Tuesday, January 5, 2010

Dotzauer #4

Youtube Link: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bXCeIQBIXJ8
Grade: D
Comments: Tempo inconsistent, could be faster. RH & LH Articulation could be cleaner/more synchronized.

This is a fun etude, and unfortunately I spent not enough time on it (what else is new?). I really didn't account for New Years, but I didn't get started on this etude until Saturday or Sunday... needless to say, not enough time to prepare, and the video has me rushing in parts ... I did gain a lot from doing it though ... there's a lot of hidden techniques in this.

What do I mean by that? Well for one thing, this etude makes you switch between flat & curved fingers (b/c of the open strings and the broken 5ths) ... you also have to have thirds prepared, you have to be able to do staccato triplets at whatever given tempo you're doing, you have to be able to do triplet staccato string crossings fluidly, etc.

Every single piece of music we ever work on has something of this sort - technical aspects that aren't immediately observable on the surface. This is why we do technique - so when we encounter these hidden bits, we can automatically tackle them.

I tried to differentiate between on-string & off-string staccato this time (based on a comment I got on Dotzauer #3) ... I was starting to get it by then end ... I literally spent all my practice time today on this etude ...

In terms of memorization, I worked backwards about 3/4 of the way & then did the rest forwards - psychologically, this was a great way to approach it, because there's this feeling of relief that comes from working on the last quarter forward.

I've added a criteria to the rubric for tempo.

I'm so glad I don't have to make another one of these vids for a week!



Rubric:
F - Failed to memorize notes and bowings within one week.
D - Notes and bowings are memorized, and piece is performed completely through without any stops or wrong notes (multiple attempts are acceptable).
C - Notes and bowings are memorized, and piece is performed completely through without any stops or wrong notes (multiple attempts are acceptable). Correct Bow Distribution is present. Tempo is steady.
B - Notes and bowings are memorized, and piece is performed completely through without any stops or wrong notes (multiple attempts are acceptable). Correct Bow Distribution and Articulation & Dynamics are present. Tempo is stead.
A - Notes and bowings are memorized, and piece is performed completely through without any stops or wrong notes on First Try. Correct Bow Distribution and Articulation & Dynamics are present. Tempo is steady.

3 comments:

Claudia said...

Wow, I am so impressed by the speed of this! Had you ever played it before this week? I wish I could play that fast.

Were you happy with the bow distribution you used? I ask because it looked good to me (but I am by no means an expert!) but you only scored yourself a D. Maybe you are too hard on yourself!

-Claudia

Mike Lunapiena said...

I would have to go rewatch it & see, but I think I probably still played too much in the lower half of the bow (as opposed to the middle, where almost the whole etude is supposed to be played).

I didn't keep a consistent tempo - sometimes I rushed, so that's part of why I gave myself a D ... plus there are just some parts that are plain sloppy (like the very beginning!)

in the case of this series, there's no such thing as grading myself too hard ... The harder I grade myself, the more I grow

Also, here's my understanding of grading:

F=Failed
D=Below Average
C=Average
B=Above Average
A=Exceeds Expectations

So C would mean I'm playing it at the level that most cellists who graduated college/conservatory & studied music would be playing it at ...

My idea of A is that I'm playing it on a professional concert cellist level (which is really hard to attain in one week)

Thanks for checking it out!

Mike Lunapiena said...

I forgot to answer one of your questions - I have played this before & it was one of my favorites of the ones I had played ... I couldn't play it that fast previously.