Duck/Hit by Truck

September 24, 2006 at 6:48 PM

Oh, nothing really interesting to write these days. My humour got stuck somewhere in last week and has yet to surface again. I'm just so tired..

One thing that has got me excited is that I am starting new music...and I am able to now pick out my own literature, which just thrills me. I've chosen Prokofiev Sonata for solo violin in DM, a Max Reger solo viola suite (no.3), and the Biber Passacaglia. I don't enjoy any recordings of this Biber piece, because they are so unbearably slow, dead, and consequently boring. But I aspire to do something with it that I would enjoy listening to myself.

I am filled with good intentions as good intentions surround me. My viola teacher is giving me a free lesson on Monday, with *gasp* hopefully more to follow. I'm so excited and relieved. The Walton is such a MESS. And I can't seem to advance certain sections to anything even close to passable.

I video recorded my practice yesterday and noticed many things. Some were gratifying, some were devestating (nothing in between, really), and all of it made me learn oodles about my playing. As an added bonus, I was a shaky nervous wreck when I recorded, so I got an accurate glimpse of what I must do when I am playing in a situation that makes me nervous.

Not only was my pinky flying around in the air, but other fingers were coming off the stick to wave their hello at times as well. The sad thing is that it was consistant....the fingers come off as the arm straightens, along with the hair tilting inward as the stroke neared the frog, and the hand kind of twists inward and wrist comes up. That is my stroke folks. I thought I had modified that last year. Don't get me wrong, there are very good things about that stroke, but I have been working to keep the bow higher in the hand. At the end of last year, (being May), I had my ringfinger securly on the bow, minimizing the tilt of hair, and broadening my sound without totally relying on the first finger.

Also frustrating...for my Bach. To get the lighter sound I like on the Allemande (Suite 3), instead of having lighter, more flexible finger motions, my wrist and fingers locked (ini the duck positon) and all movement came from my arm. GRRRR. How we have to continually re-train these bad habbits away. My duck finally got hit by the truck somewhere in the second half. Miraculously, the sound became less sticky. (dare I use the word static!!??)

Good things are that I'm not dovening as much, and I'm keeping my torso more still. And my left hand is in such good shape comparatively. My wrist no longer sticks out, and the death grip of the thumb seemed fixed (dare I say it???). It was just lollygagging around the neck of the viola.

K. Nap time, then today's practice.

p.s. The Duck/hit by truck analogy is compliments of Mrs. Laura Schumann from years years ago.
JW

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Duck/Hit by Truck

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