December 22, 2004 at 4:14 PM

Ah-choo! Well, feel's like I'm back in Massachusetts. Did I mention that I'm allergic to cats? I love Jinx, our all-black kitty, but---ah-aah-AAH-choooooo!

Anyway... To a post in the ViolinStudents community at LiveJournal I made the following reply:

Eh-heh-heh-heh...

For the first part of your question, I have heard that Leopold Mozart's n-hundred-year-old book is still the definitive guide to violin technique and has some truly excellent descriptions of what is going on. In fact, I'll be getting this book from amazon soon, so I'll tell y'all more about it when I've had the chance to look it over.

If you want more in-depth discussion of technique, try violinist.com where there are a lot of articles.

That said, even if you're quite confident that "If only you would show me the technique, then I'll get it," I would still recommend getting a traditional book that has lots of songs. It's one thing to be able to do the techniques, it's a whole other thing to do it in a song, in tune, and in rhythm--particularly for fontos stuff like bow division.

That, and violin is one of those instruments where if you start doing a technique wrong, such as letting your left wrist bend or get too tense, you can seriously injure yourself over time. Take it easy. There's a reason why virutally every 25-year-old virtuoso has been playing for at least 20 years.

On the other hand, clearly you're a smart guy and I cheer you on heartily as you delve into the pursuit of these skills. Just remember to love the instrument very much for a violin can be like a maiden sometimes: If she thinks you're playing her just to conquer her, she'll spite you as you well deserve, but if you try to play her as if you truly love her, she'll reciprocate as best as the mechanics of the situation allow.

As W. A. Mozart once said, "Love! Love! Love! That is the soul of genius!"

Then again, that's coming from me, the chick who occasionally cuddles with her violin.

I don't know, the post reminded me of me "when I was young and stupid" (that is, about 5 months ago). In my opinion, an adult student, handled badly or left to his or her own misguided devices has the potential to become the musical equivalent of a mathematical crank. There are reasons why both brilliant 25-year-old mathematicians and brilliant 25-year-old violinists have been both been working at what they do for 20 years or so.

And don't think that math is any safer than violin. In mathematics, if you get into the bad habit that, say, there exists a solution (x,y,z) all integers such that x^n + y^n = z^n for n>2, you're in for a world of pain. It could be the equivalent of making vibrato come from your elbow. Sure, ignorant people don't care, but people who know will call you on it.

As for love... I don't think I've ever known a mathematician who didn't love mathematics on some level. Like being a professional violinist, it's just too time-consuming to do if you don't already love it. So far as I can glean by observing my teacher, when you reach a certain point, it's all you do, all you think about. Hours disappear in the mathematics library and a poster of a Stradivarius can attract your attention from a shop window across the street...

I feel all warm and fuzzy inside. Now, if only I could get my hands to feel the same, I might actually be able to practice today. I was very tempted to try practicing while I was at Heathrow, but I can very shy sometimes.

From Ben Clapton
Posted on December 22, 2004 at 11:38 PM

try putting your hands in a bowl of warm water then drying them with a warm towel (not sure how to get that though, put it in the oven? or the dryer).

I was confused by your comment on vibrato from the elbow, because that is what I do, like a mini shift each time. My teacher says this is the best type of vibrato because it is possible to move straight into vibrato from a shift, where-as with wrist vibrato, you need to shift, then vibrato. it isn't one continuous movement, therefore it can never be continuous.

DOn't be ashamed about cuddling your violin. I love my violin (even if it isn't my own) and couldn't imagine anything happening to it.

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December 22, 2004 at 4:14 PM

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