February 9, 2006 at 11:41 PM

I had lessons yesterday. My teacher made me think. And I have realized something: I still have a lot of work to do on Haydn.

I also learned a thing or two, such as don't play Schradieck too fast.

It's all scales and fun in the beginning, but the arpeggios in the bottom third of the exercise nearly killed me. I was forced to stop and play it at a more reasonable tempo.

However, the good news is that I am feeling the "sticky, taffy" stuff in my bowing during this exercise.

I am to work on my Kreutzer etude again this week, and boy is it anoying. Who can honestly trill well with their fourth finger? Oh well, I worked on it a LOT last week and got it up to an intermediate level (if there is such a thing). I'm working on my form this week.

I have tension in my jaw, as discovered by Dr. Eanes. It is just another problem I have to work on.

I recently had the priviledge of meeting another one of my teacher's students. He is a junior in college, and I am a junior in high school. Anyways, he's playing the third movement of Bruch for a concerto competition next wednesday, and I have been able to hear him play twice.

So, hearing him play bruch made me want to go through it. I learned it last year, and it wasn't up to par, but looking through it a couple of days ago made me realize how far I have improved in only a short time.

Anyways, I have discovered the importance of practice not just scales, but double stopped scales.

lol, my thirds and sixths have gotten much better, now.

And fifths are VERY difficult to play in tune. I always end up putting my finger more on one string than the other instead of directly in-between.
argh

school is busy. I dislike AP classes.

From Carley Anderson
Posted on February 10, 2006 at 2:34 PM

I one-hundred percent agree with you about fifths. One of my instructors says they are very easy, but Petia (my teacher) says they are hard...what makes them so hard????! GRrr!

From Mikhail Lobko
Posted on February 10, 2006 at 4:48 PM

problem with fifths;
1) change all of 4 strings
they are out of order,
2) have finger board checked
by professional violin maker,
concave of finger board can be wrong,
Google on mikhail lobko read and play "Concept and Study for the Violinist"
about finger work look for page "general advice".
good luck

From Kimberly Syvertsen
Posted on February 10, 2006 at 5:13 PM

Wow! Fourth finger trills are tricky stuff... yay for you for covering the bases and giving it a go!
I hear ya with the jaw thing... there are physical therapy exercises you can do to prevent TMJ. Do you ever experience any popping sensations in your jaw?
Best,
KS

From Natasha Marsalli
Posted on February 11, 2006 at 12:32 PM

I do! What should you do to prevent it?

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February 9, 2006 at 11:41 PM

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