Keeping the Breath Alive

I’m always happy when an email elicits response from subscribers. It confirms that I am reaching other passionate individuals – a very good thing.

The night afore last I received this query. ‘Is there a systematic breath-in breath-out during playing (like on upbeats/downbeats) or is it just something that you figure out instinctively?’

In truth, I have a few answers to this.

When I am in learning mode, and counting as I play, I take quick belly breaths in between beats as needed.

When isolating a particularly difficult move, like jumping from a very high note to a low note quickly and seamlessly, I will first master it out of context. I know I want the move to be as efficient as possible. Therefore, I execute it at the same moment I draw breath from my diaphragm – you will remember that 2 days ago I mentioned that the ‘in’ breath produces the strongest ‘let go’ reflex, and that is what I want working for me. If you don’t know why, hope over to Violin Secrets and read ‘The Power of Breath, Part 2’.

When I am performing, I just stay conscious of my breathing and count mentally. My breath flows with the music.

Does it seem like a lot? Maybe at first it is. Fact is, though, you will find your playing quickly morphs into something much more satisfying and, to barrow again from Mozart, ’inherently musical’.

All the best,

Clayton Haslop

P.S. Got something big on the horizon. Hint – you don’t want to make any plans for Martin Luther King weekend in 2007. In the meantime, love what you’re doin’.

Daring to Dream…

There are two types of dreams. There are the ones that come unbidden in our sleep and there are the ones that we conjure in our minds in waking hours. Obviously I’m here to talk about the latter.

Now, one must be very careful and honest about waking dreams.

What is commonly referred to as ‘day-dreaming’ can be an insidious form of addiction. It creates in the dreamer a false sense of empowerment.

Daydreamers, as a rule, never act on their imaginings. With chronic inaction the disparity between dream and reality grows. The result can be a confidence diminishing, spirit-debilitating spiral toward frustration and, ultimately, a failed life.

Ironically, the daydreamer can reach a point where the friction between reality and fantasy drains away the ability to dream altogether. It’s a place nobody wants to be.

Now for the good news.

The fact that you are here reading this missive should be proof to any of you that your dream power is quite intact. And the dream is to achieve violin mastery.

The question now is how to break the dream down into specific, step by step goals leading inexorably toward dream fulfillment.

Well, for intermediate to advanced players reading this, I have some good news.

You don’t have to reinvent the wheel. Kreutzer has already quite brilliantly broken violin mastery down, from the point you are at now, into 42 progressive ‘goals’ – anything beyond them is icing on the cake, REALLY.

Next step, the mastery of these goals.

And this is where my course comes in. In order to fully master each etude you first need a vision, a very detailed vision, of what it should sound and feel like. You inform that vision by watching me play a given etude and then by listening carefully to me talk about it. You not only want the sound of it in your ear but the feel of it in your hands as well.

Even as you inform your ‘vision’ of an etude you begin taking stock. My counting method is one of the best ways for you to get accurate feedback on where you really stand with a piece of music. Of course you should have your ears wide open as you do this.

To bridge the gap between where you are and where you want to be, you breathe and you image. Again, many violinists are held back by inefficiencies in their playing. Let go of those, and actively use your Mind to lead your fingers, and you are there.

Yes, we might have physical challenges. You can push through them. The keys are passion and commitment. Practice well, my friends.

All the best,

Clayton Haslop

P.S. Still haven’t picked up your copy? Your dream is waiting…

The Case of the Whistling ‘E’

This story is a favorite amongst violinists, maybe you’ve heard it.

Late in the career of the uniquely compelling violinist, Josef Szigeti, he performed at Carnegie Hall. On the program was the famous Chaconne of Bach. Throughout the movement are to be found chords that use the open ‘e’ string.

On that occasion, each time maestro Szigeti struck one of those chords his ‘e’ string whistled, without fail. Members of the audience could sense his rising frustration.

Finally, at the last climatic iteration of the opening phrase, fully 15 minutes after the movement began, his frustration got the better of him. In bar two of the phrase there are two, four note chords that use an open ‘e’. The first, true to form that night, whistled. The second also whistled, but this time the hapless virtuoso was ready for it.

Upon meeting with the unctuous bleat he fiercely drew the bow back and forth several times fortissimo until he produced a flurry of ear rending open ‘e’s.

Having thus exacted revenge, he played to the end and was met with thunderous applause – and more than a few belly laughs on the part of fellow fiddlers.

Now, the case of the whistling ‘e’ is not entirely closed.

Yes, in part it is due to the condition of the string – tarnish will cause a string to go false and increase the likelihood of whistling. And yes, there are E strings on the market guaranteed not to whistle. Problem with them is they don’t sound very good otherwise.

No, there is a secret to solving the case of the whistling ‘e’ that goes deeper than mere equipment. And for reading this email, good friends, I will give it to you.

The biggest factor in causing the ‘e’ string to whistle is bow placement on the string. Try attacking the ‘e’ string fortissimo with the bow striking down near the fingerboard. You will, more often than not, get a whistle. Now do the same thing with it nearer to the bridge, e voilá, no whistle. Case closed.

All the best,
Clayton Haslop

P.S. Now open YOUR case and get cracking on my Kreutzer course.

Regarding Your Audience…

Some time ago I was at a concert in Los Angeles given by principles of the LA Phil. The playing was really quite good. Some of the stage presence was really quite not.

At the end of the performance the violist decided it was time to have a chit-chat with the cellist. Problem was, he was doing it all the while the audience was trying to express their appreciation for what they had just heard. It was one to the rudest displays I have ever seen on stage.

That player was in effect saying, ‘I don’t really care if you liked it or not.’ Hell of a way to treat a customer, don’t you think?

The point is, from the moment we walk on stage we are sending messages to the audience. You want yours to be ones of respect, intention, confidence, enthusiasm, and good will.

Aloofness, timidity, insensitivity, lack of interest – I see that at many orchestral performances – are all signs of self-centeredness. No one wants to put themselves to the trouble of attending a concert, much less paying money to enter one, in which they must suffer such behaviors.

If you don’t like your conductor, your stand partner, or your hair that night, get over it, NOW.

As musicians we are on stage to inform, inspire, and enliven.

I walk on stage in character. If it is a Mozart Concerto I will step lively, with a smile on my face that mirrors the affection I feel for the music. On the other hand, if I am walking out to perform the Bach A Minor Sonata Unacc., my countenance might be less exuberant but nonetheless focused, warm and purposeful.

I never shuffle, lope, amble, or plod. And that’s Equally true of bows.

In a past email I wrote on the value of visualization in banishing stage fright. You can also use that same power of visualization to establish the report you wish to have with your audience; from the first step you take from the wings of the stage.

If you haven’t already, come put this great expression of human potential into the very fabric of your playing, right now.

All the best,
Clayton Haslop

P.S. One last thing, just because you may be sitting in the back of the 2nd violin section don’t think what you do doesn’t matter.

My wife and I attended a performance of the Berlin Philharmonic in Costa Mesa, CA a few years ago. We sat near the front on the right as you face the stage. Claudio Abbado had sat the seconds on that side, opposite the firsts, and we could see the last stand QUITE well.

Let me tell you, they played like they were possessed – in a good way, naturally. At the end of the concert they stood and shook hands. Tania and I were really moved by this. And it is why that orchestra is finest large ensemble in the world, for our money.

The Power of Breath, Part 2

I have been thinking, and breathing, further. Thought you ought to know the rest.

The real ‘letting go’ part of the belly breath is the intake. Take a breath – a real breath – and notice what must happen. Your abdominal muscles must release to allow your internals to get out of the way. This action sends a powerful message out to the body.

I trust you feel it.

Now you should know something more about using your breath to play relaxed. Practice your most awkward moves on an ‘in’ breath. Do it slowly at first until you coordinate your breathing with your movements. Now, count and visualize as well. Beautiful!

All the best,
Clayton Haslop

P.S. Hey, all you hot shot ‘PROS’ out there. When’s the last time you played through the last 5 Kreutzer Etudes? Go back and really play them beautifully, at the tempos marked. Number 40 doesn’t have a marking. I do it at 184ppm with 3 note turns. If your having a little problem with this maybe you should pick up my course.

The Power of Breath

Was flipping through a music catalogue last night checking to see what new instructional DVD material there is out there. One that caught my eye focused on ‘techniques for playing more relaxed.’

Well, let me tell you. There is just one thing you need to know to be completely, utterly, and totally relaxed.

And that one thing is how to breathe.

If there is anyone out there who is using my DVD course, is doing what I say to do relative to breathing, and is still having a problem with tension, I want to know about it.

Now, some may forget to stay aware of their breathing and, as a result, revert back to their previous state. The solution to that is self-evident, isn’t it. Stay aware.

Funny thing is, you become more aware by breathing from your belly.

So, that should tell you not just to be aware of your breath while playing but throughout the day. Put notes up around your house, in your car, your place of work. Each time you see a note, breathe from your belly 3 times, deeply.

And, of course, breathe this way when doing any physical activity.

When you move the diaphragm muscle – as you do to breathe well – it sends a signal to the rest of the body to ‘let go’. There is an override, however. That is your mind, which can instruct the body to perform a physical task.

Curiously, when the ‘let go’ reflex meets with the ‘instruction for action’, only muscle movement directly associated with the specific action is allowed.

In short, with have a built in ‘efficiency filter’. We just have to remember to use it.

All the best,
Clayton Haslop

P.S. The next step to violin mastery is to know what instructions to send to your fingers. Come pick up your copy of”Kreutzer for Violin Mastery, Vol. 1” for the purest, no-nonsense instructions your fingers are likely to get, anywhere.

Einstein On Playing The Violin

Many of you know that Einstein played and loved the violin. Well, what you may not have know, I didn’t, is something my wife told me a couple days ago.

Einstein credited his violin experience – specifically periods of improvisation – with leading to some of his greatest insights. Remarkable, yes, but not unbelievable. And those of you using my practice methods should have some idea why.

The secret lies in activating several brain areas simultaneously. I have you do it through counting and visualizing while playing. Improvisation is a form of visualization, plain and simple.

Now, was he counting? Let me answer by telling you a little anecdote at Albert’s expense – I don’t think he would have minded this one.

Apparently he once sat in with members of the Budepest String Quartet to read some chamber music. He kept losing his place and coming in wrong. Finally the interruptions got the better of 1st violinist, Alexander Schneider. He turned to Einstein and quipped, ‘Vats vrong vith you, Albert, can’t you count?’

Well, there’s your answer. Just think what he would have accomplished in his life had he counted during his improvisations.

Anyway, I hope you all are counting. You can use the extra mind power to remake the world of physics after your practice session.

All the best,
Clayton Haslop

P.S. Maybe he didn’t count, but I bet he did breathe. For all parts of the equation of violin success get your copy of ”Kreutzer for Violin Mastery, Vol. 1” now.

A ‘Fiddler’ Goes To Hollywood

As this communication reaches you today I will be in the midst of a music scoring session for a brilliant film entitled, ‘All The Kings Men,’ starring Sean Penn and an incredible supporting cast. It looks to be an outstanding piece of work.

The music accompanying the live action will be equally memorable.

Composed by James Horner – ‘Titanic’, ‘A Beautiful Mind’, ‘Brave heart’ – the score features haunting themes, sumptuous orchestrations, and…here’s the part that should really pack the theatres…gorgeous violin solos.

Now, for this picture, I had advanced notice of the solos. Often I do not and am expected to just read whatever is set in front of me.

In any case, a couple days before the first day of scoring I received a package with some simple looking, 16 bar melodies enclosed. The instructions with the music said, ‘Appalachian style, very free.’ Being the kind of diligent preparer, I am I immediately went to our local alternative CD shop and purchased a couple discs. You know, the ’50 Years of Mountain Music Classics’ type thing.

Big mistake. What I heard was the most horrendously out of tune, whiney kind playing you could imagine. Our 4 year old did enjoy one ‘hammer dulcimer’ ballad, but then insisted on hearing it over and over and over again. But other than that, my effort at preparation was largely a bust.

Now, don’t get me wrong. I have heard some very good, in tune, blue grass players. And there must be one or two fiddlers with an ear in Appalachia. They just weren’t on my CDs.

So there I was at the first scoring session not having a clue as to what maestro Horner is looking for me to do. In my first reading I added quite a bit of ornamentation but stayed very much in pitch. I then waited for the rest of the piece to be played to hear his reaction.

Well, I got the ‘in tune’ part right. Turns out, he really wanted me to play these solos very purely and simply, like an adolescent singer.

I did add a few portamenti here and there, which he tolerated, but otherwise I just made good use of long, flowing bows, and a singing left hand. The effect is subtle and nostalgic, but without being over the top.

I can heartily recommend this picture to any who appreciate epic tragic dramas. It’s in a class all it’s own.

And speaking of a class, I have a masterclass ‘in a class all it’s own’ coming your way in Jan., ’07. I’ll be sending you some details real soon. In the meantime, build yourself a playing foundation second to none.
You never know what musical adventure awaits ‘round the next page turn.

All the best,
Clayton Haslop

P.S. Anybody see ‘Cars’? The ‘one man band’ movie-short shown before the film had some fiddling of an entirely different sort…the ‘Gypsy Airs’ sort. Had some real fun with those.

Know Your Fingerboard, By Feel

Many years ago a well-known violinist was walking the streets of a major European city. As he passed a small but elegant hotel he heard the familiar sounds of the Tchaikovsky Concerto coming from the second floor suite.

The strange thing was, although it was being played exquisitely, it was all sounding one half step low. By listening for open strings the man determined that the violin itself was tuned down. His curiosity getting the better of him, he went into the hotel and asked who was occupying the 2nd floor suite.

It was Nathan Milstein.

When I heard of this story, sometime during the period I was seeing him regularly, it made immediate sense to me. ‘He’s forcing himself to play by feel,’ I thought.

Now, if you think this is an easy feat, try playing some highly chromatic music that takes you into position, with your instrument tuned down. Unless you really don’t have an ear, and have been playing by feel all this time, I bet you are going to find yourself pulling your hand sharp for quite a while until your ear ‘detunes’.

It takes discipline AND a good amount of mental exertion to keep yourself on pitch. The mind-expanding benefit, however, is that when the pressure is on, as at performance time, your left hand will be locked on the notes like a laser guided missile.

For a great left hand workout play through Kreutzer 2,3,5, 8, and 10, with the violin tuned down. Remember, the notes must remain in tune relative to your open strings.

It’s like in the movie ‘Star Wars’. Yoda says, ‘Master your feelings, Luke.”

All the best,
Clayton Haslop

P.S. If you’ve been working with my practice methods you should be way ahead of the game in achieving this. If you haven’t, I suggest you get started right now.

Kreutzer, Paganini, and Bach

Some months ago, before beginning my ‘Kreutzer project’ I worked out pretty exclusively on Paganini and Bach. And I mean Worked Out. I had a set of 12 Caprices I played daily along with the Bach Chaconne and other movements from the various Sonatas.

Once I got started on the Kreutzer project I added the first 12 of those to the mix. I was in pretty good playing shape.

For the last 2 months, however, I have dropped Paganini completely and have focused almost exclusively on Kreutzer.

The whole book.

Last night, after warming up, I decided to see what effect this has had on my Paganini chops. What I found was very interesting.

I found that my left hand was stronger and more ‘set’ than before. In the 5th caprice I more easily thought in ‘blocks’ of notes. In the 24th all the double and triple stops lay effortlessly under my hand. My intonation was more pure and consistent.

I couldn’t have been more pleased.

You see, Kreutzer builds you up. It is specific and rigorous in it’s way, but not overly stressful to the two hands. It will find every weak area and technical challenge to your playing and gently strengthen it.

But you must have patience, insight and passion for the process to work it’s magic. Slovenly playing, carelessness, lack of attention to detail, or incomplete understanding (vision) will severely compromise your results.

In short, you must reach for perfection. To achieve it you must be relaxed, efficient, and clear. You are flow, and flow is bliss. This is truly what my practice methods are designed to develop and support.

All the best,
Clayton Haslop

P.S. Breath, Count, Visualize. They work.