Some new directions

I use to love to jam on a bunch of music. Now by the time I get finished with my program, I'm pretty much through. I have so much tweaking to do, that I'm actually a little afraid to free style.
Also, I've started working on my southpaw and arm before I practice (hot wax and castor oil) and while I practice (massage). I have good feelings about this, and will report back. It's preventative maintenance, in that I feel pretty good--including Lf3-f4.....

I started working on my finger dropping more, now that I'm feeling my southpaw feeling stronger. And I picked up on the fact that my right elbow was bouncing too much in string crossings and started fixing that. I still need to envision what the scooping motion in bowing I was shown means--that's one thing that escaped me.

Life's good. Suzukis sounding 'alot' better. I'm still hammering out basics, but I can feel it a'happenin.

November 19, 2006

Alexandrian Lesson
Wow, I had my first Alexanderian type lesson yesterday. It was very cool though I was somewhat unfocused after finally getting to the lesson. The good thing is that I did understand basically, and started applying as well as I can those notions. For my benefit, I'm trying to list as much as possible here.

First, find the center line of your body, and play from there using rotation in the lower back as much as possible in general. Previously my back had been lurching, leaning, and then tensing. This alone I'm very much thinking will benefit me, because already this morning I started applying it and can feel 'some sort' of difference.

Higher and adjacent to this 1st center is a second center that is much smaller and associated with the bowing arm and string crossings that actually 'is' adjacent as a triangle in some ways with the basic center. Somewhat different from the triangle formed at the frog in the geometry of bowing, this center is even smaller and related to string crossings-I'm assuming at this point. Find those small increments when crossing strings that allows the rotation to flow into not only the string crossings but bowing in general as well.

Next, putting the weight on the left foot a little less than previously understood, seems to augment this playing from the rotation at the waste, and I think will give me a little better stamina when playing while standing.

Next, cradle the instrument properly with the shoulder not raised prominently, but slightly and forward also very slightly--and lightly. For lack of better words, gently cradle the jaw-line in the chin-rest as a part of the overall summary that follows.
Next and as also learned elsewhere somewhat, the left elbow really should 'flow' under the instrument as you cross, vibrate, and shift. It is not some pneumatic lift that adjusts in increments, but as gently as possible flows in anticipation of the motions that the music requires.

With the left hand, envision a line not from the top inner nuckle, but from the inner muscles in the palm, and as a lever that creates a continuing machine with the inside forarm muscles,

Balancing the instrument is a flowing of motions and machines that complement one's range of motion, even with the unnatural nature of the posture required for playing this instrument. Balancing is not so much a reaching, stretching, tensing, and executing. The challenge then is to adjust to the unnatural nature of playing, in the most natural flow of machines as possible, stepping outside the box if necessary in finding one's 'natural' range of motion.

November 9, 2006

violin
Just when I thought my funk had drowned me, the entire internet made me slow down. ;). The result has been amazing, and though still not perfect, my efficency has made literally leaps and bounds.

I ran a poll at Violin Masterclasses and discussed it at violinist dot com. Buri, Sue Belcher, Susan D, and Jeewon have been literally overwhelming my brain with advice not only on learning speed, but my nemesis (though I clean up the angst in that word before it bights me) vibrato. I think beyond reading Perlman's and Haun's advice on the matter of learning, that by asking so many questions I also made myself accountable somehow--there's something to that.


Also an old acquaintence from Charleston started contacting me at just the same time that I found another teacher. Interesting. Anyway, I begin lessons next week, and am so looking forward to it--especially now that I have a better feel of how to make progress, and hopefully nurture this progress.

I chose to change instructors for alot of reasons. First, my new one has phenomonal phenomonal control over vibrato--almost enough said if one reads my blog and follows me at violinist dot com and violin masterclasses. Second, a change of scenery was indicated based on general frustration, part of which I take full ownership of. And finally, as an undergraduate I learned the power in different perspectives. And that is all there was to this change.

I loved my old instructor, and as with other people who have helped me add the layers of life I value, will always be loyal to that memory. But at the same time and as an adult student, I learned that one should know where they are going and learn to be responsible for that. And that, is on me.

A few years from now I intend to write on adult learners, as well as extending Suzuki to the adult's perspective. Others are already approaching the Suzuki angle, but I've been exploring it for so long, feel as if I'm right there from the get-go.

My left hand is improving nicely, though now I'm free to play more, so then developed overuse issues,which I have also taken ownership and control of as well. But most importantly, my f2, f3, and f4 are feeling 'great' even if there is a little awkwardness in f3 remaining. But at the same time, my left hand has always been less developed than my right one. And, I'm noticing things on piano that having recovered my southpaw 'seem' to be showing improvement after years of leveling off. And that's cool.

Anyway, my vibrato--clean vibrato with all the elements is coming online on A/E strings, though the moving of the hand to vibrating position is still a challenge. On G/D there are problems, and my new teacher is aware of it.

I'm advancing through Mignon, and Lully in S2 nicely, and this slow down to learn thing--wow.... I've decided to go backwards a little, and do some cleaning up, now that I understand this better, though I'll be pushing forward towards Boccerini as I do so.