Drew Lecher on Violinist.com

VIOLIN TECHNIQUE/VIOLA TECHNIQUE: Bow to Bow Arm

Thu, 19 Nov 2009 20:29:27 GMT

& ldquo;When you wrote & quot;the arm is lower when higher & quot; what did you mean? & quot; R.M.

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& quot;BUT, relative to the imaginary line coming perpendicular off the side of the bow and projecting over and beyond the upper right arm, the arm is lower when higher & mdash;a dichotomy, of sorts. With the flat hair this perpendicular line barely clears over the arm. & quot; Drew & mdash; a quote from a November '08 blog & ldquo;WEIGHT / WRIST & rdquo;

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Lower when higher:

& quot;The arm is lower when higher & quot; refers to the relationship of the right arm to the bow and floor. & nbsp;

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The & nbsp;imaginary line & nbsp;is perpendicular to the side of the bow. With the flat hair, the right arm is closer to the imaginary line, whereas with tilted hair the line ascends proportionally more then the right arm. Thereby the arm is now further from the & nbsp;imaginary line & mdash;lower from the line even though it has also been raised a bit higher from the floor when rolling to the far side of the hair.

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FLAT HAIR

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Imaginary line:

The imaginary line that is perpendicular from the bow runs parallel to the floor when using a truly flat hair contact to the string & mdash;not pressed flat, but rather actually flat (100%) hair on the string (bow stick is vertically perpendicular to hair & mdash;no tilt). The & nbsp;imaginary line barely crosses over the upper right arm & mdash;some may prefer this imaginary line to pass through their arm, and that is fine. When the arm rises above the line, there is a loss of natural balance. The angles that allow for ease of weight applied to the bow are less advantageous and therefore the bow arm and hand will stress more easily causing undue tension through the joints and affecting the tonal results.

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Thumb with flat hair: & nbsp;

With use of flat hair the thumb should not touch the hair since the bow is amazingly stable on its own & mdash;the right thumb is casually bent, as when the arm is simply hanging by our side while standing or walking with nothing in the hand.

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SIDE HAIR

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Imaginary line:

When playing variously on the side of the bow hair the & nbsp;imaginary line ascends dramatically above the upper right arm. This & nbsp;imaginary line & nbsp;remains perpendicular to the bow at all times, therefore it is now diagonal to the floor based on the angle of bow hair tilt. & nbsp;

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Thumb with & nbsp;tilted hair: & nbsp;

To accomplish tilting the bow away from us, so that the stick is on the far side of the hair, roll the bow with the thumb and fingers. This will bring the bow hair and thumb nail in contact with each other, offering total stability to the bow & mdash;no need to squeeze so that the bow doesn't flip or slip. & nbsp;

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When bringing the thumb in contact with the hair do not drop the wrist down. The thumb and fingers simply bend a bit more with the fingers feeling the sense of holding the far side of the bow a little bit extra. The exception to this is that the rolling of the bow will cause the 4th finger/pinky to be a bit more in contact with the 1st near-side facet of the stick down from the top facet & mdash;a good thing.

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Important & mdash;Do not bend the right thumb sharply (90 & ordm;) as this creates enormous tension. Try bending the right thumb 90 & ordm; without the bow and you will immediately feel the tension referred to. Note how this tension travels immediately into the wrist and also across the hand and knuckles into the 4th finger/pinky.

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Ease

Put the violin down, hold the tip of the bow in the left hand with the bow totally on its side while your right hand fingers cradle the bow and frog, draped and curled around to the floor side. Remove the right thumb, getting a feel for the ease and light weight of the bow in the fingers.

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Hope this helps & hellip;

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Take care and God bless, & nbsp;

Drew

& nbsp;

Author of

& quot;Violin Technique, the Manual & quot;

& quot;Viola Technique, the Manual & quot;

& nbsp;

& rdquo;These two volumes offer a comprehensive practice methodology that addresses the full gamut of fundamental technical issues on the violin and viola; & hellip;these books certainly chart a course towards the acquisition of an in-depth technical understanding & hellip;whether used to build one from scratch or to hone individual aspects. & rdquo; & mdash; the Strad, London, September 2008 & nbsp;www.thestrad.com & nbsp;

VIOLIN TECHNIQUE/VIOLA TECHNIQUE: Left Hand / No Bow

Wed, 18 Nov 2009 05:13:48 GMT

and Cello & Bass Technique�

�

Question:��

�Dear mr. Lecher

I hope you are fine. I have a new question for you...in the library i ran into Gaylord Yost's "Principles of violin playing", where I strongly advocates practicing "percussion" with left hand's finger to acquire more and more strength.

I was wandering if it makes sense for you to practice Repetition Hits just with the left hand, hitting the strings enough to clearly hear tone and resonance �(which means intonation also), and if this could be a good mean to practice accuracy and strength (which I sometime miss on the double bass) at the same time.

Thank you as always for your commitment.

Best regards, M. P.�

�

Hello M,

�

Yes, that is valid to a large extent, but do not use extraordinary force. Also, do some work with weights for strength and flexibility. Stretches are most important along with strength training. Work every part of your body, not just hands, wrists and arms.

�

You can also use a slow-motion squeeze of the note, concentrating on the shape, form, balance and energy flow into and through the finger.�Pay particular attention to any pulling or pushing of the string�an indication of tension and poor balance. The string should go straight toward the fingerboard, allowing for the arch of the board.

�

Many years ago, I learned a Beethoven Sonata in the middle of the night without use of the bow. It was 2 or 3 in the morning and I couldn't sleep�a habit of mine:-) Though I was not working the left hand hard, with the stillness of the hour the fingers sent the notes out like cannons. I actually put a heavy practice mute on so I would not disturb anyone.�

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In addition, there was a tremendous sense of musical phrasing via the left hand action, whether legato or staccato�technically and artistically, balance and timing became amazingly keen.�

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I performed it the next day in a master class with wonderful success. Having sorted out the left hand in all its detailing, the bow went together almost instantly shortly before the performance.�

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When doing the above practice, I was very mindful of the bow though I was not using it�thinking through string crossings, rhythms and styles of strokes, etc.

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This practice caused me to be aware of unwanted tension that was in other parts of my body, especially the shoulders and bow arm, but really throughout the body. These became areas I would focus on freeing totally.

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Try it, and I think you will discover many wonderful technical and artistic benefits.

�

Hope this helps�

�

Take care and God bless,�

Drew

�

Author of

"Violin Technique, the Manual"

"Viola Technique, the Manual"

�

�These two volumes offer a comprehensive practice methodology that addresses the full gamut of fundamental technical issues on the violin and viola;�these books certainly chart a course towards the acquisition of an in-depth technical understanding�whether used to build one from scratch or to hone individual aspects.�� the Strad, London, September 2008�www.thestrad.com�

�

VIOLIN TECHNIQUE/VIOLA TECHNIQUE: Bow arm � nervous and finicky / relax into string

Wed, 04 Nov 2009 06:26:09 GMT

��Question:� My bow arm in general (too many cooks probably),� feels a little nervous and finicky just relaxing all the time in to the string.�� This was of my own doing, and when I really focus, I'm 'discovering' the relationship between each note's quality and characteristics well.�� It appears to have helped me internalize the real spirit of bow speed this focus,� in terms of the quality of what I hear versus more speed for more forte when appropriate and so on. ��

�

So, what is the real spirit of relaxing the upper arm into the string--my bow hand feels worn out sometimes from keeping the note at the tip(I play in the upper 3rd a lot).� ???�� I studied Jonathan Swartz comments on the graduation of flow through the forearm some times ago, but do you have anything to further this along other than said focus and etudes?� A.

�

Hi A,

�

Add Basics I to develop more variety and flexibility of control. I is a "simple" study that requires mastery of bow weight, speed, point of contact�all interrelated with quantity of hair chosen and vibrating length of string/position.�For someone that does not have my book, Basics I is a study of legato pulses with the bow�initially do 2 per bow and gradually add more without speeding up the tempo, though that can be done as a variable.

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Stop playing in the upper third so much. It is a wonderful part of the bow and certainly to be used, but definitely not to the exclusion of 2/3's of the bow. Your bow hand will work more in the upper third, depending on the style, character and dynamic played.�

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1. Bow arm is "nervous and finicky":

When the bow arm is "nervous and finicky" you are not relaxing into the string. I am guessing that you are playing at the wrong point of contact for the given weight, speed and quantity of hair used. The result of a 'battle between the hair and string" is usual a very unsettled tone and even a jumpy bow.

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Don't change anything�

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Begin wrong and then�as you draw the bow stroke�very slowly move the contact point nearer to the bridge until you hit the sweet spot�when all is beautiful, resonant and flowing.�

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The sense is one of fusion joining the hair and string as if laterally pulling the hair into, through and out of the string with each stroke.

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2. Relaxed bow arm:

A relaxed bow arm does not mean limp and going amiss in path and plains�thereby lacking direction and purpose. It is a highly motivated move, extremely directed and linear in flow. I teach the Crescent Bow path as it is naturally fluid.

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Hold the bow with greater firmness in the thumb, fingers and hand�I do mean slightly "stiff" temporarily�then do ALL of the stroke from the upper arm and forearm. The left hand is one-with-the-bow and the shoulder joint, elbow joint and wrist joint must fluidly hinge (WD-40 helps:-) accomplishing the flow of the stroke, bow changes and string changes without any assistance from the hand, fingers and thumb. Within one or 2 strokes, usually much less then even a stroke, you will see and feel the need to study the BOW ARM.

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Now you are on your way.

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TIP: If your right thumb does not cross the string you are on and slightly beyond, you have not completed the Whole Bow.�

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Hope this helps�

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Take care and God bless,�

Drew

�

Author of�

"Violin Technique: The Manual, How to master"

"Viola Technique: The Manual, How to master"

�

Stradivari Quartet

Tue, 03 Nov 2009 05:14:32 GMT

Bartek Niziol and & nbsp; & nbsp;Xiaoming Wang, violins
David Greenlees, viola
Maja Weber, cello

November 1, 2009

Wentz Concert Hall

North Central College

171 East Chicago Avenue

Naperville, Illinois

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Program: Four Stories, Four Strads

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Franz Schubert & nbsp; & nbsp; & nbsp; & nbsp; & nbsp; & nbsp; & nbsp; & nbsp; & nbsp; & nbsp; & nbsp; & nbsp;Quartet in G minor, D. 173 (1815)

Joaquin Turina & nbsp; & nbsp; & nbsp; & nbsp; & nbsp; & nbsp; & nbsp; & nbsp; & nbsp; & nbsp; & nbsp; & nbsp; La Oraci & oacute;n del Torero (1925)

B & eacute;la Bart & oacute;k & nbsp; & nbsp; & nbsp; & nbsp; & nbsp; & nbsp; & nbsp; & nbsp; & nbsp; & nbsp; & nbsp; & nbsp; & nbsp; & nbsp; & nbsp; & nbsp; & nbsp; Quartet No. 4 (1927)

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Intermission

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Johannes Brahms & nbsp; & nbsp; & nbsp; & nbsp; & nbsp; & nbsp; & nbsp; & nbsp; Quartet in A minor, Op. 51, No. 2 (1873)

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I am not a reviewer of concerts, but had to let everyone know about this outstanding ensemble.

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The quartet was & nbsp;amazing in the truest sense. I could only stay until the intermission and so missed the Brahms, but what a tremendous display of ensemble, artistry, brilliance and passion for the music. & nbsp;

& nbsp;

So accomplished, making technique secondary, this was all about music and artistry of the highest level. They switched from one work to the next instantly changing styles and characters of interpretation.

& nbsp;

The instruments, all Strads, are magnificent in tone and the musicians brought out all the radiance and depth in combination with any degree of drama and subtlety of phrasing as required in the music.

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I hope they come back, as this is a quartet I want to hear again.

& nbsp;

VIOLIN TECHNIQUE/VIOLA TECHNIQUE: Musicality/Artistry

Fri, 23 Oct 2009 17:46:13 GMT

�In response to a question of developing musicality/artistry�

�

The referrals to my book are simply to make the correlations easier for those that have the book. I trust the tips given are clear for all to benefit.

�

RE: Musicality��just guess:-)

Actually, I do have a 'hidden code' throughout the book��kind of.�

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As you do the following, your mind, imagination and ear will become aware of the changes of character, tension and release caused by the numerous variables.�

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Notes will take on life, becoming little people�each with a personality and duty to fulfill.

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In doing just 3 variations of a passage or lyric phrase, you will gain greater awareness and skills in shaping, molding and expressing the musical character desired.

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Listen, listen, listen. Feel the hands and arms move in concert with the character and type of sound you desire.

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Along with pure technical work for the physical mastery of playing, use:

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I. Rhythmic variations (e.g., Basics II R1-8 *plus)

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II. Tonal and dynamic variations (e.g., Basics I #1-4 *plus)

Vary bow speed
Vary bow weights
Vary point of contact
Vary bow proportion/distribution or amount of bow
Vary amount of hair in contact with the string

III. Vibrato variations ala the "Sliding Arpeggios,"�e.g.,�

Without vibrato, then�
Slow motion vibrato to confirm range and balance of position, then
Fast vibrato seeking the desired effect for the phrase/passage.��

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IV. Shift Variations (e.g., Shift Types #1-6c on pages 24-26)

Smooth flowing slow shifts�
Gradually speed up the shift retaining absolute smoothness of action directed to the center of the pitch/tone�no jerks, no whiplash and no fishing for notes.�

There must be no breaking in of the wrist in ascending shifts
No protruding or over-leading of the wrist in down shifts
Use 'Zip Shifts' (extremely fast) if the 2 errors above occur�observe the balance and position of the thumb, fingers, hand and arm throughout.

�� i. Lower 4 positions

�� ii. 4th-9th positions (approximately)

�� iii. 9th to end of fingerboard.

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* The plus (I. & II.) is for going beyond the examples and adding your own variations.�

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We are never simply learning to play one piece at a time. Via mastery of the instrument and bow in total, we are in the processes of moving to mastery in playing all repertoire.

�

Have fun and hope this helps�

God bless,

Drew

�

Author of:�

"Violin Technique: The Manual, How to master�"

"Viola Technique: The Manual, How to master�"

�

VIOLIN TECHNIQUE/VIOLA TECHNIQUE: Practice / Audition / Perform

Thu, 27 Aug 2009 06:01:06 GMT

& nbsp;To a student before auditions & mdash;

& nbsp;PIECE OF CAKE

& nbsp;Okay, you jump out of an airplane at 15,000 FEET! You free-fall drop at 150 MILES PER HOUR!! You play the VIOLIN!!!

& nbsp;All of these can kill you

& nbsp;PIECE OF CAKE

& nbsp;If you cut yourself, you bleed

& nbsp;If the plane crashes, you bleed

& nbsp;If the chute doesn't open, you bleed

& nbsp;What's the problem? & nbsp;

& nbsp;PIECE OF CAKE

& nbsp;Sounds quite like you are human

& nbsp;Humans are NOT PERFECT

& nbsp;It is IMPERFECT of us to strive for PERFECT

& nbsp;Go have a PIECE OF CAKE & mdash; w/ICE CREAM!

& nbsp;Then PLAY

& nbsp;PLAY as if it is the greatest thing in the world

& nbsp;PLAY as if it is the easiest thing in the world

& nbsp;PLAY with absolute ease & nbsp;

& nbsp;PLAY with absolute commitment

& nbsp;PLAY with sheer enjoyment

& nbsp;PLAY as you know you can!

& nbsp;
Love ya,

Drew & nbsp;

VIOLIN TECHNIQUE/VIOLA TECHNIQUE: Practicing for musical results�

Tue, 04 Aug 2009 03:00:55 GMT

Expand your skills and knowledge every day & mdash;don't rush the process, but don't hold back your efforts for fear of making a mistake, either. & nbsp;

If something has not improved in 5 minutes, stop and think. What do you want to improve at that time & mdash;focus, focus, focus.

When initially learning the notes and rhythms of a work, constantly challenge yourself to play musically & mdash;even when you are not sure of the musical interpretation you want to choose. You will quickly learn the tonal results of your efforts. & nbsp;

Anything we accomplish on the violin will be used somewhere in the repertoire. Throw in a crescendo or diminuendo, etc., and listen & hellip; & hellip;listen to what happens to the sound and the character of the phrase. Then do the opposite and listen to the incredible difference that results. With and without vibrato, varied vibrato; shifts and slides of varying speeds and textures & hellip; & hellip;varied bow speeds, weights, points of contact, degrees of hair.

Keep thinking, keep experimenting, keep studying. & nbsp;

Do this with all your playing and you will accomplish artistic results that will be refined many times over throughout the years. & nbsp; & nbsp;

This is what enables the heart, soul and passion to transfer from your hands into the bow and instrument and out to you and your audience.

& nbsp;

ENJOY!

God bless,

Drew

Restart after break/illness/injury.

Sun, 19 Jul 2009 02:48:06 GMT

& nbsp;Question, Drew.

& nbsp;

& nbsp; Thanks to mild Arthritis and an injury to my wrist I haven't been able to play for over three weeks. Now that has been taken care of I'm back to practicing again, but it sound amateurish. Intonation, tone, and articulation are off kilter. Any suggestions into getting back in shape again?

& nbsp;

Many thanks,

& nbsp;

Ray

& nbsp;

& nbsp;

Hi Ray,

& nbsp;

Sorry to hear of your difficulties. In addition to the tips below, I use Glucosamine with Chondroitin and MSM and this helps my joints tremendously.

& nbsp;

Do short and very directed practice sessions & mdash;even 15 minutes and a short/long break, depending on how it feels.

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Bow/Tone

1. Do some Planes (pg 4) in various parts of the bow with point of contact favoring near the bridge and slightly exaggerating the crescent path & mdash;partial orbit around the left hand, or as Buri says, 'smiley face':-)

2. Combine various pulses with crescendos and diminuendos as in Basic I (pg 11).

& nbsp;

Left Hand

1. 8va Slides w/Hand Group Sequence (pg 22). In 1-4 the position and Hand Group change thereby covering the fingerboard more fully. Mix it up a bit and work on all strings.

2. O/C Hand Groups 1-4 + (pg 6) with precise, light Rep Hits and slightly accented bow strokes. Do Rhythm #1 at the bottom of page 7 (2-16ths & amp; 1-8th), keep slow, but alive with energy and focus of note direction and tonal support. & nbsp;

3. Also, some rhythmic and quick type work with Basics II and/or III.

& nbsp;

Then do some 4ths (pg 42 #1), 3rds (pg 34 #1 & amp; 3, or further), and 8vas (pg 27 1,4,5 & amp; 8).

& nbsp;

Now you are ready for Arpeggios & mdash;Root (pg 57 #1); 2nd Inversion (pg 67); and 1st Inversion (pg 62). Do with easy, precise Rep Hits across the strings and slur notes in pairs after the shift up, i.e., Root in Bb #1: 1D to 2F (slur with repeating & nbsp;2-16ths & amp; 1-8th playing & nbsp;DFD, FDF,DFD,FDF) and similarly F and Bb.

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Then Scales on page 76 #1 and rhythmic variations with #2 on page 77.

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Hope this helps & mdash;

God bless,

Drew

& nbsp;

The selections above are from my book, but one can apply the concepts within your own technical work and even the repertoire & mdash;a very important application.

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Playing the Music�

Thu, 09 Jul 2009 04:59:02 GMT

& nbsp;To All,

& nbsp;

This was passed on to me & hellip;

& nbsp;

enjoy the article AND the 2 minute video & mdash;it is a lesson and wonderful reminder of how one plays music & hellip;enjoy:-)

& nbsp;

God bless,

Drew

& nbsp;

Isaac Stern Link / NY Times & nbsp; / from video & hellip; & quot;From Mao to Mozart & quot;

& nbsp;

http://www.nytimes.com/2009/07/05/arts/music/05barb.html?scp=4 & amp;sq=Isaac%20Stern & amp;st=cse

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Teacher's Reward: EUREKA!!!

Sat, 27 Jun 2009 02:49:55 GMT

From a 13 year old pupil, a eureka moment:-) & nbsp;

Dear Mr. Lecher,

I was playing through & nbsp; the caprice when my mind suddenly took a turn. & nbsp; After playing the first measure, my brain seemed to take in everything-every shift, every note, and every rhythm. & nbsp; I started noticing patterns and applied the patterns to other passages. & nbsp; It was unbelievable how easy it was to play the violin. & nbsp; I whipped through the caprice and again and again. & nbsp; I started really loving the violin and how it sounded and came together. & nbsp; This was probably the first time I have experienced it. & nbsp; Now I really [know] why you stress about thinking while your playing. & nbsp; Thinking while your playing is really powerful and helpful!!! & nbsp;

& nbsp;

SF