play – Violin Tricks

A step back is sometimes a step forwards

Here’s a trick to be used very sparingly. But sometimes, it’s all one can do.

One of my students was getting so discouraged by the impending exams, he thought of chucking in the towel for violin altogether.

I told him, that’s fine. It’s up to him how much or how little, and in which way, he practises for the upcoming exams. So to the stress of his mother, he took a full four days break and didn’t practise at all.

When we got back together he sounded – surprisingly, better. Now the point is this. He is actually on top of the pieces. But he was losing his confidence, and that deteriorates one’s sound. One gives up.

Music lives on energy. If the impression that one isn’t good enough eats at one’s core, that energy drains away and what comes out does indeed sound pathetic. Stress and exams can do this. So by not practising at all for a few days and embracing the idea that failing was in fact an option, he took a step back and relaxed.

His hands and arms rested, and his energy rebuilt itself. What came out when he retook, was great.

I’d love to compare this to life; there are sometimes situations where in order to make progress, one has to take a step back. Both he and I learned a valuable lesson, and I believe we both benefited.

The exams are on Wednesday. Wish us all luck! 🙂

It’s show-and-tell today

When the hour turns sociable I’ll be on the doorstep of the exam centre to pick up the results of my students who played on the 24th of October.

Here is why I don’t like the exam system per se.

It is merely a reflection of how well you played (and answered questions) in a specific 13 minutes, under hectic stage fright.
There is 1 person judging and his estimation of how well you played is final. There is no point of audit here – a gripe I’ve had previously with the system.
The danger is always that the whole year goes by polishing 3 pieces, some scales and a bit of technical work instead of making progress and discovering music. Not much fun!
The added danger is that children take a disappointing grade so badly that they lose their enthusiasm for the instrument altogether and stop.
And finally, pressure from parents or the student themselves can be so severe that after the exams, pass or fail notwithstanding, the instrument is dropped.

All this is rather counterproductive to the goal of developing musicianship in young people. Concerts and musical functions, as well as ensemble play, go much further towards this goal. And this is why exams don’t form a major part of my teaching practice – in fact, they interfere with my method more than they help, but occasionally they are called for, anyway.

The real benefits of exams:

They can be the motivator to get an otherwise lethargic student practising.
There is a real increase in technique: Not from the exam but from two months of highly focused practice.
That little piece of paper can in some cases be used to open doors – e.g. certain youth orchestras want to see Gr 4 or Gr 5 before accepting a member (rather than auditioning, or additionally to).
And… there is that issue of music as a matric subject. But it takes more than passing a practical exam for that, these days; they have changed the rules. The updated rules are subject for a different post.

One of my students has broken his shoulder by trying out a friend’s motorbike and falling. We wish him a speedy recovery!

Dynamic Duo on Kruiskyk

Our twin musicians were interviewed by TV station “Kruiskyk”. A story of hope, persistence and refusing to give up. An overload of talent doesn’t exactly hurt either…

The crew of “Kruiskyk” came to interview two of our students at their home on Thursday, for the program “Voete”, provisionally scheduled to be aired on Sunday 15th April at 18h00.

Identical twins Ruthven and Lawrence Frylinck have been with the Violin Studio for several years now. They perform together regularly, having notched up (besides the regular Studio Concerts) various weddings, sundowner functions, birthdays and promotional events. Their story, to be told on “Voete” next Sunday, is one of winning through persistence. The TV appearance is thoroughly deserved. Of course a healthy overdose of talent doesn’t hurt.

Their repertoire includes classical pieces, gypsy fiddle, Irish,Celtic, opera and Afrikaans songs; their instruments span from a capella singing to keyboard-accompanied violin, tin whistle, low whistle, and a blend of above.

Ruthven and Lawrence Frylinck can be found at our Musician’s Hub page.

Speed

Allow yourself to play fast!

There are few things that hold young violinists back as much as speed does. A very easy piece can become unplayable at a fast speed.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=j-Gp3hTVeq8

The youtube clip of Ben Chan playing and pushing up the speed of the Bach Presto (from the Sonatas & Partitas) demonstrates how you go about it.

There are other ways and means of course; but the metronome is the most important.

But in effect, you need to know your piece pretty well. Don’t try pushing the speed limit with a piece you’re still learning. This means: Practice!!!

Eventually it also means letting go and allowing yourself to play at that speed. When you know the piece well, playing fast shouldn’t feel like pushing, it should feel like flying.

Enjoy your speed! 😉

(A tip: Ben Chan has a lot of good YouTube vids out.)