She's Baaaack!

May 27, 2007 at 4:11 AM

M'lady returned to me tonight. After about three weeks off because of pain, a little more, I started a few days ago to play lightly again. This morning after realizing I'd already overdone it last night, I eased into tonight's jam. And for a little while at least, jam it will be.

So tonight I started in five minute increments. Then I did ten, then I just jammed for about 45. I decided to spend 'some' period of time trying to better bring everything I've worked on together a little. And loving to play as I do, tonight was excellent.

I'm finding I will play in a couple major modes so far, very light chamber, and with energy and intensiity. My "Air on G String" spoke silk for a few minutes there, and broad and more powerful for a few as well.

Beyond this I'm also finding that bringing it all together means bringing the instrument to the front, Milstein inspired lightness of hold bow, good relaxed tuck, and improving my note grabbing and arched bowing.

Actually I could imagine spending the next year just on these above. When the above are in place, the basic wrist vibrato is excellent. And experimenting with minimum and maximum bow speed and pressure is part of this entire image--sort of inferred already.

But most importantly, tonight the sometimes elusive playing with passion teased me for a few minutes. Tonight was cool.

From Pauline Lerner
Posted on May 27, 2007 at 5:16 AM

I'm glad you enjoyed it. I hope you have more experiences like that.

From Anne Horvath
Posted on May 27, 2007 at 3:03 PM

Mr. Al, it is really important to ease into playing after an injury layoff. Resist temptation to go haywire. An egg timer works wonders.

Also, what ever happened to your Hrimaly scales?

From Albert Justice
Posted on May 27, 2007 at 3:56 PM

I'm having to reorganize my program Anne. The scales Hrimaly will be a priority in that reorganization, but first I have to get the instrument to the front much more consistently, because it dawned on me that that was where the chronic nature of my inside left wrist issue is coming from. And when I'm just like doing my Wohlfahrt, scales and appregios etc.,as they exist, I tend to revert to holding the instrument too far to the left in looking at the music. Then when I start playing it remains there and the vibrato aggravates things.

Sooooo, I thought I'd just play for a few weeks in a remedial sense to try and address this. I also learned that my previous pace was just throwing me into my program every night without proper warm up because there is just so much to do. I have to address this too.

Though I would indeed start with 2 ocatave scales and arpeggios, it was with intensity and drive rather than focus and in the spirit of warm-ups. We shall see if my perceptions are correct.

Thanks Pauline--me too...

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She's Baaaack!

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