I hate slurs

January 31, 2008 at 6:14 AM

I'm getting a bit frustrated this week with my practice. I'm only in my week 5, and I have to play this piece with slurs and 4th finger. I am so not use to using my pinky at all. Everything goes out of tune when I use my pinky. Why is that???

This phrase is the hardest for me:

On A string:
Slurring E (quarter note) D, C, (both 8th note) then B on a separate bow.

The slur part is so hard, I don't know how long it's gonna take me to be more comfortable with it.

That's what I get from picking one of the hardest instrument to love.

From Emily Grossman
Posted on January 31, 2008 at 9:28 AM

There's no way I would give any student such a challenge on only week 5. If it feels too hard, perhaps there are some smaller steps you could have taken to get there.

I go very slow with my students, though. Some people wouldn't like to have me as a teacher.

But my goal when teaching is to never overwhelm and to keep things in bite-sized chunks. That way, everything stays simple.

I don't know if you were looking for any advice when you posted this entry. Probably, you were just expressing your thoughts, so I'll leave you alone. And offer you some idle encouragement.

You can do it!

From Lisa Perry
Posted on January 31, 2008 at 2:53 PM

I agree with Emily. I would have gone nuts having slurs AND 4th finger at one time after only 5 weeks, especially as an adult, at least I seem to recall you are an adult.

Your intonation is probably suffering because as you stetch for 4th finger you are pulling you first and second finger along with it and out of position. Thus, when you go back to finger 1 or 2 you're coming down sharp. This is just a guess because it's a common problem when starting 4th finger.

My teacher didn't approach 4th finger until slurring was established. I went through Suzuki Book 1 and IIRC 4th finger doesn't come in until near the end of the book at the Etude. 4th finger might have been an option but I think the Etude is where my teacher started 4th finger for me.

Working on too many things at one time can overwhelm but take it slowly and it will come. The instrument requires patience. It's a very slow process.

From Terez Mertes
Posted on January 31, 2008 at 3:06 PM

My goodness, you are indeed on the fast track. I didn't use 4th finger until six months, and slurs after that. My teacher sounds like Emily describes herself, and I must say that is working for me. Granted, after 2 1/2 years, my playing is quite humble, but it has been encouraging the whole way instead of horribly frustrating. I guess all of us adult beginners make our practice into what we need/want it to be. Hope you're having fun for at least a few minutes each day, 'cuz that's the payoff for the adult beginner! (Or at least for me.)

From PM Chu
Posted on January 31, 2008 at 3:55 PM

I welcome all comments, advise, and encouragements of course!!! I would rather her go a bit slower as well, every week i would tell her, this is REALLY hard, and she would say, it's not as hard as you thought...

I just checked the level of the piece from the Barbara Baber Book, it says Suzuki level 2-3!

Anyways, enough whining. It is absolutely correct that when I'm stretching to use my 4th finger, my other fingers follows it and became all sharp... i don't even know what to do, i'm a pianist but i never had to stretch my fingers in these weird ways..

How did you all learn 4th fingers and slurs?

From Terez Mertes
Posted on January 31, 2008 at 5:55 PM

PM - okay, I hope I'm not stepping out of bounds here, but I have to ask - is this teacher the best fit for you? If you're happy with being pushed like this, that's cool, but it just seems like a really aggressive approach for an adult beginner who has a real life and job and responsibilities to tackle as well. Are you having fun with this stuff?

I'm sure I'm projecting my own experience onto the scenario here, so if none of this rings true, tell me to shut up and I will. But the fourth finger thing frustrated me HORRIBLY and it took months, literally months, for my finger to stretch that way comfortably. I practice 45 minutes a day, 5 days a week, with little 15 minute sessions on the off-days, and I'll tell you what, that finger took its time stretching that far. Although it sounds like you have piano experience, so your fingers are undoubtedly more limber. I should preface this all (too late to preface, I suppose...) by saying I have never played a musical instrument before, so perhaps that was another reason I had a very slow learning curve the first year. And my teacher, as well, seemed more concerned with having me get something right, and really play it from the heart, before we moved on.

Good luck. All I can say is that practice will get you there eventually. And you might want to confirm with your teacher the pace you'd prefer to go at. After all, it is you who are paying, therefore you who should be establishing your goals and the pace you arrive at them.

From PM Chu
Posted on January 31, 2008 at 10:08 PM

Terez, thank you so much for your honest opinion, not stepping over any boundaries at all!! Afterall, we're here to share our thoughts!! I am very happy with my teacher, she really is great. I do feel like she is pushing me hard. It was a big jump from my prevous piece to this one. She does use the Suzuki book to teach me, but I don't know if it is because the melody sounds too familiar to me or if I played them in my early piano days or what, the first half of the book is way easy for me. I'm not saying that I play them perfectly, there are still alot I have to work on. But I think my teacher knows if she makes me stay on those songs for too long I will be bored to death. I think she'll notice i'm not as bright as she thought after she hear my 4th finger slurs. :P

From Stephen Brivati
Posted on January 31, 2008 at 10:45 PM

Greetings,
I agree with all the above comments.
The importnat thing to understand is the nature of the hand. One does not sdtretch towards the nose with the fourth finger. The fourth finger establishes the comfortable shape of the hand and then the other fingers stretch back away form the nose. This approach is based on the fundamnetal structure of of the hand.
However, although you can appreciate this intellectually there is not a lot of point intrying to appky this kind of pricniple before holding the instrument well, conmfrot with bowing on opne strings, pla cing the other fingers are all secure etc. All this takes a loty longer than five weeks.
Right now I would bet any amount of money you are tyryign really hard to stretch with the 4th , prbably collapsing the joints, stiffening up the firts finger, squeezing with the thumb etc and setting yourself up for all sorts of problems down the line.
Bluntly,
Buri

From Terez Mertes
Posted on February 1, 2008 at 12:29 AM

PM - I believe it about the Suzuki book. My teacher has cherry picked her way through Book 1 (although interestingly, I am just now working on a Bach minuet from that "beginner's" book, and it's enjoyably challenging). I don't think it's ideal for adult beginners, which is the case with a lot of beginner books. I mentioned the Samuel Applebaum duet books in your "recital" thread - I'd echo my recommendation for something like that, which is both challenging and fun and makes me feel like I'm really playing and not just sawing out an assignment.

From PM Chu
Posted on February 1, 2008 at 3:43 AM

I enjoy playing duets too!! I'm playing a song with my teacher call Promenade. You're right, it's like really making music, I'm so happy when I hear the harmony (i'm not a big Bartok fan, but I'm learning to like his style) I'll suggest that book to her!! She told me we will be working on Schradeik, if it is anything like Czerny for piano I'm gonna faint.

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I hate slurs

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