Did you just call me a violinist?

April 22, 2008 at 7:49 PM

Little things make me happy, that's what gets me going in life!! I wrote to the conductor thanking him allowing me to sit in with the orchestra even though I sucked so bad. (Literally I used those words!!) He wrote back and told me not to worry about it. He said that he wants this experience to help me to become a better musician and violinist in the long run. Did he just called me a violinist?? That little comment made me so happy!!

3 months ago, I was still playing twinkle, I hope all adult beginners look back and see how much you've accomplished in a short period of time!!

On a side note, how exactly should I practice those fast passages in orchestra music. Should I aim at playing the first note and last note for now? I don't know if it's because I'm so new and I can't play fast or if I'm so retarded that i will never be able to do so? I was watching a youth orchestra playing Tchaikovsky violin concerto and I was amazed at how easy they made it look!! And who said 2nd violin part is easy!?

Any tips on how to practice the fast runs? I can do them slowly, but at tempo, I'm lost, and then I get nervous and play out of tune (NOT good)

From Stephen Brivati
Posted on April 22, 2008 at 10:34 PM

Greetings,
try just the first note of each group. Then the first two. One day yyou wil play all of them!"
Cheers,
Buri

From Karin Lin
Posted on April 23, 2008 at 12:24 AM

PM, I just love your enthusiasm. It's really encouraging to see someone who is so obviously playing violin for the love of it, being open to new experiences and learning however he or she can.

For purposes of playing in the orchestra, where staying on the beat is more important than getting each note, then yeah, leaving some out is fine. If you intend to try to master the run, though, I recommend slow practice...play it as slow as you need to to get all the notes, then gradually speed it up. There are many others here who will extol the virtues of slow practice. It works, even if it's not the most interesting thing to do.

From Stephen Brivati
Posted on April 23, 2008 at 1:25 AM

Greetings,
if you want to learn how to do runs then study Drew`s writing on `Repetition Hits` very carefully and apply to all your practice,
Cheers,
Buri

From PM Rolf
Posted on April 23, 2008 at 3:04 AM

Thanks Karin, I really enjoy playing it even though I seriously look and act like an idiot in the orchestra, but the nice conductor has not kicked me out so I'm staying in it. (You should join us!!)

Buri, you're gonna laugh, but I read and re-read it and I still cannot understand what repetition hit is... can someone explain it to me in really simple english?

From Drew Lecher
Posted on April 23, 2008 at 4:54 AM

Repeat hitting the new finger/note from the previous finger/note. Do this in rhythms starting with 2 fast, short notes and 1 long — all in tune and balanced. Don't just listen, but also learn the measurement distance and balance for accuracy. FEEL the intonation placement.

If the passage isn't up to full throttle for the orchestra, do what Buri said and with the slow practice that Karin mentions ALWAYS mix rhythms and REPETITION HITS:-)))

From Drew Lecher
Posted on April 23, 2008 at 5:02 AM

i.e. play each note a whole bunch:-)

From PM Rolf
Posted on April 23, 2008 at 5:50 AM

Drew, thank you so much. Do you mean, kinda play the passage in dotted rhythm? By looking at the interval distance, do you mean i look at the fingerboard when I play? (sorry, I'm really dumb)

From putch panis
Posted on April 23, 2008 at 9:54 AM

Hi PM! So glad you're enjoying yourself :) I'm in the same situation: can't play all the running notes, I play the first and the last. But last night at rehearsals I found myself being able to follow, at least the first part of the running notes. What I felt stopped me from proceeding with the next notes was more fear of not being able to do it than anything else. I was trying to consider all the violinists around me - if I might distract them by hitting the next notes too slow or too fast, or missing it altogether. But I do think there's a lot of hope. I just need to pratice the piece more and listen to Violin 1 more in actual rehearsals. Yup, I'm Violin 2 - thank God for the chair, or else it would be more difficult for me to follow!

From PM Rolf
Posted on April 24, 2008 at 1:13 AM

Putch, I hear ya!!! I would practice those runs to try to be able to play them, but there are SO MANY of them!! And it's not just those runs. The last movement of the symphony is in Presto and my head just spin when we work on that movement. Lots of appregios!! I can do them if he slows the the tempo by hmmm... let's just say if he decides to play the piece at Moderato instead. :)

From Drew Lecher
Posted on April 25, 2008 at 3:48 AM

Hi PM,

"…but also learn the measurement distance and balance for accuracy. FEEL the intonation placement."

It does help a new player to watch the hand for shape, form, balance and distances. Then go to the next step and do it by touch "seeing" the notes and interval distances in your mind — it's clearer and you can "look from different angles."

My favorite two angles to visualize are from above and from the Ging side of the neck — this is all in the imagination, though you can and should do some with a mirror. Just be careful as it is not good posture when doing such.

Rep Hits initially work best with 2 short, even staccato 8th notes followed by 1 long sustained Quarter note, which is then stopped. Don't go fast.

This is done with 1 pitch and 1 finger. If another finger was done previously, keep it lightly down — if that finger moves around, losing pitch, temporarily hold it down firmly while RHing the new finger. The only exception is the interval is too small for the fingers to be in tune — then barely release away the "old" finger, but still touch the string.

Buri gave a very good explanation in his blog just above — "A humble stab at Repetition Hits."

Dotted rhythms are not as effective in this work, though they should be done also at a later date. I give 8 primary rhythms to use in my Basics II study.

Hope this helps—
Drew

From PM Rolf
Posted on April 25, 2008 at 6:40 AM

Drew, thank you so much. This totally make sense now. So for example, if my passage is a G major scale run, play the A as an 1/8 note twice, then a quarter note, then move on too the B doing the same thing, right? Slowly...

From Drew Lecher
Posted on April 25, 2008 at 6:33 PM

Ya gots it!!!

From Ray Randall
Posted on April 25, 2008 at 7:31 PM

Me, too now, I think. Thanks, Drew.

From Ray Randall
Posted on April 25, 2008 at 8:21 PM

Son of a b..gun, it works. Tried it on a C Major scale and the slightly out of tune shifting parts of Kreutzer #2.
I'm assuming that between each of the short notes you lift your finger before playing the same finger again?
Then the next note in sequence. That new note now becomes the two eighth notes with finger lifts and drops before the new note again, etc.
Really helped on the top of the scale.
Thanks, Drew.

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Did you just call me a violinist?

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