Do extensions actually make sense? And a clean crisp attack on every note..

So two things came from my most recent practice ...

First, it's challenging to get a clean, strong, crisp attack on every note, and I noticed in particular, that when I'm shift back (especially to the fourth finger), my LH goes out of alignment/I collapse my wrist, and if it's an up-bow it always sounds muddy ... So there's a challenge to work towards

Second, I was thinking about Feuermann and his left hand technique & I remember that he didn't use extensions ... so I thought I'd give it a try while doing A major (regular scale, and 3rds) ... what I realized is this: the extension is essentially stretching between the 1st and 2nd finger and then moving the thumb/whole hand up a half step. Essentially this is taking you out of a closed hand position and causing tension between the first and second fingers just so you can move ... so why do you need it ... Why not just move the hand up a half step, since that's what you're doing anyway?? The one justification I can see for extensions at this point is minor third double stops or other things of the sort, but otherwise, I'm thinking they are in fact counter-productive and actually make playing harder ... I'm going to check out some vids. of some cellists and see what they do ... I know DuPre definitely uses them in the Elgar, and I think that might be related to the attack & not creating a new loud attack in the middle of a slurred phrase ...

Edit: I've got the following

Greenhouse about Feuermann: He discussed and demonstrated the technique of the left hand in a completely new way, minimizing the use of extensions. Before him old-school German teachers like Klengel and Becker relied much more upon extensions, which required that you practice eight hours a day in order to build up enormous strength and endurance. With Feuermann the left hand was supple and moved freely. He showed me the technique of how to get around the instrument with minimal effort, taking advantage of arm weight when fingering.

Brinton Smith about Feuermann: Feuermann's hand only extends just before certain shifts or before playing a rapid passage requiring extensions, and it is returned to the 'natural' position whenever possible.

....

More Brinton Smith: Feuermann's vibrato seems very much produced by a 'whole hand' motion. While the fingers besides the one stopping the string are raised off the string, they come up only slightly and remain close to each other in the 'natural' Feuermann hand position. When Feuermann vibrates in thumb position, the thumb is not pressed down into the string but remains on top of the string, making light contact.

You can definitely see those in Greenhouse's technique ... I'm gonna make an effort to incorporate them as well...

Extraneous Noises & Collapsed Wrist

So, thank you to Mr. Carl Maria Von Weber ... while practicing his piece (and a very focused practice - this is what I should be doing all the time!), I noticed two things:

1. I have lots of extraneous bow noise, and so I worked for a good 20 minutes on about 4 measures ... by the end, it was mostly gone
2. I tend to collapse my Left wrist a lot, thus making it harder to play and reducing the quality of my tone ... it doesn't feel as secure when I consciously try to change it, but I'm pretty sure that that's just because I'm not used to it ... this came up back when I did the Alexander workshop too...

Also ... slow practice for intonation is essential before moving on to other aspects ... I find it tends to be what I focus on the most, and so it hampers me the most if I don't have it down!

In general, I need to pay more attention to bow distribution and practice playing more in the middle of the bow (at the balance point), and eventually at the tip...

Equal Power of Attack

So how do you gain equal power of attack at the frog & the tip ... a lot of the answer has to do with the shoulder ... it initiates everything, it has to be loose and you almost throw it into your stroke ... I realized that from watching Tortelier: http://youtube.com/watch?v=VWWbcvlQGm4 ... it gives you a really powerful/sharp attack ... from there it's all about balance and keeping the bow straight ...

Hi Wrist vs. Low Wrist & A Stiff Left Thumb

I finally actually really understand what Mr. O was saying with the High Wrist vs. Low Wrist ... I finally get it ... the breakthrough came from a combination of watching a Tortellier masterclass where he says you have to have the same power of attack at the tip as the frog & from working on Dotzauer Etude #4 and struggling to add the bounce in ... which led to me thinking about how I used to get it, and how I used to get the bounce in the bourees from Bach Suite 3 ... then I though about initiating the stroke with the middle two fingers, then I started doing double stop open string exercises, and took the music away, and it all clicked ... I finally completely get it...

So Low Wrist is when (at the tip) the wrist is lower than elbow level ... high wrist is when it's higher than elbow level ... apparently some people like the high wrist approach ... I think it's been the most debilitating aspect of my bow technique, and I'm so glad I've finally consciously identified it, so that I can go back to the way I used to bow (in that regard) and go forward to developing good bow technique.

General principles for bowing:
-Elbow is like a door hinge
-Motion of the bow arm is like snake

These were like 2 of the very first things anybody ever told me about bowing ...

Also, I figured out why I've suddenly developed a tea-cup pinky in my left hand technique (this was confusing the crap since the beginning of this week) ... the answer: not bending my thumb...

So there we go ... 2 major problems solved ... This has been such an amazing day of practice ... can't wait for tomorrow ...

Weber!

So getting ready for Summit, I took my first read through the Weber! Man I have got my work cut out for me! (not in an overwhelming way, but it's a good challenge) ... only doing the Scherzo & the Finale (b/c we've previously done the other too) ... the scherzo is pretty easy for the most part ...

It's the Finale that's the challenge, and it's challenging in a fun, I can really get into practicing this, kind of way ... I feel certain that with enough work, I can have it under my fingers ... and wow did my Elgar 1st movement get so much better from practicing the Weber!! That's freakin' cool!

Done 4 hours today so far..

Flat vs. Curved Fingers

So recently, I've taken to playing on my finger tips a lot ... and the great thing to that approach is that you get a very focused pitch ... the not great thing is that you can not get a big sound & that in order to do so, you have to force a lot ...

So I had a bit of a epiphany & returned one step closer to where I used to be ... Slow scales = flat finger ... this means wider vibrato + better sound (hence why double stops were so relaxing), plus helps w/ callous building (it seems) ... fast stuff is on the fingertips (I swear I really just need to study w/ Mr. O again ... I wish I had the money to do something like that ...)

Speaking of which, I'm really missing my teacher/taking lessons in general ... I can't wait to get back to it ... can't wait to really explore the advanced rep ... I'm making good progress with Elgar ... I feel like I'm really accomplishing something ... like I'm capable of learning on my own ... I definitely still need more guidance though, and I realize that more and more as I progress ...

So far my practice time is averaging 3 hours a day for this week ... I'm gonna push that up & keep pushing ... Relaxed technique and focus is the key!

Can't wait for Summit...

Double Stops are now Mandatory

In 1 hour, I think I did more with barred 5ths and minor 6ths than I've done in my last 2 4 hr practice days ... they're mandatory from now on ... all the time ... just 1.5 weeks until Summit ... which means I have to be really amazing by next week ... so much work ... it will be worth it...

Edit: They also force me to breathe and relax/release tension in a way that other exercises do not ... I think they're the key to pushing myself to the next level...

Also Edit: I emailed Steven Isserlis about a composer that I can't seem to find any information on or proof that he exists (besides that I've played one of his piano trios) ... and ... he actually emailed me back ... apparently he doesn't know anything about him either, but still, my favorite cellist emailed me back ... how cool is that

He's also playing in NYC on my birthday ... that is going to be beyond amazing...