Another Use for Your Music Stand

I got a lot of responses to the newsletter, ‘Give your shoulder a rest.’ It seems playing with greater relaxation on the left side is something many folks are looking for.

So, in response to the response, let me go back to something I suggested in a newsletter from several months ago. Some of you may recall it. I said;

‘Raise your music standing to a point where you can rest the scroll of the fiddle on the stand. Now relax your chin and let the stand take up the weight of the violin.

Begin playing. At first you will find it very strange and disorienting. You might also find the scroll bouncing up and down against the stand as you move around the instrument. Each bump exposes an inefficient shift or movement in your left hand. It might also betray a reflexive ‘clench’ on the part of your shoulder and chin.

Keep practicing this way until you can play your most difficult music in this position with the violin remaining as quiet as a snake on a sunny rock.
Now, if you are anything like me you’re going to find that once you are able to do this you will be much more relaxed and comfortable with the violin ‘resting’ on your shoulder.

And your left hand will become nicely balanced in the bargain.’

Hope you have some fun with it.

All the best,
Clayton Haslop

P.S. One of the best Kreutzer Etudes to practice this on is #9. Of course you’ll want to have the whole scoop on shifting when you do it. You can get all that and much more when ”Kreutzer for Violin Mastery” is in your music library.