Listen to LOTS of Music . And for you Suzuki folks, I am not only talking about the CD sets that contain whatever piece you are working on at the moment.
It could be a really valuable part of your practice to listen to different types of music which contain violins. Symphonies, chamber music, jazz, bluegrass, ensemble pieces, Broadway shows. Listen to all types of music that showcase the violin and see how the composer integrated the violin. It is best to actually GO to the performance so that you can SEE as well as HEAR the music. Then, when you listen to a recording later on you can remember what the performer did to get that sound.
You can even listen to music that does not contain the violin, and then ask, "How could violin have fit into this piece? How could we have changed the piece to make it more violin-like?"
Don't be too quick to judge any artist or music form. Do everything you can to keep an open mind. You can find inspiration in the most unlikely places!
As for a practice tip for today, production of sound on the violin is largely the interaction between string and bow. Pick a sound, a lick or something that you do not particularly associate with violin and see what you can do with your bow to imitate the sound. I heard a concert by the Raleigh Ringers, a bell choir out of Raleigh, North Carolina. It was amazing what those folks could do with instruments that they ring. What could you do with an instrument that you bow (in 20 different ways), pluck, tap and who knows what else? |
