How to Extend a Line

Here I am, sitting in my studio watching a great day take shape. Already got in a good practice before the sun came up. Hope you’re doing as well.

So here we go.

The art of ‘extending a line’ lies at the very essence of communication. Yep, whether you’re telling a joke, or playing the Op. 94 quartet of Beethoven – ‘Serioso’ – the way you play the line, the line of underlying sense, determines how effectively you will communicate with whomever listens.

When I study music, one of the greatest concerns I have is identifying the musical line of the music and doing my utmost to say as much as can be said with it.

You might just call it ‘modulating the line.’

In order to do so I’ve got to be as honest as is humanly possible with myself. I’ve got to want to explore thoroughly what lies in the darkest corners of my technique and my musical understanding.

Now, there are many banes to playing a meaningful line. The one that I’d like to focus on here, though, has to do with crossing strings. Especially when over 2 or 3 strings. And when a shift is involved you really have to watch this.

There is a great temptation to rush the string crossing; to leave the station early; to telegraph the punch.

Oh, does that ever let an audience off the hook. Whatever tension, expectation, suspense, or growing emotion that was there is suddenly broken.

All you’ve got left after such an event is polite listening behavior.

Yet when you’ve sought out every last string crossing or shift that breaks your line, and you’ve made transformed them into the opportunity they REALLY are, you’re ready for business, big time.

Kreutzer #9 is a great place to face down this little demon. There is no better Etude in the world to learn how to hold a line; IF, and this is a big IF, you know what you are looking to do. Utterly.

Volume 1 of Kreutzer for Violin Mastery covers this and all manner of other techniques you need to learn to play the violin in spades.

All the best,

Clayton Haslop
P.S. Etude #11 is the second best etude for carrying a musical line through shifts and changes of string