Regret pays no debt - unknown
Daily Practice
2005, November 13
A Living Process
Emily Onderdonk, violist, teacher.
I have been very fortunate.
I have found a teacher of viola and violin who works with all aspects of learning the violin, mental and physical, and she offers support when family distractions make progress slow.
But in the end, aren't these divisions between physical, mental and emotional arbitrary and artificial? We are single beings and bring all of ourselves to each lesson and practice time.
I look forward to each lesson; her patience, energy and enthusiasm have become a vital part of my life.
2005, November 02
Chinese Worry Balls
A tip from a pianist friend - for finger strength and dexterity
Rotate these balls in both hands. They massage important accupressure points and strengthen the muscles of the fingers, palm, wrist and forearm. All important for violinists, pianists and students.
2005, July 24
Air on a G string
Air from Orchestral Suite 3 in D, BWV 1068.2
We are now working on this short piece of music, short only in the number of notes it comprises. Bach could not let even a short aria go by without creating a masterpiece of counterpoint. Essentially, though it is often played as a solo piece, it is really a duet for two violins.
Learning, as my teacher puts it, the "choreography" of the bow makes this a very full sized piece. Here I am faced with a concept that takes as much assimilation as the idea of "no dead notes" in the Two Part Keyboard Inventions, the holding of non-moving notes in the mind while playing the moving part of the counterpoint.
Of course, the ideas, to the mind seem simple enough. However the doing of the thing is much more difficult.
Bass, viola and violin 2, with 4 eighth notes for tempo, music minus one
2005, June 25
Dounis
Dounis’ Daily Dozen for vioinists
After searching and searching, I have given up on finding my copies of Harvey Whistler’s Developing DoubleStops and my Dounis’ Daily Dozen.
I know they are here somewhere, I would never get rid of them, but I can’t find them anywhere. I was able to find Whistler’s DoubleStops, it is still in print.
The Dounis is not, but a kind soul put a pdf file on the web for download. I have put a copy on my ftp site for download.
2005, May 12
Work to do
Assignments for this month
| Scales: | G Major |
| A Major | |
| C Major | |
| f# minor | |
| e minor | |
| a minor |
Exercises to do for bow hand, arm:
- Bow grip push-up:
- press with first finger at tip, grip with two middle fingers at frog with little on top for balance
- Balance:
- First finger on and off at balance point
- Play long slow note, as slow as possible
Practice:
Begin a slow piece, perhaps the Largo from Vivaldi's Spring concerto, or perhaps the Adagio from Corelli's Op. 1, No. 3, a Church Sonata in A Major.
2005, April 21
Melody - Notes and Silence
Thoughts on melody from Glenn Gould and Ralph Kirkpatrick
…the mental imagery involved with pianistic tactilia is not related to the striking of individual keys but rather to the rites of passage between notes.—Glenn Gould
The vocal sense…is…probably the most important factor in the hearing of polyphony. One hears counterpoint far less in terms of its component notes than in terms of the transitions between these notes.—Ralph Kirkpatrick
It is not the notes themselves but the intervals between them that constitute a melody.—Ralph Kirkpatrick
It is the measurement of an interval that creates its significance, not its component notes.—Ralph Kirkpatrick
…the greatest playing is done as much between as on the notes.—Ralph Kirkpatrick
Great playing plays the right notes, but it also plays what connects those notes, what gives those notes meaning.—Ralph Kirkpatrick
2005, April 17
New Microphone
Practice for the computer
In the spirit of Elizabeth Perry's daily sketches, I set up a microphone to my computer so I can record some of my practicing. Unlike Elizabeth, I will not post the files to the web because there is nothing worse than listening to a beginner practice the violin, especially when self-conscious about a new microphone. But I will be able to hear my progress as time goes on, and not just have to take the teacher's word for it.
Perhaps when the sound is tolerable I will post a little file.
So I am not following Elizabeth's precept of "not to criticize". But I am going to practice daily. I really am.
2005, April 10
Violin lesson one
"A full lovely forte", that of which dreams are made.
This year I once again started music lessons. I've done this before and given up.
This time, starting out again, I have had the good fortune to find a teacher who combines physical therapy, violin technique and musicianship. Emily Onderdonk, violist, violinist and teacher, with keyboard skills to accompany her students, looks at the music not note by note as I have experienced before, but from the standpoint of the character of the whole piece.
This has changed the focus of awareness from the left hand and all those fingering problems to the right hand, the bow and its travels over the strings. Strangely, this has made the experience of the music and the violin completely different.
I am so thankful to have found such a wonderful teacher at this time of my life.
