Playing Off-Beats

Playing off-beats should be simple, right? Should be, but they aren't. I think I am pretty good at clapping the off beats, but playing them in orchestra is another matter. Today I almost skipped over a section of music I was practicing for orchestra. Just off-beats, I thought.

Then I decided to play with the metronome, and I found that even at a relatively relaxed tempo, I would be good for about 3-4 measures, and then, wham! The notes would change, and I would get off just a little. And when you get off just a little, you are completely off when it comes to off-beats.

Since I have a year to play around and work slowly on things, this will be one of my goals. To develop that inner metronome (by using the outer one) and internalize the groove. As I was thinking about this, it occurred to me that I have a video called Rhythmizing the Bow that I brought with me. It was always one of those "someday I will go through that video", and I think that someday has arrived.

Alexander Technique

I have been meaning to write about the Alexander Technique lessons that I have been taking since April. I think I keep putting it off because there is so much to say. I had taken a workshop several years ago and noticed immediate benefits. I hadn't really realized that one takes a weekly lesson with a teacher for ease of overall body movement, but when my friend, Lynn, started taking lessons, she convinced me to start.

It has been an amazing journey. I have learned so many things from my lessons, and, after orchestra rehearsal last night, I realized that my back no longer really hurts on my right (bowing) side after playing through three movements of a symphony. I am also more fluid in the fast passages, although I am still working on playing faster.

One of the interesting things I've had a hard time allowing myself to do is to practice where I am not at all concerned about the quality of the sound, but about how my body movements feel. I have worked on making my left hand fingers go fast up and down the fingerboard (sloppy), or moving my bow quickly while fingers are relatively still. Then I put them together, and think about the arc of the music, or the direction. Of course, I still have to practice playing correct notes and rhythms, and I do that slowly and gradually increase my tempo. I figure that both approaches will meet in the middle.

It's been what seems like a long time getting to this point, and now I have a greater appreciation for my students who are learning to hold their instrument and play it for the first time. It is something that takes hours and hours of practice, and little by little, it comes along.

Viola Strings

I thought it might be time to change my viola strings when some of the low sections of the orchestra music were playing sounded a little too gravelly while trying to be quiet. I tried a different kind of string from Tomastik - the Superflexible variety which are only $60 for a set. They sound brighter than the Dominants, but I am still getting the gravelly sound on the C string in the piano sections. I am trying different bowing techniques, and perhaps I will hit upon one that will do the trick. These particular strings have stayed in tune pretty well since putting them on - one reason I like the a manmade core.

Student Recital

I have not held a recital for my private students in several years.  I think I only had about 3 private students last spring, and my partners in crime (other string teachers) had no students for various reasons.  This year my studio has 1 viola and 4 violin students, and with two more students (a violin and a cello), we had a critical mass for a recital.

Despite the fact that many people do not plan anything for Memorial Day weekend because they think everyone will be out of town, every one of our students could make it this Memorial weekend afternoon, and we had a lovely recital.  At the end the three teachers played a trio of Scott Joplin's rag, The Entertainer.  What a great excuse to get together to play some fun music.

Passacaglia

I have always known that the college students play in recitals, but I have never been to one until Tuesday night.  I found out that our first chair viola (a freshman) was playing the Passacaglia on a theme by Handel by Johan Halvorsen.  I know that he is a good player, but his performance proved to me that he is a great player, and it was a joy to hear this piece played so well.  I didn't tape it, but you can hear it in this youtube video with Pinchas Zuckerman and Itzhak Perlman.