Got a note from a customer in Hong Kong a couple days ago. He writes of a tendency I have encountered quite often and thought I might say a say a few words about it.

He writes; “I just purchased the Kreutzer Vol. 1 and would like to know if the left hand violin holding technique is covered in this volume. I have a very strong tendency to squeeze with my chin and shoulder, and I am hoping practicing the other extreme would help.”

First of all, most of us were taught to hold the violin with our chin and shoulder. One of the first memories I have of the violin is standing next to a bed, with my father next to me, holding the violin up without my left hand.

Wasn’t long before the endless search for the right shoulder pad and chin rest started. I always felt like I was putting on some sort of orthopedic device as I attached the shoulder rest– a guess they are, really. I never liked them but assumed they were a necessary evil.

Wasn’t for another 15 years until I was challenged to try something radically different.

It was in response to something that happened at the Milstein class. One of the other students was playing for us when all of the sudden there was a knocking sound and the music making came to sudden halt – shoulder rest had detached from violin.

Milstein asks, ‘Vhy you use that thing,’ in his thick Russian accent. ‘Because it helps me hold up my violin,’ responds the student. ‘If you held the violin with your left hand you vouldn’t need that thing,’ countered Milstein.

What a radical concept that was, at the time. But how was one to do it?

That question wasn’t going to be answered for me in that class. The player mumbled something about not being able to play that way, reattached the shoulder rest, and completed the piece. Not surprisingly, Milstein had nothing more to say to her when she finished.

You see, the hapless student was more concerned with finishing her little display than in investigating a new approach that would ultimately have made her a much more relaxed and free player.

So how DOES one do it. Well, first try this. It will help you loosen your death grip on the chin rest. Raise your music standing to a point where you can rest the scroll of the fiddle on the stand. Now relax your chin and let the stand take up the weight of the violin.

Begin playing. At first you will find it very strange and disorienting. You might also find the scroll bouncing up and down against the stand as you move around the instrument. Each bump exposes an inefficient shift or movement in your left hand.

Keep working this way until you can play your most difficult music in this position. If you are anything like me you will find that once you are able to do this you will find yourself much more relaxed and efficient. And your left hand will be nicely balanced.

As for holding the violin with the left hand, I’ll come back to it after those of you who want to experiment with this have done so.

All the best,

Clayton Haslop

P.S. Getting you to be the most relaxed and efficient player you can be will be my guiding purpose come January 12, 2007. Come get on board right now while the special rate is in effect.

Was thinking this evening about whether an adult, a mature adult, could possibly become an accomplished player of the violin.

Well, thinking myself a worthy candidate from a chronological standpoint, I devised a little test. I set about learning some violin basics with the fiddle in my right hand and the bow in the left.

I decided that there were a couple of things I would have to do in order to judge the experiment a success. I would have to draw a meaningful sound out of the instrument and I would have to demonstrate the ability to play clearly, and in tune, in first position.

Doing these two things at a high level is no small accomplishment.

Try getting your right hand to articulate a scale in first position with the clarity you have with your left. And doing it while drawing a serious tone out of the instrument. How long would it take?

It took me about 45 minutes. Zero to tone and good intonation in first position in 45 minutes. I must admit, I was impressed with myself.

When I started the effort I had doubts. The left hand position I hold while playing seemed like an impossible stretch for my right hand and arm.

I began to work my power of visualization. I imaged the pitch locations just as I do when playing. I switched hands several times to clarify the ‘feeling’ images I needed to shape my hand. I called on muscles, particularly on my right side, that I can’t ever recall using before – they’ll be a little sore tomorrow.

I brought mental images of my bow arm over to the opposite side. I breathed. I counted some whole notes and focused on bow distribution and horizontal movement while playing them.

That’s some of what it took, but I achieved my goal. And in the bargain I also demonstrated to myself how powerful the intelligent application of experience can be.

If you are having difficulties in your violin practice and haven’t taken advantage of what’s in ”Kreutzer for Violin Mastery, Vol. 1”, you should get off your backside and grab one now.

There you will see images of the goal – accomplished playing. You will also get tools to move you decisively in that direction. What I think about and do works. It can work for you too.

All the best,

Clayton Haslop

Back in the ‘70s there was a meditation rage in this country. America was hungry for a new ‘consciousness’ and most of those looking for it found it in TM – Transcendental Meditation. The more esoteric minded went for Zen.

I was one of them.

My practice consisted of sitting on a few pillows – I was never able to get into the ‘lotus’ position – about 3 feet from a wall, lowering my gaze to just above the floor, and following my breath. A session would normally last 20 minutes or so.

Now fast-forward 30 years. I am still meditating. Only now it is on the violin.

The essence of meditation is combining a very high level of consciousness – i.e. focus – with deep relaxation. This is exactly what I want during my practice.

No more pillows, no more staring at walls.

I am still aware of my breath, it is what determines the depth of relaxation I achieve while playing. As for being highly conscious, I use the tools of visualization and counting to keep my focus right where it needs to be; the forward edge of NOW.

Tonight I began my second practice after a long, physically taxing day. My shoulders were tight, my arms exceedingly heavy.

Started slow. Breathing first, then turning the count on. Soon I found the mental wherewithal to image what was coming. Had to move slow for a while longer. Took a few moments to stretch a little. Came back and moved the fingers a little faster…

By the end of the first half hour I was as limber and warm as a circus monkey. Just like magic!

All the best,

Clayton Haslop

P.S. For the real inside scoop on getting ‘dialed in’ when you practice, get your copy of ”Kreutzer for Violin Mastery, Vol. 1” now.

Yesterday I happened on a little book for children that we had purchased but never read to our daughter. Now that I’ve done so I can’t tell you how excellent it is, and how invaluable the lesson within its pages.

In fact, it’s message is so timely I will share the story with you, in brief.

It tells of a time in Africa, long ago, when there was no food in the land of short grass for the animals. The animals finally gathered together and decided to cross the big plain to find food.

Once they had crossed the plain, they came to a tree laden with fruit.

Only problem was, it was too tall for the giraffe to reach the fruits and too smooth for the monkeys to climb up. The animals cried and wailed because they were so hungry and couldn’t reach the fruit.

When they had exhausted themselves, an old tortoise spoke and said that his grandmother had told him that only those who knew the name of this special tree could eat it’s fruit. The old tortoise further revealed that only the lion, the king of beasts, knew the name of the tree.

Well, the lion had stayed in the jungle – he, apparently, hadn’t needed food. It was decided that the gazelle would go and ask the tree’s name of the king.

The gazelle ran quick as a flash across the plain, proud of it’s ability to run faster than any other animal. It got the name of the tree from the lion and raced back. Just before reaching the other animals, however, he tripped in a rabbit hole, took a tumble, and banged his head.

When the animals rushed to him and asked the name of the tree, he couldn’t remember.

Next, the elephant volunteered. She said, ‘I never forget anything.’ So pleased was she with her memory that she named all the trees, animals and plants in the jungle as she walked back. Just before reaching the others, she too stepped into the rabbit hole. Her foot became stuck fast. She pulled and pulled, until finally, with a mighty heave, she pulled it free.

By that time the other animals were crowded around her. ‘The name of the tree, they implored.’ The elephant had forgotten.

Finally, a young tortoise volunteered to make the journey. Of course the other animals laughed, saying, ‘you’re too slow and too small to accomplish what the gazelle and elephant couldn’t.’

Nonetheless, the tortoise went. And when he got the name of the tree he repeated it to himself all the way back, over and over again. When he reached the rabbit hole he actually fell to the bottom of it. But he never stopped repeating the name.

All the animals were gathered round the rabbit hole as he crawled out repeating the name of the tree as he came. And thus the animals finally learned the name of the tree.

There you have it. Physical ability will take you only so far. Mental capacity also has limitations. Patient, single-minded focus wins the day.

Count while you play. Breathe while you count. Visualize while you breathe.

All the best,

Clayton Haslop

P.S. If you want to get this story – it’s a must for parents with young children – it’s called, ‘The Name of the Tree’. The book can be found at Groundwoods.com.

Those of you who still have a TV in your home, and a hope it’s a very few indeed, might be interested to check out the CBS Evening News broadcast these days. Not for the news, mind you, just for the music that introduces it.

A few weeks ago I wrote an email on recording the new music for CBS News. Well, it’s now out there for the world to hear.

If, for some reason, you want to know what I had to say about that recording session, you’ll have to get over to my site and look it up under ‘Violin Secrets.’

More interesting to some of you may be what it takes to make a living as a free-lance recording violinist in Hollywood.

Well, unless you are closely related to Steven Spielburg, it’s pretty much a given that you have to play the instrument at a fairly high level, that’s number one. However, if you are a gifted gabber, and the contractor in question is not a professional musician, which is often the case these days, you can lean more in the direction of fairly rather than high.

All this means is, what we call ‘politics’ – a little euphemism for ‘favoritism’, in this case, can be found anywhere where results are not measured by a stopwatch.

On the other hand, if you have any socially frowned on habits – you can use your own imaginations – you had better be an amazing fiddler if you want to work at all.

Again, all this means is, you’ve gotta fit in with the pack. Having extraordinary ability on the violin will give you a little wiggle room to exercise your eccentricities, but not much. There are too many other very capable violinists wanting your nice, warm chair.

So what are the great ones like, the ones that are called year after year by virtue of their merits, that earn more in their royalty check than a ‘titled chair’ player makes in a major symphony orchestra in a year?

They are terrific players. They are socially well adjusted, comfortable with themselves, and a pleasure to be around. They have rock-solid rhythm and intonation. They ‘read’ like you read about. They’re quick to take direction, and they get the gist of things, pronto.

In short, they are my colleagues and I am honored to play with them.

All the best,

Clayton Haslop

P.S. A few of them ordered my course. It’s my hope that they found one or two things in it worthy of thinking about on the next John Williams picture. If you aspire to join such an orchestra, you would do well to order a copy now and see what this veteran thinks is im