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November 2007

November 13, 2007 21:39

Fundamentally, the ultimate goal in playing violin is to create a beautiful sound. It doesn't matter what you are playing. If there is a jerky shift, an out of tune note, a scratchy bow, a small sound, you will be stuck.

I realized last night that no matter where I get in my life, I will always come back to these basics of violin. The fundamentals must be established before any progress is to be made.

There are two types of virtuosos. The first kind plays pieces that are more difficult than what everyone else can play. The second kind takes pieces that everyone else can play, and plays them better than everyone else. Both are very high levels of playing and challenge you to be better than yourself.

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November 12, 2007 18:47

I am listening to a CD of Fritz Kreisler that I have not heard in a long time. He has a very pleasant vibrato. It sounds much different from what I hear a lot at school and even on recordings of present-day artists.

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November 6, 2007 22:22

I will try and keep this simple. I have played violin a number of years. One of the most difficult challenges I face is drawing a straight bow. I find this such a difficult feat that every morning, I spend a few minutes at the beginning of my warm-up for practice making sure the instrument fits correctly and that I can draw straight bows on open strings.

Why is something so simple so difficult? After a few times of whole and half bows on open strings, I can play with a perfectly straight bow for the rest of the day.

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