On rare occasion, as you well know, even the best-laid plans have a way of going awry. Learning to deal with these bumps in the road is one of our greatest challenges, both as human beings and violinists.

Not long ago I told you about a concert I once played where my pre-concert warm up had gone miserably. On that day I was able to surrender myself to a higher power, walk onstage, and play a truly inspired concert.

I am not ALWAYS successful with my appeal.

Sometimes I’ve had to just ‘gut it out’, as the saying goes. In those cases, however, I don’t just put my head down like a bull and plow.

No, I keep my best public face on and continue to do my utmost to produce what beauty the situation will allow.

It’s not good enough to practice this creative deception only in concert settings. You must discipline yourself to it in practice sessions as well. After all, bad days don’t just happen on concert days.

It really all boils down to attitude, doesn’t it?

In a few days you will have what I consider to be a unique, one-of-a-kind opportunity to go behind the scenes and witness all that goes into my preparation for a big concert.

I know there will be some tough moments, and you could very well be there witnessing them. But what I know going into it is this; it is in those times where you will learn the most about what has made me successful as a violinist.

I hope you tune in.

Now, again speaking of ‘best laid plans’, but on another topic. I had hoped to have the beginner/novice program ready to roll this week, and I AM working on it. It appears, however, that I will not be able to offer sign-ups for about 2 weeks yet. I expect the first issue to ship at the beginning of October now.

Thanks for your continued patience on this. It‘s turning out to be a little more complicated to pull together than I thought. But for those of you who are serious about learning the violin from the ground up I think the wait will be well worth it, in the end.

All the best,

Clayton Haslop

P.S. Just because the best-laid plans do sometimes go awry does not mean one shouldn’t always plan for the best. To do so you want the most efficient, faultless fundamentals you can come by.

Yesterday was a day for seeing the Scottish landscape. From our digs at the base of picturesque Loch Lomond we drove north along it’s western shore; then we bore north-west over the rugged and dramatic mountains that separate the interior from the sea; and finally, we tumbled down to Loch Fyne and drove it’s northern shoreline to Castle Inveraray, home to the Dukes of Argyll.

Castle’s, medieval watchtowers, and quaint loch-side towns delighted the eye along the way.

Of course my sightseeing excursion, inspiring as it was, is not the topic of today’s newsletter.

The art of practicing is a deep and nuanced subject. It encompasses the building technique and endurance, as well as the formation of musical interpretations and the mastery of repertoire.

Along the way one must deal with issues of fingering, bowing, the stylistic demands of each composer, and the process of memorization.

And the question I hear most frequently from people who seek my advice is; ‘How do I make the best use of my practice time?’

Well, I think I have a new and innovative way to deal with all of the above. In just about 20 weeks from now I will be presenting a full public recital here in Asheville. The program will be identical to Milstein’s last concert, given as it was 20 years ago.

What I am going to do is video myself preparing for this concert from scratch, the day I return to the states. Next week I will give you the details on how you can tune in to this process and observe EXACTLY how I practice and prepare.

In fact, as I practice I will be speaking my exact thoughts as they come to me so you will understand my reasons for doing all I do.

Needless to say, this will place me in a highly vulnerable position. I will be completely out of shape when I return, and I will be studying a few works for this recital that I have never played. You will see it all.

So, stay tuned for details on this.

All the best,

Clayton Haslop

P.S. Will this open window onto my practice sessions replace take the place of Kreutzer for Violin Mastery or Paganini for Violin Virtuosity, Vol. 1? Absolutely not. They will give you a wonderful context for appreciating and digesting what comes out in the practice sessions.

When I was a much younger lad, I spent a few years studying with Eudice Shapiro at the USC School of Music. When I arrived there I was very gung-ho and jumped right in by preparing several works on my own, only taking them to her after I’d done a considerable amount of practice.

As part of my preparation I made what I felt were worthy attempts at providing good fingerings for what I was playing – many editions of violin music contain really antiquated fingerings, I knew that.

But when I appeared for my first lessons Shapiro quickly began dismissing my work and inserting her own fingerings into my music.

Within a few weeks I gave up even trying to finger repertoire. When it came time to play a new work I just brought the fresh music to my lesson, sight-read it, and let her go to town.

Now, don’t get me wrong, Eudice Shapiro is one of the finest violinists of the 20th century, and I know she felt she was doing what was best for me. But in hindsight I can say it resulted in my being behind the curve when it came to the fingering game. She did too much of the work for me.

Much changed when I arrived at Milstein’s door. He was much more open-minded about fingerings, and was himself constantly looking for new and innovative ways of doing things.

For my part, however, I was so focused on changing my playing mechanics during my time with him that a lot of his fingering nuances went right by me.

It took the onset of Focal Dystonia several years later to really open my eyes to the full potential in the ‘fingering game’.

Suddenly I was investigating three, four, or more ways of fingering a passage before coming to one that allowed for the right musical impact as well as a fluid execution.

Occasionally your fingering options are limited, and you must rely solely on technique to get the job done. But that is a more rare situation than most student violinists realize.

So, when you run into a problem playing a passage, stand back and take a fresh look at the fingerings your using. Chances are, with a little investment of time you’ll gift yourself with a much more effective way of getting the job done. And you’ll save valuable practice time in the long run by doing so.

And if you really want to develop your ‘fingering vision’ in a hurry I suggest going through a piece you think you know and come up with two or three new ways of fingering each passage. Some may make you laugh, but with a few you might strike pay dirt!

All the best,

Clayton Haslop

P.S. Now, the fingerings you find in Kreutzer for Violin Mastery are the result of considerable attention on my part. I do challenge you to improve upon them if you can. If you can’t you will also learn a great deal regarding what makes for a good fingering.

If you’re a violinist, I suppose the next best thing to lifting up thine eyes to the heavens would be lifting up thine fiddle to the heavens.

Only thing is, I would ask you to do it with your left hand and not your shoulder, or chin.

You see, there is still a little resistance to getting that chin off the chinrest out there. Before I make my case a little stronger, take a look at what a fellow subscriber had to say in an email to me yesterday.

“I was taught to rest the viola on the shoulder, then lay the head onto the chin rest. The weight of the head holds the instrument in place. No shoulder scrunching involved. Seems the same for violin, no? Viola technique pretty much = violin technique, no?

As long as the left shoulder isn’t being raised, and it’s comfortable, what’s the detriment of letting the weight of the head hold the instrument in place?”

-Craig

On the surface this seems pretty reasonable. But there are a few things you might want to consider.

A), if the head is always ‘resting’ on the chinrest there is a certain lack of freedom. A few hours ago I confirmed this while watching the video of my recent Mendelssohn performance – I will have to put it on the site so you can see it for yourself. My head is OFTEN not on the chinrest, even in the most technical passages. As a result one gets the impression my head and neck are ‘Loose as a Goose’, pretty much throughout.

B), I want the instrument’s weight IN MY HAND, just as the weight of one receiving a full-emersion baptism is in the arms of the minister (don’t mean to get sectarian here, I just like the analogy). There is a kind of surrender that must take place.

C), when you are supporting the instrument with the left hand, and fingering right into that hand, you are going to develop a strong, balanced, and flexible hand.

Now, at first there IS some trepidation at ‘letting go’ in this way. But the benefits can be extraordinary, if you persist! You WILL be more relaxed, solid, and confident come performance time.

I’m not saying the violin can’t be played by doing otherwise. It can.

I just think one who is able to do what I’m talking about brings a little something extra to the table.

Just occurred to me that YoYo Ma brings a similar strategy to the cello. Consequently we are astounded at the abandon with which he plays.

I recommend taking a few days, resolving to keep your chin off the instrument, and seeing what HAS TO happen in your left side. My bet is you will learn more in those few days about playing than you have learned in the last few years. Well, that’s IF you’ve had more than a few years of playing to from which to measure.

If not, you still may cut a few years off the time most people require to ‘get really good’ at this sport.

All the best,

Clayton Haslop

P.S. Promise I’ll stop writing on this subject now. I can’t promise to stop talking about Kreutzer for Violin Mastery, however. It’s the best instructional tool you can add to your library.

Yesterday I received an email from a woman in her sixties who has made excellent progress on the violin in three short years. She is, however, having some difficulty cultivating a vibrato, and asked my advice on the subject.

Previously she had been told that it would ‘happen naturally.’ Well, it hasn’t and she asked what she could do to help it along.

Unfortunately, the way I teach vibrato cannot be imparted in an email. One must see the exercises to really appreciate the motions of the wrist, arm, and fingers. I referred her to Kreutzer, Vol. 3 where I lay out my approach in some depth.

Volume 3 also addresses another query that arrived yesterday concerning shifting and the violin hold. Again, all the factors involved are impossible to impart in an email, but are covered in some detail on the DVDs.

These are excellent cases for the old adage, ‘a picture is worth a thousand words.’ In our case we’re talking MOVING pictures, which are even better. Mind you, I do have plenty to say while you watch my demonstrations. They’re both important.

So, if vibrato and shifting are techniques you want assistance with you know where to go. Online, Volume 3 is available only with Volume 4. Those of you reading this, however, may call in your order and purchase Volume 3 individually, should you wish to do so.

My recommendation is to take advantage of the multi-volume discount, get the whole set, and Go To School On It.

You see, it all works together; the left hand techniques, the right hand techniques, the practice techniques, all of it.

Recently a review was posted on Violinist.com which really sums up the value of the Kreutzer course beautifully. If you have the Kreutzer course I hope it inspires you to continue practicing what you have seen. If you don’t have it perhaps this will inspire you to claim it for your library.

So here’s what one fine player had to say:

“I congratulate Mr. Haslop on a job well done! This is an ambitious project in the undertaking. He is an outstanding teacher — one of USA’s best kept secrets (but hopefully for not too much longer)! I can see that he clearly wants to pass on his wonderful knowledge. There are only a few former Milstein pupils around, including Oliver Steiner and Dylana Jenson.

I have examined the dvd’s that a friend purchased and was impressed. It was nice to see that Mr. Haslop and I shared similar teaching ideas. The video is very well organized.

There is a lot to be said, and this is a video that you can’t just “turn on, watch, and then expect to miraculously turn into a Milstein, Jr.”. You need patience and need to work hard. I think if you follow Mr. Haslop’s suggestions, you’ll find that your practice time of the Kreutzer etudes will be cut in half.

In addition, if you feel that you’re already a “Kreutzer expert”, then try to take the technical principles from these videos and apply to other etudes and repertoire. These principles just are not for Kreutzer. The successful students are the ones who can take Mr. Haslop or any teacher’s ideas and “apply” them.

Thank you Mr. Haslop for your wonderful contributions. Your dedication is so much appreciated. You’re a teaching genius!”

– Sung-Duk Song

Well, there you have some thoughts of a very accomplished violinist. And just so you know, we have never met.

Get a copy speeding your way.

All the best,

Clayton Haslop

P.S. If you’re already a Kreutzer Master you may want to go right into Paganini for Violin Virtuosity, Vol. 1.