Elgar Technique & Double Stops

So a few realizations occurred while practicing


Elgar Mov. 1:
For the main Melody, there are four very important things -

1. Rhythm - Being very precise & in control of the Rhythm is important to keep it (main melody) flowing .. being in 9/8 means you nead to count the 8ths and it's got 3 beats ..
2. Flat Fingered is good - Particularly for the main melody, but really for just about the whole thing ... it creates the mood/tone and lets you control the texture a lot more, plus is essential for getting a big sound ... only with those crazy upward scale runs is it a good idea to curved (maybe)
3. Bow pressure/arm weight determines a lot of the sound ... also attack ... I've tried focusing on speed/distribution before and was not having success ... it's partially because I was missing this, and partially because...
4. Bow placement - as in proximity to fingerboard/bridge ... regardless of what you do in certain areas, it's impossible to create some of the textures (particularly the lighter/more ethereal ones necessary for a lot of it...)
5. For those ending Pizz, the string has to be firmly stopped, and it needs a firm, strong attack with the thumb - a minimal amt. of vibrato after the note has rung is useful


Now for double stops -

I was doing my usually barred 5ths and discovered 2 things: 8ths are easy, triplets are hard (not for long!) ... 16ths are next ..... Next thing ... Do some freakin' ear training with this things ... otherwise there's no point ... pull out the top line & the bottom, switch randomly, and hear them as one unit & know every note being played ... it's all about the mapping of the fingers and the ear ...

That's all for now ... got to get something to drink ... it's waaaay hot in here...