The controlled slide, or portamento, is one of a violinist’s most emotionally potent expressive devices. I bet you knew that.

Problem is, many fiddlers are asleep at the wheel when making them. The most common error is something I have written about before. Namely, the two hands want to mirror each other.

When the left hand makes a decisive move to a new position, the right arm has an urge to mirror that movement by suddenly changing bow speed. This is fine if your intention is to sound like you’re about to lose dinner. But if you’d rather the audience didn’t instinctively brace for incoming projectile vomit each time you move to a new position I would take steps to rein in that reflexive movement.

The other point to be made, and I promise not to allude to another bodily function, is the movement of the left hand itself.

Just like a phase of music, each slide has some kind of shape. If you are playing, for instance, something slow and powerful, you may want to begin the portamento somewhat slow and accelerate into the new note. That kind of movement adds heft, or weight, to the new pitch.

On the other hand, doing the opposite, starting the movement fast and slowing into the new note can give a softening effect, especially if in the middle of a diminuendo.

Naturally it is difficult to discuss these subtleties without a violin present to illustrate.

When Vol. 3 of the Kreutzer Etudes comes out it will begin with Etudes #1, you see, I haven’t forgotten it. This etude will be a great departure point for a real in depth look at expressive shifts.

For now, however, be very conscious of your bow speed as you shift. That way you and your audience won’t feel as I did the last time my daughter dragged me on the ‘teacup ride’ at Disneyland.

All the best,

Clayton Haslop

P.S. If you want some serious attention to the finer points of your playing, and you want if for an uproariously low price; register for the Violin artistry Masterclass/Seminar.

This afternoon my daughter Clara and I watched a tape of a figure skating competition. Well, I watched. She mostly ‘pretend skated’ on the white rug – aka ‘ice’ – that lies in front of our TV. Occasionally she glanced at the screen for fresh inspiration.

The commentators remarked on the terrible practices one of the Japanese skaters had had all week as she took the ice to perform. Dick Button and Peggy Fleming seemed resigned to a painful 4 minutes of viewing.

Well, it turned out otherwise. Much to their delight, and mine, the skater lit up the ice.

So you see, it doesn’t have to be.

Indeed it reminded me of a concert I gave with Jack Sanders, my guitarist partner, some time ago. I had a Horrible warm-up, just couldn’t get anything working properly. This is not a good thing when the Sarasate ‘Carmen Fantasy’ is on the bill with a lot of other difficult music as well.

As I walked to the stage door I said, very clearly to myself, ‘I have done everything I can. What happens now is out of my hands.’

When I put my violin up to play I just poured my heart into it. I had completely surrendered any expectation of success or failure as to the outcome. I just played one note, one phrase, one movement after the next.

You know what I’m going to say. It was as successful and technically polished as any concert I have given. The power of surrender in action.

Now, don’t get me wrong. Surrendering to the moment will get you nowhere in a hurry without sound preparation. It’s just that the expectations we place on ourselves often begin tying us up in knots.

Do the work. Do it every day. Find joy in the act of playing. Find it every day.

All the best,

Clayton Haslop

P.S. The only good news in this is that those of you who haven’t gotten your order in for volume 2 may still do so at a great price. I will need to raise the price significantly once it has been released.

You’ve probably never thought about it. But if you’re athletically inclined, and looking for sport that best fits with violin playing; think tennis.

Well, that’s if you’re right-handed. If you’re of the left-handed persuasion, you’d better sit this one out. On the other hand, maybe curling…just kidding.

OK, let me make the case for why tennis is your bow arm’s best friend.

Numero uno, it uses the large muscles of the shoulder and arm. Too many violinists, through a common pitfall, have tight, constricted bow arms and over use the small muscles of the hand and wrist.

Tennis, if you watch a real player hitting from the baseline, requires large, sweeping motions. The forehand shots are up bows; backhands are down bows – we are, of course, talking about one-handed hitters.

Numero dos, good tennis ground strokes use very little wrist. If you needed a lot of wrist control to play the violin I would suggest you play ping-pong.

Most bow moves, however, are best accomplished with minimum wrist and finger movement. In fact, and this may blow your mind, Milstein even produced his spiccato with his upper arm. His wrist and fingers just acted as little shock absorbers.

Bottom line; even if you never pick up a tennis racket in your life, take a page out of the tennis pro’s playbook and get some real sweep into your bow arm. That kind of decisiveness will look good, FEEL good and sound great.

All the best,

Clayton Haslop

As we age it is sometimes tempting to curse the force of gravity. When your playing the violin it should be your best friend.

First of all consider tone production. Very few of us are so light of frame that we need anything more than the natural weight of our right arm to make a variety of beautiful sounds the violin.

If you draw a slow, arm-weighted bow you will get the deep, penetrating sound that is ideal, say, for a Bach Grave. Draw the weighted bow quickly back and forth in the upper half, and you’ll produce ringing tones perfect for a Bach Presto.

Now let’s talk time.

There are two ways we see the passage of time displayed on metronomes. Most common these days are the quartz, digital kind. More INFORMative, however, are the old fashioned pendulum variety. Here’s why.

With a digital signal you get a blip, then empty space, and then another blip. A lot can happen in that space. You might, for instance, be playing under some pressure. In which case you might try to rush ahead during the space between blips. Ever do that?

It’s like the two-footed driver. The brake is the metronome and the gas pedal is the nervous energy trying to run away.

In contrast, think of a pendulum style metronome. With it you continuously see motion from one beat to the next. Ah, you have an arc of motion that allows you to gauge the flow of time between beats. You can get rid of the brake pedal altogether if time is analogous to ‘flow’.

All the truly great conductors, and there are few, understand the fundamental difference between a ‘digital’ beat and an ‘analogue’, or gravity, beat.

I hope a light bulb has gone on in your mind reading this.

If so, and if you want to begin rewiring yourself for analogue time I suggest you get yourself on the floor and do the ‘preparatory exercise’ in Vol. 1.

While you count the 4 measures on the G string, visualize a pendulum swinging back and forth each beat. While you count the 4 measures on the D string switch to a larger pendulum that swings every two beats. Finally, on the A and E string move to a great pendulum that will pass center once every 4 beats.

What a visualization!

All the best,

Clayton Haslop

P.S. Now, when next you play any of the Kreutzer Etudes allow the force of gravity into them.

When I was a lad getting started on Kreutzer for my first go through, I was fortunate to have a dedicated mother around who also happens to be a fine pianist. She was my ‘leg up’ to acquiring a finely tuned ear.

After supper each evening I would break out the violin, stand next to the piano keyboard, and play through my scales and etudes with my mum playing along.

I really enjoyed those sessions.

The time went by much more quickly with her encouragement and very presence so near. Often, when we rested, we could here a cello coming from one bedroom – my next older sister – and a trombone – my next older brother – booming from another. Our neighbors likened our house to a little conservatory of music.

On yesterday’s teleconference call – which I greatly enjoyed and believe was very much a success due to some wonderful questions and comments – one caller, who travels a great deal, commented how useful even the CD play along material was for her.

It was music to my ears.

The slow performances and accompaniments on vol.1 are meant to provide something of that interaction I enjoyed whilst playing with my mother all those years ago. They are also meant to keep you on track to developing a first rate ear along with excellent fundamentals.

Now the only way you’re going to enjoy all the benefits of my Kreutzer program– the learning techniques, the explanations and demonstrations of many facets of playing, the play along material – is to pick up a copy and get started. Do it today.

All the best,

Clayton Haslop

P.S. There are still some seats available for the ‘transform your playing in three short days’ Masterclass/Seminar. If you think my DVDs are giving you a ‘leg up’ to violin excellence, this highly concentrated ‘up close and personal’ intensive will be like a circus canon catapulting you out of the big top.