Category Lesson Notes
Up Against a Wall
Teacher was pleased with my bow hold alterations, so we are capitalizing on my ability to change at the moment – a major theme of yesterday’s lesson became corrections to my posture and mechanics of moving my bow arm. In order to accomplish what she had in mind, we located a bare wall (well, technically […]
It Takes Time to Learn to Gavotte
The new song is coming along – it’s a Gavotte, by Martini – there is a theme with about seven variations – the theme is definitely coming along, and I’m pushing through the variations. Yesterday I reached the spot where I can play through the whole thing, more or less. I’ve barely begun to memorize […]
A Milestone
My memories from when I played the violin as a child are limited and specious – I very much wish my recollections of those third through sixth grade years were stronger. But one thing that sticks well in the brains of humans is anticipation, and as a youngster, I definitely remember anticipating this important thing […]
Musical ABCs
We started in on the Progressive Scales book yesterday – a book by Linda Rose that’s all about teaching Music Proper. I had already started reading it – the book opens with a description of all of the scales, majors, minors, relatives, melodic, harmonic, natural (apparently some are considered enharmonic) – it’s all a bit […]
On Posture, with a Priorities Finish
When I was a child learning how to play the violin, I sat. I don’t remember any discussions of it at all – to sit or stand? Obviously orchestras sit down, so playing the violin while seated is fine. But Suzuki, in Book One, makes a point of a standing posture. He describes it, with […]
To Read Is To Spar
Wohlfahrt’s Opus 45 is a book of etudes – pieces composed for the technical skills they build in their players. So I assumed that’s why Teacher wanted me to get it – as a tool to help me improve my technical skills. But in yesterday’s lesson she told me that she has another quite concrete […]
I Love Books
Teacher gave me a shopping list last week. In addition to Suzuki Book Three (which I’ve already got and am listening to like a good Suzuki Kid), she recommended three supplements to the Suzuki series for this stage of my playing. They are books of exercises; they should arrive tomorrow. Based on the reviews online, […]
There Is No Finish Line
We made it through to the end of the Boccherini Minuet in Wednesday’s lesson, and with it the end of Suzuki Book Two. I love this minuet – it’s extremely fun to play, and, while challenging, the technical details are not such that I feel I won’t be able to make the piece sound OK […]
One on Two
“String hopping” is something I’ve done since the beginning – going from, say, the third finger position on one string to the third finger position on an adjacent string by lifting and putting it down again. That technique came up in one of the very first songs in Book One and has been a part […]
Boccherini
The final piece in Suzuki Book 2 is a minuet by Luigi Boccherini. The piece is exceptionally well-known – somehow I’ve had it coursing through my brain since childhood. I’ve hummed it for many years in the shower, on the bike, while running, doing dishes, and folding laundry. When I learned it was going to […]
Ryan Libel 