuki 10 as a pre-fiddler's goal.
It's no wonder I feel overwhelmed at times. Little details from other's issues I grab and reference in my mind like a kid with today's hundred dollars in a candy store. Humidity's role in squeaking. Things so advanced, I'll probably have to ask not only again but many times as I encounter them. The many perspectives on when to re-hair a bow. Shoulder rest or not. And the wonderful perspective that most have their favorite greats; and, among even the greats is greatness and failings.
I asked myself how this festival could be so effective for one thoroughly engaged. I've even commented to others of note beyond here how and why it is effective. It is so effective because of Laurie's stewardship, though I wish she would have Robert put the navigation footers at the bottom of every page within a region's context(discussion, blogs...)
But it is Laurie's commitment in scanning threads, and keeping things real that makes this site what it is first and foremost, followed closely by the hundred post limits someone either ingeniously or as the result of having had to simply set limits conceptualized from the start that enables this as well.
I'm interested and qualified to do information and semantics research. Though it's beyond me for the imaginable future, the next festival day's itinerary would be to systematically parse all this information into an available work that makes FAQ seem like the front cover of a book. Look out Simon Fischer, Laurie and Robert Niles have an encyclopedia of advancing information that is on the move and up and coming.
And finally, my violin whom I consider a lovely lady with a bit of attitude, demands that I continue. Long live Laurie's festival! Great job.
Last modified: Jul. 3, 2007 at 4:52 PM
Over the past weeks v.com has experienced The Great Balancing Act, a festival of work, thought and results. That is why this site rocks partly.
For me it began from an aside that involves balance somewhat in getting my bow dynamic to arch subtly so as to grab notes better in some respects. But more directly various discussions approached this from many angles so far as the balancing part is concerned. Basically for me, poor posture also meant poor bow approach and handling as much as anything else.
Raphael Klayman's excellent site has the nuts and bolts about holding the instrument ala no shoulder rest; and, gives the details about how to get there very clearly. For me, a new way of playing has resulted.
Then someone jumped in with research done in the Netherlands, which I have only begun to digest. This site takes Raphael's notions and truly breaks them down with photos, techniques and even philosophy. The site. I cannot find the original post, but some portions seem to be having technical difficulties. Nonetheless, the parts related to balance are quite clear in meaning.
Then Michael Schallock-How to Hold the violin. creates a wonderful streamlined but complete discussion on the entire topic hosted right here on v.com. With all this information, guess what I'll be working on the rest of the summer Buri.
Though I have found violin fairly overwhelming, mainly because of serial injuries and having to trudge along the best I can, v.com has always kept me thinking, and some days feeling like I'm making progress as a result of these discussions.
Beyond the festival though, Emily keeps me inspired with her photos of Alaska--a region nearly as beautiful as my mountains in southern West Virginia ;-) ; and, Maura keeps me close to the spirit of the Gypsy fidder--the attitude with which I began. And Emil has turned me into a crazy man who in turn has Paganini doing flips in his grave over my Witch's Dance--but God it's fun.
Sue made me feel welcome from the start, and Buri nearly worked me to death along with Kim Jee or something like that--who seems to have disappeared. And many others along the way (Jennifer, Kimberlee, Christian, .......) have patiently tolerated my sometimes repeated questions when I re-encounter an issue I really already know about, and later privately say *#&$#, I already knew that in embarrassment.
And I have to give a mention at least to my persistence in 'getting there' in trying to hammer down some solid basics. For anyone interested these basics to me means fiddling later, with a much expanded technique that allows me to at least realize my love for general classical--using Suzuki 10 as a pre-fiddler's goal.
It's no wonder I feel overwhelmed at times. Little details from other's issues I grab and reference in my mind like a kid with today's hundred dollars in a candy store. Humidity's role in squeaking. Things so advanced, I'll probably have to ask not only again but many times as I encounter them. The many perspectives on when to re-hair a bow. Shoulder rest or not. And the wonderful perspective that most have their favorite greats; and, among even the greats is greatness and failings.
I asked myself how this festival could be so effective for one thoroughly engaged. I've even commented to others of note beyond here how and why it is effective. It is so effective because of Laurie's stewardship, though I wish she would have Robert put the navigation footers at the bottom of every page within a region's context(discussion, blogs...)
But it is Laurie's commitment in scanning threads, and keeping things real that makes this site what it is first and foremost, followed closely by the hundred post limits someone either ingeniously or as the result of having had to simply set limits conceptualized from the start that enables this as well.
I'm interested and qualified to do information and semantics research. Though it's beyond me for the imaginable future, the next festival day's itinerary would be to systematically parse all this information into an available work that makes FAQ seem like the front cover of a book. Look out Simon Fischer, Laurie and Robert Niles have an encyclopedia of advancing information that is on the move and up and coming.
And finally, my violin whom I consider a lovely lady with a bit of attitude, demands that I continue. Long live Laurie's festival! Great job.
My Lavender Violin
Published: Jul. 4, 2007 at 7:08 AM
Playing without the shoulder rest for about a week now, I played pretty intently for about three hours tonight, working towards more etudes, scales and arpeggios, as well as continuing my sketch of the rest of Suzuki III, and contemplating Emily and Pauline throwing Lavender bras. What a world we live in.
Though my hand is 'a little tender', it is far from and nothing like before. I feel I could continue indefinitely rather than that sense of 'throbbing' as before. That, is a difference.
This lightness of hold, I achieved on and off I guess, or the tenderness would not be there; but, much more than less, I was there with and often returned to that balanced rest with light chin; and, was able to focus on much less gripping. The lightness is successively freeing my vibrato, allowing me to focus much better on a straight wrist and improving my tonality noticeably when several things come together.
Though I continue to search for my ideal placement on the shoulder, I don't think I'll need a pad; but I will cover the chin rest for my neck's sake. And I also continue to get my feet on the ground in the changes in balancing for actually bowing--though this is coming online as well.
Bowing has been not terrible, but a challenge without the shoulder rest. Several squeaks, re-finding how to glide back into the double stop and stop pinging other strings, those types of things should clear up over the next few weeks I think/hope.
Though I had messed around with no shoulder rest a few times, I never really persisted. I wish I had. 'Small stocky men should use their compactness, in creating a very efficient light violin approach that capitalizes on their low center of gravity; and, a self-contained spatial peripheral system of machines in a physiological sense has advantages as well.'
For whatever reason, at the same time I'm playing around with bow speed and pressure positively it feels. Tonight for example I was into playing a few notes with speed, then finding the pressure to try and get the same effect. I think I'll expand on this a little over the next couple days. My instinct tells me this may be really useful.
Primarily with speed/pressure, I find that either I, or my violin is, causing me to use more speed to get her singing than pressure; which in turn means I'm also using alot more energy. I don't mind the work, but if I can start using pressure more effectively I may be able to get better at other bowing(s).
Soooo this shoulder-rest(less) thing feels great--really great. I can envision a day when I might ('way' down the road) try playing with a rest again, if I can migrate the lightness just to further efficiency. But the lightness 'must' come first.
I think the best way to describe the tonal changes, is there is some sort of more resonant projection happening beyond the thing being more in direct line with my ear. And after I get at some of the issues above (string crossings etc),
I expect this projection to improve consistency over the next month as well--or so I hope.
Finally, I'm becoming more convinced that where possible, one might benefit from at least learning without a shoulder rest first, particularly old krachity stiff folk as myself. I know the newness of finding a lot less tension is compelling of itself, but it's as much about the sound, thus the music. I'm painting my violin lavender. ;)
Playing without the shoulder rest for about a week now, I played pretty intently for about three hours tonight, working towards more etudes, scales and arpeggios, as well as continuing my sketch of the rest of Suzuki III, and contemplating Emily and Pauline throwing Lavender bras. What a world we live in.
Though my hand is 'a little tender', it is far from and nothing like before. I feel I could continue indefinitely rather than that sense of 'throbbing' as before. That, is a difference.
This lightness of hold, I achieved on and off I guess, or the tenderness would not be there; but, much more than less, I was there with and often returned to that balanced rest with light chin; and, was able to focus on much less gripping. The lightness is successively freeing my vibrato, allowing me to focus much better on a straight wrist and improving my tonality noticeably when several things come together.
Though I continue to search for my ideal placement on the shoulder, I don't think I'll need a pad; but I will cover the chin rest for my neck's sake. And I also continue to get my feet on the ground in the changes in balancing for actually bowing--though this is coming online as well.
Bowing has been not terrible, but a challenge without the shoulder rest. Several squeaks, re-finding how to glide back into the double stop and stop pinging other strings, those types of things should clear up over the next few weeks I think/hope.
Though I had messed around with no shoulder rest a few times, I never really persisted. I wish I had. 'Small stocky men should use their compactness, in creating a very efficient light violin approach that capitalizes on their low center of gravity; and, a self-contained spatial peripheral system of machines in a physiological sense has advantages as well.'
For whatever reason, at the same time I'm playing around with bow speed and pressure positively it feels. Tonight for example I was into playing a few notes with speed, then finding the pressure to try and get the same effect. I think I'll expand on this a little over the next couple days. My instinct tells me this may be really useful.
Primarily with speed/pressure, I find that either I, or my violin is, causing me to use more speed to get her singing than pressure; which in turn means I'm also using alot more energy. I don't mind the work, but if I can start using pressure more effectively I may be able to get better at other bowing(s).
Soooo this shoulder-rest(less) thing feels great--really great. I can envision a day when I might ('way' down the road) try playing with a rest again, if I can migrate the lightness just to further efficiency. But the lightness 'must' come first.
I think the best way to describe the tonal changes, is there is some sort of more resonant projection happening beyond the thing being more in direct line with my ear. And after I get at some of the issues above (string crossings etc),
I expect this projection to improve consistency over the next month as well--or so I hope.
Finally, I'm becoming more convinced that where possible, one might benefit from at least learning without a shoulder rest first, particularly old krachity stiff folk as myself. I know the newness of finding a lot less tension is compelling of itself, but it's as much about the sound, thus the music. I'm painting my violin lavender. ;)
I'm embarassed...
Published: Jul. 6, 2007 at 9:11 PM
Last modified: Jul. 6, 2007 at 9:15 PM
that it took over two years to be comfortable with my violin, and that it took ditching my shoulder rest to make it happen. Even more so, I'm embarrassed that all these little pieces coming together I've known forever: straight wrist, support the instrument, somewhat:play from the front center....
And other little pieces along the way, are only now making sense. (Buri: "your elbow too close to your body", others...)... Sheesh, it's been an adventure. I knew however I was getting there only recently.
After ditching the shoulder rest ala Klayman's site, I started practicing in front of a big wall size mirror a few days past that. But before the mirror thing, I had already sensed and felt many points of relaxed posture.
Then, in front of the mirror, I learned to tweak my elbow and tuck, the last but probably most important part of my posture journey. The relaxed posture had already improved projection noticeably including the very shape and sound of notes as well. But, the elbow tuck, cleaned up my left hand articulation on yet another level somehow I do not really understand. I think it must be related to effective support of the instrument.
But now f4 on other strings has started to resonate almost like an open string. I'm impressed, but still embarrassed.
Last modified: Jul. 6, 2007 at 9:15 PM
that it took over two years to be comfortable with my violin, and that it took ditching my shoulder rest to make it happen. Even more so, I'm embarrassed that all these little pieces coming together I've known forever: straight wrist, support the instrument, somewhat:play from the front center....
And other little pieces along the way, are only now making sense. (Buri: "your elbow too close to your body", others...)... Sheesh, it's been an adventure. I knew however I was getting there only recently.
After ditching the shoulder rest ala Klayman's site, I started practicing in front of a big wall size mirror a few days past that. But before the mirror thing, I had already sensed and felt many points of relaxed posture.
Then, in front of the mirror, I learned to tweak my elbow and tuck, the last but probably most important part of my posture journey. The relaxed posture had already improved projection noticeably including the very shape and sound of notes as well. But, the elbow tuck, cleaned up my left hand articulation on yet another level somehow I do not really understand. I think it must be related to effective support of the instrument.
But now f4 on other strings has started to resonate almost like an open string. I'm impressed, but still embarrassed.
When a flat is a good thing.
Published: Jul. 7, 2007 at 6:40 PM
Opportunity to grow comes from the strangest places sometimes. I happened across Bach's Air played in a-flat on youtube a little while ago, and held my own really well.
But more telling, is that all those f4's sounded good for no longer than I've been getting my tuck under to shoot for the resonance effectively because of my posture festival.
So sometimes yes, a flat is a good thing.
Opportunity to grow comes from the strangest places sometimes. I happened across Bach's Air played in a-flat on youtube a little while ago, and held my own really well.
But more telling, is that all those f4's sounded good for no longer than I've been getting my tuck under to shoot for the resonance effectively because of my posture festival.
So sometimes yes, a flat is a good thing.
Mairead Nesbitt in 'The Butterfly'
Published: Jul. 10, 2007 at 1:22 AM
Last modified: Jul. 10, 2007 at 4:14 PM
Ever since the first time I watched Celtic Woman on PBS I've been in love with Mairead Nesbitt. Her rendition of "The Butterfly" is amazing. Though some have called it all show, she nonetheless expresses the spirit of the Celtic Fiddle as a composite image of beauty, passion and music.
Though one may not call her fiddling sonorous, it like gypsy in my mind reaches back to a time when melody truly tried to express voice, in her case lilt, without bells and whistles. A little martele here and there, and off goes the open mind to her dancing beautiful expression.
See her here
http://youtube.com/watch?v=OXanHvrjQO0&mode=related&search=
Last modified: Jul. 10, 2007 at 4:14 PM
Ever since the first time I watched Celtic Woman on PBS I've been in love with Mairead Nesbitt. Her rendition of "The Butterfly" is amazing. Though some have called it all show, she nonetheless expresses the spirit of the Celtic Fiddle as a composite image of beauty, passion and music.
Though one may not call her fiddling sonorous, it like gypsy in my mind reaches back to a time when melody truly tried to express voice, in her case lilt, without bells and whistles. A little martele here and there, and off goes the open mind to her dancing beautiful expression.
See her here
http://youtube.com/watch?v=OXanHvrjQO0&mode=related&search=
Somebody put Moonshine in my Cheerios
Published: Jul. 12, 2007 at 5:58 AM
Last modified: Jul. 12, 2007 at 6:12 AM
Listening earlier today to apparently one of the members here, playing Kreisler Preludium, I realized that it is now achievable for me to start moving towards more expressive confidence, at least in small ways. My posture and bowing are balancing some. Wow!.
So tonight, after working on Suzuki III/7 Bouree last night, I was still timid with the chords, then I read a description of gliding through them, seamlessly-- adding a quality I think is likely inferred here. But tonight, I started legatomeistering my chords, and finding a couple extra applications adding a trill on the end, dancing around them in scales and etc. And throwing in to the first few notes of Preludium, wow!.
This posture festival I've been on actually since the beginning, but cohesively for months anyway, is creating one of the biggest leaps in my playing since the beginning. Now when I mindlessly play, as I have since the beginning, the thing is starting to resonate and swell, and diminish, and a light straight bow, albeit legato considered significantly accompany considerably better control. And it is prittaeh now often, using the Henry Fielding pronunciation.
The role of posture in all the above, is direct and substantial, again. Finding the imagery that addressed my problem areas has been long and hard, I think many will agree. And the other day when I further discovered the role of a lazy left wrist in many of those problems, I felt like somebody put moonshine in my cheerios. JEEEZ!. So now I tell myself ten times a day, 'it's not breaking bad habits, it's creating good ones'.;). But, tonight's jammin was worth it.
Now I can see how to improve in other ways too, and that's so cool. But somehow, some things, from some place, are coming together that get me sort of where I think I'd been a few months ago had I not begun injured. Buri, I'm sure you shall never see Alexander as I shall apply it. I earned this aside--and besides that I'm that laid back anyway in reality. Even if in all these things I'm at like an advanced toddler's>>early childhood stage creating a metaphor, I know how to get them???... Yes...
This all has been pretty overwhelming! Burp!. Wow!.
Last modified: Jul. 12, 2007 at 6:12 AM
Listening earlier today to apparently one of the members here, playing Kreisler Preludium, I realized that it is now achievable for me to start moving towards more expressive confidence, at least in small ways. My posture and bowing are balancing some. Wow!.
So tonight, after working on Suzuki III/7 Bouree last night, I was still timid with the chords, then I read a description of gliding through them, seamlessly-- adding a quality I think is likely inferred here. But tonight, I started legatomeistering my chords, and finding a couple extra applications adding a trill on the end, dancing around them in scales and etc. And throwing in to the first few notes of Preludium, wow!.
This posture festival I've been on actually since the beginning, but cohesively for months anyway, is creating one of the biggest leaps in my playing since the beginning. Now when I mindlessly play, as I have since the beginning, the thing is starting to resonate and swell, and diminish, and a light straight bow, albeit legato considered significantly accompany considerably better control. And it is prittaeh now often, using the Henry Fielding pronunciation.
The role of posture in all the above, is direct and substantial, again. Finding the imagery that addressed my problem areas has been long and hard, I think many will agree. And the other day when I further discovered the role of a lazy left wrist in many of those problems, I felt like somebody put moonshine in my cheerios. JEEEZ!. So now I tell myself ten times a day, 'it's not breaking bad habits, it's creating good ones'.;). But, tonight's jammin was worth it.
Now I can see how to improve in other ways too, and that's so cool. But somehow, some things, from some place, are coming together that get me sort of where I think I'd been a few months ago had I not begun injured. Buri, I'm sure you shall never see Alexander as I shall apply it. I earned this aside--and besides that I'm that laid back anyway in reality. Even if in all these things I'm at like an advanced toddler's>>early childhood stage creating a metaphor, I know how to get them???... Yes...
This all has been pretty overwhelming! Burp!. Wow!.
Ruth's Right: Closure is a circle.
Published: Jul. 12, 2007 at 6:26 PM
Last night, I surmised as to how:
'Now I can see how to improve in other ways too, and that's so cool. But somehow, some things, from some place, are coming together that get me sort of where I think I'd been a few months ago had I not begun injured. Buri, I'm sure you shall never see Alexander as I shall apply it. I earned this aside--and besides that I'm that laid back anyway in reality. Even if in all these things I'm at like an advanced toddler's>>early childhood stage creating a metaphor, I know how to get them???... Yes...'
After reading Karen's closure and Ruth's telling comment suggesting one step forward and two steps back, I realized just how true this is while working on my left wrist more this morning, adjusting my shifts to my now shoulder-restless hold, and just in general as well.
Getting ready to go check out Hilary Hahn in a few days will help my spirits in all this I'm sure, but it really seems as Ruth suggested--one doesn't really know sometimes when and how they get better.
Now, I'm working on collecting perspective on how to use the left wrist better, beyond the shoulder-rest thing. Fortunately, Caeli's "Time for Three" rocked double Bach lightening things up along the way.
Onward, upward, then again
Last night, I surmised as to how:
'Now I can see how to improve in other ways too, and that's so cool. But somehow, some things, from some place, are coming together that get me sort of where I think I'd been a few months ago had I not begun injured. Buri, I'm sure you shall never see Alexander as I shall apply it. I earned this aside--and besides that I'm that laid back anyway in reality. Even if in all these things I'm at like an advanced toddler's>>early childhood stage creating a metaphor, I know how to get them???... Yes...'
After reading Karen's closure and Ruth's telling comment suggesting one step forward and two steps back, I realized just how true this is while working on my left wrist more this morning, adjusting my shifts to my now shoulder-restless hold, and just in general as well.
Getting ready to go check out Hilary Hahn in a few days will help my spirits in all this I'm sure, but it really seems as Ruth suggested--one doesn't really know sometimes when and how they get better.
Now, I'm working on collecting perspective on how to use the left wrist better, beyond the shoulder-rest thing. Fortunately, Caeli's "Time for Three" rocked double Bach lightening things up along the way.
Onward, upward, then again
A Festival of Festivals:my daily ramblings
Published: Jul. 16, 2007 at 4:37 PM
Last modified: Jul. 16, 2007 at 5:12 PM
I knew this was going to happen but do not really care. After a couple days of minimal practice, or at least one, I threw down like a kid in a candy store. But most importantly is how things came together generally. I used a mirror almost the entire practice, and whala: the tuck, the table, overall lightness of hold, and more: a big cool important more. Raphael, you know what--if you asked today, you probably could have my Bud Lite.
During my posture festival I had been practicing using almost no chin pressure to help stable the instrument; and, I had been having somewhat zoned out problems finding the table because so many things have changed for me recently. So last night I realized that zero pressure does not mean no pressure with the chin and played with a well formed forward but not raised table consistently. And I played, and I played, and I played. I feel like I've been on a drunk. And I played. And my southpaw though a little tired, is quite ok.
So, I increased my chin pressure from stable to lightly throughout the night, going from an 'able to hold the violin up on the table' posture to a 'minimize considered' posture. Also, because I'm using a center mount, am finding my chin doesn't really hit the chin rest, but my jawline feels perfect on the rest. Oddly even to me, this feels less claustrophobic to me in a way I do not understand. And I can see my pretty face in the mirror as I practice (Henry Fielding pronunciation).
Once again, a new level has been achieved though I would not be the one qualified to describe it. My playing on this stable table was really really nice, full (or becoming fuller)--just wonderful.
And I also started applying two points I feel important to stamina. Playing from center better is one point, a point shared by teacher; but, the second point has to do with visualizing the straight neckline in a truly truly relaxed interaction with the instrument--very nice indeed. I think the teacher might have inferred this if not directly mentioned it, but it was the web site from the Netherlands that drove it home to an image I could truly work with.
These things, these layers, these elements, have little yet to do with bowing. These festivals, spread out over weeks and months now focusing at first leisurely then intently on posture I feel soon will be joined with the work I've done with bowing I hope. But that, may be another festival.
One more thing: my coach helped me with some shifting circumstances perspective building on the phone last night. (AE-shoot for above 5th--all the way)(GD-get competent to 5th and don't worry about it.)
My first impulse on waking was to practice, but I have to rest some so I'll wait until later.
If it's the Lord's will, I'll see Hilary Hahn tomorrow night in Greensboro. I'm so excited I can't stand it. This will be a good break for me.
Last modified: Jul. 16, 2007 at 5:12 PM
I knew this was going to happen but do not really care. After a couple days of minimal practice, or at least one, I threw down like a kid in a candy store. But most importantly is how things came together generally. I used a mirror almost the entire practice, and whala: the tuck, the table, overall lightness of hold, and more: a big cool important more. Raphael, you know what--if you asked today, you probably could have my Bud Lite.
During my posture festival I had been practicing using almost no chin pressure to help stable the instrument; and, I had been having somewhat zoned out problems finding the table because so many things have changed for me recently. So last night I realized that zero pressure does not mean no pressure with the chin and played with a well formed forward but not raised table consistently. And I played, and I played, and I played. I feel like I've been on a drunk. And I played. And my southpaw though a little tired, is quite ok.
So, I increased my chin pressure from stable to lightly throughout the night, going from an 'able to hold the violin up on the table' posture to a 'minimize considered' posture. Also, because I'm using a center mount, am finding my chin doesn't really hit the chin rest, but my jawline feels perfect on the rest. Oddly even to me, this feels less claustrophobic to me in a way I do not understand. And I can see my pretty face in the mirror as I practice (Henry Fielding pronunciation).
Once again, a new level has been achieved though I would not be the one qualified to describe it. My playing on this stable table was really really nice, full (or becoming fuller)--just wonderful.
And I also started applying two points I feel important to stamina. Playing from center better is one point, a point shared by teacher; but, the second point has to do with visualizing the straight neckline in a truly truly relaxed interaction with the instrument--very nice indeed. I think the teacher might have inferred this if not directly mentioned it, but it was the web site from the Netherlands that drove it home to an image I could truly work with.
These things, these layers, these elements, have little yet to do with bowing. These festivals, spread out over weeks and months now focusing at first leisurely then intently on posture I feel soon will be joined with the work I've done with bowing I hope. But that, may be another festival.
One more thing: my coach helped me with some shifting circumstances perspective building on the phone last night. (AE-shoot for above 5th--all the way)(GD-get competent to 5th and don't worry about it.)
My first impulse on waking was to practice, but I have to rest some so I'll wait until later.
If it's the Lord's will, I'll see Hilary Hahn tomorrow night in Greensboro. I'm so excited I can't stand it. This will be a good break for me.
Stolen Fire: Hilary Hahn/ Josh Ritter: Guilty!
Published: Jul. 18, 2007 at 11:02 PM
Last modified: Jul. 18, 2007 at 11:05 PM
I find it both ironic and eery that beautiful
beautiful peace loving historic Quaker
inspired Guilford College's Dana Auditorium, was
the scene of this crime. They are Guilty!
Guilty I say! The proof follows.
July 17th at eight in the evening, a very mixed
unsuspecting crowd assembled at Guilford
College's Dana Auditorium as part of the
Eastern Music Festival. Little did they know
that their hearts would be layed open raw, as
Hilary Hahn and Josh Ritter both literally and
figuratively stole fire from the Gods, and, made
them like it. Disgraceful.
Young girls and old softies would be enticed
by Josh Ritter's opening folk songs, that was
not unlike the rare four of four star rated by
the "Rolling Stone" Tom Rush lyrically. Knowing
exactly how to break the ice, the coy, calm, cool
Josh Ritter was setting the stage for this crime,
as Josh's last song relied on the eternal "Last
Rose of Summer", evoking the equally powerful
image of a rose. Despicable! Oh, the plot thickens.
Showing the true connection between folk and
classical, the pied piper two would then deploy
lovely Ms. Hilary Hahn to finish off the poor
people, with a direct poignant example of how
Ernst interpreted Variations on "The Last Rose
of Summer" classically. These partners in crime
were playing pre-meditatively--I'm sure of this.
I will convince you of this.
Josh Ritter would rest the crowd before intermission with a beautiful song: "The Blue Flame". But their plotting and nefarious ways were not far behind. And I think the rest may have had other motives.
I'm sure of their intentions because next Hilary
Hahn finished off the call to battle with the most
beautiful rendition of Bach's Sonata for solo violin No.2 in Am imaginable after intermission.
Every note, every phrase, every vibrato was
perfectly intoxicating, rich, balanced, resonant
and God inspiring beautiful.
Or was it really God invoking and provoking? I think you see the picture of their plot too, as well as the intention of Josh's previous rest.
Sadly but tellingly, Hahn even warned the crowd
sort of. "If you don't like violin, you should
leave because for the next twenty minutes....",
as she played Bach. A pin could be heard. A silence fell on the auditorium unmatched throughout the entire evening. I could feel the entire group melting. Of course nobody left--they were completely mesmerized.
Diva Hahn would truly begin the epochal battle
playing Ysaye's "Ballade"-I think a test to ensure
the crowd was present and ensnared in what would
happen next, by adding complex "abstract"
substance to their evoking of the Gods.
Hahn then reversed order of examples by interpreting Erlkonig:Ernst's "Caprice for Solo Violin, after Franz Schubert, Op 26. Further drawing the crowd in with her description of the four voices present in the piece, the War was about to begin.
Josh Ritter boldy, even courageously stepped up and shared his interpretation of the same Ernst piece from Schubert, entitled as a direct translation "The Oak Tree King".
Josh's images were bright and lucid, and he told the story in the true spirit of storytelling, but in song in his most brilliant animation of the four voices. The God's would soon show their displeasure at Josh's sharing of eternal secrets.
The battle between Greensboro North Carolina and
Prometheus was just beginning though, you can be sure of this.
Paganini's 24th Caprice, finished off the crowd who had had their hearts melted with Hahn's interpretation of Bach. Now the Gods tried to fight back!. Thunder and lightening erupted loud war dances just above Dana Auditorium as Hahn played Paganini. (True story)
One poor soul who was still trying to compose himself from her Bach, displayed what seemed a maniacal grin, given swollen eyes and a defeated embarrassed countenance hoping nobody could see, as all hades broke lose outside and Paganini filled the hall inside. Translation: 'ee-hah.' These two showed no mercy friends!. No mercy at all... They are guilty!
But after defeating the Gods, and involving the
entirety of Dana Auditorium, Hahn stood with her
foot on Prometheus' chest as she played
Paganinians for Violin by Milstein, bringing
Everyman's de Tocquevillian journey into the
present.
And Josh Ritter stomped his feet right beside
Prometheus right ear, by having the audacity to
accompany Hahn with classical guitar in Paganini's
Cantabile as an encore, quite beautifully--his first attempt at that form.
Knowing they were defeated, the God's quieted the
thunder and rain enough for the poor unsuspecting
victims of this epochal exercise to return peacefully
to their hamlets and hollows; as if this time the
God's, were inducing future wars of phenomenal
beauty, skill and interpretation of life itself.
Storytelling at it's best!. Brilliant. Exhausting.
Last modified: Jul. 18, 2007 at 11:05 PM
I find it both ironic and eery that beautiful
beautiful peace loving historic Quaker
inspired Guilford College's Dana Auditorium, was
the scene of this crime. They are Guilty!
Guilty I say! The proof follows.
July 17th at eight in the evening, a very mixed
unsuspecting crowd assembled at Guilford
College's Dana Auditorium as part of the
Eastern Music Festival. Little did they know
that their hearts would be layed open raw, as
Hilary Hahn and Josh Ritter both literally and
figuratively stole fire from the Gods, and, made
them like it. Disgraceful.
Young girls and old softies would be enticed
by Josh Ritter's opening folk songs, that was
not unlike the rare four of four star rated by
the "Rolling Stone" Tom Rush lyrically. Knowing
exactly how to break the ice, the coy, calm, cool
Josh Ritter was setting the stage for this crime,
as Josh's last song relied on the eternal "Last
Rose of Summer", evoking the equally powerful
image of a rose. Despicable! Oh, the plot thickens.
Showing the true connection between folk and
classical, the pied piper two would then deploy
lovely Ms. Hilary Hahn to finish off the poor
people, with a direct poignant example of how
Ernst interpreted Variations on "The Last Rose
of Summer" classically. These partners in crime
were playing pre-meditatively--I'm sure of this.
I will convince you of this.
Josh Ritter would rest the crowd before intermission with a beautiful song: "The Blue Flame". But their plotting and nefarious ways were not far behind. And I think the rest may have had other motives.
I'm sure of their intentions because next Hilary
Hahn finished off the call to battle with the most
beautiful rendition of Bach's Sonata for solo violin No.2 in Am imaginable after intermission.
Every note, every phrase, every vibrato was
perfectly intoxicating, rich, balanced, resonant
and God inspiring beautiful.
Or was it really God invoking and provoking? I think you see the picture of their plot too, as well as the intention of Josh's previous rest.
Sadly but tellingly, Hahn even warned the crowd
sort of. "If you don't like violin, you should
leave because for the next twenty minutes....",
as she played Bach. A pin could be heard. A silence fell on the auditorium unmatched throughout the entire evening. I could feel the entire group melting. Of course nobody left--they were completely mesmerized.
Diva Hahn would truly begin the epochal battle
playing Ysaye's "Ballade"-I think a test to ensure
the crowd was present and ensnared in what would
happen next, by adding complex "abstract"
substance to their evoking of the Gods.
Hahn then reversed order of examples by interpreting Erlkonig:Ernst's "Caprice for Solo Violin, after Franz Schubert, Op 26. Further drawing the crowd in with her description of the four voices present in the piece, the War was about to begin.
Josh Ritter boldy, even courageously stepped up and shared his interpretation of the same Ernst piece from Schubert, entitled as a direct translation "The Oak Tree King".
Josh's images were bright and lucid, and he told the story in the true spirit of storytelling, but in song in his most brilliant animation of the four voices. The God's would soon show their displeasure at Josh's sharing of eternal secrets.
The battle between Greensboro North Carolina and
Prometheus was just beginning though, you can be sure of this.
Paganini's 24th Caprice, finished off the crowd who had had their hearts melted with Hahn's interpretation of Bach. Now the Gods tried to fight back!. Thunder and lightening erupted loud war dances just above Dana Auditorium as Hahn played Paganini. (True story)
One poor soul who was still trying to compose himself from her Bach, displayed what seemed a maniacal grin, given swollen eyes and a defeated embarrassed countenance hoping nobody could see, as all hades broke lose outside and Paganini filled the hall inside. Translation: 'ee-hah.' These two showed no mercy friends!. No mercy at all... They are guilty!
But after defeating the Gods, and involving the
entirety of Dana Auditorium, Hahn stood with her
foot on Prometheus' chest as she played
Paganinians for Violin by Milstein, bringing
Everyman's de Tocquevillian journey into the
present.
And Josh Ritter stomped his feet right beside
Prometheus right ear, by having the audacity to
accompany Hahn with classical guitar in Paganini's
Cantabile as an encore, quite beautifully--his first attempt at that form.
Knowing they were defeated, the God's quieted the
thunder and rain enough for the poor unsuspecting
victims of this epochal exercise to return peacefully
to their hamlets and hollows; as if this time the
God's, were inducing future wars of phenomenal
beauty, skill and interpretation of life itself.
Storytelling at it's best!. Brilliant. Exhausting.
Whoaaaahhh there!
Published: Jun. 3, 2007 at 3:54 PM
I broke my first bow hair today while playing, and it was like getting a tattoo or something. I've broken a few before for other reasons but this one was the result of throwing into Witche's Dance with full newly improved arching though in elementary ways, motion.
It was so cool. I do a double coda back to about a third way through and play around with different bowing techniques. Today, I was exploring applied bow arching and note shaping in an intensified way; and, applying something I read somewhere--I'm thinking here--about using more bow speed for tone production.
So about the third time back to the DC, whala--it snapped; and, I learned to just keep playing. I'm back to where my wrist handles 30-40 minutes well, because of refocusing on posture intently, and I just had all the elements working pretty well together and went into Emil mode! ;).
While I think one of the first pieces of advice I heard was that one never really masters bowing is somewhat true, I used a mirror to help with trying to bring it all together--Mimi Zweig was hangin out too. Anyway, for about 40 minutes in between excellent showers (I am not worthy) in this dry spell, I was hittin a couple extra cylinders.
I broke my first bow hair today while playing, and it was like getting a tattoo or something. I've broken a few before for other reasons but this one was the result of throwing into Witche's Dance with full newly improved arching though in elementary ways, motion.
It was so cool. I do a double coda back to about a third way through and play around with different bowing techniques. Today, I was exploring applied bow arching and note shaping in an intensified way; and, applying something I read somewhere--I'm thinking here--about using more bow speed for tone production.
So about the third time back to the DC, whala--it snapped; and, I learned to just keep playing. I'm back to where my wrist handles 30-40 minutes well, because of refocusing on posture intently, and I just had all the elements working pretty well together and went into Emil mode! ;).
While I think one of the first pieces of advice I heard was that one never really masters bowing is somewhat true, I used a mirror to help with trying to bring it all together--Mimi Zweig was hangin out too. Anyway, for about 40 minutes in between excellent showers (I am not worthy) in this dry spell, I was hittin a couple extra cylinders.
When in Doubt, get the music
Published: Jun. 6, 2007 at 5:38 AM
Over the past couple months the darndest thing has been happening. I learned all but the last measure and a half of a song learned first by TAB by ear, and had a mental block. So, I do the math during a break, and actually had it extremely close a couple times.
Then when I came back to it after break (3 wks+), whalah--zone two once again. So I start doing the math again. And then, then I find the music in standard note v. TAB. Feeling that I exercised my brain enough on the virtual transcription, I now hold in my hands the lute standard music.
This matters because this song is really cool with me, and has bunches of potential. When in Doubt, get the music.
Cheezzzzussss...
Over the past couple months the darndest thing has been happening. I learned all but the last measure and a half of a song learned first by TAB by ear, and had a mental block. So, I do the math during a break, and actually had it extremely close a couple times.
Then when I came back to it after break (3 wks+), whalah--zone two once again. So I start doing the math again. And then, then I find the music in standard note v. TAB. Feeling that I exercised my brain enough on the virtual transcription, I now hold in my hands the lute standard music.
This matters because this song is really cool with me, and has bunches of potential. When in Doubt, get the music.
Cheezzzzussss...
Persistence--the nuts and bolts.
Published: Jun. 11, 2007 at 4:13 AM
Two measure down two notes to go. Over the past several months I transposed Suite in C Minor for Lute (BWV997) Sarabande from guitar to violin (e-m) on the fly.
Finally finding the written music about a week ago, I 'FINALLY' got the last two measures minus two notes structurally and consistently. It feels like I've been on a long long journey with this, and I really only have the second theme approaching basic competency as of this moment.
The last two notes in tune will be minor details, but the piece is so cool that it will take another year to add some double stops, and begin to truly make the thing my own. And the last couple measures just have so much potential in terms of what they will do for my bowing eventually, I think that will be a study of it's own because of the powerful martele like string crossings suggested--at least suggested in my treatment.
I'm finding the freedom to make something I play on guitar a similar but different creature on violin fascinating, and very very gratifying. But it came to mind, that I became so frustrated a couple months ago because of a mental block on the last two measures before my self-imposed break, that I hope it's good for me.
This hard-headed persistence thing is what got me in trouble with my southpaw to some extent, causing a 3-week hiatus recently. Like Karen's daughter a little I guess, I began again renewed and refreshed and a little more grounded in what to really focus on in my basic skills. And of course the last two measures finally became mine also.
There's a little sweet poetic justice in the fact that I'm still messing up the last two notes though, because it makes me reflect on the perspective I gained when I 'had' to make myself rest. How does one really benefit from this self-knowledge of ruts and routines, and still hope to move forward? Well, though it's still somewhat half-formed thoughts, I at least now have the experience to fall back on.
So as level one of probably four of this journey comes to conclusion, I've gained both a Sarabande, and some perspective on persistence.
Two measure down two notes to go. Over the past several months I transposed Suite in C Minor for Lute (BWV997) Sarabande from guitar to violin (e-m) on the fly.
Finally finding the written music about a week ago, I 'FINALLY' got the last two measures minus two notes structurally and consistently. It feels like I've been on a long long journey with this, and I really only have the second theme approaching basic competency as of this moment.
The last two notes in tune will be minor details, but the piece is so cool that it will take another year to add some double stops, and begin to truly make the thing my own. And the last couple measures just have so much potential in terms of what they will do for my bowing eventually, I think that will be a study of it's own because of the powerful martele like string crossings suggested--at least suggested in my treatment.
I'm finding the freedom to make something I play on guitar a similar but different creature on violin fascinating, and very very gratifying. But it came to mind, that I became so frustrated a couple months ago because of a mental block on the last two measures before my self-imposed break, that I hope it's good for me.
This hard-headed persistence thing is what got me in trouble with my southpaw to some extent, causing a 3-week hiatus recently. Like Karen's daughter a little I guess, I began again renewed and refreshed and a little more grounded in what to really focus on in my basic skills. And of course the last two measures finally became mine also.
There's a little sweet poetic justice in the fact that I'm still messing up the last two notes though, because it makes me reflect on the perspective I gained when I 'had' to make myself rest. How does one really benefit from this self-knowledge of ruts and routines, and still hope to move forward? Well, though it's still somewhat half-formed thoughts, I at least now have the experience to fall back on.
So as level one of probably four of this journey comes to conclusion, I've gained both a Sarabande, and some perspective on persistence.
My Daily Epiphany and General Progress
Published: Jun. 21, 2007 at 3:23 AM
Tonight I had two neat moments. One was when I started feeding better weight into the first measure of Bocherinni based on my recent explorations with arching and arching for note shaping. This led also to better balance and force on the D string notes and better balance across the board. It seems I've waited forever for this song to start 'singing'. But in my defense, I've been working on other stuff along the way.
The other epiphany came when applying the subtle pendulum effect to Wohlfahrt #4--a very nice improvement. Having not looked at it since the break about two months ago now, I also had to sight read to get through it at 126. But the neatest part was that I'm using better forearm dynamics and heard the difference--uh, finally.
The recent break and following basics festival have also left my bowing straighter, stick angled consistently, and Now I'm getting to where I can glide between at least 3 sounding points at will, with my hair remaining flat and subtly--thanks to Laurie's sharing actually...
I've also been trying to make myself just play in 15-20 minute spurts, and this is helping me keep my wrist healthy. This had the added effect of keeping the music crisp and focused also. Now, back to work.
Tonight I had two neat moments. One was when I started feeding better weight into the first measure of Bocherinni based on my recent explorations with arching and arching for note shaping. This led also to better balance and force on the D string notes and better balance across the board. It seems I've waited forever for this song to start 'singing'. But in my defense, I've been working on other stuff along the way.
The other epiphany came when applying the subtle pendulum effect to Wohlfahrt #4--a very nice improvement. Having not looked at it since the break about two months ago now, I also had to sight read to get through it at 126. But the neatest part was that I'm using better forearm dynamics and heard the difference--uh, finally.
The recent break and following basics festival have also left my bowing straighter, stick angled consistently, and Now I'm getting to where I can glide between at least 3 sounding points at will, with my hair remaining flat and subtly--thanks to Laurie's sharing actually...
I've also been trying to make myself just play in 15-20 minute spurts, and this is helping me keep my wrist healthy. This had the added effect of keeping the music crisp and focused also. Now, back to work.
That's What I Get!
Published: Jun. 23, 2007 at 4:14 AM
Now that my A-string has officially unwound, with at least a week of waiting ahead, I hope to not let this happen again. How could I do this! My left wrist secretly laughs, but it's earned the privilege of doing so. So here I am running over to Johnson Strings online grabbing strings; and, literally screaming because I didn't think ahead.
I played around the pings in 3rd position for posterity's sake, but that didn't last too long. I played songs on G/D using shifts--which was pretty fun, but didn't last long either. Then, I played with sounding point exercises for a few minutes. This sucks!.
Today as it turns out, my dad and I just finished installing an outdoor stainless sink for our cannery, so I'll at least have alot to keep me busy. While I could get into the Hrimaly I've been avoiding since I took a break a couple months ago, I also need to integrate what Kimberlee, Buri and others have shared about sounding points and shifting. Should be interesting.
I shall nevah, nevah, nevah be without extra strings again--nevah!
Now that my A-string has officially unwound, with at least a week of waiting ahead, I hope to not let this happen again. How could I do this! My left wrist secretly laughs, but it's earned the privilege of doing so. So here I am running over to Johnson Strings online grabbing strings; and, literally screaming because I didn't think ahead.
I played around the pings in 3rd position for posterity's sake, but that didn't last too long. I played songs on G/D using shifts--which was pretty fun, but didn't last long either. Then, I played with sounding point exercises for a few minutes. This sucks!.
Today as it turns out, my dad and I just finished installing an outdoor stainless sink for our cannery, so I'll at least have alot to keep me busy. While I could get into the Hrimaly I've been avoiding since I took a break a couple months ago, I also need to integrate what Kimberlee, Buri and others have shared about sounding points and shifting. Should be interesting.
I shall nevah, nevah, nevah be without extra strings again--nevah!
Getting Next to My Girl
Published: Jun. 26, 2007 at 4:25 AM
I've decided to get naked beside my violin. After visiting Raphael's website, I decided to take the leap and ditch the shoulder rest. Having a lot of muscularity in my upper body, I've been wanting to do this for some time.
I read the three levels or areas Raphael described, and in earlier experiments, really liked the lightness of feel. I also think this will help me pay better attention to keeping my left (everything) light and relaxed.
My first serious efforts began yesterday, and I read his remarks more this evening about how to accomplish good hold, balance and posture. It also turns out I have the perfect material to create a handkerchief for the chinrest.
I just have this feeling, I'm really going to like my girl without all the makeup.
I've decided to get naked beside my violin. After visiting Raphael's website, I decided to take the leap and ditch the shoulder rest. Having a lot of muscularity in my upper body, I've been wanting to do this for some time.
I read the three levels or areas Raphael described, and in earlier experiments, really liked the lightness of feel. I also think this will help me pay better attention to keeping my left (everything) light and relaxed.
My first serious efforts began yesterday, and I read his remarks more this evening about how to accomplish good hold, balance and posture. It also turns out I have the perfect material to create a handkerchief for the chinrest.
I just have this feeling, I'm really going to like my girl without all the makeup.
In the Raw: Day 3
Published: Jun. 27, 2007 at 2:12 AM
Last modified: Jun. 27, 2007 at 2:16 AM
Having brought together Raphael's three areas important to playing without a shoulder rest relatively well, I'm pleased with the results.
http://rkviolin.com/writ_fund_one.html
Though as it turns out, I'm going to have to follow Yixi's path clothwise, I've hijacked the leather like chair arm protectors for the time being. (I thought there was material left over--not)
Whether or not I'm just maturing with the instrument, I'm not really sure. But the lightness of hold I mentioned previously is spreading like a well done sun tan--Remarkable. I think it's Raphael's image of the instrument resting lightly like a board on two blocks is most important here, along with the jawline angled ending at the chinrest; and, the instrument level along with supported by the southpaw really do as he said in other words, create a perpetual plane upon which to work.
Though I'm only in day three of this new approach, I'm certain that at least it will break me out of those bad habits formed early leaning into the chin rest, and free me from the machine like dependence on the added centered line drawn across one's body through the shoulder rest at 45 degrees. Sorry-I loved trig.
Time will tell. I hope my new strings arrive tomorrow, so I can throw down a little. But if they don't, it will not hurt my hyper self to review and remedial Raphael's approach some more.
Wish me luck!.
Last modified: Jun. 27, 2007 at 2:16 AM
Having brought together Raphael's three areas important to playing without a shoulder rest relatively well, I'm pleased with the results.
http://rkviolin.com/writ_fund_one.html
Though as it turns out, I'm going to have to follow Yixi's path clothwise, I've hijacked the leather like chair arm protectors for the time being. (I thought there was material left over--not)
Whether or not I'm just maturing with the instrument, I'm not really sure. But the lightness of hold I mentioned previously is spreading like a well done sun tan--Remarkable. I think it's Raphael's image of the instrument resting lightly like a board on two blocks is most important here, along with the jawline angled ending at the chinrest; and, the instrument level along with supported by the southpaw really do as he said in other words, create a perpetual plane upon which to work.
Though I'm only in day three of this new approach, I'm certain that at least it will break me out of those bad habits formed early leaning into the chin rest, and free me from the machine like dependence on the added centered line drawn across one's body through the shoulder rest at 45 degrees. Sorry-I loved trig.
Time will tell. I hope my new strings arrive tomorrow, so I can throw down a little. But if they don't, it will not hurt my hyper self to review and remedial Raphael's approach some more.
Wish me luck!.
In the Raw: Day 5
Published: Jun. 28, 2007 at 7:01 PM
Last modified: Jun. 29, 2007 at 3:13 AM
The only better thing than Ms. Paris Hilton getting out of the slammer yesterday, was my receiving my new strings today! I see us as both being temporary underdogs. She received a celeb slap on the hand, and I received a punch from the Good Lord for letting myself run out of 'A' strings--having to wait 6 days to practice my self proclaimed nekked lady without her makeup (shoulder rest).
Nonetheless, today, having replaced my strings, I faced the dreary darkness of knowing that tonight I'm going to over-do it if I don't get a handle on myself. So while waiting on the humidity to decrease and maybe do a few chores, I read Raphael's site again to review the basics of playing without a shoulder rest.
Not being able to exactly decide where this formed table is he describes, it is critical that I go slowly and get this right. And having cannibalized one chair headrest cover protector (yes it's much shorter now) for some leathery material I will meditate on why blondes should let me cook them supper instead of partying with Hollywood as I prepare for tonight's practice, along with patience.
The sound of new strings is so nice on my instrument, and of course I've played for half an hour in forming the above remonstrances to my lack patience. Lord, it just ain't fair. I want to play this thing!.
Afterthought
Having finished my first formal hour--with all four strings!, I'm loving this--alot. I'm discovering the table above, and the lightness of everything is awesome. I'm not sure how much of this is because I'm focusing much better on zero tension, including gripping or what, but the sound is clearer, brighter, beyond new strings--I've changed them many times.
Last modified: Jun. 29, 2007 at 3:13 AM
The only better thing than Ms. Paris Hilton getting out of the slammer yesterday, was my receiving my new strings today! I see us as both being temporary underdogs. She received a celeb slap on the hand, and I received a punch from the Good Lord for letting myself run out of 'A' strings--having to wait 6 days to practice my self proclaimed nekked lady without her makeup (shoulder rest).
Nonetheless, today, having replaced my strings, I faced the dreary darkness of knowing that tonight I'm going to over-do it if I don't get a handle on myself. So while waiting on the humidity to decrease and maybe do a few chores, I read Raphael's site again to review the basics of playing without a shoulder rest.
Not being able to exactly decide where this formed table is he describes, it is critical that I go slowly and get this right. And having cannibalized one chair headrest cover protector (yes it's much shorter now) for some leathery material I will meditate on why blondes should let me cook them supper instead of partying with Hollywood as I prepare for tonight's practice, along with patience.
The sound of new strings is so nice on my instrument, and of course I've played for half an hour in forming the above remonstrances to my lack patience. Lord, it just ain't fair. I want to play this thing!.
Afterthought
Having finished my first formal hour--with all four strings!, I'm loving this--alot. I'm discovering the table above, and the lightness of everything is awesome. I'm not sure how much of this is because I'm focusing much better on zero tension, including gripping or what, but the sound is clearer, brighter, beyond new strings--I've changed them many times.
When Air is truly Air.
Published: Jul. 1, 2007 at 4:27 AM
Last modified: Jul. 1, 2007 at 4:32 AM
Tonight, I furthered something it feels I've been working on forever, though not really I guess. Taking "Air On a G String" and lightly playing the notes continuously tip to tip, dividing the note per logical maximum number of notes instead of bow returns for expressiveness I continue my quest for: Mr. Legatomeister!
Currently I'm working on a level of actually levelness I think, that still has some logical bow changes based on phrasing, but only at the end of a phrase. Limiting vibrato severely and listening only for pure tone in my mind, gives the piece a fluidity that is a level of it's own. Personally, I find it awesome and maybe even satisfying done with this lightness
Beginning the second theme, I normally use a little weight and dig in for some juice. But tonight, I started learning how to get juice with minimum amount of weight instead.
The inspiration for this little exercise actually came from watching someone on television playing in such a way as to seemingly be doing the same thing I'm doing with the song quite some time back. So irregardless if this is a good exercise or not, I feel like it's getting me close to knowing my bow somehow I'm not qualified to describe really. It's like Sans bowing realtime or something?
So I added a couple insights tonight. One is related to the actual process here, and one not. The one not related is that my back seems to be getting tired, so I relinquished myself to playing sitting some.
The insight that is related continues with my recent themes of lightness and involves phrase shaping in at least some instances by being competent on the entire bow as much as possible. But, it's how that competence is related to the pinky that I ingrained somehow tonight--another adaptation since ditching my shoulder rest and having to refind my sounding points(SP).
While f3/f4 have alot to do with tracking the SP, I discovered that a completely lazy pinky somehow effects confident SP:f3/f4 control; and, also seems more important to me than in the past in both feeding weight from the forearm as well as helping with seemless bow changes.
It seemed that I became able to subtly feed weight and reduce weight both in bow changes and phrasing if not deluded. For months now I've been working towards this lightness in everything and as my bow hand continues to learn this, these subtle at least to me things, seem to be evolving.
An aside to all this is how I also started working tonight on a 'phrased approach' to learning lightness of southpaw grip, as well as overall. Because I play 'SO' much at times, it is completely out of the question to remedial heavily. I 'shall' play this thing one day.
Anyway, beyond the soapbox, I started taking major phrases and re-doing them as I get ready to start using etudes for the same purposes in achieving various levels of fluidity. The detache runs in Lully, the first measures of Boccherini, God have mercy Witch's Dance--though I didn't get to work that much on it in this respect, and so forth. Also started sketching Suzuki 3/5-7. Anyway, it was a good and light beautiful mountain airy night.
Mr. Legatomeister
Last modified: Jul. 1, 2007 at 4:32 AM
Tonight, I furthered something it feels I've been working on forever, though not really I guess. Taking "Air On a G String" and lightly playing the notes continuously tip to tip, dividing the note per logical maximum number of notes instead of bow returns for expressiveness I continue my quest for: Mr. Legatomeister!
Currently I'm working on a level of actually levelness I think, that still has some logical bow changes based on phrasing, but only at the end of a phrase. Limiting vibrato severely and listening only for pure tone in my mind, gives the piece a fluidity that is a level of it's own. Personally, I find it awesome and maybe even satisfying done with this lightness
Beginning the second theme, I normally use a little weight and dig in for some juice. But tonight, I started learning how to get juice with minimum amount of weight instead.
The inspiration for this little exercise actually came from watching someone on television playing in such a way as to seemingly be doing the same thing I'm doing with the song quite some time back. So irregardless if this is a good exercise or not, I feel like it's getting me close to knowing my bow somehow I'm not qualified to describe really. It's like Sans bowing realtime or something?
So I added a couple insights tonight. One is related to the actual process here, and one not. The one not related is that my back seems to be getting tired, so I relinquished myself to playing sitting some.
The insight that is related continues with my recent themes of lightness and involves phrase shaping in at least some instances by being competent on the entire bow as much as possible. But, it's how that competence is related to the pinky that I ingrained somehow tonight--another adaptation since ditching my shoulder rest and having to refind my sounding points(SP).
While f3/f4 have alot to do with tracking the SP, I discovered that a completely lazy pinky somehow effects confident SP:f3/f4 control; and, also seems more important to me than in the past in both feeding weight from the forearm as well as helping with seemless bow changes.
It seemed that I became able to subtly feed weight and reduce weight both in bow changes and phrasing if not deluded. For months now I've been working towards this lightness in everything and as my bow hand continues to learn this, these subtle at least to me things, seem to be evolving.
An aside to all this is how I also started working tonight on a 'phrased approach' to learning lightness of southpaw grip, as well as overall. Because I play 'SO' much at times, it is completely out of the question to remedial heavily. I 'shall' play this thing one day.
Anyway, beyond the soapbox, I started taking major phrases and re-doing them as I get ready to start using etudes for the same purposes in achieving various levels of fluidity. The detache runs in Lully, the first measures of Boccherini, God have mercy Witch's Dance--though I didn't get to work that much on it in this respect, and so forth. Also started sketching Suzuki 3/5-7. Anyway, it was a good and light beautiful mountain airy night.
Mr. Legatomeister
When a break's not a break.
Published: May. 2, 2007 at 2:23 AM
Stranger that some days off, is the involuntary muscle twitches indicating healing going on in my south-paw. I'll take it!... It's a really good thing I'm as busy as three people, or I'd be really depressed not playing (sort of not playing), every night.
I transposed the McGlaughin song to a more managable key (a-flat>D), and did the math with the Sarabande to get the troublesome last measures ready. Other than that I 'thought about' getting into the Hrimaly and will proably start that tomorrow, just reading it, seeing what it's all about. I already sampled it and know it's achievable, but have a record of working ahead on things to make things easier. Some would say "he can't walk and chew bubble gum at the same time". ;)
I planted lima beans today--the third or fourth attempt at those troublesome legumes this far north, and will have some of the most expensive ones ever--pure potting soil in the row. And I'm happy that I'll end up with an awesome strawberry crop after all I've been through with weather and groundhogs.
Though I've had to do 95% of the work myself this year, our gardens and projects are again kickin butt!. Cleaned out the garage last weekend and organized a work center for gardens there and did some final construction on the garage to make it better today. Now for simple configurations and light organizing.
My early tomatoes in the greenhouse are covered with blooms and about four feet tall. Took them out for some airing today and a couple got tumbled by the wind but were fine. I started four types of non-hybrids gratis a friend from Charleston and they are absolutely beautiful. We are moving most of our crops to non-hybrids
I planted another asparagus row yesterday, and was real thankful to have had the mind to go ahead and just do it instead of putting them in a temporary bed until next year. My buddy Scott would be proud of the furrows I made. Asparagus done correctly is a 'lot' of work--at least once in 15 years. Our asparagus season has been world class so far, and it's just really beginning. So now I get to figure out how to be preserve it in that we only get a healthy amount about every four days so far. Looks like seal-a-meal to me!.
Successes:
persistance
strawberries
corn
potatoes
melons (all kinds)
garlic
vidalias
gardens in general(all other crops)
light projects (started the garage thing last year)
failures:
celery (looks like raw seed in the bed to me at this point).
junked off in one of my work areas--how'd that happen?
didn't get my greenhouse guttering up in time.
Stranger that some days off, is the involuntary muscle twitches indicating healing going on in my south-paw. I'll take it!... It's a really good thing I'm as busy as three people, or I'd be really depressed not playing (sort of not playing), every night.
I transposed the McGlaughin song to a more managable key (a-flat>D), and did the math with the Sarabande to get the troublesome last measures ready. Other than that I 'thought about' getting into the Hrimaly and will proably start that tomorrow, just reading it, seeing what it's all about. I already sampled it and know it's achievable, but have a record of working ahead on things to make things easier. Some would say "he can't walk and chew bubble gum at the same time". ;)
I planted lima beans today--the third or fourth attempt at those troublesome legumes this far north, and will have some of the most expensive ones ever--pure potting soil in the row. And I'm happy that I'll end up with an awesome strawberry crop after all I've been through with weather and groundhogs.
Though I've had to do 95% of the work myself this year, our gardens and projects are again kickin butt!. Cleaned out the garage last weekend and organized a work center for gardens there and did some final construction on the garage to make it better today. Now for simple configurations and light organizing.
My early tomatoes in the greenhouse are covered with blooms and about four feet tall. Took them out for some airing today and a couple got tumbled by the wind but were fine. I started four types of non-hybrids gratis a friend from Charleston and they are absolutely beautiful. We are moving most of our crops to non-hybrids
I planted another asparagus row yesterday, and was real thankful to have had the mind to go ahead and just do it instead of putting them in a temporary bed until next year. My buddy Scott would be proud of the furrows I made. Asparagus done correctly is a 'lot' of work--at least once in 15 years. Our asparagus season has been world class so far, and it's just really beginning. So now I get to figure out how to be preserve it in that we only get a healthy amount about every four days so far. Looks like seal-a-meal to me!.
Successes:
persistance
strawberries
corn
potatoes
melons (all kinds)
garlic
vidalias
gardens in general(all other crops)
light projects (started the garage thing last year)
failures:
celery (looks like raw seed in the bed to me at this point).
junked off in one of my work areas--how'd that happen?
didn't get my greenhouse guttering up in time.
Rest: It;s a good thing
Published: May. 4, 2007 at 4:46 AM
The rain that began yesterday is predicted for another day or so. I am thankful, and rainwater is a hundred times better for the gardens, miracle grow excluded. But I'm equally thankful as today for the most part I rested-I mean really rested.
Took me a nap beside an open window, and woke up to do a little cooking and playing cards. Following, I got to check out some music from Lincoln Center's Alice Tully Hall, answered a few emails and just rested some more.
I looked at Hrimaly--uh, the cover, and decided to rest some more ;). I was up until midnight building next years greenhouse trays, and this lingering cool rain was like glidin outta the hollow in it's ability to express: chill!.
I did jam just a few minutes the past few nights, but so lightly it doesn't count. And I do have a plan of action for the McGlaughlin song, and feel victorious over the problem measures of Sarabande, even if only in sketch mode. And today's chill let me refocus on the big picture, starting my mental list. Included on 'that' list, will be a down-day!.
And today. Today the rains just started and stopped all day. And there was just enough fog in just enough places against the green hills and overcast skies to put one to sleep at leisure. Especially with the cool sixty degree weather, I only harvested asparagus and put out three overgrown tomatoes all day long. This resting stuff: I could learn to like it.
Rest: it's a good thing!.
The rain that began yesterday is predicted for another day or so. I am thankful, and rainwater is a hundred times better for the gardens, miracle grow excluded. But I'm equally thankful as today for the most part I rested-I mean really rested.
Took me a nap beside an open window, and woke up to do a little cooking and playing cards. Following, I got to check out some music from Lincoln Center's Alice Tully Hall, answered a few emails and just rested some more.
I looked at Hrimaly--uh, the cover, and decided to rest some more ;). I was up until midnight building next years greenhouse trays, and this lingering cool rain was like glidin outta the hollow in it's ability to express: chill!.
I did jam just a few minutes the past few nights, but so lightly it doesn't count. And I do have a plan of action for the McGlaughlin song, and feel victorious over the problem measures of Sarabande, even if only in sketch mode. And today's chill let me refocus on the big picture, starting my mental list. Included on 'that' list, will be a down-day!.
And today. Today the rains just started and stopped all day. And there was just enough fog in just enough places against the green hills and overcast skies to put one to sleep at leisure. Especially with the cool sixty degree weather, I only harvested asparagus and put out three overgrown tomatoes all day long. This resting stuff: I could learn to like it.
Rest: it's a good thing!.
She's Baaaack!
Published: May. 27, 2007 at 4:11 AM
M'lady returned to me tonight. After about three weeks off because of pain, a little more, I started a few days ago to play lightly again. This morning after realizing I'd already overdone it last night, I eased into tonight's jam. And for a little while at least, jam it will be.
So tonight I started in five minute increments. Then I did ten, then I just jammed for about 45. I decided to spend 'some' period of time trying to better bring everything I've worked on together a little. And loving to play as I do, tonight was excellent.
I'm finding I will play in a couple major modes so far, very light chamber, and with energy and intensiity. My "Air on G String" spoke silk for a few minutes there, and broad and more powerful for a few as well.
Beyond this I'm also finding that bringing it all together means bringing the instrument to the front, Milstein inspired lightness of hold bow, good relaxed tuck, and improving my note grabbing and arched bowing.
Actually I could imagine spending the next year just on these above. When the above are in place, the basic wrist vibrato is excellent. And experimenting with minimum and maximum bow speed and pressure is part of this entire image--sort of inferred already.
But most importantly, tonight the sometimes elusive playing with passion teased me for a few minutes. Tonight was cool.
M'lady returned to me tonight. After about three weeks off because of pain, a little more, I started a few days ago to play lightly again. This morning after realizing I'd already overdone it last night, I eased into tonight's jam. And for a little while at least, jam it will be.
So tonight I started in five minute increments. Then I did ten, then I just jammed for about 45. I decided to spend 'some' period of time trying to better bring everything I've worked on together a little. And loving to play as I do, tonight was excellent.
I'm finding I will play in a couple major modes so far, very light chamber, and with energy and intensiity. My "Air on G String" spoke silk for a few minutes there, and broad and more powerful for a few as well.
Beyond this I'm also finding that bringing it all together means bringing the instrument to the front, Milstein inspired lightness of hold bow, good relaxed tuck, and improving my note grabbing and arched bowing.
Actually I could imagine spending the next year just on these above. When the above are in place, the basic wrist vibrato is excellent. And experimenting with minimum and maximum bow speed and pressure is part of this entire image--sort of inferred already.
But most importantly, tonight the sometimes elusive playing with passion teased me for a few minutes. Tonight was cool.
Afterburners
Published: Apr. 12, 2007 at 6:26 AM
I never enter into my practice journal the best part of violin: afterburners. After finishing a couple hours warm ups and practice (exactly 2:38) to get through my current basic program, I jam!
Many pieces are coming together all at once for me:
Air On G String silky smooth.
Witches Dance--God bless my violin!.
Bist du bei mire--more silk.
In the Arms of the Angels--in the que.
BWV 997--sheesh God almighty, and it's just a baby.
Boccherini--silk became migration.
Martin Gavotte and etc.
So after doing many of those formally for improvment, I let loose like a Ninja truly as Kurt Sasamanhaus says, "putting it all together" at more and more times--at least on my level.
But it's not the progress that whips my tail, but the actual jammin. I was diggin in to Humoresque tonight and thought of the benefits of having a lot of company over the holiday--I show off ;).
But again the point here is the jammin. Being exhausted fighting the Gods over the cold snaps in the gardens, a house full of people who get to see me spraying things at 7am and without a thought sending one of them up the mountain to water the raspberries, I've had a few nights of just really really smooth jammin.
This afterburners thing has been the best part of violin. I think back at the I'm sure at least 'well' over a thousand hours so far in the jammin part of my violin journey beyond practice,
Of course jammin got me in trouble from day one, with everyone involved--my uh, teachers, myself, my progress, but nobody will ever get to take the fact that as God modest at is was early on, I can think back today and remember a few measures here and a few measures there that sounded like one jammin.
I started to put this in my practice journal, but chose this venue for no particular reason, other than for adult beginning students of violin who work very hard, they confound the system that they more than any other student of music, let the music lead the way. And, it is also important because teachers who teach serious motivated adults need to learn how very important jammin is to adult students--the discipline to persist is far closer linked to jammin for adults than recognized I think, and go far beyond "Three Blind Mice" in this importance.
A poem for Yixi:
Playing not, jammin!
Violin will stay on stand.
Jammin or be damned.
I never enter into my practice journal the best part of violin: afterburners. After finishing a couple hours warm ups and practice (exactly 2:38) to get through my current basic program, I jam!
Many pieces are coming together all at once for me:
Air On G String silky smooth.
Witches Dance--God bless my violin!.
Bist du bei mire--more silk.
In the Arms of the Angels--in the que.
BWV 997--sheesh God almighty, and it's just a baby.
Boccherini--silk became migration.
Martin Gavotte and etc.
So after doing many of those formally for improvment, I let loose like a Ninja truly as Kurt Sasamanhaus says, "putting it all together" at more and more times--at least on my level.
But it's not the progress that whips my tail, but the actual jammin. I was diggin in to Humoresque tonight and thought of the benefits of having a lot of company over the holiday--I show off ;).
But again the point here is the jammin. Being exhausted fighting the Gods over the cold snaps in the gardens, a house full of people who get to see me spraying things at 7am and without a thought sending one of them up the mountain to water the raspberries, I've had a few nights of just really really smooth jammin.
This afterburners thing has been the best part of violin. I think back at the I'm sure at least 'well' over a thousand hours so far in the jammin part of my violin journey beyond practice,
Of course jammin got me in trouble from day one, with everyone involved--my uh, teachers, myself, my progress, but nobody will ever get to take the fact that as God modest at is was early on, I can think back today and remember a few measures here and a few measures there that sounded like one jammin.
I started to put this in my practice journal, but chose this venue for no particular reason, other than for adult beginning students of violin who work very hard, they confound the system that they more than any other student of music, let the music lead the way. And, it is also important because teachers who teach serious motivated adults need to learn how very important jammin is to adult students--the discipline to persist is far closer linked to jammin for adults than recognized I think, and go far beyond "Three Blind Mice" in this importance.
A poem for Yixi:
Playing not, jammin!
Violin will stay on stand.
Jammin or be damned.
Virginia Tech
Published: Apr. 18, 2007 at 2:32 AM
Last modified: Apr. 18, 2007 at 2:34 AM
How appropriate it feels that I had been replanting things damaged by the recent freeze just before the Virginia Tech Convocation, where I heard the story of Professor Liviu Librescu.
A seventy-six year old holocaust survivor, Professor Librescu died in the senseless violence that visited Virginia Tech's campus this week. More importantly, Professor Librescu was holding the door closed as young students escaped through the windows when the gunman shot him.
The irony of the two major violent dramas Professor Librescu experienced in his life tempts me to believe in destiny, though I really do not. Still, his life as a survivor only to give the ultimate sacrifice this week holds important lessons about how deeply the human spirit's reslience can flow.
Equally to the beautiful young violinist who died in the chaos, we are left with a dual message of both persistence and beauty wrapped up in the most clear definition of real paradox imaginable when we consider both she and Professor Librescu simultaneously.
This paradox that calls upon persistence as it's primary driving motive, will pull upon the hearts of the families suffering from phenomonal loss over the next months and years, as well as all those involved at Virginia Tech including it's University culture.
The worst shooting tragedy in American history, therefore is not colored by the numbers, but by the sadness that an aspiring violinist will not be heard, as the notes unheard join with the terrible memory of the millions from an earlier time, carried upon the memory of a 76 year old professor. God Bless the families surviving the Viriginia Tech tragedy. I'm convinced Proferssor Librescu's tiller is already making yet another way.
Last modified: Apr. 18, 2007 at 2:34 AM
How appropriate it feels that I had been replanting things damaged by the recent freeze just before the Virginia Tech Convocation, where I heard the story of Professor Liviu Librescu.
A seventy-six year old holocaust survivor, Professor Librescu died in the senseless violence that visited Virginia Tech's campus this week. More importantly, Professor Librescu was holding the door closed as young students escaped through the windows when the gunman shot him.
The irony of the two major violent dramas Professor Librescu experienced in his life tempts me to believe in destiny, though I really do not. Still, his life as a survivor only to give the ultimate sacrifice this week holds important lessons about how deeply the human spirit's reslience can flow.
Equally to the beautiful young violinist who died in the chaos, we are left with a dual message of both persistence and beauty wrapped up in the most clear definition of real paradox imaginable when we consider both she and Professor Librescu simultaneously.
This paradox that calls upon persistence as it's primary driving motive, will pull upon the hearts of the families suffering from phenomonal loss over the next months and years, as well as all those involved at Virginia Tech including it's University culture.
The worst shooting tragedy in American history, therefore is not colored by the numbers, but by the sadness that an aspiring violinist will not be heard, as the notes unheard join with the terrible memory of the millions from an earlier time, carried upon the memory of a 76 year old professor. God Bless the families surviving the Viriginia Tech tragedy. I'm convinced Proferssor Librescu's tiller is already making yet another way.
Freezes and Groundhogs and Bears: Oh my! --or--Sackcloth on the Mountain
Published: Apr. 23, 2007 at 4:55 AM
Last modified: Apr. 23, 2007 at 5:48 AM
The beautiful mountains of southern West Virginia for one who knows how to work hard is a phenomonal place to learn violin, garden and live. Coming from a family tradition with nearly Paul Bunyon mythical characters in terms of work-ethic, in the midst of the greenest most temperate environment on earth is one of the best kept secrets in America today. I can say this because I've traveled and lived all over the world.
I use to travel 3 hours each way to underwrite my mom and dad's rural traditions and quality of life every single weekend, and finally was needed at home permanently about a year ago. These never ending work missions created some of the most impressive high scale gardens in our area--I'm sure. A little boasting? Nope. A little fishing story? Nope again.
Installing asparagus beds working directly with Scott Walker of Jersey Asparagus Farms, who works directly with Rutgers University I installed awesome asparagus beds over a couple years, aggravating the heck out of him until I 'knew' I had it right(he no longer answers my emails!--just kidding). Working directly with Territorial Seed I installed 10 varieties of garlic from all over the world several years ago which I maintain like a baseball card collector. The same with gold raspberries, strawberry patches, red raspberries, and all that is before the corn, beans and potatoes are in the ground.
I then started thinking, 'well, why can't I grow celeries, and root-cellar carrots; and, find other ways of looking at canning and sustainable maintenance'. The answer: I can and do, and others can too! At least a couple I know of come pretty close.
My violin experience began appropriately on my hundred dollar squeaker in the greenhouse(which I made happen) late night for several hours on weekends (ouch!), before returing home and doing the same practice there during the week. At my parents,I was hoping to scare the groundhogs effectively--it didn't work, but I swear the plants looked healthier. So my life for the past few years has been a blur of phenomonal work, tempered by an equally surreal drama of shake it off and move on.
Violin is like gardens. A moment of awesome beauty (finally got Air on G String smoother than silk) to jeezusss H. Christ quit zoning when you're getting through your elements. Gardens too are a Jobian lesson in persistence and patience. This year surely, has been such a year.
The warm period in March got me going early to finish my latest raised strawberry patch, edging the rose garden, fertilizing the garlic, transplanting fruit trees I'd started, thinking about moving things into the greenhouse (of course too early), even clearing a patch of new ground. The existing strawberry patches looked like little half bushel baskets as black green as ever existed, and those problematic fancy daffodils were teasing the heck out of me with bunches of blooms on each side of the Batik Irises(Iris is both a heirloom, as well as inherited blessing of good luck 'round here because many are passed from generation to generation). And then came the sackcloth.
During a big family event at easter (aka: show-boat time),the freeze hit. The strawberries in the end looked like they could never possibly recover being completely flattened on the frozen ground. All bloomed orchard trees seemed completely destroyed, and there was actually ice an eighth inch thick on many things, and of course I'm suppose to be a good host. Would anyone like to have some fancy daffodil bulbs? So I dig into the very depth of my old-school resolve, and say well, the cabbage made it.
So here I go visiting every single strawberry plant pulling dead blooms--oh yes, it's a lot of strawberries. Cursing a little because I felt I deserved it (God and I get along that way, as Mark Twain is my soul-brother), I pulled my reserve cauliflower, brussel sprouts and other things from the green house and replanted. The damaged asparagus had my insides in knots, and the thought of no cherries had me researching how to make moonshine.
The first few days the strawberries kept opening up damaged blooms (little black spots in the kernels). The first opening I said, 'ah yes'-some strawberries, then realized they were dead blooms.
So yes, I visited every plant again, and pulled 'those' dead blooms. Then finally, a live bloom appeared after much Miracle Grow, various mountainous rituals learned from the mountain granny up in the hollow, who 'knows' God personally I'm sure, more blooms appeared. Then some more damaged blooms--yep, I pulled them all again. Of course this ended up nicely, as today, I noticed the strawberries are heavy with beautifully healthy blooms, and that green I'm use to was starting to show off(The cherries and apples rebounded too). This story though is far, from over.
Just as I got the other types of plants stablized and lookin good--my gardens have to look good too--I noticed something eating on a cabbage plant. Over the next couple days, all of the replanted cabbage except one, and all the cauliflower were nubbs!. Now, I know people who use to eat groundhog, but I don't. Then I thought, 'ya know, my uncle threatened to bring a tarapin over hear last year he found in his garden'. But the good Lord knows me too well,and retribution always bights me in the tail. What the storybook didn't tell you is that Paul Bunyon is sometimes a little competitively honary, molded by a wonderful real conscience formed I think, by mountains--a sensibility that makes philosophy seem trite. The groundhog though, no longer lives under the out-building, and my final wave of cole-crops are ready to roll--and of course lookin good. No Ms. Anne, I'm not tired. ;).
And --in the.........''mean time''......, up above the house where I saw a bear pass through last year(another real blog), a coal truck turns over, dumping about 30 tons of excellent excellent coal. Having permission to get what we wanted before the cleanup Monday, here I go again. Load after load after load, I moved twenty tons of coal the past couple days--oh what the heck, I can mow the upper 40 in between loads. But this one I sort of won. My uncle who would drop off a tarapin on our side of the mountain, because I swear I think he was dropped on his head as a baby, didn't find out about the coal until I was about 15 tons in.
Now he is 82, and hasn't missed a lick working since he was about 10. He stops on the highway as we are loading with the predictable questions, saying of course he'll be right back after the baseball game, and I look at him with the biggest blackened faced grin I could manage and out of nowwhere said, 'you're gonna have to beat me to it'! ;). Oh God--wrong thing to say.
Now mountain folk are sensitive by nature, and do remember that retribution thing. Yes, I loaded his truck several times too. He'd never seen two tons of coal on a small truck...Let's see that'll make 26 loaded, 20 unloaded. I am not, I am not, I am not, going to say what's next!. But be assured, a mountain boy will survive!. No Ms. Anne, I'm not tired. ;).
And some think Flesch is hard? (honary half-cynical: huh)...
The Sarabande I'm working on is an original interpretation I think, because I'm certain it was written for lute or guitar or something. There are about two measures in the last theme that is still thinking it's a groundhog because I'm transposing it for violin live and real time rather than to piano first. I've played it for years on guitar, and God forbid when I finish it on violin--it will and I do mean it will, receive a dedication of all the angst of just another day on the mountain this year. And I love it--every minute of it...
I actually do love the Sarabande--it's hauntingly beautiful on violin(BWV997). I think I'll wear sackcloth when it's ready for consumption. You see good reader (Oh God, I'm sounding like Henry Fielding), in the mountains, the music really does lead the way.
Last modified: Apr. 23, 2007 at 5:48 AM
The beautiful mountains of southern West Virginia for one who knows how to work hard is a phenomonal place to learn violin, garden and live. Coming from a family tradition with nearly Paul Bunyon mythical characters in terms of work-ethic, in the midst of the greenest most temperate environment on earth is one of the best kept secrets in America today. I can say this because I've traveled and lived all over the world.
I use to travel 3 hours each way to underwrite my mom and dad's rural traditions and quality of life every single weekend, and finally was needed at home permanently about a year ago. These never ending work missions created some of the most impressive high scale gardens in our area--I'm sure. A little boasting? Nope. A little fishing story? Nope again.
Installing asparagus beds working directly with Scott Walker of Jersey Asparagus Farms, who works directly with Rutgers University I installed awesome asparagus beds over a couple years, aggravating the heck out of him until I 'knew' I had it right(he no longer answers my emails!--just kidding). Working directly with Territorial Seed I installed 10 varieties of garlic from all over the world several years ago which I maintain like a baseball card collector. The same with gold raspberries, strawberry patches, red raspberries, and all that is before the corn, beans and potatoes are in the ground.
I then started thinking, 'well, why can't I grow celeries, and root-cellar carrots; and, find other ways of looking at canning and sustainable maintenance'. The answer: I can and do, and others can too! At least a couple I know of come pretty close.
My violin experience began appropriately on my hundred dollar squeaker in the greenhouse(which I made happen) late night for several hours on weekends (ouch!), before returing home and doing the same practice there during the week. At my parents,I was hoping to scare the groundhogs effectively--it didn't work, but I swear the plants looked healthier. So my life for the past few years has been a blur of phenomonal work, tempered by an equally surreal drama of shake it off and move on.
Violin is like gardens. A moment of awesome beauty (finally got Air on G String smoother than silk) to jeezusss H. Christ quit zoning when you're getting through your elements. Gardens too are a Jobian lesson in persistence and patience. This year surely, has been such a year.
The warm period in March got me going early to finish my latest raised strawberry patch, edging the rose garden, fertilizing the garlic, transplanting fruit trees I'd started, thinking about moving things into the greenhouse (of course too early), even clearing a patch of new ground. The existing strawberry patches looked like little half bushel baskets as black green as ever existed, and those problematic fancy daffodils were teasing the heck out of me with bunches of blooms on each side of the Batik Irises(Iris is both a heirloom, as well as inherited blessing of good luck 'round here because many are passed from generation to generation). And then came the sackcloth.
During a big family event at easter (aka: show-boat time),the freeze hit. The strawberries in the end looked like they could never possibly recover being completely flattened on the frozen ground. All bloomed orchard trees seemed completely destroyed, and there was actually ice an eighth inch thick on many things, and of course I'm suppose to be a good host. Would anyone like to have some fancy daffodil bulbs? So I dig into the very depth of my old-school resolve, and say well, the cabbage made it.
So here I go visiting every single strawberry plant pulling dead blooms--oh yes, it's a lot of strawberries. Cursing a little because I felt I deserved it (God and I get along that way, as Mark Twain is my soul-brother), I pulled my reserve cauliflower, brussel sprouts and other things from the green house and replanted. The damaged asparagus had my insides in knots, and the thought of no cherries had me researching how to make moonshine.
The first few days the strawberries kept opening up damaged blooms (little black spots in the kernels). The first opening I said, 'ah yes'-some strawberries, then realized they were dead blooms.
So yes, I visited every plant again, and pulled 'those' dead blooms. Then finally, a live bloom appeared after much Miracle Grow, various mountainous rituals learned from the mountain granny up in the hollow, who 'knows' God personally I'm sure, more blooms appeared. Then some more damaged blooms--yep, I pulled them all again. Of course this ended up nicely, as today, I noticed the strawberries are heavy with beautifully healthy blooms, and that green I'm use to was starting to show off(The cherries and apples rebounded too). This story though is far, from over.
Just as I got the other types of plants stablized and lookin good--my gardens have to look good too--I noticed something eating on a cabbage plant. Over the next couple days, all of the replanted cabbage except one, and all the cauliflower were nubbs!. Now, I know people who use to eat groundhog, but I don't. Then I thought, 'ya know, my uncle threatened to bring a tarapin over hear last year he found in his garden'. But the good Lord knows me too well,and retribution always bights me in the tail. What the storybook didn't tell you is that Paul Bunyon is sometimes a little competitively honary, molded by a wonderful real conscience formed I think, by mountains--a sensibility that makes philosophy seem trite. The groundhog though, no longer lives under the out-building, and my final wave of cole-crops are ready to roll--and of course lookin good. No Ms. Anne, I'm not tired. ;).
And --in the.........''mean time''......, up above the house where I saw a bear pass through last year(another real blog), a coal truck turns over, dumping about 30 tons of excellent excellent coal. Having permission to get what we wanted before the cleanup Monday, here I go again. Load after load after load, I moved twenty tons of coal the past couple days--oh what the heck, I can mow the upper 40 in between loads. But this one I sort of won. My uncle who would drop off a tarapin on our side of the mountain, because I swear I think he was dropped on his head as a baby, didn't find out about the coal until I was about 15 tons in.
Now he is 82, and hasn't missed a lick working since he was about 10. He stops on the highway as we are loading with the predictable questions, saying of course he'll be right back after the baseball game, and I look at him with the biggest blackened faced grin I could manage and out of nowwhere said, 'you're gonna have to beat me to it'! ;). Oh God--wrong thing to say.
Now mountain folk are sensitive by nature, and do remember that retribution thing. Yes, I loaded his truck several times too. He'd never seen two tons of coal on a small truck...Let's see that'll make 26 loaded, 20 unloaded. I am not, I am not, I am not, going to say what's next!. But be assured, a mountain boy will survive!. No Ms. Anne, I'm not tired. ;).
And some think Flesch is hard? (honary half-cynical: huh)...
The Sarabande I'm working on is an original interpretation I think, because I'm certain it was written for lute or guitar or something. There are about two measures in the last theme that is still thinking it's a groundhog because I'm transposing it for violin live and real time rather than to piano first. I've played it for years on guitar, and God forbid when I finish it on violin--it will and I do mean it will, receive a dedication of all the angst of just another day on the mountain this year. And I love it--every minute of it...
I actually do love the Sarabande--it's hauntingly beautiful on violin(BWV997). I think I'll wear sackcloth when it's ready for consumption. You see good reader (Oh God, I'm sounding like Henry Fielding), in the mountains, the music really does lead the way.
Albert Beuler's Day Off
Published: Apr. 27, 2007 at 4:16 AM
Last modified: Apr. 27, 2007 at 4:25 AM
This is the absolutely strangest feeling--no violin other than lightly working on a couple songs, now for three or four days--I think three. I needed a break. My body ached, and Anne had me spending all my time reciting original recipes from memory.
For somewhat over two years, I've never had a break other than like a day every three or four months, and then mostly mini-breaks meaning playing signficantly on those days. My left wrist and thumb joint are thanking me profusely, and in that it's only a break considering I'm finishing the Sarah McGlaughlin song "In the Arms of the Angels", and the Sarabande terrible two(or three last measures), it feels simply good to just focus liesurely on those.
I'm finding how signficant my warm up periods had become, in that when just pickin up my violin and playing it sounds like I'm not connecting with it somewhat. I wonder then, how long others just in general terms have to warm up, if at all?
Still this break thing, it does feel somewhat strange. I think I'll take just a couple/few more days to get my breath and think about the phenomonal number of hours I've put in--somewhere between 2200 and 2800 all told and said.
It's a good time to chill a few for me--I've earned it, my wrist demands it, my saturated brain appreciates it, and the neighbor's dogs brought me captured chipmunks this evening. I thought the barking meant encore!
Last modified: Apr. 27, 2007 at 4:25 AM
This is the absolutely strangest feeling--no violin other than lightly working on a couple songs, now for three or four days--I think three. I needed a break. My body ached, and Anne had me spending all my time reciting original recipes from memory.
For somewhat over two years, I've never had a break other than like a day every three or four months, and then mostly mini-breaks meaning playing signficantly on those days. My left wrist and thumb joint are thanking me profusely, and in that it's only a break considering I'm finishing the Sarah McGlaughlin song "In the Arms of the Angels", and the Sarabande terrible two(or three last measures), it feels simply good to just focus liesurely on those.
I'm finding how signficant my warm up periods had become, in that when just pickin up my violin and playing it sounds like I'm not connecting with it somewhat. I wonder then, how long others just in general terms have to warm up, if at all?
Still this break thing, it does feel somewhat strange. I think I'll take just a couple/few more days to get my breath and think about the phenomonal number of hours I've put in--somewhere between 2200 and 2800 all told and said.
It's a good time to chill a few for me--I've earned it, my wrist demands it, my saturated brain appreciates it, and the neighbor's dogs brought me captured chipmunks this evening. I thought the barking meant encore!
A Beginner's Posture Oddysey (Part 1: Blue Danube)
Published: Feb. 14, 2007 at 10:00 AM
Last modified: Feb. 14, 2007 at 5:53 PM
The Journey Begins: Part 1
Anyone who has read more than two of my ramblings, knows I've wrestled with and been after posture corrections, as if I were wrestling southern journeying polar bears in the Danube after Maura's screech box.
I started violin with a bad injury, and having fallen in intense love with it since the first time I rosined my bow, began a long and nebulous journey related to the mechanics of playing Fei' Fee, I mean my violin.
While I've read it takes two years to acustom one's self to the instrument, I have to feel my effort has been unique and noteworthy in modest ways, but signficant ways. And I recently began benefitting from having persisted in these efforts.
And the human drama of falling for something so intently is noteworthy, rich, and full of dramatic images, personalities, experiences, false starts, to mention some of the semantics. But that's another entry.
How does one communicate the experience of playing through signficant pain and serial injuries with an interest and connectedness that makes me want to quote Ptolemy, but I won't. But what is this experience like for a beginner, compared to other string players who share an environment known to create more repetitive injuires than any other instrument? That is what this is about.
I'm sure my first teacher though I was addled for trying, but I insisted, and as you can tell, persisted. She really wasn't ready to teach a truly self made, truly self directed person, who had experienced these qualities in very very real ways rather than from the words of pages of inspirational motivational ideas. But, I had her teach me the best I could understand, given very specific goals and directions--something else I'm not sure she really understood completely.
My mode of learning is at least unique to me, and I think from the end backwards, rather than from the beginning-going to the top in everything I do; and, learn by deconstructing rather than constructing. I'm not sure if this is typical of adults, but I began doing that in piano, other instruments, technology, cooking, gardens, when I was very very young--semantically and expansively, I call it the 'child's play factor'. Georgy Porgy goes a long way huh. Software Engineering was helpful in having a better understanding of from the beginning, but still I looked at the completed projects first.
So I was learning differently, which was another internal posture thing going on. So in my recent inspiration to name the little logo dude(ette)--I think it's a dude--anyway, with me that image has not been anywhere near hyperbole, and actually too close to my real experience for comfort at several points. I began deconstructing violin very quickly--scanning, filing, memorizing, and generalizing, while at the same time my entire body felt like not a pretzel, but an over done pretzel, baked of week-old dough.
Making a long story short, and to create an image strong enough to create the meaning and move on; it has been like not the hundreds of little adjustments one normally makes, but feels more like thousands.
Anyway, I fired my first teacher... Just kidding-I moved home to help, and her presence alone was enough to inspire me not only to persist, but with intensity. Then I started kicking and screaming and yelling and pounding on doors and naming little ugly violin logo dudes, and God love his silly Arse, Buri, Sue and others jumped in before I added to glaicial melting with my antics.
So anyway another teacher eventually gets ahold of me and making me dance like rag dolls and like it. Jezzus, I'm still easy... Maura, I might join you in the Danube. And I had to close my curtains so nobody could see me practices this stuff. Anyway, after a 150 threads about reach, vibrato, grip, perspective, instruments, culture, semantic abstractions; and, having both literally and figuratively crossed many many mountains, started getting some groove going. I would add, that Mimi, Fei' Fee, Kim Jee, and Hilary helped alot along the way. Buri I'm not leaving you out, I had some Wheel of Fortune rhyme time going on.
So, I put on my swimming trunks on the way to the river, swinging my left arm like a rag doll. Stay tuned--thank God, there's already squirrel in the freezer..
Last modified: Feb. 14, 2007 at 5:53 PM
The Journey Begins: Part 1
Anyone who has read more than two of my ramblings, knows I've wrestled with and been after posture corrections, as if I were wrestling southern journeying polar bears in the Danube after Maura's screech box.
I started violin with a bad injury, and having fallen in intense love with it since the first time I rosined my bow, began a long and nebulous journey related to the mechanics of playing Fei' Fee, I mean my violin.
While I've read it takes two years to acustom one's self to the instrument, I have to feel my effort has been unique and noteworthy in modest ways, but signficant ways. And I recently began benefitting from having persisted in these efforts.
And the human drama of falling for something so intently is noteworthy, rich, and full of dramatic images, personalities, experiences, false starts, to mention some of the semantics. But that's another entry.
How does one communicate the experience of playing through signficant pain and serial injuries with an interest and connectedness that makes me want to quote Ptolemy, but I won't. But what is this experience like for a beginner, compared to other string players who share an environment known to create more repetitive injuires than any other instrument? That is what this is about.
I'm sure my first teacher though I was addled for trying, but I insisted, and as you can tell, persisted. She really wasn't ready to teach a truly self made, truly self directed person, who had experienced these qualities in very very real ways rather than from the words of pages of inspirational motivational ideas. But, I had her teach me the best I could understand, given very specific goals and directions--something else I'm not sure she really understood completely.
My mode of learning is at least unique to me, and I think from the end backwards, rather than from the beginning-going to the top in everything I do; and, learn by deconstructing rather than constructing. I'm not sure if this is typical of adults, but I began doing that in piano, other instruments, technology, cooking, gardens, when I was very very young--semantically and expansively, I call it the 'child's play factor'. Georgy Porgy goes a long way huh. Software Engineering was helpful in having a better understanding of from the beginning, but still I looked at the completed projects first.
So I was learning differently, which was another internal posture thing going on. So in my recent inspiration to name the little logo dude(ette)--I think it's a dude--anyway, with me that image has not been anywhere near hyperbole, and actually too close to my real experience for comfort at several points. I began deconstructing violin very quickly--scanning, filing, memorizing, and generalizing, while at the same time my entire body felt like not a pretzel, but an over done pretzel, baked of week-old dough.
Making a long story short, and to create an image strong enough to create the meaning and move on; it has been like not the hundreds of little adjustments one normally makes, but feels more like thousands.
Anyway, I fired my first teacher... Just kidding-I moved home to help, and her presence alone was enough to inspire me not only to persist, but with intensity. Then I started kicking and screaming and yelling and pounding on doors and naming little ugly violin logo dudes, and God love his silly Arse, Buri, Sue and others jumped in before I added to glaicial melting with my antics.
So anyway another teacher eventually gets ahold of me and making me dance like rag dolls and like it. Jezzus, I'm still easy... Maura, I might join you in the Danube. And I had to close my curtains so nobody could see me practices this stuff. Anyway, after a 150 threads about reach, vibrato, grip, perspective, instruments, culture, semantic abstractions; and, having both literally and figuratively crossed many many mountains, started getting some groove going. I would add, that Mimi, Fei' Fee, Kim Jee, and Hilary helped alot along the way. Buri I'm not leaving you out, I had some Wheel of Fortune rhyme time going on.
So, I put on my swimming trunks on the way to the river, swinging my left arm like a rag doll. Stay tuned--thank God, there's already squirrel in the freezer..
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