Thursday, July 17, 2008
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 ...
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 ...
Wednesday, July 16, 2008
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..
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...
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...
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...
Saturday, July 12, 2008
Less than three is worthless
Lots to blog about ... so here goes ...
Firstly, I've decided that less than 3 hours of daily practice is worthless ... to clarify, I don't mean that as a judgement of anyone else's playing or practicing, I only mean it related to mine. I also don't mean that I have the option between practicing 1-2 hrs or not at all that I'm not going to practice at all. What I mean, is that I don't really improve substantially with less than 3 hours & I'm not going to become amazing unless I put in at least 3 hours a day ... I averaged 3 hours a day last month ... so far I'm averaging less than that this month...
In a lot of ways, my cello playing is the best it's ever been - mechanically, consistency, understanding of tension, breathing - what's still lacking is this: speed, tone, callouses ... these things are literally all related, and all just a matter of how much time I put in ... they're also what's holding me back from saying that I'm playing at my very best ... actually, there's one more thing: rate of progression ... back in high school, I was constantly making tremendous leaps and progress ... I am working on getting back to that point, and I have 2 weeks to do it ... I need to go to Summit and play amazingly and impress people .. or at least be able to to hold my ground compared to the other really amazing players ... I'm on the road to that, but I'm not there yet... I also need to be able to go back to school 3 weeks after that and be one of the best in the department. There's no reason I can't, and it will really help raise the level (hopefully) & I'm a senior at this point ... people are going to form their opinions of the department based off of what I & the other upper-classmen show that they're capable of ... I also know that if I go in with a strong practice system, then I'll stick to it and possibly even go beyond it, but if I come in having slacked off, then it will be a wasted year, and given that I want to go to conservatory for grad that would be a tremendously bad thing...
Next on the list is Etudes ... been working through the Dotzauer Etudes lately, it's incredibly fun! Great way to work on sight-reading and technique at the same time ... when I get through them, I'm going to get back to working on Popper, since that covers the intermediate (in pitch, not difficulty!) region of the cello
I've been doing my video series for about a month now ... been getting some pretty positive feedback, and a good number of views ... it's great to get a chance to see what I'm doing and how I'm progressing ... and I'm realizing that the quality of my improv is largely determined by my technique & how much I've practiced... I also now no longer have an amp :( ... hopefully at the end of summer I'll be buying a very pretty (read: amazing) one...
Practicing Intervals - I now understand why cellists practice 3rds & 6ths in particular ... so I'm starting to work on Mm 3rds, 6ths, 7ths ... I do this as a chromatic exercise (which I'm also doing with scales now ... ie I go up a half step for scale choice each day ... I need to practice modes more and get more familiar with jazz chords...
Teaching: Emily Wright suggested a "drill sargeant" approach to working with students ... I'm glad she did ... I'm realizing that the really amazing lessons I've had have utilized this approach to some extent, and I've gotten some really positive feedback from my students (who've all been practicing more than they used to) ... also, I've come up with "Say It While You Play It" ... whenever my younger students are doing a technical exercise, or learning a new piece, I make them do things like say the note names out loud or count out loud & tell them to say it while you play it ... it rhymes, which they delight in pointing out & I think it's very important to be able to do these two things at once ... I was first turned on to this by Jordan Rudess and his Online Conservatory... teaching is one of the most rewarding/fulfilling things in the world...
Goals (for the next 2 weeks):
1. Develop amazing technique and tone
2. Read through all the Dotzauer exercises & be able to play them at tempo
3. Be able to play the 2nd movement of the Elgar at tempo
4. Be able to play a good chunk of the first movement of Saint-Saens at tempo
5. Develop a stronger knowledge of modes & chords and incorporate that into my improvisations
It's a lot, but I know I can do it!
I want to write more in general, but I've been having tendon problems, and have determined that those are being caused from computer use ... so I need to cut down on it ( and remember to stretch and take breaks and avoid soda!!!)...
That's all for now...
Oh, and please check out my improv series here: http://www.youtube.com/mlunapiena01
Firstly, I've decided that less than 3 hours of daily practice is worthless ... to clarify, I don't mean that as a judgement of anyone else's playing or practicing, I only mean it related to mine. I also don't mean that I have the option between practicing 1-2 hrs or not at all that I'm not going to practice at all. What I mean, is that I don't really improve substantially with less than 3 hours & I'm not going to become amazing unless I put in at least 3 hours a day ... I averaged 3 hours a day last month ... so far I'm averaging less than that this month...
In a lot of ways, my cello playing is the best it's ever been - mechanically, consistency, understanding of tension, breathing - what's still lacking is this: speed, tone, callouses ... these things are literally all related, and all just a matter of how much time I put in ... they're also what's holding me back from saying that I'm playing at my very best ... actually, there's one more thing: rate of progression ... back in high school, I was constantly making tremendous leaps and progress ... I am working on getting back to that point, and I have 2 weeks to do it ... I need to go to Summit and play amazingly and impress people .. or at least be able to to hold my ground compared to the other really amazing players ... I'm on the road to that, but I'm not there yet... I also need to be able to go back to school 3 weeks after that and be one of the best in the department. There's no reason I can't, and it will really help raise the level (hopefully) & I'm a senior at this point ... people are going to form their opinions of the department based off of what I & the other upper-classmen show that they're capable of ... I also know that if I go in with a strong practice system, then I'll stick to it and possibly even go beyond it, but if I come in having slacked off, then it will be a wasted year, and given that I want to go to conservatory for grad that would be a tremendously bad thing...
Next on the list is Etudes ... been working through the Dotzauer Etudes lately, it's incredibly fun! Great way to work on sight-reading and technique at the same time ... when I get through them, I'm going to get back to working on Popper, since that covers the intermediate (in pitch, not difficulty!) region of the cello
I've been doing my video series for about a month now ... been getting some pretty positive feedback, and a good number of views ... it's great to get a chance to see what I'm doing and how I'm progressing ... and I'm realizing that the quality of my improv is largely determined by my technique & how much I've practiced... I also now no longer have an amp :( ... hopefully at the end of summer I'll be buying a very pretty (read: amazing) one...
Practicing Intervals - I now understand why cellists practice 3rds & 6ths in particular ... so I'm starting to work on Mm 3rds, 6ths, 7ths ... I do this as a chromatic exercise (which I'm also doing with scales now ... ie I go up a half step for scale choice each day ... I need to practice modes more and get more familiar with jazz chords...
Teaching: Emily Wright suggested a "drill sargeant" approach to working with students ... I'm glad she did ... I'm realizing that the really amazing lessons I've had have utilized this approach to some extent, and I've gotten some really positive feedback from my students (who've all been practicing more than they used to) ... also, I've come up with "Say It While You Play It" ... whenever my younger students are doing a technical exercise, or learning a new piece, I make them do things like say the note names out loud or count out loud & tell them to say it while you play it ... it rhymes, which they delight in pointing out & I think it's very important to be able to do these two things at once ... I was first turned on to this by Jordan Rudess and his Online Conservatory... teaching is one of the most rewarding/fulfilling things in the world...
Goals (for the next 2 weeks):
1. Develop amazing technique and tone
2. Read through all the Dotzauer exercises & be able to play them at tempo
3. Be able to play the 2nd movement of the Elgar at tempo
4. Be able to play a good chunk of the first movement of Saint-Saens at tempo
5. Develop a stronger knowledge of modes & chords and incorporate that into my improvisations
It's a lot, but I know I can do it!
I want to write more in general, but I've been having tendon problems, and have determined that those are being caused from computer use ... so I need to cut down on it ( and remember to stretch and take breaks and avoid soda!!!)...
That's all for now...
Oh, and please check out my improv series here: http://www.youtube.com/mlunapiena01
Tuesday, June 24, 2008
3 Concerts, a Website, and a Video Series Later...
So I've been keeping a ton of busy lately (and also have been drinking waaaay too much soda ... need to chill w/ that...)
In summary: went to 3 concerts, finally made a professional looking website, started a video improv. series, potentially have another student, potentially am doing duets, am reading through cello/piano music & have gotten in touch w/ some people who are also doing the Summit Music Festival ...
In more detail:
Iron Maiden: About time I saw them!! This was an amazing show, and brought back a lot of memories from when I was younger and first getting into metal (Hallowed Be Thy Name is particularly reminiscent of a lot of things!) ... It was my first time seeing Maiden, and they had a ton of energy ... their setlist was very standard, but also pretty perfect & it was great to get to watch their various orchestrations (they are one of the only bands where having 3 guitars doesn't actually seem obsessive). Bruce Dickinson was amusing to watch & ranted quite a bit btwn. songs ... at one point, the sound went out & they played soccer for about 10 minutes!! I thought it was a prank since Bruce had been ranting about Football vs. Soccer earlier that evening ... either way, very special, and I'm able to hear their music in new ways now ... got a lot of stuff of theirs that I don't listen to enough really, so I'm gonna try and cover that when I can ... I love the intellectual bent of so much of their music ... it's such a pleasure to see that...
The Cure: This falls under one of the most interesting concerts I've ever been too (it's also utterly bizarre that I saw 2 British Rock groups at MSG in the same week) ... first of all, the opening band, 65 Days of Static, was very creative & interesting ... very worth checking out ... The Cure was amazing ... they had a very full sound live - very bass driven, and I loved the vocals/the singer's look in general (though I later discovered he was wearing white face paint from watching a vid, but w/e ... it comes from a different time ... I'm more of the old school Metallica mentality of walk on in whatever the fuck you're wearing ...). I missed them having a keyboard player, especially since I had met Roger O'Donnel (previously the keyboard player) within the last year. The music was incredibly interesting though, especially given that I didn't know what to expect and I'm much more into this band now than I was before ... the venue staff were extremely irritating, but w/e, was still a great night ... also, they played for like 2 hrs. straight & then did 3 encores ... um, holy crap!
What I was even more amazed to discover though was how different they sound on cd/video ... um, they sounded much better live ... maybe it's just b/c I was all the way on stage right (which kinda sux ... much, much better view on stage left...)
Liquid Tension Experiment: The best concert of the 3 ... first, I ran into a high school friend there (well the day before and there, technically) ... but anyway, it was great to be back in BB Kings, especially after all these big venue shows (smaller venues are soooo much cooler) ... it was also incredible to be so close to the stage (like 5-10 feet back maybe) ... this show had one of the most intense energies from the crowd that I've experienced in a while ... it was so refreshing ... on top of that, getting to watch Tony Levin was an experience in itself (If you haven't heard of an instrument called the Chapman Stick, I suggest checking it out ... a whole new world of bass playing) ... as if that weren't enough though, you've got Jordan Rudess, John Petrucci & Mike Portnoy on the same stage ... I almost got to meet Tony/John after the show, but they went back in unfortunately ... now that I realize it's so easy to meet ppl at BB kings, I'm definitely staying after for any show I go to!!
They played a ton of songs I knew & some I didn't (I've never actually owned the Liquid Tension cds... must fix that) ... most importantly, they played State of Grace (a duet between Rudess & Petrucci, which I'm going to play on my senior recital as a cello/piano duet) ... I loved the more Jam-oriented bent of the material they played, and I think a lot of the stuff they did for this gig was a huge step up from Dream Theater (or at least exemplifies what I think some of the better aspects of Dream Theater are) ... there were some great improv parts, and apparently they jammed on Rhapsody in Blue for a bit, though honestly, I did not catch on to that ... but then again, I barely know what Rhapsody in Blue sounds like ...
It was really interesting to watch Jordan ... he seemed a bit stressed at first, and I think was having technical issues w/ his equipment or monitors or something ... the sound balance was really ... unbalanced ... very bass heavy, you lost the treble sometimes, which meant you lost JR at times :( you could catch him most of the time, and he was very watch-able (I mean I was like 5 feet away from him) ... some of the improv. moments in general were absolutely amazing and ambient & there was some great, incredibly technical playing from Portnoy ... it's great to see them all do this stuff, and go beyond just the Dream Theater style ... it's encouraging to see how much they can transcend that, but also how human they are ... really cool people & great musicians ...
Sooooo, now that the concerts over ... I've made a professional-looking website (finally!) ... you can view it here: http://mluna87.googlepages.com/ ... It's kind of in bare-bones mode for now (well a little past that), but will expand as I grow and expand ... I'm going to use it as an outlet for a lot of my teaching philosophies & ideas, as well as for articles on music and anything I can basically ... of course, I also have to not overlap it too much w/ the blog, so it will be a bit more formal ... tell me what you think ... tell me if there's any broken links too while you're at it :-P
And on to the video improv. series ... I can't even begin to think of all the different things that inspired this, but obviously Jordan Rudess' Piano Diary/Wizard's Log is one of them!! Anyway ... it's going to give me an outlet for all my improvisation & Electric Cello work & give me a chance to get a good look at my progress, as well as giving me the ability to show others what I do & work on playing metal on cello, along with developing my concept of improvisation & what the cello can do ... it's already gotten some pretty positive feedback, though I've been having some technical issues with YouTube ... check out the first video here: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=99a_qGcHphA
In other news, my first student who I don't have to drive to is coming over for a lesson tomorrow ... her name is Lynn & she's an adult beginner ... it's a pleasure to potentially have another adult student ... also, some good music reading in the near future, I think ...
Alright ... I think that post is long enough for now ... on to the next thing...
In summary: went to 3 concerts, finally made a professional looking website, started a video improv. series, potentially have another student, potentially am doing duets, am reading through cello/piano music & have gotten in touch w/ some people who are also doing the Summit Music Festival ...
In more detail:
Iron Maiden: About time I saw them!! This was an amazing show, and brought back a lot of memories from when I was younger and first getting into metal (Hallowed Be Thy Name is particularly reminiscent of a lot of things!) ... It was my first time seeing Maiden, and they had a ton of energy ... their setlist was very standard, but also pretty perfect & it was great to get to watch their various orchestrations (they are one of the only bands where having 3 guitars doesn't actually seem obsessive). Bruce Dickinson was amusing to watch & ranted quite a bit btwn. songs ... at one point, the sound went out & they played soccer for about 10 minutes!! I thought it was a prank since Bruce had been ranting about Football vs. Soccer earlier that evening ... either way, very special, and I'm able to hear their music in new ways now ... got a lot of stuff of theirs that I don't listen to enough really, so I'm gonna try and cover that when I can ... I love the intellectual bent of so much of their music ... it's such a pleasure to see that...
The Cure: This falls under one of the most interesting concerts I've ever been too (it's also utterly bizarre that I saw 2 British Rock groups at MSG in the same week) ... first of all, the opening band, 65 Days of Static, was very creative & interesting ... very worth checking out ... The Cure was amazing ... they had a very full sound live - very bass driven, and I loved the vocals/the singer's look in general (though I later discovered he was wearing white face paint from watching a vid, but w/e ... it comes from a different time ... I'm more of the old school Metallica mentality of walk on in whatever the fuck you're wearing ...). I missed them having a keyboard player, especially since I had met Roger O'Donnel (previously the keyboard player) within the last year. The music was incredibly interesting though, especially given that I didn't know what to expect and I'm much more into this band now than I was before ... the venue staff were extremely irritating, but w/e, was still a great night ... also, they played for like 2 hrs. straight & then did 3 encores ... um, holy crap!
What I was even more amazed to discover though was how different they sound on cd/video ... um, they sounded much better live ... maybe it's just b/c I was all the way on stage right (which kinda sux ... much, much better view on stage left...)
Liquid Tension Experiment: The best concert of the 3 ... first, I ran into a high school friend there (well the day before and there, technically) ... but anyway, it was great to be back in BB Kings, especially after all these big venue shows (smaller venues are soooo much cooler) ... it was also incredible to be so close to the stage (like 5-10 feet back maybe) ... this show had one of the most intense energies from the crowd that I've experienced in a while ... it was so refreshing ... on top of that, getting to watch Tony Levin was an experience in itself (If you haven't heard of an instrument called the Chapman Stick, I suggest checking it out ... a whole new world of bass playing) ... as if that weren't enough though, you've got Jordan Rudess, John Petrucci & Mike Portnoy on the same stage ... I almost got to meet Tony/John after the show, but they went back in unfortunately ... now that I realize it's so easy to meet ppl at BB kings, I'm definitely staying after for any show I go to!!
They played a ton of songs I knew & some I didn't (I've never actually owned the Liquid Tension cds... must fix that) ... most importantly, they played State of Grace (a duet between Rudess & Petrucci, which I'm going to play on my senior recital as a cello/piano duet) ... I loved the more Jam-oriented bent of the material they played, and I think a lot of the stuff they did for this gig was a huge step up from Dream Theater (or at least exemplifies what I think some of the better aspects of Dream Theater are) ... there were some great improv parts, and apparently they jammed on Rhapsody in Blue for a bit, though honestly, I did not catch on to that ... but then again, I barely know what Rhapsody in Blue sounds like ...
It was really interesting to watch Jordan ... he seemed a bit stressed at first, and I think was having technical issues w/ his equipment or monitors or something ... the sound balance was really ... unbalanced ... very bass heavy, you lost the treble sometimes, which meant you lost JR at times :( you could catch him most of the time, and he was very watch-able (I mean I was like 5 feet away from him) ... some of the improv. moments in general were absolutely amazing and ambient & there was some great, incredibly technical playing from Portnoy ... it's great to see them all do this stuff, and go beyond just the Dream Theater style ... it's encouraging to see how much they can transcend that, but also how human they are ... really cool people & great musicians ...
Sooooo, now that the concerts over ... I've made a professional-looking website (finally!) ... you can view it here: http://mluna87.googlepages.com/ ... It's kind of in bare-bones mode for now (well a little past that), but will expand as I grow and expand ... I'm going to use it as an outlet for a lot of my teaching philosophies & ideas, as well as for articles on music and anything I can basically ... of course, I also have to not overlap it too much w/ the blog, so it will be a bit more formal ... tell me what you think ... tell me if there's any broken links too while you're at it :-P
And on to the video improv. series ... I can't even begin to think of all the different things that inspired this, but obviously Jordan Rudess' Piano Diary/Wizard's Log is one of them!! Anyway ... it's going to give me an outlet for all my improvisation & Electric Cello work & give me a chance to get a good look at my progress, as well as giving me the ability to show others what I do & work on playing metal on cello, along with developing my concept of improvisation & what the cello can do ... it's already gotten some pretty positive feedback, though I've been having some technical issues with YouTube ... check out the first video here: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=99a_qGcHphA
In other news, my first student who I don't have to drive to is coming over for a lesson tomorrow ... her name is Lynn & she's an adult beginner ... it's a pleasure to potentially have another adult student ... also, some good music reading in the near future, I think ...
Alright ... I think that post is long enough for now ... on to the next thing...
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