Hi Olivia and Bohan, here is your homework:
Olivia,
Really good progress with the violin. It shows you are practicing daily. Thank you for a really good lesson!
Good start on “Fellowship of the Rings.” Goal: concentrated, focused sound. Try for a pretty constant sounding point, parallel to the bridge.Remember to pronate your forearm from the middle to the tip.
Skye boat Song ( drones)
Tip: more bow weight on open strings. Listen for resonance on the 3rd finger G ( D string) and 3rd finger D ( A string). Place 3rd finger on string lightly ( harmonic) and then gradually add more weight . Left thumb needs to be lose, lightly touching the neck of the violin.
He’ s a Pirate
Finger pattern: 3rd and 4th finger close. Rhythm is better.
Also keep practicing ” my heart will go on.” It uses two finger patterns: On D string, second and third finger are close ( f#- g) and on E string, first and second finger are close ( f#-g). Also practice g major scale in two octaves.
Practice a couple of finger patterns /songs/scales a day to get used to using different finger patterns.
Bowing exercise: ( without the violin ) : dropping bow on the left arm and lifting the bow with the little finger. Practice this a few minutes each day and it will strengthen your little finger and help with pronation.
Sorry about last week’s post. Missed clicking a button, so it wasn’t posted.
Next lesson, we will review finger pattern 3: first and second finger close and practice c major scale and arpeggio.
Looking forward to seeing you Sunday!
Bohan,
Thank you for working hard in your lesson and for being patient with all the details and terminology of Baroque style. It is important to know these in order to play the music of the Baroque correctly, especially Bach. I know that at first the many rules of Baroque interpretation can be a bit overwhelming and the style confusing. What you see on the page is not how the music is actually played. That takes some getting used to…so be patient. Bach is a cerebral composer, very intellectual! Though it is a bit challenging ( especially the fugues) it is worth the effort. Studying Bach with the accurate bowings ( detache, martele and staccato bow strokes), will improve your violin playing a lot, both technically and musically.
A few tips for the Bach Double: practice slowly, only a few bars at a time. Focus on proper bowing and intonation. 15 min of focused practice will go a long way.
Practice only the following bars: 1) ( bars 1 to 5) The opening theme ( subject) is very important in the second violin! The first 16 th notes are played with an expressive detache bow stroke, the 8th
notes leaping intervals with an accented detache bow stroke. Before you practice Bach, practice the detache bow strokes in Kreutzer study no 2. ( 8 bars).
2) (bars 5 to cadence in bar 8 ) countersubject. Play the countersubject slowly enough so you can hum the theme ( played in the first violin). During the long held notes, think 16th notes.
Know what notes/rhythm are played in the Violin 1 solo violin part. In this section you accompany the violin 1 solo part. When you feel you got it, then try playing along with the recording of the violin 1 solo part ( on your phone). Tempo is 75 to quarter note.
3) (bars 25 to 30) first solo passage: practice with martele bow stroke. The 8th notes need a sharp attack, especially on the E string.
Tip: martele bow stroke: pressure- release. The string crossing is part of the bow stroke. Bow is closer to bridge on high notes. Practice 3 bars of Kreutzer study no 9.
Also practice the accented detache bow stroke: accent- decay. Practice 8 bars of Kreutzer study no 2. A few minutes of practice on each bow stroke, several days/week will be good.
You only need to practice these few bars of the Bach Double for now. The subject and solo passages re-appear throughout the movement, so if you can play the bow strokes well in the theme and first solo, then you are well on your way to being able to play the piece. Hope this helps.
Away from your violin: Please also listen to the piece on youtube and your phone. Try to learn what is going on in the solo Violin 1 part as well as your part. There is a lot of dialogue going on between the two solo violins. See how the musical parts intertwine… happy practicing!
Next lesson, we will play through ” prayer” . So please listen to Celine Dion and Andras Bocelli on youtube. I will also bring a new piece for you with nice melodies.
Sorry about last week’s homework post. Missed clicking a button, so it wasn’t posted.
Looking forward to seeing you Sunday!