Getting Your Ducks in a Row

If you asked most concert artists what concerto truly separates the men from the boys – or the girls from the women – you’d most often get the answer, ‘the Beethoven.’

Now, when you open the music and thumb through it is easy to think, ‘This shouldn’t be so difficult, it’s just a bunch of scales and arpeggios.’

But that is just it.

Playing scales and arpeggios evenly, in tune, fluidly, and with purpose is just about the most revealing test for any violinist. And when I referred to ‘getting your ducks in a row’ it was the notes in just such legato scale and arpeggio passages I was referring to.

Naturally the daily practice of scales and arpeggios can be helpful. I say CAN be helpful because you need to know how to do them to get full benefit.

One of the best ways of getting yourself on track is by mimicking the human voice. The vocal chords we possess must be stretched or contracted to move from one note to the next. It is an ANALOG process – unless, that is, you interrupt the air stream between notes.

A great singer does not do this.

Now think about playing the violin. When we drop our fingers onto the string, we change notes in a decidedly digital fashion – bang, bang, bang.

Now you may ask, ‘how can one do otherwise, is it not just the nature of the beast?’

In a sense, yes. And with some smoke-and-mirrors, a little creative imagination and some real finger control, NO.

Those of you that have taken what I have to say on Kreutzer #9 to heart may have some idea of what I am talking about – if you don’t remember maybe it’s time for a little review.

In any case, the metaphor I use there of a ‘constant motion machine’ should be most helpful. This is how you get a truly effective legato out of the violin. In other words, your hand is not dead-in the-water between notes. You are always passing through one note to the next.

The more slowly you are able to play while holding this image the more control you are likely to have over your hand.

It requires terrific focus. You won’t be thinking about what you’ll be having for dinner while doing it. Not possible.

So, to get yourself in excellent Beethoven Concerto form I suggest you spend some time with me and old Kreutzer #9, and then apply the lesson into a daily habit of legato scale and arpeggio practice.

Before I close I’d like to thank those of you that have written in asking if I’m ok, on account of the lack of newsletters in recent days.

Yes, I am good, but I’ve also been a little overwhelmed by things needing my attention. As I get these resolved I will try to get my output back to where it has been in the past.

For the moment, however, please dip into past newsletters for some additional inspiration. You can do so by visiting my blog at http://www.violinmastery.com/violinsecrets/index.html

All the best,

Clayton Haslop

P.S. Much more is said about the left hand as ‘perpetual motion machine’ in Volume 1 of Kreutzer for Violin Mastery.

Break All the Rules

There hasn’t been a rule devised by man that didn’t require breaking in some special situation or another. And violin playing is no exception.

For instance, I was told, as a young student, that I shouldn’t make ‘scratch’ when I played. Turns out that a little scratch now and then can add a little spice to the earthy music of, say, Bela Bartok.

And when I have some sort of awkward triple or quadruple-stop to negotiate with my left hand, I might momentarily lose the ‘V’ shape my thumb generally maintains with the base of the index finger.

But just like the old saying goes, however, it’s ‘the exception that proves the rule.’ In other words, when, for some extraordinary circumstance, you have to bend or break a rule, the return to the rule will tend to confirm its usefulness, for the great majority of cases.

Let’s take my preparation for a performance. In practice I will be quite fastidious when it comes to breathing, counting and visualizing. At concert time, however, I will be more relaxed about these things. Yes, I will do them, but I’ll do them within the flow of the performance.

So if my mind gets distracted momentarily by a cough in the audience, no big deal. I’ll gently pull myself back in and refocus. And the small amount of time I was on autopilot will pass, completely unnoticed by my audience.

If I stay on autopilot, however, I run the real risk of allowing the performance to get off-track. I, nor you, want that to happen.

All the best,

Clayton Haslop

P.S. Speaking of getting on-track. The first month’s lessons for the Violin Mastery Beginners Circle will go out tomorrow. I am really pleased with the result and think this is truly going to be a great program.

Positive Discipline, and Practice

Recently I have been reading and attending classes on a child rearing philosophy known as ‘Positive Discipline.’ Last night it struck me how useful the same concepts could be in the practice of the violin.

The idea is that parents often take one of two tacks with their children. These take the form of being unduly permissive or authoritarian. Often parents oscillate back and forth between the two extremes.

When permissive, the child has no boundaries or guidelines to adhere to, and consequently does not learn self-control. When authoritarian the child is being ruled from an external source, the parent. Self-awareness, and the ability to solve problems for oneself may be missing in the child.

Now, let’s look at the practice of the violin. Briefly, if you are permissive with yourself, you are not fully engaged. As a consequence, your technique will be unreliable, your playing inconsistent, and your music making devoid of substance. We could go on, but that’s enough to get the point.

If you are an authoritarian, on the other hand, you will be tense and fearful, and your music making will come across as forced and unappealing. Perfectionists tend to be authoritarian, from my experience.

Now, let’s look at the middle ground and at the concepts of ‘positive discipline’.

This approach recognizes that guidelines and ‘rules’ are a necessary part of freedom – you need technique to play effortlessly.

At the same time, one must have the patience to feel, to listen to, and to consider your own playing, without self-critical judgment – we are all where we are, and to improve need to think clearly. Authoritarians are often ones who repeat passages over and over without taking time to consider. Recall the ‘knee-jerk repetition’ newsletter.

So, what does it boil down to.

It boils down to being kind and firm with yourself at the same time. It means taking time to really get your mind around what you expect from your hands before you play. It means taking the time to FEEL the results of playing attempts, making adjustments to your thinking and visualizing before replaying. It means seeing mistakes as a necessary part of learning, not as opportunities to condemn yourself.

All the best,

Clayton Haslop

P.S. The Singing Hands Masterclass/Seminar is a wonderful environment in which to grow self-understanding as well as learn the ‘rules’ that enable virtuosic playing. Come reserve your seat at today.