Why I’m Following My Own Advice

I’ve been behaving a little bit silly the past couple of months. And the reason I say this may have something very worthwhile for you to consider.

You see, a couple of months ago, as my left side felt like it recovering from my accident of last May, I began to push myself on the violin. I thought it was time to get back to my usual playing diet, consisting of much Paganini, and Bach.

After a while I began to feel things were requiring more effort, and my discomfort while playing was increasing. Having some film commitments to meet I ignored the signs and tried to – and I dislike admitting this – force my way through.

Big mistake.

By the Academy Award show I felt like my left arm was being put into a meat grinder every time a lifted the violin to play. Yet not feeling I had any choice at that point, I did my best to ‘grin and bear it.’

After I returned home I took several days away from the instrument. I think this helped me come to my senses.

Now I’ve ramped down my physicality on the instrument by a couple orders of magnitude while at the same time maintaining or even increasing the use of mental imaging I teach in every course I’ve ever put out.

Now, don’t get me wrong here. I’m not saying that all physical discomfort one experiences while mastering the violin is to be avoided. After all, most of us have some ‘stretching out’ to do as we improve. And that can feel uncomfortable, at times.

But discomfort that does not ease, or even increasing, is to be ignored at one’s peril.

Yes, it is an easy trap to fall into, especially when some kind of deadline looms in front of you – performance, audition, recording commitments, what-have-you.

And the older we are – I forget I’m not 20 any more – the more vigilant we must become.

In a way I feel like I’m eating a little ‘humble pie’ here; and it actually tastes pretty darn good. My practice session today felt quite productive, just some slow, quiet scales, Kreutzer #9, and some glissando work, in fact.

Getting back to these basics, in the way I’m doing them, has been a fresh reminder of how good my advice to you has been.

Sure glad I’m back to following it myself!

All the best,

Clayton Haslop

P.S. For those of you who are intermediate players and are having tension issues in your left hand, you will find what I have to say in volume 1 of Kreutzer for Violin Mastery very helpful.