Violin Mastery Tips

How to Improve Tone

2009-07-01T11:26:00.000-05:00

It’s not often that I have dreams related to violin playing. Rather surprising, given the amount of time I spend thinking about it.

Last night was one of the exceptions that ‘proves the rule,’ though.

In it, my first violin teacher, by the name of Sybil Maxwell, was showing me a device for developing a straight bow arm. It was a strange contraption where a shuttle was moved back and forth on a horizontal track laying in front of us.

No, it’s not something I’m going to patent anytime soon.

Yet the dream did get me thinking about the bow arm. And just what needs to be in mind for the bow to move smoothly and efficiently from tip to frog.

The first thing that came to mind is sound. You really must be ‘hearing’ the tone you will produce BEFORE you even raise the instrument to your chin.

This is VERY important, especially as you begin learning the instrument or make changes in old habits.

Now, become aware of your breathing as you hear the note – I’m hearing, and breathing, a whole note ‘G’ as I write this.

OK, next you will raise the violin to playing position while you continue to hear that tone and breathe. As you do, you will also be holding in mind an image of the position you want to arrive at as well.

Remember to stay focused on breathing the whole time. This is your ticket to relaxation.

Now, the really challenging parts of the bow to handle well are the extreme frog and the extreme tip. As you bring your right hand toward the violin – up bow – there comes a point somewhere just after mid-bow where you the wrist begings to flex forward.

Soon after, perhaps 3/4s of the way up the bow, the upper arm must come into play. And this is the point where many folks begin to get into trouble.

The upper arm must move laterally, totally within the ‘plane of motion’ established by playing solely on the G string. So it goes laterally up, and then laterally back at the beginning of the next stroke.

And in order for the bow to remain straight your wrist will FLEX laterally in the same plan of motion.

If this is getting too complicated, my apologies, you’d do well to head back to month 1 of Violin Mastery Beginners Circle or Dynamic Breath Control for the pictures ‘worth a thousand words.’

Yet if you are with me, let’s forge ahead.

The next point of challenge comes in continuing the down bow. Remember that you are in one ‘plane of motion.’ And remember to breathe.

In others words, you want to relax, and think of pushing the bow horizontally away from the body – the hand, forearm and upper arm remaining in a 2 dimensional zone.

Well, this is getting long, now. I will say one last thing, however.

There IS a point, in down bows particularly, where the bow wants to ‘chatter’ on the string. I won’t go into WHY it happens because then we start in on physics, and who needs that right now.

What you need to now, however, is that you’re best shot at keeping this ‘chatter’ well below an audible level is by ‘thinking horizontal’, as I like to put it, and staying relaxed.

All the best,

Clayton Haslop

And Where THAT Leaves Relaxation

2009-06-27T12:06:00.000-05:00

This morning I further amplified something I’ve been doing in my practice for many years. And if you are working with one of my courses – and PRACTICING – I’m happy to say that you are doing it too.

And you might not even realize what it is.

But whatever it is, and I’ll get to it eventually, it doesn’t answer the question posed in your inbox today. Specifically, where does ‘timing is everything’ leave relaxation?

It doesn’t leave it. In fact, without relaxation there can be no timing. Not really.

You see, trying to time, or coordinate, the many precision movements the body makes to play without relaxation is about as hit or miss as duck hunting with a blindfold on.

So getting relaxed is something that by all rights should ‘go with the territory’ when it comes to violin playing.

When it comes to ANYTHING you are becoming effective at, in fact.

And what, may I ask, is the greatest single tool God gave us for staying relaxed. Why, the ability to breathe.

When I type and breathe, like right now, it sure feels good.

The only thing is, we – yea, you AND me – often forget what’s good for us. We forget how potent and important this gift of breath truly is.

Some folks are so forgetting, in fact, they won’t Consciously draw air into their lungs for weeks on end. They’re too busy loading up their shoulders with the weight of the world.

Well, if this is you, too, all you’ve got to do right now is chuckle, and then draw a nice, deep sweet breath of air all the way down to your toes. I bet you’re feeling an order of magnitude better.

All the best,

Clayton Haslop

P.S. Now, don’t let the following take your breath away. The Saleabration I’m having on my website right now WILL END in 36 hours. It’s way more than the time required to make a decision, and ACT.

Velocity 201

2009-06-26T11:16:00.000-05:00

Maybe you’re wondering, ‘what happened to Velocity 101,’ or, ‘I’ve got Velocity 201, I just can’t get myself quite up to Velocity 301, or X-01.’

The fact is, though, at times music calls for us to rise up off our backsides and haul arse, to put it poetically.

And 99% of violinists asked if they’d like to play with greater velocity and precision in fast tempos would answer ‘yes, most definitely’.

So here we go.

Preparation is everything.

And often we’re wasting much of that time trying to play fast too soon.

Sometimes it’s boils down to basic things, like taking the time to REALLY know the notes, where they fall relative to the beat – are you counting? – and whether we’ve considered all the fingering choices available.

There may be an issue with our left hand, the fingers not being out over the strings.

Or maybe we’re articulating too hard generally, or hitting harder with one digit than another.

Or our shifting isn’t dynamic and efficient – perhaps the left wrist is flexing during shifts, introducing inefficiency in the movement.

Or our bow stroking and string changing aren’t concise and knit to the movements of the left hand fingers.

Or we haven’t connected to the patterns and harmonic movements in the music that promote ‘flow.’

Yes, there are a lot of better ways to increase facility in fast passages other than by ‘running over them’ again and again.

And fortunately this kind of error is quickly shown the light of day when you begin practicing with my instructional DVDs.

All the best,

Clayton Haslop

P.S. In case you’ve just tuned in. Right Now there is a double-birthday Saleabration on at Violin Mastery; mine a few days ago, my daughter’s just ahead. I won’t say exactly which day hers is, but when it has passed this golden opportunity passes with it.

This Sale Is Just Sooo Grand

2009-06-21T11:54:00.002-05:00

Yes, I’m happy to report that the Saleabration is continuing; and thrilled to see so many taking excellent advantage of it - the post office in Sedona will be able to keep its doors open for at least one more week.

This morning I was reflecting on some the highlights from the past weekend’s master class. There were quite a lot, so it’s taken me the better part of the morning.

There was one, however, that really sticks out in my mind.

We were talking about that peculiar phenomenon where you can do something only if you Don’t think about it. Like vibrato for some.

The thing is, though, you DO want the pleasure of thinking about it, indeed upon everything you do on the violin. Doing an activity only whilst you think of something else is a pretty empty experience, I’d say.

The question is, how do you coax your attention on to something without freezing up solid.

Very interesting, really. One thing’s for sure, it isn’t going to happen unless one knows how to relax.

This is one reason I suggest that folks have water, a cup of tea, even a glass of wine handy while practicing – anything that spells relaxation in your mind when you put your attention to it.

As a matter of fact, I say it’d be a good idea to retrieve a glass of your favorite beverage to enjoy Right Now as you click over to the special Sale page I’ve got up on my website.

You won’t be able to grab so much for so little for a good while.

All the best,
Clayton Haslop

So What’s in a Bow Hold

2009-06-19T09:37:00.001-05:00

Pretty funny scene here. I’m seated in the library of a high school writing, and in walks my daughter, along with 20 or so compatriots, to rehearse their role in a Missoula Childrens Theatre production of ‘Princess and the Pea.’

They are ‘dust bunnies.’ Decibel level just went up about 12 fold.

Ok, concentrate.

Now, a good bow hold can be rather elusive, in spite of all the schools of thought that have developed over the years. In fact, what makes it elusive for many players has little to do with the shape or form of it.

Understanding how to use balance, friction, and tactility to control the bow is the real secret of the bow.

It’s a continual game – how to do more with less.

You see, challenging movements of the bow, if met with a clench, will spread tension right up the arm, into the shoulder, across the upper body, and even down the opposite side into the fingers of the left hand.

And the tone that comes out won’t be too good either.

Thus grasping the bow as if in a caress, with all the sensitivity this implies, is exceedingly important. And to do so one must never lose the ability to relax; I ‘breathe’ my bow hold in the same way I ‘breathe’ music.

There is no separation.

So when you find your right hand in a clench set the fiddle aside for a bit and get in touch with how you’re breathing – some very valuable help with this, and the specifics of a good bow hold position, may be found here. http://www.violinmastery.com/order_breathcontrol.htm

Once you get yourself breathing from your diaphragm allow the relaxation to flow up your torso and down your arms, right to the tips of your fingers.

When you pick up the bow again I think you’ll find things have changed for the better.

Just keep breathing as you set bow to string.

Now, you may be surprised to learn that, though my hand is as soft as fleece on the bow, my fingers are quite still; you will rarely even see my fingers flexing at bow changes. What you WILL see is a flexible wrist, elbow and shoulder joint.

These are the real heroes of a fluid bow arm.

Now, before I leave you I want to remind you to keep an eye on your inbox. Summer’s about to arrive in a big way.

All the best,

Clayton Haslop

P.S. Wow, I never knew that ‘dust-bunnies,’ those little balls of fluff you find under beds, could sing and dance. Pretty cool.

A Great Way to Enjoy Time

2009-06-16T12:20:00.000-05:00

Well, here I am. And I’m happy to report the master class went extraordinarily well over the weekend. Matter of fact I’d say it was, as promised, the best so far.

‘So what were the differences that made it so,’ you may be thinking.

Each time I conduct one of these I become clearer on how to best structure the class, how much to allow folks to play versus how much I demonstrate and explain.

This class went seamlessly and fluidly, covering virtually are aspects of violin playing in a way that could benefit many levels of playing.

That’s no small feat, me thinks.

In fact I was so inspired by what took place I’m thinking to celebrate the arrival of Fall with another one. So do stay tuned.

Now, one of the marvelous accomplishments of the class was bringing home what it means to ‘play in time.’ In order to fully enjoy playing the violin one must, after all, understand something of playing in time.

And as you yourself may feel, quite a number of players find this challenging to do, when the music starts filling up with black – you know what I’m talking about, the fear of getting behind or losing time when you’re confronted with difficult passages.

Most folks actually rush forward and get ahead of ‘the time’ when confronted with a lot notes. Fact is, there is more time than you think.

And that’s just for starters.

The trick to overcoming the tendency to lose track of time is the trick of learning how to breathe.

It’s the trick of truly learning how to take possession of the beat.

It’s the pleasure that comes from understanding and taking the time to enjoy the rich combination of pure, efficient movements that comprise violin playing.

Funny thing about the whole thing is, the more one enters into all the above, the more enjoyment and gratification gets extracted from each passing moment.

Well, that’s about all I have to say today. But before I go let me just leave you with this little tidbit. In a couple of days it will be celebration time for a couple of other reasons than the completion of a master class.

And I’m going to bring you into the celebration in a very SPECIAL way. Maybe you know what I’m getting at. In any case, don’t go far from your computer this week. You don’t want to miss what I’ve got heading your way.

All the best,

Clayton Haslop

P.S. This is a very unusual newsletter for me. I’m not even giving you a link to one of my unique courses and programs. ANOTHER reason you want to pay attention to your inbox.

Radical Acceptance

2009-06-10T13:38:00.000-05:00

In just two days, now I’ll be sequestered with a small group of violin doers looking deeply at the process of playing the violin. I wish you were going to be here.

There is, however, one concept that will be central to the weekend that I can share with you right here and now.

It’s the title of this newsletter.

The concept of personal acceptance is certainly not new; one can find it in any number of self-help books. What may be new, as it was for me, however, is to hear it paired with the adjective ‘radical.’

Yet to make real, substantive progress on the violin I think it very true that a radical acceptance of what is, in this moment, is essential.

To RADICALLY accept a way of playing something is to know it and take possession of it at a very deep level. The ‘wishful thinking’ type of violin playing gets checked at the door.

Radical acceptance implies owning up to and indeed taking possession of that which is, in an inspired and creative way.

Surprisingly, many violinists, those raised in a censorial environment particularly, have difficulty doing this.

The self-criticism born of this reaches such heights, in fact, that often fear and denial preclude any real creativity and enjoyment from the process; meaningful growth, as you can well imagine, quickly grinds to a halt.

Well, happily, this will not be the case for those spending the weekend with me. The violin, like life, is a game to be played for fun and enjoyment. And knowing ‘what is’ is just the first play in the game.

All the best,

Clayton Haslop

P.S. One of the secrets of practice is knowing how to find out what you really know versus what you fool yourself into thinking you know. For an intermediate player this secret is revealed in Kreutzer for Violin Mastery, my best-selling course to date.

Those Annoying Little Finger Sounds

2009-06-03T12:13:00.003-05:00

Just returned from the City of Angels last night. No recording sessions this time. Just a special screening of the movie ‘Up’ – for the orchestra – and some family time.

‘Up’ was indeed an up experience; a touching, genuinely funny, worthwhile way to spend a couple of hours.

And the music was more effective than even I thought it would be.

Anyway, this morning I took a look through emails piled up from the past days. A few came with questions. Here’s one you might find interesting and relevant to yourself.

"Hi Clayton. Greetings from Singapore!

"I received your Kreutzer for Violin Mastery (1+2) last week and started viewing them. From the intro, I read that you are willing to entertain our questions via email. I jumped with joy as I am currently without a teacher (though I do try to practice "with much thinking" 2 hours a day in addition to taking care of 2 young kids).

"Please enlighten me regarding my long-standing difficulties:

"1) e.g. first playing a G (first pos, D string) then a B (first pos, A string). Short, detache strokes. Somehow when I lift the 3rd finger (which corr. to the first note), it will make quite a very audible ring.

"I have seen this discussed on Youtube, but the answer didn't really help me.

"What is the fundamental technical flaw there? I always thought I was quite good in finger lifting, putting down and articulation in general.

Thanks for your help,
Renee

Ok, no problem. There are 2 possibilities here. Renee, either you are drawing your finger slightly sideways as you lift it, hence the little pluck, or there is ‘surface tension’ developing between your finger and the string, resulting in a ‘pop’ when the finger is lifted.

In both cases I would take a look at the amount of finger pressure you are bringing to the string.

The less pressure you can use, and still maintain the tone you want, the better.

That being said, in humid conditions a little ‘tackiness’ between finger and string may be unavoidable. In recording sessions, in fact, I’m very careful not to lift fingers from the string at the end of quiet cues - many times I’ve heard sound engineers complain of having to trim those little sounds away.

As far as plucking the string goes, the cure must be pretty self-evident – lift straight up. But again, using less force on the strings will make everything more relaxed, fluid and clean; and you may find that just doing this one thing remedies the problem.

Now, in my Beginners Circle program I do teach a little left hand pizzicato exercise; it’s excellent for developing control and flexibility in the small muscles of finger and hand.

It is not, though, meant to be the model for left hand articulation in general.

And one last thing. In slow, quiet sections one can avoid the surface tension I talked of by sliding the finger slightly up or down the string as you lift it. Obviously one’s bow cannot be in motion as this is done. We’re talking the ends of phrases or before rests here.

So, this evening you do have my permission to take the night off to see ‘UP’. In fact, it’ll make my day if you do. Enjoy the violin solos too!

All the best,
Clayton Haslop

P.S. Developing ‘touch’ in one’s left hand is essential to the full enjoyment of the violin. That’s why my Beginners Circle program, for those new to the violin, is filled with in-depth demonstrations and explanations of just how it can be cultivated and maximized.

Better Not to Jump, Before You Can Swim

2009-05-29T13:39:00.002-05:00

Pleased to report that ‘Up’, the latest Pixar animated feature – with yours fiddling madly on numerous violin solos – is now in theaters everywhere.

In fact, my little family and I will be heading out to LA shortly for a special screening of the film courtesy of the music’s composer, Michael Giacchino.

Should be a hoot an’ a holler.

Today whilst practicing, however, my mind was not on cinematic entertainments, I can vouch for that. Nope, my hands are full when the violin is in them.

I trust the same is true for you.

What DID occur to me was this. It is incredibly tempting to ‘let it go’ and play fast before the mind and body are prepared to do so.

Unfortunately, it’s also a GREAT, BIG time waster – ought to know, done it more than I’d care to admit.

The good news, however, is that once we make the commitment to get our act together, and leave the test firings for when they stand an excellent chance of success, the whole game becomes inherently more pleasurable and rewarding.

So go ahead, make my day. Slow those hands down, and rev those gray cells up yet another notch.

And if you need a little assistance with what to PUT IN those gray cells to insure the odds are way in your favor, you can rest easy. Pretty sure I’ve got a terrific instructional program waiting in my studio with your name on it.

All the best,

Clayton Haslop

P.S. Oops, not all. I’m just restocking scores and notes for Kreutzer for Violin Mastery, Vol. 3 and 4. It’s worth the wait, though particularly if you’re itching to get in world-class shape on the violin. Nothing better, in fact.

Double Stops, not Double Trouble

2009-05-27T13:23:00.003-05:00

You know, the essence of double stop playing is merely the singing two lines simultaneously. It’s really that simple.

‘Yea, easy to say,’ you might be thinking. ‘Not so easy to do.’

And you’d have a point.

Double stop playing requires patience and discipline, perhaps even a willingness to endure a little discomfort, for the mildly arthritic. Yet the rewards for staying the course are wonderful, and almost unique in the world of music.

After all, how many instruments have the capability to play two lines simultaneously. And amongst those, how many can make micro-adjustments to the tuning of the pitches ‘on the fly’ so that they are truly in tune acoustically – the piano cannot.

Well, if you know of one, let me know. All right, guitar strings can be pulled to effectively adjust the pitch.

Now, the challenge is to really get the control of your hands and ear necessary to do them beautifully and easily. It has been such a challenge, in fact, that many a pedagogue and performer have written volumes of etudes on the subject.

Interestingly, Rudolphe Kreutzer dedicated only 12 of his 42 Etudes/Caprices to double stops. Yet each is a little gem, with a very important lesson to teach.

So much so that I dedicate 2 DVDs to teaching the ins and outs of playing them beautifully and with the appearance of great ease.

Volume 4 of Kreutzer for Violin Mastery tain’t for everyone, mind you. No, if you haven’t had any REAL experience with double stop playing, or your hands are yet very stiff and tight, my Allegro Players program is your ticket. In its monthly sets of lessons you’ll be brought along gently yet determinedly to the skill.

The important thing, however, is to understand how to play double stops Effectively at the earliest possible point in one’s development.

Now here’s a little tip or two on the subject. Number one, don’t over press with your fingers; play with the minimum of pressure possible. I don’t even push the strings down to the fingerboard unless I’m required to play fortissimo.

And remember, listen and sing BOTH notes. Most of us follow one pitch, allowing the second to come along for the ride; not good enough.

Now, go have a wonderful practice.

All the best,

Clayton Haslop

P.S. Almost forgot to mention this. I don’t wait for my ‘Allegro Players’ to introduce double stop playing. Even in my monthly program for beginners I have folks double stopping after just a few short months.

Happy Memorial Day, from Clayton

2009-05-25T13:48:00.001-05:00

Just want to be amongst the happy crowd wishing you a delightful Memorial Day celebration.

I myself started up with a Brahms filled hour and a half or so of practice before my girls got up. This afternoon my daughter and I will take a certain-to-be-beautiful riding lesson in the Central Arizona Highlands.

Now, I hadn’t spent any time with the Brahms Concerto for quite a spell. And it was sure interesting to come back to it in light of the practice techniques I’ve developed and taught during the past several years.

What I played through came back into my hands with the ease of butter sliding across a hot griddle.

Yep, counting, breathing, and getting the mind out in front visualizing are the best lubricants your fingers are likely to find.

So if you’d like to put these techniques to work for you; and if you’d like to get them from the horses mouth; and if you also could benefit from correcting old, inefficient playing habits; why, you need take only a couple minutes Right Now and check out Kreutzer for Violin Mastery.
.

Then, get out and enjoy the rest of the day knowing the assistance you’ve been waiting for is headed your way.

All the Best,

Clayton Haslop

P.S. You know, the last 10 Caprices
in the book are not only beautiful and fun to play, they’re perfect for getting one’s hand in shape for the likes of the Brahms Concerto.

Stronger, in the NEW Way

2009-05-24T13:26:00.002-05:00

Thick, overhead clouds today. If we’re lucky we’ll see a cloudburst come afternoon. Could make things interesting for my daughter and I during our late afternoon riding lesson.

This morning I had a rather profound realization. I think you're going to enjoy it.

As we grow we are constantly challenged to caste off outdated and inefficient ways of doing things. Thing is, our minds and muscles often spend years defending them far below the level of consciousness.

And sometimes, either through a great expenditure of will or an abundance of talent, we give off the appearance of success.

Inevitably, however, events can come to a breaking point. In fact it should be seen as a blessing when they do. They are, after all, clear and present opportunities for personal growth.

So let’s say you’ve reached such a place, and let’s also assume that you’ve got a fair idea of what change you need to graft into your playing and/or musical thinking to remedy the difficulty.

There is still the challenge of rooting the new habit or way of doing something so firmly and deeply that it consistently supersedes the ‘old way’ in performance.

Yep, the best of intentions can just dematerialize like a desert mirage when the pressure is on, can’t they.

What I realized today very powerfully, however, is that it is possible to meet this challenge, providing you do the following:

Make the case for the new SO compelling and attractive that your body-spirit reaches for it, and nothing else - even when the heat is on.

Now, I find that doing some seemingly unrelated activity along with the one I’m trying to adopt into my playing is essential to this end. Verbalizing the beat, visualizing the music in your mind, and moving your feet to the music can all be useful.

The point is you’ve got to take your learning to a deeper level than that held by what your are replacing, and beyond any shadow of doubt held secretly in mind.

Yes, the process can be uncomfortable at times. That’s to be expected, in fact.

After all, if playing in public is uncomfortable to you, creating and meeting a challenge of greater discomfort can be quite disarming to that vulnerability.

So I say, "Bring it on."

And don’t forget the ‘once difficult now easy’ reality we’ve experienced with every skill we’ve ever mastered. There is nothing to be lost and everything to be gained by putting up with a little extra, purposeful discomfort to increase the effectiveness and potency of this effect.

As I’ve said in my courses, if you can play and count a piece simultaneously, with accuracy and control, it leaves you way ahead of the game when you, say, surrender the counting in favor of following a conductor.

So there you have it.

To surrender bad habits you must not only discover more effective ways of doing things - you must also root those new ways more deeply in the mind and body than what they replace.

All My Best,

Clayton Haslop

P.S. There is no book of etudes more useful to the intermediate player for building in great playing habits than Kreutzer’s ’42 Etudes or Caprices.’ The course in 4 volumes I’ve created on these wonderful works not only teaches you the highly effective skills you need to master them, it also shows you exactly how to practice the skills in a way that roots them deeply into your playing persona.

What Takes 60 Years

2009-05-13T12:37:00.002-05:00

When asked how long he thought it took to master the violin, Milstein replied, "about 60 years."

Wow, that’s a pronouncement if ever there was one.

And for those of you who love the violin and don’t have those 60 sixty years of study behind you I think it should take some of the pressure off. After all, if the master says we have sixty years, we’ve got sixty years.

I figure if I can learn something new on the violin each day, and I’ve got another 15,333 days, who knows I just might prove him right.

But seriously, was he serious in saying that? After all, he could physically play anything written for the violin at that time by the age of 12.

So this is my feeling about his comment.

The great challenge to us all is to progress with the violin such that every intelligence – and there are 7 – we possess is represented in our playing to the furthest extent we are capable.

Mastery, therefore, is actually going to be different for every one of us. We each own part of the gene pool; we’re not the whole pond.

That being said, there is much for us to learn in the world, too.

Nurture provides the means for us to shape our talents around common themes; one’s ear must be adjusted to classical music, for instance.

So the trick is to find the balance between being utterly unique, and therefore unapproachable, or a slave to conformity.

And as I said, there are 7 intelligences, and getting the balance right in all seven can take awhile.

The other thing that occurs to me, is that it really doesn’t matter what age you are or in what shape you are in, as long as you are conscious. The question still remains, "How am I choosing to stand at this moment?"

All the Best,

Clayton Haslop

P.S. By the way, if you’ve studied some or all of the Kreutzer Etudes and still believe you could use a little more ‘nurturing’ to bring your technique along, I’ve got just the ticket.

How I Solved the Memory Problem

2009-05-06T17:47:00.001-05:00

When I was young I had several traumatic experiences
with memory. On one occasion I stood up to play and
couldn’t remember the first note of the piece.

Not a very good thing for one’s confidence.

In fact it took many years before I felt at all ‘right,’
when performing, without a music stand in front of me.
Sure glad I got over it.

And here’s what I did.

I FORCED myself – and at first my little gray cells
strained with the effort – to ‘see’ the music in my
mind’s eye while playing. And I didn’t only do it with
the violin under my chin. At night I would visualize
myself playing through my newly memorized repertoire in
my head as I lay in bed.

Yes, it did tend to wake me up a bit.

Yet once I relaxed and fell asleep I slept great,
knowing there was something in my head I could recall at
will rather than only when the stars were aligned in my
favor.

I still do this today.

Over the years I’ve created new challenges to my memory.
I will count out loud while I visualize and play. I
will even dance hip-hop steps around the living room while
counting.

In recent days I’ve begun incorporating something new
into my arsenal of memory. Now I’m memorizing ‘the
changes,’ as jazz players refer to the flow of harmonies
that make up a piece.

If I know on which beat or subdivision of a beat each
chord changes, and can improvise on them without getting
hopelessly lost, then it really doesn’t matter if I
momentarily forget Mr. Beethoven’s notes or not - with
all due respect.

The show will still go on.

All the best,

Clayton Haslop

P.S. This month I am donating 20% of what comes into
Violin Mastery to two string programs, one here in
Sedona and one in Puerto Rico. It’s a great time to get the course you’ve had your eye on.

The Five Parts to My Practice

2009-05-05T12:38:00.002-05:00

We’re having some unusual weather here in Sedona. Haze. Normally the air here is razor sharp. Your vision extends to 80 miles or more.

But hey, when you’re living in paradise there’s so much beauty within a heartbeat who needs the other 79.9999 miles anyway, right?

This morning I came to another sharp realization. That my practice sessions fall into 5 parts. I begin with a segment on form. I play slowly, looking at every component of moment and position on the violin and verify that it is what it is. Perfection.

Next I focus on knitting every molecule of my being together; that is, making my timing as faultless as an atomic clock. These days I use my counting technique as well as something secret I’ve come to only recently – master class attendees will be the first to see it in action.

Number 3 is conditioning. Some violinists can provide the illusion of competence without doing much of this.

Kreisler was famous for his pretense, ‘I hypnotized myself to the belief that I can perform without practice, therefore I do.’ – not exactly right, but you get the picture. Most informed people knew Kreisler to be ‘posturing for the public’ and not the truth in any strict sense when he said this. The more he had the violin in his hands, the better he sounded, through his entire career.

Now comes a part I wish I’d practiced early in my life. Improvisation. The important thing to remember, at first, is; visualize every note you play. You must strive to SEE it and HEAR it before your play it.

Now, I like to think in terms of chords and harmonies when I do this. It’s not necessary. Ultimately it is a matter of just choosing notes that sound good after one another. Let your ear take you on a journey.

Mozart said, ‘anything in music may be ventured providing it is beautiful and inherently musical.’

And number 5, repertoire. Naturally any performer must not only keep in touch with their core repertoire but also continue to challenge themselves with new things.

These days I spend 2 hours a day or less in practice. I don’t have a second to waste in that short amount of time so I get my focus together in a hurry.

Now, I know there is a lot of detail missing from what I just gave you. I could write pages and pages on each. And fortunately, if you really want to get the fully flushed out and detailed picture of these things, there is a place you can go.

From June 12 through June 14 I will be sequestered here in the beauty of Sedona with several other ‘doers’ taking care of business. Every phase of what I just mentioned here will be on the table for in depth discussion and demonstration.

I’ll see you in paradise.

All the best,

Clayton Haslop

P.S. I must ask, if you come to the master class, that you currently be working with a course of mine – we will all go much further if this is the case.

Why Your Thinking Must Change

2009-04-30T14:02:00.001-05:00

Very curious times we’re living in. So many potent and unfortunate agendas being pursued in the world, and the majority of us caught in the middle just wanting to ‘live, and let live.’

In any case, thanks be to violin playing. It is to me as the harp was to king Solomon.

This morning I realized something on a pretty profound level – over my lifetime of playing I have wasted a great deal of time. Yep, and the reason for this is simple. In the past I did not understand the following concept near fully enough.

One must change one’s thinking in order to change one’s playing.

Bearing this in mind, I shudder to think how common it was for me, in my earlier days, to repeat and repeat passages with little or no change in what was going on between my ears.

Mind you, I did have SOME idea how to do things back then. And my body, being younger, was more willing to deal with what inefficiencies – bad habits – I was blind to. Bottom line, I managed to get along fairly successfully, by most standards.

Yet I always had the sense I was coming up a little short. And my way of addressing this feeling was frequently by turning to more repetition. More practice time.

In recent years I’ve gotten a little smarter. Like surface rainwater filtering through layers of soil to a great under ground aquifer, this concept Milstein raised with me many years ago has slowly but steadily sunk in.

Today I feel as though I’ve reached the aquifer laying deep beneath the parched land.

And it all rests with our power to visualize. Improvement is about casting the net of visualization on new waters. Jesus used much the same metaphor – fishing nets cast on the other side of the boat – when talking to his disciples about their own thinking.

What a teacher can do is give you some useful ideas. Point you in specific directions that are likely to bear fruit.

In my courses this is what I have sought to do - for beginners, intermediate, and advanced players. At the very least they stimulate your thinking. At best they lead the way to quantum leaps in your effectiveness on the instrument.

Here’s where you can find the one exactly right for you.

All the best,

Clayton Haslop

P.S. Today I was hip-hopping as I played the 24th Paganini Caprice. Doing this would not be possible were it not for the understanding of technique I teach in ‘Paganini for Violin Virtuosity.’

What’s in My Other Hand

2009-04-21T14:10:00.001-05:00

A couple days ago I had a nice chuckle on a recording session courtesy of Joel McNeely, a fine composer just finishing up the score for ‘Tinkerbell 2’; a little direct-to-disc film for Disney animation.

We were just about 5 minutes away from the start of the session, and I looked up from my warming up to see Joel and his orchestrator on the podium comparing batons, you know, balancing them inn their hands, rolling them back and forth in their fingers.

Immediately I was transported back to the late seventies, watching an old Garrett Morris routine from Saturday Night Live. He had concocted something called ‘the Conductor’s Club’ for the show. It centered around a very odd and nerdy group of wannabe conductors who met weekly on the Upper West Side.

Aside from conducting to recordings they would sit around and discuss the merits of various batons, and the proper way to criticize woodwind intonation. It was hilarious.

Now, I happened to study conducting from a Leon Barzin pupil by the name of William Kettering. And not only did we frequently conduct to recordings, I think of Bill as the quintessential Upper West Sider – I believe he spent several years there whilst studying and teaching at the Manhattan School of Music. I met him in LA in the ‘70s.

What a conductor indicates with a baton a string player must produce on his or her instrument with a bow – something many conductors would do well to consider whilst flailing their limbs through space at us.

Not only that, the cute, delicate, little thing you see many a conductor flicking around is mighty hard to see from the back row of the violin section.

So when it comes to leading an orchestra, my advice is - be bold. Wield a stick that people will not require binoculars to see, and draw it through space such that string players – 50% of the orchestra – stand a chance of making a good effect by doing something similar on their instruments.

If you want to see an example of what I’m talking about do a search for Arturo Toscanini on YouTube and watch a master at work.

Now, Toscanini was a cellist. He knew a thing or two about using an arm to draw a tone out of a string instrument. And he knew how to hold a baton to draw a heart-stopping tone out of an orchestra.

In fact, when I think of my bow-hold I think of Toscanini holding his baton. The touch is light, the fingers are alive, and the digits work as one unit, hardly moving.

This is precisely the kind of understanding you’ll get from working with my Beginners Circle
program.

All the best,

Clayton Haslop

P.S. Someone must have been reading my mind. My wife just informed me that an order just arrived for a full year subscription to this one-of-a-kind program. Smart move.

What’s in My Hand

2009-04-18T18:28:00.001-05:00

Just now – as of the past several days – I’ve been quite caught up in the beauties of renewal and rebirth. It’s a particularly refined version of ‘spring fever,’ me thinks.

Anyway, today I’d like to chat a little about getting some renewal into your sound vis a vis something we call vibrato.

Now, in my Beginner’s Circle program I dedicate time over several lessons to the technique. I go step by step through it, starting with the best place to begin on the violin, the basic motion of the hand and fingers, and a very simple exercise. In the process every detail of a wrist vibrato – arm vibrato as well, actually – are gone over.

Except one, perhaps.

And today you get it from the horse's mouth right here.

You see, think of how clouds form. It turns out that water vapor in the atmosphere must have something present in order to coalesce into water droplets.

Well, the same is true for a seed to begin growing; that is, water must reach out to touch it.

The same is true of vibrato. In order for the wrist to spring to life there must be an intention that reaches into the hand.

Now, what I’m finding is that some adult beginners have difficulty getting the intention to vibrate to activate the muscles of the forearm that actually do the work.

So I’d like to give you something to ‘prime the pump’, if you get my drift. And here’s what you’re going to do.

You’re going to practice a little squeeze and release, squeeze and release exercise with each finger. Do it just with the finger and keep it gentle don’t even press the string fully to the fingerboard.

At first you want to do it slowly. Even try doing in rhythms; quarters, eighths, triplet eights, sixteenths.

After you have the hang of it try allowing this flexing of the hand muscles to expand across your wrist into the forearm muscles.

Et viola, you have your wrist vibrato up and running.

And the nice thing about this is A) it gets your hand relaxing, and B) it can be used to narrow and focus the forearm muscle movements.

All My Best,
Clayton Haslop

P.S. As I said, the biggest part of the vibrato story is found in the Beginner’s Circle program. In fact there is so much in it I think it should be a part of every violinists video/audio library. Here’s where you can get your copy.

Today Is A Gift

2009-04-10T13:53:00.002-05:00

A few days ago I was in the car passing by cacti for several hours. Beautiful and statuesque they were – I’m talking about the great Saguaros.

All of a sudden, quite out of the blue, a billboard flashed across my field of vision. It read, ‘Today is a gift. That’s why it’s called the Present.’

What a thing to see, in the middle of the desert, at 80 miles an hour.

Now I’ve been carrying it around for the past few days taking it out and admiring from time to time.

This morning it found its way into my practice session.

You know, playing the violin has a lot to do with telling YOUR story at this moment in time. Maybe everything to do with it.

Stories usually answer questions. And depending on the kind of question you ask - you get a different kind of story. For instance, ‘what am I feeling?’ will to a very different tale than, ‘where would I like to go?’

Yet, in the end it does not matter much which question(s) you address in your practice. What really matters is how completely you bring yourself to the task.

All the best,
Clayton Haslop

P.S. ‘course, it is nice to get a little help with the knotty violin-playing ones that come up now and again.

How to Get Hip-Hop

2009-04-06T11:14:00.000-05:00

Friday afternoons I can be found in the outdoor eating area of my daughter’s school. Nope, we aren’t dining out together. The benches have been pushed away, and 28 kids and a hand full of parents are learning a little ‘attitude’, which, according to our teach, is synonymous with hip-hop.

But hang on, what’s the definition of Waltz, if not attitude. Or Tarantella, or Scherzo, or Allegro, ma non troppo, for that matter.

Now, I acquaint attitude with posture, in hip-hop they call it ‘pose.’ ‘You gotta have a pose,’ they say.

So what if you haven’t got much of a pose. You need a little help getting posed up. Or, suppose you have a surfeit of pose, but you need a little beef to settle it down and shape it up.

Well, this is what you do. You get a course of mine, if you don’t already have 2 or 3. Then you start watching and doing all you see there.

You ingest some beef, and you slip on some pose.

And then you come strut your stuff at my masterclass. You put it out there. Don’t matter if you’re doing the open string exercise, or Paganini #24. There will be a platform for you here, and you will be the better for standing on it and radiating out what’s inside of you.

Yes, the room will get warm, and so will everybody in it; with the fire of INSIGHT, PASSION, and SATISFACTION it gets warm.

In the master classes I lead, two things are important.

One, that you get a good, well-understood solution to every challenge you have in your playing right now. I answer YOUR questions, and we don’t move on ‘til you’re ready to move on.

And two that I take you beyond where you’ve been in new, unexpected ways. This could involve some ‘pose,’ or it could be an aspect of technique or sound you’d given up on yet only lacked for some fresh insight.

And yes, I want you to prepare repertoire. In fact, you can contact me ahead of time to get my input. A very good idea.

Yet anyone working with one of my courses will have plenty of material available. And that’s another thing.

I only accept people into the master class who have invested in one of my courses, even if it only be ‘Dynamic Breath Control for Violinists.’

There’s no point coming here to learn how to breathe properly and verbalize a beat when these basic and essential skills are available to you for what you’d invest in a tank of gas.

This is not to say that there won’t be more to learn about breathing and counting. Refinements will certainly be talked about at the class.

I just don’t care for the idea of anyone coming to this opportunity without a real clue of what’s coming. Oh yes, and as helpful as they may be, reading the newsletters just isn’t enough preparation to get full advantage from your time here.

With this said, I look forward to seeing you in June. There are yet a couple of places available at the highly reduced rate I spoke of previously.

All the best,

Clayton Haslop

P.S. In short, the master class is for those with questions AND those who’ve been practicin’ hard and just want to come show off. I’d sure like you to be one of them.

When Tchaikovsky Rules

2009-04-02T13:29:00.002-05:00

Been thinking further about the importance of getting it right where violin study is concerned. You see, once you’ve used ‘the studies’ to put yourself to rights with the instrument, the rules of engagement do change quite a bit.

The repertoire is, in fact, full of studies. Many smart professionals have identified and committed to memory the passages important to maintaining and developing his or her skill set.

And these excerpts will vary, depending on what the player is focused on. A soloist, for instance, may want to keep his up-bow and down bow staccato in top form, and he knows just the Wieniawski and Sarasate passages that are useful for his doing so.

An orchestral player, on the other hand, will not have much use for that skill, and yet has a keen interest to keep her spiccato razor sharp.

She might have several ‘Scherzo’ movements memorized, and ready to go at all times.

Yet to make these choices intelligently, one needs a background. When the inexperienced or young player spends too much time in repertoire he can get seduced by the musical content and the discipline that comes from conscientious scale and etude study falls by the wayside.

That’s not to say a student should spend all his or her time in Sevcik either.

Real music is full of nuance and unexpected turns. A diet of technical studies alone is like an exercise regimen consisting solely of lifting heavy weight.

Nope, you gotta engage with real music right on through, to be a complete musician.

And you’ve got to get out and engage with the world as a music-maker if you want to experience the whole enchilada and be counted as a real performer.

Pretty satisfying indeed, when it all comes together just when you intend for it to.

All the best,

Clayton Haslop

P.S. Here’s something to keep a serious student engaged both technically AND musically.

Why Sevcik Rules

2009-04-01T12:32:00.000-05:00

When I met my wife, Tania, a number of new things came into my life. One of these was an appreciation for figure skating. And when you think about it, figure skating has quite a bit in common with violin playing.

Holding an edge whilst gliding across an area of ice is a remarkably apt analogy to edging a bow and drawing it across the old cat-guts.

Now, if you know anything about the process of acquiring skill on blades you’ll have heard of something called ‘school figures.’ As a matter of fact until some 15 years ago they were a part – though rarely seen part – of every skating competition.

School figures are graceful circles, figure eights and such traced and then retraced on the ice by skaters. Skaters were judged on matters of form while skating the figures and their conformity to the shapes on each iteration.

When school figures went out of competition many in the skating world thought a certain purity and style in the sport was also lost.

The same may be said of violin playing, though in place of school figures I would be talking about scale study and double stop study.

Today many violinists learn their stuff on a diet too rich in repertoire – especially repertoire that is above their head. A diet deficient in the vitamins and minerals that come with technical studies.

Much of the time it’s not the students fault. Many teachers either don’t appreciate the real value of these tools or lack the creativity to bring them to students in a way that is interesting and at the same time challenging.

As a young man Nicolo Paganini was able to sight read a very difficult concerto put in front of him to test his supposed violin mastery. And as a result of his dazzling success he was given ownership of a Del Gesu violin.

Now let me tell you something, this is certainly not the sort of mastery that comes from a willy-nilly approach to violin study. The kind that skips from song to song, piece to piece, student concerto to major concerto in a heedless rush to satisfy a teacher’s, parent’s or student’s ego.

I’ve seen the result too many times. Young people showing up to university slashing away at the Brahms, Beethoven or what-have-you with no clue what utter noise pollution they’re ‘creating.’

Yet it needn’t be so. There is a beauty, a purity, even a meditative quality that permeates the space around who exercises his or herself, with full awareness of proper form, on the double-stop studies of Sevcik.

And the results from this kind of practice inform every piece of music that person is likely to pick up. There’s an evenness, a sureness, a ringing-ness that emanates from such a player that sets him apart.

She’s the one of whom people say, ‘I could listen to her play all day long and not tire of it.’

Now you will know why, when you open the package on my Allegro Players
program you will find instruction on scales, shifting, double-stop exercises, and all matter of other technique building studies with each and every lesson.

It’s the only way I know to build a complete violinist. And that’s the only kind you want playing your violin.

All the best,

Clayton Haslop

P.S. Yesterday I finished the 12th and final edition to the Allegro Players series. Now you can invest in the whole finger building, mind altering program and receive all the DVDs, CDs, music, and notes in one easy to use 3 ring binder. And, did I mention, at a new, reduced annual rate.

Points of Refinement

2009-03-30T15:08:00.001-05:00

Once upon a time I was having tea in the middle of one of my coachings with Nathan Milstein, and the talk turned to the issue of scratch.

No, not what chickens do whilst in the pursuit of nourishment; what too many violinists do when putting bow to string.

Anyway, Milstein told me about a time Perlman visited. He, himself, had asked about this very thing, feeling he ‘scratched’ more than he would like.

Milstein told me he said to him, ‘you scratch because you scratch.’

Pretty funny, as I think back on it.

What the master was really trying to say was that on some level an inattention to detail had become habitual.

Fortunately there is a way out of this, and I’ll tell you about it. But not before I add that Itzhak Perlman is definitely NOT a scratchy violinist. In fact, at the time I was quite surprised that he would have had any concerns whatsoever on the subject.

Now, scratch happens when the amount of pressure on the string is not matched by an appropriate amount of horizontal bow movement. Most often it occurs at changes of bow direction, particularly at the frog.

One of the things I stress from the first months of my ‘Beginners Circle’ course and through every course I have produced on playing the violin, is the importance of keeping the bow moving horizontally and evenly.

It’s one of those things you just cannot take for granted. And I myself find that I must slow down and go back to school on the specifics of doing this, from time to time, to keep my bow arm scratch free.

Yet there is another big producer of scratch. It’s the kind of splatting scratch heard when the bow is brought down too forcefully from above the string to create an accent.

I call this a ‘Hack-cent.’

The problem here is one of timing and control. The timing is in getting the arrival at the string to coincide exactly with the horizontal movement of the arm; of transferring the downward force into what I’d call ‘horizontalized’ force.

In other words, the energy makes an immediate 90 degree turn, the bow stays glued to the string, and the amount of vertical pressure arriving on the string matches the bow speed perfectly.

Now, again, this can be broken down and practiced quite slowly and easily. But one has to hear there is a problem before a problem can be fixed on the violin. And unfortunately, many players have come to accept certain ‘mannerisms’ in their playing to the point they no longer register consciously.

If and when they do wake up, however, I’ve got a good place for them to go to get back on track.

All the best,
Clayton Haslop

P.S. Want this kind of instruction, but aren’t quite up to Kreutzer yet? Here’s your ticket.

Jaganini, Paganini

2009-03-27T13:54:00.000-05:00

Some of you might say ‘shame on you,’ after reading this. After all, ‘What’s a man in your condition think your doing runnin’ all over old Paganini like that.’

And you’d probably be right. Let’s see how I feel tomorrow when the violin reaches my shoulder.

But here’s what happened today, and I think you’ll want to pay close attention ‘cause it’s interesting.

After spending some time with Mister Kreisler this morning, listening to and identifying harmonies as I played, I moved over to Paganini #5. Now, most days lately it would hurt just thinking about roping this old finger-buster.

But for after my violin-ringing Kreisler tune-up, not today.

My Kreisler warm-up had done me a great service. ‘Playing the harmonies,’ as Milstein would have said it, worked some gently magic on my hands. By thinking about the music in an unfamiliar way – I’ve done it before with this piece, but not for a while – I opened up new channels from my brain right down to my fingers.

That then spilled over into Paganini – with an added development. Not only did I visualize the notes and analyze the harmonies as I played, I also began playing with all the possible bowings – i.e. 1+3. 2+2, 3+1. 4+4 – even carrying 2 beats in the flying spiccato strokes.

But again, seeing/hearing every note, not allowing any to escape unnoticed; which meant, incidentally, that there were some periods when I was playing extremely slowly whilst sweating bullets.

Pretty soon, however, it didn’t matter which bowing I wanted to use with any given beat. With my body and mind ‘juiced up’ on a clear draft of mental clarity it was easy to see why Milstein observed, ‘Anything is possible.’

What a concept. But you DO have to put something behind it. It doesn’t just happen by itself. And yes, you can get it to the point of being ‘automatic,’ if you happened to learn before the age of 8. But, barring that, you can expect to practice DOING if you want to KEEP IT, GET IT.

By the way, I like ‘Jaganini with Paganini,’ it’s kind of an onomatopoeia of the first two beats of the Presto. And I’d also say the jag in Jaganini is a good description of the right forearm movements needed to get the bow jumping. And these are quite horizontal jags of the arm.

At the moment I only have 1 volume out on the Paganini Caprices, and there are some VERY useful practice tools to be had in it, speaking of ‘getting it.’ Maybe I’ll have to start the ball rolling on volume 2.

All the best,

Clayton Haslop

3 Tips for Your 4 Fingers

2009-03-25T14:08:00.003-05:00

Beautiful day outside, yet here I am, banging away at my laptop to bring you the latest and greatest of my violin musings.

For the past week I’ve been getting myself prepared to film the lessons I send out to my Allegro Players subscribers each month.

Every edition tends to have a theme, which is usually some or other aspect of violin technique. I carry the theme through the scales, etudes and repertoire that make up each month's learning materials.

During the past couple months I’ve focused a lot on getting around the violin. Most of us would say shifting, yet for me it is quite a bit more. It’s about coming to understand the fingerboard as a continuum. Appreciating the subtle movements in the shoulder, upper arm, and forearm as they travel along the fingerboard - providing a stable, consistent base for the fingers to operate from.

It’s about hand/ear coordination. And it’s about relaxation.

Today I want to focus on the fingers themselves and the 3 most important things you can do to keep them in time and on target.

Number 1 - the right position they hold relative to the string. You must have those little sausages out over, and close to, the strings, virtually all the time. Yes, there are some exceptional situations where, for a specific purpose, I will extend fingers high over the string – usually as a way to stretch, relax, or maximize a feeling of legato in slow music.

Yet MOST of the time fingers are right out poised over the strings ready to boogey - especially the fourth finger.

Number 2 - lightness. Many folks use far too much muscle to retain fingers on the string. Heck, most of the time I’m not even pressing the strings down to the fingerboard, even in first position.

Number 3 - considering ALL the fingering choices. Again, most folks – and I was guilty of this for years – don’t take the time to find the easier way. Instead, they either accept the often second rate fingerings provided by the editor or their teacher of 20 years ago, or limit themselves to ones born of laziness or fear.

I was quite lazy about fingerings for many years, until finally certain physical realities set in to rule out inefficient ones for me.

Now I look for every opportunity to go with the flow of my fingers instead of using my will to overpower them. And it’s amazing how many choices start popping up where I saw only one or two previously.

And there you have it: the 3 most important tools to make your fingers' job as easy as possible.

If you’re an intermediate player and want to REALLY explore these concepts and a whole lot more up close and personal with me, then click on over to the website and take a good look at the Allegro Players program.

It may be just the ticket for you to break through the bad habits and misconceptions that are holding you back from reaching your playing goals.

All the best,
Clayton Haslop

P.S. Think you might not be far enough along for an intermediate program? Then go ahead and "take it from the top" with my Beginners Circle monthly program. This course is also a great way to take a step back and correct the bad habits of earlier years.