Anna Myerscough

To rest or not to rest

September 11, 2009 13:58

I've been having some problems with left hand pain recently. I know it's because I'm gripping with the thumb; I can feel the tension and it occurs when I'm trying to play certain notes -- such as a natural c on the a string -- and inevitably a twinge begins in the muscle between my thumb and forefinger. I don't think the grip itself is the only problem; I grip because I'm having trouble placing my fingers where I know they need to go on the neck. I think I'm not going under the violin enough with my arm -- or in front, it's really not easy to describe. This issue also pops up when I'm playing with the fourth finger --- awkward positioning, leading to heavy grip to "make it work", leading to pain.

For example, I can go through Gavotte in Suzuki Book 1 and by the end my left hand will be pleading for me to stop several measures before the end.

Today instead of just adjusting my arm I tried removing my shoulder rest. I had initially tried to learn to play without using a shoulder rest, but the first thing my teacher insisted that I get was Kun rest to help with positioning.

Maybe I'm doing something wrong again but it feels better without the rest. With the rest at minimum height, I feel like my chin is somewhat propped up on the violin instead of dropped down, and also I have to hold my left arm up in order to make sure that the scroll of the violin is parallel to the ground rather than drooping. Without the rest, my left arm's lower and more against my side. It feels more comfortable but again I wonder if this is the wrong thing to do.

It doesn't feel like the violin is heavier or slipperier (I have a chamois under it because of the weather -- I sweat in the room I practice in) than normal. I have noticed that its weight has shifted from leaning more on my thumb to leaning more on the side of my forefinger, and that it's somewhat easier for me to play those naturals and fourths now. I suspect shifting from first position might be more difficult without the rest, though, and have no idea how this would affect trying to do vibrato.

I don't think my teacher will approve of the rest-less-ness but for now I'll practice without it for the finger relief. I played for about 30 minutes earlier and didn't experience the same finger cramps, which is a frustration when I just want to practice, practice, practice so I can get better.

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training for intonation, and violin envy

September 1, 2009 07:33

Thank you for all the kind comments and advice in my previous entry, it has been very useful and encouraging!

My lesson yesterday went well, and for once instead of intonation we worked on tone for a piece from the Suzuki book -- May Song. "It's a hearty type of song", my teacher explained, "There's nothing wishy-washy about it." Of course, now that I think about it, it's a dance song meant for villagers, loud and lively. We spent a bit of time on getting the tone right --- when I start thinking about tone, other things go awry. But I'm somewhat relieved to have a break in the endless repetitions of intonation exercises.

Speaking of which, I've switched from using the electronic tuner to using my piano and violin (the latter after being tuned, of course). Aside from the open strings exercise Buri mentioned, my teacher also suggested that I use intervals (duh, why didn't I think of that before?)

I can definitely hear when I'm off even by the slightest bit --- during class my playing of a piece is usually accompanied by a lot of wincing, as I cringe every time I'm off --- so it's both a blessing and a curse --- I can hear how bad my playing is 100% of the time, which is good because I can improve on it, but it's bad because I can't really enjoy my playing!

Teacher has said to practice in smaller increments -- 10-15 mins at a time -- to get the muscles and body used to correct positioning. Anything more can lead to bad form, as the arm gets tired and fingers begin to creep up the fingerboard.

During those times, I take the opportunity to practice my piano. Ah, a relief! I feel guilty about it but it's nice to have an instrument that you can play at more than a beginner level. I feel almost liberated when I play the piano after the violin. I could play the piano for hours -- and I do, and often forget the time -- and absolutely love it. I hope that one day I can get to the same point with the violin. Don't worry piano, there's room in my heart for more than one love.

With regards to violin, the actual instrument -- I went to Shar Music today to get help with a string I was having trouble keeping in tune (it turned out to be a simple mechanical thing that I didn't know about) and took the opportunity to peruse their violin room.

My violin is a rental, not the cheapest model but certainly not in the realm of the ones I was looking at. For one, the neck on the violin I have is varnished and my thumb and forefinger tend to stick to it. Still, it sounds worlds better than the first violin I had rented, out of which I could only get harsh sounds. Or maybe I've just gotten better at coaxing sounds out of a violin? One can hope.

Beautiful instruments, all of them. One of the things I immediately noticed is that the varnish on any of the ones I looked at were very thin compared to mine; Teacher had mentioned that the thicker the varnish, the worse the effect it has on the sound since it dampens vibrations. And the wood -- beautiful, purled and scrolled and fiery under the store lights. The violin is a beautiful instrument to look at for sure --- I remember being very young and watching TV and being fascinated by both the look and sound of it. I didn't dare try any out because I felt too intimidated --- there were other customers at the store who were clearly students at the music school, and I could hear their playing in the practice rooms as they tried out bows and instruments. Besides, what kind of music could a beginner like me get out of an expensive violin? Could you even hear the difference, at my level, between my $400 rental and a $3000 Sofia?

Unfortunately, we don't have the money to buy one right now. Even a new bow, I would like --- I've tried my teacher's bow and it's a world of difference between his and my $30 brazilwood. For now I can only drool and make a promise to reward myself with a new outfit one day, as long as I work hard and continue to improve.

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Previous entries: August 2009

Anna Myerscough

To rest or not to rest

training for intonation, and violin envy

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