It has been a little while since my last lesson. I performed Happy Birthday for my mother and saw the Barefoot Fiddler. I was trying to be very good with my practice this week now that Happy Birthday was off my list. I focused on Waltz Of The Lovebirds and Home Sweet Home mostly and a little on the simpler Piggy's Song.
Okay... I confess, I've been mucking about with learning Waltzing Matilda and a Greek song called Samiotisa. Both of these are by ear though I did use the piano to nail the melody before starting on the violin. I know I am getting somewhere with the Greek song because Mrs Sage later told me she was humming the tune the next day =)
This is my first Tuesday lesson since I could not make it last week. And I am happy to hear that (a) Laura's new teaching job is working out well even though it means long drives, and (b) many of her private students have been able to make their lessons on Tuesdays. Sarisha was back today. She owes me an observation lesson at some point.
To the actual lesson. Do you hear that? Shh. Listen. It's the sound of me finishing Waltz Of The Lovebirds. My practice paid off. I was diligent about practicing in front of my reflection to help with the straight bow, and to get the "claw" fingers going. I knew I was getting those when I could leave my fingers on the D string and still play a clear note on the A string. This will make playing some songs easier I'm sure as I won't have to worry about lifting my fingers unnecessarily. Everything seemed to click today, for which I am grateful since I do try to focus when I practice.
I didn't get a sticker but I have this recording to prove it.
After this I moved on to Home Sweet Home. This is sounding okay, especially the chord at the end with the "claw" fingers. It was about this time Laura realised something about Patience. She does not like a heavy bow hand. That is to say, she prefers a light touch with the bow. The G string still requires a little pressure but the rest of the strings need hardly any at all. Now that I am aware of this I will keep it in mind. Having told me about the lightness in the right (bow) hand, the left hand is different. Not so much the left hand but the fingers, the "claw" fingers, need to be like hammers. I need to have good contact between my finger and the wood to make sure I get a good clean sound from the string. The analogy here is lightly stroking the cat with your right hand and choking the dog with the left =) Feel free to substitute your own. A little bit more speed won't hurt either.
I did not play any of Piggy's Song. I did play it through to the end in practice a few times during the week. As long as I have practiced Home Sweet Home first I will practice this song too.
There is a new piece, oh yes there is and it is called Railway Express. This involved woodpecker notes (a quaver followed by two semi-quavers), slurs and an interesting looking chord at the end.
The next gentleman was very keen. He did not wait for Laura to come to him =) but that was fine because the lesson was over. After today's triumph I am confident for next week.
Tuesday, July 30, 2013
Monday, July 29, 2013
Barefoot Fiddler
Tonight the ACO brought Patricia Kopatchinskaja, AKA The Barefoot Fiddler to Brisbane.
Earlier in the day I listened to the performance from Perth via the ABC Classic FM web site. I wanted to be familiar with the music before I went to the concert. Even though I was at work and was interrupted a few times, I loved it. I was not worried about spoiling the concert. It's like comparing a CD from your favourite band to a live show.
I turned up a little early to QPAC to be told there was a pre-concert talk on the upper level. A lady was telling a group of concert goers about the music to be performed tonight. I started listening about half way through and heard a little about the Mendelssohn work and Ginastera's concerto. It was quite informative, especially her talk about Ginastera.
I bought my ticket fairly late. There appeared to be very few seats left so I ended up a few rows from the back. So you can imagine m surprise when the lights went down and more than half the seats in the upper balcony area were empty! I don't claim to know how concert tickets are sold but I can tell you I was a little disappointed. Why should the web site only show me a few available seats when so many were left empty? I suppose those tickets are reserved for subscribers or sponsors and the like. It's a shame then to see so many of them empty. You can bet if that happens next time I will take one of the empty seats for myself.
The staging was quite simple. There was a harpsichord in the middle of the stage. To my left were music stands for the first and second violins. In center stage behind the harpsichord were the violas, and on a raised stand to the right were chairs and stands for the cellos and double bass.
The musicians came out, and I soon spotted Patricia. Yes, she was the one without shoes. The program opened with the Adagio and Fugue by Mozart. No easing into things as this is a very dramatic piece right from the start. It was very hard to take my eyes off Patricia. It's not that she is especially pretty (from where I was sitting she looked as pretty as Maxim Bibeau LOL) but she had such energy and excitement, even when she was not playing. Some of her movements were quite dramatic. To be fair I did look at the other musicians. The other violinists with lead roles were Helena Rathbone and Rebecca Chan. Each of them had their own style and I enjoyed watching them all.
After this piece was Bach's Concerto For Three Violins. This is where the harpsichord was used. Apparently this was once a concerto for three harpsichords, and there were short segments between each movement. At the conclusion of this piece it was time for intermission.
When they came back on Maxim came out with the ACO's latest purchase - a double bass that was over 400 years old. It sounded amazing. I love the violin, but each time I see a cello or double bass I think to myself that I would jump at the chance to play one of those too. He played a short song on that which was very pretty.
Next was my favourite piece. It was Mendelssohn's Concerto For Strings in D Minor. It's on the list. I watched Patricia closely through the fast and furious sections and the slow ethereal sections high on the E string. It was almost breath-taking. And to think he was only thirteen when he wrote this. Thirteen. Unreal. And it was almost lost to the world until Yehudi Menhuin bought the manuscript in 1951 and performed it a year later.
They finished off with Ginastera's Concerto For Strings. This is a modern work with "guts and balls" according to the brochure. It is a modern work and was, like Patricia herself, energetic and exciting. The last movement, Finale Furioso, is described as a descent into Hell.
They came back for encore of two pieces. I could not hear very well as they announced what they were unfortunately. The first seemed to be a gypsy dance. At the very least it involved dancing. It was Patricia and the lead viola player and was quite a spectacle. And the second was Maxim in center stage with the double bass and another playful piece. They left the stage to loud applause.
I didn't quite know what to expect when I bought a ticket to the show. What I got was a great performance with a lot of energy and enthusiasm and wonderful playing. I've said before that I don't know where my violin journey will take me. I can only hope to be part of at least one performance like that one
Earlier in the day I listened to the performance from Perth via the ABC Classic FM web site. I wanted to be familiar with the music before I went to the concert. Even though I was at work and was interrupted a few times, I loved it. I was not worried about spoiling the concert. It's like comparing a CD from your favourite band to a live show.
I turned up a little early to QPAC to be told there was a pre-concert talk on the upper level. A lady was telling a group of concert goers about the music to be performed tonight. I started listening about half way through and heard a little about the Mendelssohn work and Ginastera's concerto. It was quite informative, especially her talk about Ginastera.
I bought my ticket fairly late. There appeared to be very few seats left so I ended up a few rows from the back. So you can imagine m surprise when the lights went down and more than half the seats in the upper balcony area were empty! I don't claim to know how concert tickets are sold but I can tell you I was a little disappointed. Why should the web site only show me a few available seats when so many were left empty? I suppose those tickets are reserved for subscribers or sponsors and the like. It's a shame then to see so many of them empty. You can bet if that happens next time I will take one of the empty seats for myself.
The staging was quite simple. There was a harpsichord in the middle of the stage. To my left were music stands for the first and second violins. In center stage behind the harpsichord were the violas, and on a raised stand to the right were chairs and stands for the cellos and double bass.
The musicians came out, and I soon spotted Patricia. Yes, she was the one without shoes. The program opened with the Adagio and Fugue by Mozart. No easing into things as this is a very dramatic piece right from the start. It was very hard to take my eyes off Patricia. It's not that she is especially pretty (from where I was sitting she looked as pretty as Maxim Bibeau LOL) but she had such energy and excitement, even when she was not playing. Some of her movements were quite dramatic. To be fair I did look at the other musicians. The other violinists with lead roles were Helena Rathbone and Rebecca Chan. Each of them had their own style and I enjoyed watching them all.
After this piece was Bach's Concerto For Three Violins. This is where the harpsichord was used. Apparently this was once a concerto for three harpsichords, and there were short segments between each movement. At the conclusion of this piece it was time for intermission.
When they came back on Maxim came out with the ACO's latest purchase - a double bass that was over 400 years old. It sounded amazing. I love the violin, but each time I see a cello or double bass I think to myself that I would jump at the chance to play one of those too. He played a short song on that which was very pretty.
Next was my favourite piece. It was Mendelssohn's Concerto For Strings in D Minor. It's on the list. I watched Patricia closely through the fast and furious sections and the slow ethereal sections high on the E string. It was almost breath-taking. And to think he was only thirteen when he wrote this. Thirteen. Unreal. And it was almost lost to the world until Yehudi Menhuin bought the manuscript in 1951 and performed it a year later.
They finished off with Ginastera's Concerto For Strings. This is a modern work with "guts and balls" according to the brochure. It is a modern work and was, like Patricia herself, energetic and exciting. The last movement, Finale Furioso, is described as a descent into Hell.
They came back for encore of two pieces. I could not hear very well as they announced what they were unfortunately. The first seemed to be a gypsy dance. At the very least it involved dancing. It was Patricia and the lead viola player and was quite a spectacle. And the second was Maxim in center stage with the double bass and another playful piece. They left the stage to loud applause.
I didn't quite know what to expect when I bought a ticket to the show. What I got was a great performance with a lot of energy and enthusiasm and wonderful playing. I've said before that I don't know where my violin journey will take me. I can only hope to be part of at least one performance like that one
Saturday, July 20, 2013
First Performance With Patience
Today was a big day. It was my mother's 70th birthday. It was held at Ashmore Road Seafood & Steakhouse on the Gold Coast. There were twenty two family members altogether including uncles and cousins. We had a small part of the restaurant to ourselves so we were able to make a bit of noise. The area next to us was hosting a christening but we were able to put up a partition to give us more privacy.
One of my mother's requests was that I play "Happy Birthday" for her on the violin. I have been learning how to play the violin since the end of November 2012. I found out about the request at the beginning of June. My violin teacher, Laura, said she was happy to teach it to me. "that's what music is about eh! Making people happy". Indeed it is :) Now, the song is easy enough to play on a piano or glockenspiel because the notes are all in front of you and the music itself is not hard to learn. However, playing it on the violin is much harder given I can't see the notes and that it requires the use of third finger. And I was not up to that yet.
My lessons went well, especially when I gave the piece more focus in the week leading up to today. Laura's advice in the last lesson (see Violin Lesson #33) and her encouraging words this morning were also helpful. So today I was as ready as I was going to get to play the song in public. The plan was to make a speech after lunch and then play the song for her. About half the people who were there did not know that I was learning the violin let alone that I was going to play a song today.
At the end of the speech I returned to my seat to get Patience. While I was setting up I joked about how hard it was to play. "It's not as easy as my teacher makes it look," I told them. They laughed. I was serious! It is like many things. Seeing an expert doing something, whether it is playing the violin or painting a portrait, you can be forgiven for thinking it is easy. Of course it is easy to them because of the effort they have put in to what they are doing. I played an open E-string and joked that was it. They laughed as I prepared myself. Then it was showtime.
You can download the performance here.
I felt pretty good playing it and forgot for a moment there were people watching and recording. When it was over the family were generous with their applause. I'd done it! I had played my first public song with Patience. My mother came and hugged me. It was all worth it for that moment. Then I joked that I was playing Bach's Chaconne at the Queensland Conservatorium next week. I think most of them did not know what that was :)
They wanted me to play something else and I said I didn't have anything prepared. When I got back to my seat my wife told me my grandmother was asking for "She's A Jolly Good Fellow". As it happens, I taught myself how to play that just last night (as opposed to the weeks I had been learning "Happy Birthday"). How fortunate for me. Without much fanfare I lifted Patience to my shoulder and played it. They loved that too. My niece Regina recorded it so I will upload that when a copy makes it's way to me. It caught my daughter by surprise.
The rest of the afternoon went well. I had a chance to talk to one of my uncles. Through him I found out just how few degrees of separation exist between myself and some violinists I respect very much. His daughter (my cousin) used to work with the Australian Chamber Orchestra, so she got to know Richard Tognetti quite well. He plays a 1743 del Gesu violin. One other time she was liaison to Nigel Kennedy when he came to Australia. My cousin took him back home when they visited Brisbane, and upon meeting my aunt he exclaimed "You're the chocolate lady!". My uncle and aunt started up Chocolate Gems in 1986.
So all in all I had a great time this afternoon. Laura knows well the "performance bug" and after a somewhat shaky start I think I have it too =)
One of my mother's requests was that I play "Happy Birthday" for her on the violin. I have been learning how to play the violin since the end of November 2012. I found out about the request at the beginning of June. My violin teacher, Laura, said she was happy to teach it to me. "that's what music is about eh! Making people happy". Indeed it is :) Now, the song is easy enough to play on a piano or glockenspiel because the notes are all in front of you and the music itself is not hard to learn. However, playing it on the violin is much harder given I can't see the notes and that it requires the use of third finger. And I was not up to that yet.
My lessons went well, especially when I gave the piece more focus in the week leading up to today. Laura's advice in the last lesson (see Violin Lesson #33) and her encouraging words this morning were also helpful. So today I was as ready as I was going to get to play the song in public. The plan was to make a speech after lunch and then play the song for her. About half the people who were there did not know that I was learning the violin let alone that I was going to play a song today.
At the end of the speech I returned to my seat to get Patience. While I was setting up I joked about how hard it was to play. "It's not as easy as my teacher makes it look," I told them. They laughed. I was serious! It is like many things. Seeing an expert doing something, whether it is playing the violin or painting a portrait, you can be forgiven for thinking it is easy. Of course it is easy to them because of the effort they have put in to what they are doing. I played an open E-string and joked that was it. They laughed as I prepared myself. Then it was showtime.
You can download the performance here.
I felt pretty good playing it and forgot for a moment there were people watching and recording. When it was over the family were generous with their applause. I'd done it! I had played my first public song with Patience. My mother came and hugged me. It was all worth it for that moment. Then I joked that I was playing Bach's Chaconne at the Queensland Conservatorium next week. I think most of them did not know what that was :)
They wanted me to play something else and I said I didn't have anything prepared. When I got back to my seat my wife told me my grandmother was asking for "She's A Jolly Good Fellow". As it happens, I taught myself how to play that just last night (as opposed to the weeks I had been learning "Happy Birthday"). How fortunate for me. Without much fanfare I lifted Patience to my shoulder and played it. They loved that too. My niece Regina recorded it so I will upload that when a copy makes it's way to me. It caught my daughter by surprise.
The rest of the afternoon went well. I had a chance to talk to one of my uncles. Through him I found out just how few degrees of separation exist between myself and some violinists I respect very much. His daughter (my cousin) used to work with the Australian Chamber Orchestra, so she got to know Richard Tognetti quite well. He plays a 1743 del Gesu violin. One other time she was liaison to Nigel Kennedy when he came to Australia. My cousin took him back home when they visited Brisbane, and upon meeting my aunt he exclaimed "You're the chocolate lady!". My uncle and aunt started up Chocolate Gems in 1986.
So all in all I had a great time this afternoon. Laura knows well the "performance bug" and after a somewhat shaky start I think I have it too =)
Thursday, July 18, 2013
Violin Lesson #33
There was a fair bit on this week.
Firstly there was the Asia Pacific Chamber Music Competition. Trios and quartets from Australia and Asia competed for various prizes. The whole contest was broadcast on ABC Classic FM. The winners in the trio section were The Lyrebird Trio who are based in Brisbane. And Laura knows them :)
There was some news. Firstly there are changes at the studio so the prices might go up. No big deal. It's like five dollars or so a lesson and will be well worth it. Next, Laura has another teaching position so my lessons might be Tuesday afternoon. Again, no big deal. I am happy to take time off work whenever necessary for my lessons. Finally, Laura is performing in public. Yay! I am so looking forward to that. During lessons I get glimpses of how she plays, and I think it's great. I can't wait to see an entire performance.
This is the last lesson before I play Happy Birthday for my mother at her 70th birthday party. I spent a lot of the week practicing this song and it is getting pretty good. I played it at the start of the lesson and Laura had more advice for me. She reminded me it does not have to be perfect, and in some ways it should NOT be perfect. The people at the birthday (there will be 25 in all, and all of them family members) will enjoy the performance whether it is perfect or not. I should play my best, by all means, but not put so much pressure on myself. I need to enjoy it too. I thought about that and decided I can clown around a little and ham it up a bit to help me relax, and that in itself will help me play better.
I think part of the problem is that I am still coming to grips with the new bow. The bow was not tight enough for much of the lesson, so it sounded wobbly. I am sure it was partly my nerves but that had something to do with it as well. And I still have trouble with straight bowing. Laura suggested I might try and get a piece of hose or other tubing just big enough for the bow, then secure that near the bridge and slide the bow through that, just to get used to the feel of a straight bow. Much of playing the violin seems to rely on muscle memory - trying to remember how things should feel. Sometimes I believe I don't play enough so it is taking a little longer to develop. I am not a young school student so I don't have as much time to practice as I did when I was a young school student. I try and make as much time as I can given that I am like Al Bundy (married, with children). This is why it is even more important to make sure it is quality practice.
Speaking of school children, the student before me was a young girl, and she was playing the Kettle Song and Walking The Puppy. That means she is a little behind me at this stage. It was a little odd to hear songs I have already passed coming from someone else.
After Happy Birthday I was able to play Home Sweet Home. This is where it became obvious that the hand holding the bow needs some work. My thumb is not supporting the violin as it should and my fingers are too flat. They should be curved to give me better contact with the strings. When my fingers are flat it is hard to get the notes just right. And in this case, with the chord at the end, my finger on the D string is also touching the A string which is supposed to be played open. I found it difficult to keep my fingers curved so this is going to have to be something I practice even at work. The other issue is that my hand is touching the side of the violin opposite my thumb. This is not a good thing. The suggestion here is to get a strip of playdough along that side so that I am aware my hand is touching it. My hand should not be pressing into the dough. I have felt that before. There are times when I can feel the vibration of the E string when I play it open.
Trying to sort out this issue (and the straight bowing) was quite frustrating. Never the less, I will get there in the end. I am sure I felt the same about the bow hold, and, while not always perfect, it is coming along quite nicely.
Next was Waltz Of The Lovebirds. When I am not frustrated, this song does sound pretty good. It is, technically, the hardest song I have had to learn so far. Even though I am not 100% happy with it, Laura says it is going really well. Once this week-end is over, I will give more time to Laura's pieces and I am sure they will be much improved for the next lesson.
If that sounds like a lot for a half hour, it was. Laura mentioned she had another student at 6 (my lesson was at 5). So imagine our surprise when we finish and find there is another student who has been waiting since 530! I felt awful. Laura had mixed up her schedule :( I felt bad because another student was missing out while Laura was teaching me.
And that was it. I don't think I was expecting to learn so many different things when I started this journey. It's not just the skills of playing the violin. It is other things like how to learn, how to practice and how to perform. I was a little skeptical about playing in front of people, even if they are my family. But Laura's suggestions about performing were great, so I am going to put on a show this week-end. No doubt someone will be recording it. For better or worse, I will post it.
Wish me, and Patience, luck :)
Firstly there was the Asia Pacific Chamber Music Competition. Trios and quartets from Australia and Asia competed for various prizes. The whole contest was broadcast on ABC Classic FM. The winners in the trio section were The Lyrebird Trio who are based in Brisbane. And Laura knows them :)
There was some news. Firstly there are changes at the studio so the prices might go up. No big deal. It's like five dollars or so a lesson and will be well worth it. Next, Laura has another teaching position so my lessons might be Tuesday afternoon. Again, no big deal. I am happy to take time off work whenever necessary for my lessons. Finally, Laura is performing in public. Yay! I am so looking forward to that. During lessons I get glimpses of how she plays, and I think it's great. I can't wait to see an entire performance.
This is the last lesson before I play Happy Birthday for my mother at her 70th birthday party. I spent a lot of the week practicing this song and it is getting pretty good. I played it at the start of the lesson and Laura had more advice for me. She reminded me it does not have to be perfect, and in some ways it should NOT be perfect. The people at the birthday (there will be 25 in all, and all of them family members) will enjoy the performance whether it is perfect or not. I should play my best, by all means, but not put so much pressure on myself. I need to enjoy it too. I thought about that and decided I can clown around a little and ham it up a bit to help me relax, and that in itself will help me play better.
I think part of the problem is that I am still coming to grips with the new bow. The bow was not tight enough for much of the lesson, so it sounded wobbly. I am sure it was partly my nerves but that had something to do with it as well. And I still have trouble with straight bowing. Laura suggested I might try and get a piece of hose or other tubing just big enough for the bow, then secure that near the bridge and slide the bow through that, just to get used to the feel of a straight bow. Much of playing the violin seems to rely on muscle memory - trying to remember how things should feel. Sometimes I believe I don't play enough so it is taking a little longer to develop. I am not a young school student so I don't have as much time to practice as I did when I was a young school student. I try and make as much time as I can given that I am like Al Bundy (married, with children). This is why it is even more important to make sure it is quality practice.
Speaking of school children, the student before me was a young girl, and she was playing the Kettle Song and Walking The Puppy. That means she is a little behind me at this stage. It was a little odd to hear songs I have already passed coming from someone else.
After Happy Birthday I was able to play Home Sweet Home. This is where it became obvious that the hand holding the bow needs some work. My thumb is not supporting the violin as it should and my fingers are too flat. They should be curved to give me better contact with the strings. When my fingers are flat it is hard to get the notes just right. And in this case, with the chord at the end, my finger on the D string is also touching the A string which is supposed to be played open. I found it difficult to keep my fingers curved so this is going to have to be something I practice even at work. The other issue is that my hand is touching the side of the violin opposite my thumb. This is not a good thing. The suggestion here is to get a strip of playdough along that side so that I am aware my hand is touching it. My hand should not be pressing into the dough. I have felt that before. There are times when I can feel the vibration of the E string when I play it open.
Trying to sort out this issue (and the straight bowing) was quite frustrating. Never the less, I will get there in the end. I am sure I felt the same about the bow hold, and, while not always perfect, it is coming along quite nicely.
Next was Waltz Of The Lovebirds. When I am not frustrated, this song does sound pretty good. It is, technically, the hardest song I have had to learn so far. Even though I am not 100% happy with it, Laura says it is going really well. Once this week-end is over, I will give more time to Laura's pieces and I am sure they will be much improved for the next lesson.
If that sounds like a lot for a half hour, it was. Laura mentioned she had another student at 6 (my lesson was at 5). So imagine our surprise when we finish and find there is another student who has been waiting since 530! I felt awful. Laura had mixed up her schedule :( I felt bad because another student was missing out while Laura was teaching me.
And that was it. I don't think I was expecting to learn so many different things when I started this journey. It's not just the skills of playing the violin. It is other things like how to learn, how to practice and how to perform. I was a little skeptical about playing in front of people, even if they are my family. But Laura's suggestions about performing were great, so I am going to put on a show this week-end. No doubt someone will be recording it. For better or worse, I will post it.
Wish me, and Patience, luck :)
Friday, July 12, 2013
First photo shoot with Patience
After lesson #32 I returned to work for a photo shoot. One of my co-workers and mates at work, Chris Peck, is an avid photographer. He suggested we do some "low key" photography.
A low-key image is one that contains predominantly dark tones and colours. They convey atmosphere and mood. A low-key image is usually dramatic and full of mystery. Low-key lighting creates striking contrasts through reduced lighting. Shadows are now the primary element of the composition.
[Low-Key Photography for Beginners - Enter the Dark Side]
I was happy to help him out with his low key experiment. We took the photos in the car park under the house. It was early in the evening and no other cars were about so we had some privacy. I played the violin and we joked around as Chris took the photos. And here they are:
I would like to thank Chris for making time to take these photos.
Thursday, July 11, 2013
Violin Lesson #32
This week's practice was interrupted by the arrival of Patience, my very first violin. She comes from China (Changshu Talent Import & Export Co., Ltd) and is a Model No: TLMV002-1 (Deluxe Flamed Violin Outfit). And here is a picture:
http://www.talentcs.com/proshow.php?products_id=145
She is dark and beautiful and makes wonderful music. Well, she does when I play her right, and with a sound like hers I am not short on incentive to play well =) We got together on Saturday so I have been getting to know her for the last few days. It has been interesting. She is certainly different to Tina's violin. And without the thumb rest and finger markers, it made it a little harder to get the right notes, though I did feel I was making very good progress.
So the start of this lesson was giving Patience her own thumb rest and markers. After this I was learning how to play this violin to get the best sound. And it's not just the violin. The bow is new too and different from Tina's as well. It was a little frustrating but the rewards are well worth it.
I think the most important thing I learned today was not to play timidly. Perhaps that is a result of how I practice at home. I am conscious not to play too loudly to avoid disrupting everyone else. When I "go for it" during my lesson the sound is much better and stronger. I will have to bite the bullet and practice at home the way I practice in class. Laura says the violin will respond to my playing. If I play confidently and well the violin will respond with the best sound.
After my lesson I had a photo shoot =) One of my co-workers, Chris Peck by name, offered to take "low key" photos of Patience and I after work. Low key photos are taken in low light with a flash. Chris is a very keen photographer and he had a lovely camera and light equipment. He took several photos. When he has processed them I will see if I can post one or two here, and perhaps a link to a web site of his other work.
http://www.talentcs.com/proshow.php?products_id=145
She is dark and beautiful and makes wonderful music. Well, she does when I play her right, and with a sound like hers I am not short on incentive to play well =) We got together on Saturday so I have been getting to know her for the last few days. It has been interesting. She is certainly different to Tina's violin. And without the thumb rest and finger markers, it made it a little harder to get the right notes, though I did feel I was making very good progress.
So the start of this lesson was giving Patience her own thumb rest and markers. After this I was learning how to play this violin to get the best sound. And it's not just the violin. The bow is new too and different from Tina's as well. It was a little frustrating but the rewards are well worth it.
I think the most important thing I learned today was not to play timidly. Perhaps that is a result of how I practice at home. I am conscious not to play too loudly to avoid disrupting everyone else. When I "go for it" during my lesson the sound is much better and stronger. I will have to bite the bullet and practice at home the way I practice in class. Laura says the violin will respond to my playing. If I play confidently and well the violin will respond with the best sound.
After my lesson I had a photo shoot =) One of my co-workers, Chris Peck by name, offered to take "low key" photos of Patience and I after work. Low key photos are taken in low light with a flash. Chris is a very keen photographer and he had a lovely camera and light equipment. He took several photos. When he has processed them I will see if I can post one or two here, and perhaps a link to a web site of his other work.
Saturday, July 6, 2013
Buying my first violin
Today was a big day. After thirty one lessons I was ready to commit to my own violin. I started on a rented violin to see if I would actually like to learn. I did. Then I was lucky enough to borrow a better violin from my friend Tina. She earned to play the violin when she was in high-school, and she played the same violin on my wedding day. And now it was time to buy my own.
I took my daughter to West End to pick up Laura, my teacher, who I can't thank enough for giving up her personal time on a Saturday to help me with my purchase. I doubt I would have done anywhere near as well as I did without her help. We went to Simply For Strings. I have bought a set of violin string from them (which I still have not used) and a Wolf shoulder rest. At first the lady who served us, Juliana, thought we were there to buy a violin for my daughter. I wonder, how many adult or mature-aged customers do you get in your fine establishment?
I asked for a Concerto. The outfit retails at $790. They only had one. Odd. Last time when Laura visited to try some on my behalf there were several there and Laura had picked out a few she thought might be suitable for me. Juliana brought out two other violins. The first was a second-hand Cantabile violin for $500. The other was what I believe to be an Allegro. Juliana said it was the next model up and it retails at $1290. At first glance the Concerto and the Allegro looked very similar, especially since the Cantabile was a significantly darker colour.
Laura played a scale and some music on each of the violins. The Concerto sounded good at first, but when I heard the Cantabile I though "wow, that sounds much richer". And so did the Allegro. Pretty soon we discarded the Concerto. I played both of them next, and by play I meant some long bows on open strings as I was not confident enough to play anything else.The first thing I noticed was the lightness of the bow. Juliana had given us a carbon fiber bow to play. Tina's bow is wooden so it was noticeably heavier than this bow. Having said that, I like the carbon fiber bow, but preferred to have a little more weight in my bow. That might work against me in faster pieces that require nimble bow work, but I am yet to encounter those so my decision might change later.
In the end, we decided to go with the Cantabile. I was getting about the same sound out f both of them. Certainly the Allegro was not twice as good. Laura said the Allegro probably had certain things going for it that would make it a better violin, but as far as how I played them, those things made next to no difference. And by choosing the cheaper violin I was able to spend a bit more on the bow to help get an even better sound from the violin. Apparently the rule of thumb is the bow should cost about a quarter of the cost of the violin. This is true in Laura's case. Her violin is valued at around $20,000 and her bow around $5000. I ended up with an upgraded bow - a Dorfler - that had a little more weight in the tip.
With that out of the way, we looked around the shop a little more. Laura picked out a book for me to learn from: Super Studies for Violin Book 1.
While we were there Laura also checked out some cases. There was one gorgeous case there made from leather with a lovely lining. The price tag said it was around $500 but that was obviously a mistake. It was actually around the $2000 mark. Ouch! And on the way out Laura noticed a black sparkly violin. Juliana said it was a carbon fiber violin. Laura was skeptical but gave it a try... and she was very impressed. It sounded really good. Not as good as her violin, but certainly good enough to play on, especially considering it was $1000. Juliana said it did not sound as good when it first arrived but has improved a fair bit since then.
And there you have it. I now have my very own violin that I have named Patience :) Now, if you forgive me, she is calling me and wants some attention. "Coming dear..."
I took my daughter to West End to pick up Laura, my teacher, who I can't thank enough for giving up her personal time on a Saturday to help me with my purchase. I doubt I would have done anywhere near as well as I did without her help. We went to Simply For Strings. I have bought a set of violin string from them (which I still have not used) and a Wolf shoulder rest. At first the lady who served us, Juliana, thought we were there to buy a violin for my daughter. I wonder, how many adult or mature-aged customers do you get in your fine establishment?
I asked for a Concerto. The outfit retails at $790. They only had one. Odd. Last time when Laura visited to try some on my behalf there were several there and Laura had picked out a few she thought might be suitable for me. Juliana brought out two other violins. The first was a second-hand Cantabile violin for $500. The other was what I believe to be an Allegro. Juliana said it was the next model up and it retails at $1290. At first glance the Concerto and the Allegro looked very similar, especially since the Cantabile was a significantly darker colour.
Laura played a scale and some music on each of the violins. The Concerto sounded good at first, but when I heard the Cantabile I though "wow, that sounds much richer". And so did the Allegro. Pretty soon we discarded the Concerto. I played both of them next, and by play I meant some long bows on open strings as I was not confident enough to play anything else.The first thing I noticed was the lightness of the bow. Juliana had given us a carbon fiber bow to play. Tina's bow is wooden so it was noticeably heavier than this bow. Having said that, I like the carbon fiber bow, but preferred to have a little more weight in my bow. That might work against me in faster pieces that require nimble bow work, but I am yet to encounter those so my decision might change later.
In the end, we decided to go with the Cantabile. I was getting about the same sound out f both of them. Certainly the Allegro was not twice as good. Laura said the Allegro probably had certain things going for it that would make it a better violin, but as far as how I played them, those things made next to no difference. And by choosing the cheaper violin I was able to spend a bit more on the bow to help get an even better sound from the violin. Apparently the rule of thumb is the bow should cost about a quarter of the cost of the violin. This is true in Laura's case. Her violin is valued at around $20,000 and her bow around $5000. I ended up with an upgraded bow - a Dorfler - that had a little more weight in the tip.
With that out of the way, we looked around the shop a little more. Laura picked out a book for me to learn from: Super Studies for Violin Book 1.
While we were there Laura also checked out some cases. There was one gorgeous case there made from leather with a lovely lining. The price tag said it was around $500 but that was obviously a mistake. It was actually around the $2000 mark. Ouch! And on the way out Laura noticed a black sparkly violin. Juliana said it was a carbon fiber violin. Laura was skeptical but gave it a try... and she was very impressed. It sounded really good. Not as good as her violin, but certainly good enough to play on, especially considering it was $1000. Juliana said it did not sound as good when it first arrived but has improved a fair bit since then.
And there you have it. I now have my very own violin that I have named Patience :) Now, if you forgive me, she is calling me and wants some attention. "Coming dear..."
Thursday, July 4, 2013
Violin Lesson #31
Confidence is a funny thing. I had it in spades at the start of the lesson, but it was pretty low by the end. I felt my practice was good this week and I was ready to give the two pieces I am playing a red hot go. But fours bars into 'Waltz Of The Lovebirds' it was apparent things were not going so well.
Looking on it now, I think part of it was the goal to speed this piece up. I think I did that but at the expense of the sound. There is a way to play music quickly without making it seem rushed. I found a way NOT to do this :) That's when Laura shared with me a quote from German composer and pianist Franz Liszt:
Think ten times. Play once.
Only slightly less well known is this quote from Laura: Be like Sarisha. I have mentioned Sarisha before. She is another student of Laura's. Already Satisha does just this. She will take some time to compose herself before she starts playing. And according to Laura it pays dividends for her.
What this all means is be patient, take your time, think about what you are going to do, then do it. My tendency has been to jump right in play. Enthusiasm is fine, but it must be tempered with patience, especially at my stage of learning. I *know* what I have to do and how to play. I just need to slow down and think about it first.
Before I start playing the first note I need to make sure everything is ready. And believe me there is a lot of everything, especially when it comes to playing the violin. There is the head, the neck, the arms, the shoulders, the hands, the fingers, the posture, the breathing, the bow, the violin, and so on. Then there is thinking about what I am to play and how to play it. Then I can put the bow on the string, and after that I can start. It sounds like a lot. It is. But the more I can do this, the more automatic it will become and eventually it will be like second nature. I just need to be patient.
I won't lie. It is frustrating. But this is exactly what I want. I want to know when I have finished with a piece that I know how to play it properly. If I don't play it correctly, it will NOT be because Laura did not take the time to teach me. Afterwards, I though to myself "I don't know how long this violin journey will be or where it will take me." Having thought that, I understand that I don't want to limit myself because of poor or sloppy playing. Whether I am playing for myself or my friends or a hall full of people, I want to play well.
And it's great that Laura told me to take this on board and think about it, because that seems to be what is best for me. I think about what I have been taught then go ahead and apply it at home. Laura also mentioned she is teaching me how to learn. Eventually I will stop taking formal lessons, but I will not stop learning. There will be times when I am learning to play a difficult piece. If I know how to learn it, the task will be a whole lot easier.
One other things I need to do is drop the arm for the E-string (the highest string on the violin, and one on which I like to play). This will help me keep the bow straight. And I need to keep weight in my arm so there is good contact between the bow and the string. Didn't I tell you there was a lot to consider? :)
After this we went on to Home Sweet Home. The challenge here is to synchronise the bow with the fingers for the triplets. This is getting better and better each time, as is the retakes. Then there is the chord at the end of the piece. I need to be able to feel the bow on both strings BEFORE drawing the bow across them. Again, patience is the key. I know when I play this correctly because it sounds pretty sweet, and I like the sound, and I want to keep on making it. So that will be on the (long) list of things to practice this week.
One thing that did lift my spirits a little at the end of the lesson was the decision to buy my own violin. This happy event will take place on Saturday. Stay tuned for a post on that later.
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