Masterclass Begins, With Tone

Yes, tonight will find me and several other dedicated players ensconced in the Olmsted room of the beautiful Biltmore Inn enjoying the first of six sessions on all aspects of violin playing. The focus this evening will be on that which makes the violin the most compelling of instruments, its tone.

The kind of tone we will be looking for is the kind that penetrates to the farthest reaches of the human heart.

Needless to say, that kind of tone requires a clear, open channel from the heart of the player.

The challenge many players face is that the mental and physical demands of playing actual music, especially challenging music, often lead to tension. When tension is present the transmissions of the heart are frustrated.

What we are going to do tonight is examine tone production from the ground up with an ear toward clearing the channels, permanently.

We will take a close look at the bow hold, the movements of each component of the right arm, the contact point of hair and string, the importance of proper breathing, and the mental images that support and inform the above.

This process of examination is one I continue to refine year after year. I see myself as a crystal tuned to resonate to the sound of the violin. With each passing day I shape myself to more efficiently accomplish this.

If you are doing likewise in your practice you’re one of a rare breed. You’re also moving toward that place where every note illuminates the heart of your listener. In short, you become the very embodiment of Grace.

All the best,

Clayton Haslop

P.S. Where it comes to the development of tone, for an intermediate/advanced player, there are no better etudes than the double-stop Andante etudes of Kreutzer. They are the focus of Vol. 4 of ”Kreutzer for Violin Mastery”.