The sevcik exercises, for example, will only help me if i play them intelligently and work to emphasize what each section is trying to utilize. For example, much of what this particular exercise has been used for up to now is building impulse in the left hand, but today this was expanded into new areas. Each passage in the Sevcik builds in cromaticism and has a coinciding hand/finger pattern in order to play each passage. The point of this is to be able to utilize the shape of the hand regardless of where one must play on the instrument and begin to recognize note patterns that can correspond with particular hand shapes.

Also, we discussed how there are areas of weakness in intonation, but that this can be remedied by looking for notes that will resonate with particular open strings. This is another technique that will only become stronger through slow, deliberate practice.

Finally, we spent the remaining time on the Clarke Passacaglia. While I have made improvement on the piece there is still much that must be done to improve the musicality of it and truly bring it to life. For starters, it is necessary to increase the tempo, as too slowly and the passages will drag and the second half will become sloppy where particular slurred sections have been marked.

I am still having difficulty with the triple stops and to remedy this the lowest notes in a few of them have been marked out. I will concentrate on working on these parts as they are now notated, but I still want to work towards being able to play them clearly, completely, and competently.

The piece itself does not have very many dramatic changes in dynamic and its softest part happens to be on the lowest string, which for a viola is difficult in itself to really do (like playing softly in the upper register for flute). it's not impossible, but to maintain the quality of the tenutos I think I'm going to keep the pianississimos at more of a piano range. To make up for the fact that dynamics are going to be changed slightly texture becomes extremely important: what can I do in certain areas to create a dynamic feeling from section to section? This is the question I will be trying to work out in the Clarke over the next few days.

Just over a week to prepare for my goal--no time to lose.

That's all for now.

Primarily, we discussed how to play certain passages and what finger patterns produced the best quality or tone for the passage. Each area must be individually examined in a piece of music to decipher how it is best played, and there is always more than a single method. I have to have a close reading of sorts of the Passacaglia and figure out how best to finger the notes in order to maintain overall structure as well as continuity. To speak of it more artistically, the piece of music can only be brought to life if I make the effort to truly understand it.

The Passacaglia:

When I first examined it, I only thought of it in its strict definitive terms as described by the Grove Dictionary. Technically speaking, a passacaglia is a piece of music (traditionally a dance style often associated with the chaconne) that is closely related to the theme and variations style of composition. Structurally it contains tetrachords and suspensions (producing the dissonances often associated in the harmonic texture of the piece) in its melodic sections.

entry on "The Inner Game of Tennis" still to come.

As it is now just past midterms, the first business was to discuss the past recording and what goals should be set for the rest of the semester. Since this part does not concern actual performance and improvement, I'll leave it at that, with a mention to a possible "mini" recital towards early december.

Summary of decided improvement: Control over the notes as a whole. I am able to better play and bring out each note while maintaining a sense of autonomy for each. There has been an overall improvement in intonation and technique. More improvement is still necessary in flexability in the fingers for faster passages as well as the more technical aspects that have been worked on so far.

Reiteration of impulse: This technique has aided two main forms of technique--vibrato and shifting. Mastering impulse will help the overall flow of the arms, left hand, and fingers, allowing the entire area to be more flexible. By association, the right hand will carry over such properties once the feeling becomes natural.

Process of Mental Technique:

Unconscious Incompetence-not being aware of not knowning.

(Discovery)->

Conscious Incompetence-being are of not knowing.

(Learn)->

Conscious Competence-being aware of knowing.

(Apply and Master)->

Unconscious Competence-able to perform knowledge without conscious thought.

(Mastery)

Eccles: Will continue to work through the piece to improve breathing techniques. Begin a slow process of humming--maintain without breaking the breath. This also helps with identifying breathing points. Continue impulse control and work-up the final cadenza.

Clarke: Start reading over the Passacaglia, but leave significant work until next week.

Part two of this entry--to be written:

Definition of Passacaglia and its evolution (how it is used in this modern adaptation) as well as how it should be played. Personal Response to "The Inner Game of Tennis."

That's all for now.

Scale and A string: The 3 octave scale is now isolated on the A string in a pattern of C(2)-D(3)-E(1)-F(2) and then descending. Also the simpler D-E-D (3-1-3) pattern. The emphasis is in the new finger (the 1, ascending and the 3 descending); there is still work to be done to create a more even even quality in the shift. This shift is a technical shift, as opposed to expressive, in regards to the quality of the shift--the technical one is meant to hide the shift more, present a clean transition; the expressive shift can be drawn out, pulled if you will. A new note concerning posture (at least for A string) is widening the stance of the left arm to create a longer and more straight angled line in the arm and wrist. The feeling of this new stance is rather strained at the moment--my shoulder isn't used to the more stretched feeling. However, it helps prevent the left hand from bunching up and pronating.

In the R.V. Williams, impulse is used to create a strong vibrato at the offset of each note and lessen the effort needed to maintain the vibrato. Using the flat of the bow allows for the notes to be sustained. In II, a more expressive vibrato and shift, though alternated, are used to create different effects in the piece.

Eccles: The only change in the piece is in the last movement, where the bow is now limited to a section in the middle area closer to the bridge. This creates a heavier sound quality and helps with the rapidity of the notes--a very good thing as the tempo of the movement is going to be increased.

That's all for now.

The process used to strengthen impulse control is first, impulse exercise on each finger separately, then alternating fingers. Next is to bring the feeling of the previous excercise into the sevcik shifting exercise. The third step is to take the feeling of impulse in shifting and apply it to scales--this then leads into repertoire.

The other part of the lesson was a review of working into shifting with the bow changes. Shifts can be delayed and bowings broken in order to coordinate the two practices. The next step is to turn the shift into a glissando of sorts and to make sure that it occurs on the bow change. More work is required in this area.

Logging out.

1)Technique/shifts
2)Technique/posture
3)Repertoire

In the analysis of my shifting, three applicable reasons arose to explain the over and under shooting of the shifts. They are pressure, speed, and impulse.

By having too much pressure, the fingers will drag and under shoot and conversely, if too little pressure is applied, the fingers will over shoot. Creating a mental image of "up and out" for the up shifts eleviates the problem of pulling the instrument down by using too much pressure in the main fingers.

Speed is self-explanatory in that if the speed is not consistant, then there will be drag and overshooting occurring within the shift. This directly leads to impulse.

A steady rhythm, pulse, whatever one may call it, must be mentally and physically present in order for the shifts to move smoothly. The shift up and the shift down should have identical impulse, as well as identical speed (the two concepts are interconnected). As long as the instrument remains parallel, the same can be said for a pressure constant.

A side note to this is that I should not beat myself up over messing up notes and shifting. Self-esteem and musicality improve if I tell myself that I'll get it next time, think about it, and work out my problem. Masking the problem by trying to fix it and getting upset wastes valuable time and effort, as well as creating a negative self-image.

Posture and breathing were the second part of the lesson. While there has been significant improvement in posture, my breathing has brought out a new habit to being practicing. My breathing becomes rather constricted, so what I must do is to practice a breathing technique to fill up my abdoman and not raise my shoulders (as this ultimately tightens the muscles). I might actually try some form of meditation in order to help improve my breathing technique. The piece of music that has been identified for this purpose is the sonata by Eccles.

The final part is new repertoire. Rebecca Clarke's Passacaglia has been selected as the last of the pieces to work on. Today, we briefly worked through the Vaughan Williams English Studies and marked bowings and fingerings into the first study.

The rep list is V.W. English Folk Song Studies, Hoffmeister Concerto in D Major, Rebecca Clarke's Passacaglia, and the Sonata in G minor by Eccles.

That's all for today.

-Jesse