What You Can Do For Your Trill

Several people wrote in, the past couple days, thanking me for the newsletter about ‘The Royal Court’ of Kreutzer etudes. My volume 1 ‘Royal Court’, that is.

I was also asked to pick favorites from the other volumes. And would I mind explaining why I feel they are so worth revisiting, time and time again.

All right, no problem.

I’ve only to open my ‘volume 2’ score and look only as far as #13 for my first pick. I mean, what a joy this Caprice is; like the opening movement of Bach’s first Cello suite. This etude is just wonderful for forming and strengthening the left hand, so useful in playing multiple stops.

It’s also an endurance test of your right arm. Those elevator muscles in your shoulder get a first-rate workout on this one. Did I say raise the shoulder? Absolutely not.

Ok, now turn the page – and make like a snake and a spider.

Whilst your left hand crawls over the fingerboard like a spider on a web, your bow must snake seamlessly over and between the four strings. Great for finger independence and legato bow control while crossing strings.

And, as with all Kreutzer’s etudes, listen to the harmonies!

Now skip two and land on #17; and don’t forget to change keys.

Can you imagine a more enjoyable way to jump-start your trill reflex than by playing this? Sure there’s the Wieniawski Caprice modeled after it. But you need another violin player to get the full picture.

Wieniawski’s is a duo.

In any case, #17 again doesn’t just focus on the left hand. Leave out the measured trill ornament altogether and you still have a great study in martele, complete with complex string crossings.

And for my final pick of the volume you’ve only to flip the page. Oh, he puts it together in this one. Unmeasured trills are complicated by various preparations and terminations. And you’ve still got to mind the staccato stroking and long legato melismas thrown in for good measure. Takes a fine player with a conscience to nail this one down.

Wish I could whittle it down further, but what can you do. Kreutzer used this grand opus to deliver the full enchilada. The challenges are numerous, the payoff rich.

Of course what I’ve given you here is just a tease, really. The real goods on mastering these gems are truly to be found in my best selling and aptly named Kreutzer for Violin Mastery.

All the best,

Clayton Haslop

P.S. Now some folks like to move through the book methodically, one after the next. And that’s certainly fine. Yet there are those whole like the ala-carte approach; a trill study here, a double-stop study there, etc., etc.. For those I recommend investing in the whole shebang; all four volumes.