Levels of Memory

It’s kind of humorous to look back on, but at the time the following little anecdote was not in the least bit funny. It had one useful benefit, however. It changed forever the way I prepared to play from memory.

Here’s what happened.

Back in my ninth year of school, I was selected to be the concertmaster of the Southern California Honor Orchestra. In addition, I was one of 3 members of the orchestra chosen to perform ‘solo’ on the main concert. Ironically, perhaps, I played ‘Praeludium and Allegro’.

Now in those days, for me memorization meant running through a piece over and over until I could play it by rote, just pure muscle memory getting me from beginning to end.

Problem was, I really had nothing else to fall back on, should my muscles loose their way.

At the concert there I was in front of a civic auditorium full of people and, for the first time in my career, an orchestra of ‘colleagues’.

The first thing that went wrong was a little thought that popped up in the back of my brain, ‘I bet all the other players are hoping I mess up!’

On it’s heals was another, ‘Maybe I’m not good enough to be one of the soloists’.

That kind of negative thinking is the fastest way I know to derail a performance. And boy, did it ever.

During the course of what should have been a 5 minute performance I made at some 5 trips to the piano trying hopelessly to recover my misplaced bearings – I never knew before just how far away a piano could be.

In between those endless jaunts were enough drop-outs to fill the Army’s recruitment quota for the invasion of Iraq.

I’m talking real embarrassment here. And my first girl friend watched the whole thing.

As I say, things changed after that experience.

Today my memorization has four components, or levels.
1. Muscle memory – yes, it still plays a minor, but sometimes critical role.
2. Visual/Auditory memory – I visualize myself playing and hearing the music.
3. Photographic memory – In my version I ‘see’ the actual notes in my minds eye, sometimes even as it they’re notated on the page.
4. Counting, with all of the above – I find that by consciously labeling each beat of music (one could add bar numbers as well) I deeply embed the 1st three components.

Yes, this takes some time, especially for a ‘memory challenged’ player like myself. But if you put in the time, both with and without a violin in your hands, you’ll be rewarded come concert time. No question.

All the best,

Clayton Haslop

P.S. I know of no better way to jump-start your powers of visualization than by using the focus tools you will find in the Kreutzer, Vol. 1 program. It’s a must for any violinist who genuinely wants consummate mastery of fundamental violin techniques.

Violin, Come to Me

I’ve been having a bit of an ongoing dialogue of late with a subscriber by the name of Theresa. She’s something of a skeptic, it seems, and she wonders whether ‘Kreutzer for Violin Mastery’ can help her.

She believes her main challenge to be tension in her left hand.

Well, there is much said in all my courses about the left hand, both directly and indirectly. After all, it’s pretty important that it does its job with the absolute minimum of effort and the maximum of effect.

But today, let me say this. When I take up the violin, my left hand extends a welcome to it in the same way I might take another person’s hand into mine when offering comfort.

There is strength, but there is also pliancy and sensitivity.

When the violin arrives under my chin my fingers and hand envelop it with interest and curiosity. I want to understand it, not to dominate it.

When I say, ‘violin, come to me’ it is with respect, and a desire to become one with IT. No expectations, no conditions.

You see, Theresa, once I have the right posture in relation to the violin, I can then investigate gradually, yet purposefully, how to play the most passionate and technical of passages while leaving that posture fundamentally undisturbed.

So, once you are paying Attention you may begin supplying Intention.

Both. It would appear, require heart, mind, and spirit.

All the best,

Clayton Haslop

P.S. As I have said many times, the secret to empowering mind, heart, and spirit begins with proper breathing. It’s why the Kreutzer series begins with a breathing exercise. What a joy it is to breath freely and fully.

Haydn’s Color Chart

In yesterday’s email I stopped short of where I was meaning to go. I thought it was going to get a little too esoteric.

However, this morning I received an email from my friend Nicolo, and his interest and enthusiasm drives me forward.

So Nicolo, this one is for you.

A few years ago the New Hollywood String Quartet, of which I was then the 1st violinist, performed Hadyn’s magnificent Quartet in D Major, Op. 76, #4.

The opening movement is a very stylized movement in a moderate tempo.

The second movement is out of this world.

Haydn writes, for the tempo, ‘adagio molto e mesto’. Say that out loud a few times with an Italian accent. Doesn’t it sound wonderful?

All right, now consider this. This Very slow, ‘mournful’ movement is written in F Sharp Major. Take a look in virtually any harmony book and it will most likely say that the more sharps in the key signature the ‘brighter’ the sound.

It ain’t necessarily so.

The last note of the first movement is a D major chord. Using ‘just’ tuning – the resultant tones are in tune – the F sharp is 13% lower than it would be if tempered, like a piano.

Now, use THAT F sharp as the tonic for the next movement, and then think of a ‘justly tuned’ major third above it. Yes, it’s an A sharp. And when played in such a context it takes on the ‘color’ of the winter sun seen through amber glass.

Believe me. Haydn knew tuning. This was no accident.

Before I became somewhat clued in, where tuning is concerned, I would have been very puzzled by the seeming contradiction in key and tempo/feeling marking. Now it makes perfect sense to me.

The trick is to get four people to ‘see the light of the winter sun shining through amber glass’ together. Let me tell you, it takes some practice.

All the best,

Clayton Haslop

P.S. Speaking of ‘seeing the light’. There is a great deal of it to be shed on the fundamentals of violin playing in Kreutzer for Violin Mastery. And there won’t be anything wintry about it either.

Forget Getting Real, Get Relative

I few days ago I received an email from a gentleman in India. Being well acquainted with physics he followed what I had to say about resultant tones and tuning very carefully.

But he did have a question.

He noted that we can achieve perfect tuning of the open strings by the resultant tones – in the case of the ‘A’ and ‘D’ strings played together, a ‘D’ one octave below the open ‘D’ is produced when the two notes are tuned perfectly.

‘But how do you find a note like middle ‘C’,’ he asked, ‘when there are no open strings to measure with.’

Well, if you combine that ‘C’ with the ‘A’ above it you would need to hear an ‘F’ two octaves below the ‘C’ for it to be in tune, relative to the ‘A’.

One of these days I’ll make a chart with each interval on it and the resultant tone generated when the interval is sounded. Interestingly, because of the vibrational patterns of the violin itself, sometimes you won’t hear the resultant tone itself, but some overtone of it.

This phenomena comes into play, and can be very helpful to you, as you focus attention on double stop playing.

You’ll hear me saying more about it when I release Volumes 3 and 4 of the Kreutzer series toward the end of February.

So, while I’m fine tuning the double stops in etudes 33-42; you can continue fine tuning your detaché, martelé, up bow staccato, shifts, string crossings, breathing, visualizing, and counting with Volumes 1 and 2.

All the best,

Clayton Haslop

Growing Your Sense of Discipline

It seems to me discipline has gotten a bad rap over the years. Often today it’s seen as a sentence to drudgery, to self-containment, and obligation.

Well, my friend, I don’t see it that way.

It’s like the difference between real gold and ‘fool’s gold.’ Where there’s real discipline there is intelligence and growth. Where the counterfeit exists, there is narrow-mindedness and rigidity.

At the Masterclass/Seminar this past weekend the difference became crystal clear. There it was seen, in no uncertain terms, that the empty application of time and repetition produced dismal and fruitless results.

In other words, a practice discipline without real discernment and acute interest was worse than wasting time.

One is like piling sand around a fruit tree that is in need of nutrients. The useless sand then has to be cleared away before wholesome fertilizer will reach deep into the soil and lead to a bountiful yield.

Fortunately, once the counterfeit is unmasked, it is not difficult to get yourself back on track.

This past weekend we took an up close and personal look a what self-observation is all about. When I talked about ‘Eureka’ moments yesterday, this was one of them, big time.

You see, though everyone had watched my instructional DVDs many times over before coming to the class, there was evident a lack of in depth self-observation on the part of most attendees during practice. This frustrated the internalization of what had been witnessed.

When, in Kreutzer, Vol. 1, I went on about detache being accomplished by first an action of the tricep, and then an action of the bicep, it required a deep act of self-examination to discover and disarm ALL other muscle groups. This is only accomplished by taking a CLOSE look at the arm movements. The kind of close look you get with a powerful microscope when looking at a single cell.

Even once it was done on a single note, played slowly several times, the self-discipline then had to be extended and increased to maintain that newly acquired motion during the playing of actual music.

But let me tell you, watching and listening to the results was magic.

What I’m getting at here is to take my instruction and demonstrations on the DVDs as a jumping off point for self-observation. Slow things down. Take the time to check in with every muscle of your body, turning off those you don’t absolutely require, and infusing the ones you do need with the vitality of your breath.

Now that’s an exercise of true discipline.

All the best,

Clayton Haslop

P.S. As always, I leave you with a link to click on if you’re just now making the decision to join in the fun.

A Weekend to Remember

I don't know about you, but Martin Luther King weekend 2007 will be one I'll remember for a long time to come. And I think it safe to say each attendee at the Violin Artistry Masterclass/Seminar would tell you the same thing.

We're talking a plethora of truly 'Eureka' moments.

The eye openings you could have witnessed, or experienced yourself had you been there, were akin to someone who sees Yosemite Valley after a lifetime living in Kansas.

After all, when you go from a bundle of tension and constriction, to moving the bow and fingers of the left hand with the ease of water flowing downstream it's a pretty moving experience.

And when you shine a light on every last unconscious, contrary, and self-defeating movement a player is making, and replace them with dynamic, focused, supremely efficient movements, you're generate some incredible transformations. Particularly when they’re combined with really decisive musical intention. Then, blast off time!

I mean, Milstein himself would have been proud of the Bach 'Preludio' playing that filled the room at times this weekend - and believe me, I knew first hand the kind of sounds he enjoyed hearing out of a violin.

He also would have applauded the supple pliancy introduced into many a left hand; and the deep, profound insights into the process of practicing.

Again I think it safe to say that everyone present was amazed and delighted to learn how much more there is to the art of practice then they had realized.

In short it could not have been a more positive and productive event. At the close, attendees pleaded to have the tapes made available for further reference. And though I had taped only with the intention of documenting the event for my own use and edification I have relented and will make them available, on a very limited basis, to both the attendees and to you, a subscriber to this newsletter.

Just to give you a sense of how packed full of revelation the event was, when I suggested to the class that I would want to edit down the sessions, they implored me to leave everything in, saying they couldn't imagine doing without anything that was imparted. Well, I’ll still have a look.

In any case, I will let you know soon when DVDs of this event can be ordered. I will also be making public the dates of the next masterclass/seminars. I can't wait to get on with the party, and hope you’ll be with us at the next one – oh yes, many that were present for this one will be back, we’re just getting started.

All the best,

Clayton Haslop

P.S. Speaking of getting started, Kreutzer for Violin Mastery is a must if you’re looking to take yourself to the top of the mountain, where the air is pure and rarified. Are’ you ready for adventure?

The Invisible Bow Change

Over the years have heard plenty of poppy-cock where it comes to the dos and don’ts of bow changes. Let me just give you a couple of examples.

One, lightening the pressure of the bow on the string just before you make a change will make for a smoother bow change.

It is true that your bow change will be smoother. What is also true, however, is that you will have a dip in your sound that accompanies the release of pressure. That dip can lead to what I call ‘unsightly bulges’ in your tone, not a pretty effect.

Oh yea, and compounding the problem is the tendency of most players who do this to Slow the bow speed at the critical moment, making the ‘unsightly bulge’ effect’ even more pronounced.

Number two, increasing the bow speed just before the change will make for a smoother change. Again, there is some truth to this, in a perfect world. Increasing the bow speed distributes the pressure on the string over a greater surface area. There will therefore be less of a chance for the string to become ‘trapped’ at the moment of change.

Again, there is a problem here. Many players that do this reflexively Increase the pressure on the string as they speed up the bow. Now you have a reverse ‘bulge.’

Three, actively using the wrist and fingers to ‘cover’ the bow change will make for a smoother change. WRONG.

You have a bow in motion exerting a given pressure on the string. As I have said before, it matters not one twit whether your wrist, fingers, forearm, upper arm, or LEFT arm effect a reversal of direction. All that matters to the tone is bow speed combined with pressure combined with bow placement relative to the bridge.

Ah, that’s a new one. Where the bow is placed relative to the bridge, for a given bow speed and pressure, will effect the smoothness of the change.

So this is what you do. First of all, make it simple. You’ve heard me say THAT before.

As Joey Silverstein once said to me, ‘play up bow until you play down bow.’

I do suggest you use the mass of your whole arm to change direction – this was Milstein’s notion. Just be aware that the bow movement is purely horizontal, in and out of the change.

Once you have the feel of that, do some experimenting. It needn’t take but a few minutes. Try different bow speeds for a given pressure. Once you have a smooth change try moving the bow further or closer to the bridge to see what effect placement has on the result.

In a short amount of time I see you getting an excellent handle on smooth bow changes. Over time it just becomes a ‘feel’ thing.

All the best,

Clayton Haslop

P.S. A smooth bow change is one important ingredient to a first class bow arm. To secure all the ingredients for a gourmet feast, however, I urge you to get cracking on the Kreutzer for Violin Mastery series. You can find them in a jiffy at; http://www.violinmastery.com/kreutzer1.htm.

One Myth That Rattles My Cage

Your playing along in an ‘allegro’ movement, and you come to a longish note – lets say a half note – that’s tied over to another beat for a sixteenth note. Immediately after this tied sixteenth you’re to proceed with string of quick sixteenths.

Now, conventional wisdom states that one should tacet, or rest the sixteenth under the tie before proceeding on to the series of fast notes. The thinking is that by taking this little break one won’t be as likely to be late getting on to the following sixteenths.

I can’t tell you how many times I’ve had musical colleagues remark on the need for this space.

I never have, and I never will, in spite of the fact that almost invariably the lateness tendency is resolved by doing so.

Here are my reasons.

First of all, when people are late off a tie it’s not because they haven’t stopped their sound. If you think about it, stopping and restarting the sound requires a couple of actions. Those would reason for more lateness, not less.

No, the real reason for the lateness was simply a lack of anticipation.

Taking up a pencil and putting a coma before the moving sixteenths, or circling the tied note, merely draws one’s attention to the problem. The solution is then affected in the mind just by taking note – no pun intended

But my strongest objection to the practice is musical; it interrupts the flow of the music. And when it’s really obvious, I find it incredibly distracting.

For me the best policy is to count, and to visualize ahead of where you’re playing. Do those two things and you’ll never be caught ‘flat footed’ playing off a tied note again.

This won’t stop conductors and colleagues from resorting to and perpetuating this myth, however. Many times I’ve worked under conductors who give the impression they’ve decided in advance of the rehearsals what they’re going to say to an orchestra. But that’s another story.

All the best,

Clayton Haslop

P.S. Learning just how to harness the power of visualization and counting is an important part of my Kreutzer course. You won’t get caught ‘flat footed’ rhythmically ever again once you begin using these powerful methods.

Have A Trilling Experience

In ‘early music’ days – pre-baroque – trills were often referred to as ‘shakes’. Now I find that somewhat ironic because as a student I was always cautioned against shaking my left hand when trilling.

There’s actually quite a good reason for this.

The problem with shaking your hand – in effect using vibrato – to produce a trill is that the trill tends to sound wobbly and unsettling. You know, time to take out the Pepto-bismo.

Kreutzer was obviously hip to this. He was also hip to the challenge that many fiddlers have producing clear, facile trills. Trills are made possible by ‘fast twitch’ muscle.

Problem is, we’re not all gifted with the same amount of the stuff.

Some people have too much – resulting in what I call a ‘doorbell trill’ – and some, myself included, not enough.

In any case, Kreutzer has provided us with some wonderfully crafted studies to address all levels of ‘fast twitch’ endowment.

I’m amazed at Kreutzer’s attention to detail in these studies. Each etude covers a very specific way of approaching and executing a trill. Some are intended to be measured, some unmeasured. In all, he dedicates 8 studies to mastery of the trill.

The finger movements required are delicate, graceful, fleet, and subtle. You can see the experience as an opportunity to connect with your ‘butterfly nature’; quite a beautiful thing, really.

All the best,

Clayton Haslop

P.S. Those 8 wonderful studies make up much of Volume 2 of the ‘Kreutzer for Violin Mastery’ series.

No Violin Worshipper

Yesterday I enjoyed a note from a subscriber who shared some details of his violin acquisition. He then asked the following question;

‘Just how important is the instrument (violin/bow) to a concert violinist?’

Let me begin by relating 2 famous stories. In the first Jascha Heifetz was once entertaining well wishers in his dressing room following a concert.

One elderly matron exclaimed, ‘Mr. Heifetz, I just love the sound of your violin.’

Heifetz lifted his violin to his ear and countered, ‘That’s funny, I don’t hear a thing.’

The second is even better. Seems Kreisler was to give a concert in London, way back when. In advance of the concert a well known London Times music columnist wrote, ‘We all look forward to Mr. Kreisler’s performance, particularly to hearing his gorgeous Del Gesu violin once again.’

When this was brought to Kreisler’s attention, he became incensed. He then went to a London violin house and bought an extremely cheap violin.

At the end of the concert, as he was taking his bows to thunderous applause, he lofted this counterfeit into the air and toward the forward rows of the orchestra section. Cheers well replaced by gasps of astonishment as Kreisler spun on his heels and strode to the wings.

Now, to answer the question, let me repeat, I am no violin worshipper. That is not to say I don’t appreciate the work of a great luthier, I certainly do. I just don’t believe that I will ever possess the violin equivalent of a ‘soul mate.’

Violins are tools, for me.

The kind of tool I need has changed over time. I think it likely that I will own several more instruments in my time.

I recognize that others may feel differently. So be it.

The other point I’ll make is that I don’t think one need spend the amount of a home in Beverly Hills to come by an excellent playing violin. I think the cost of a used Corolla is sufficient if you are patient and have a little luck.

Some feel it is the bow that is more important. Even here I beg differ.

Though I will grant that each bow will produce subtle differences in color and volume out of an instrument, I have found that my taste in weight, balance and flexibility all change over time.

In fact, playing with very differently weighted and balanced bows may help reduce stress to your arm and shoulder, to some extent.

Again, the bottom line is, find an instrument whose tone you are drawn to and that is comfortable to play. Price tag be damned.

All the best,

Clayton Haslop

P.S. There are no better works to self-discover the tone you want out of a fiddle than Bach’s exultant ‘Preludio’ and Kreisler’s fetching ‘Praeludium and Allegro.’ And to draw the best tone your violin has to offer while playing them you will need absolutely pure playing mechanics. Begin ‘fine tuning’ yours today.

A Richer Experience

This morning my wife had some research results up on the computer. Research having to do with how we process music. Pretty interesting stuff.

What I found particularly fascinating is how the cerebellum becomes activated in the process of listening to music. The cerebellum is most frequently associated with coordinating physical movement.

After your brain grasps the underlying rhythm and cadence in a piece of music, your cerebellum senses departures from that equilibrium – places of ‘tension’ in the music – and this triggers a corresponding emotional response. Hence the expression, ‘I was so moved by that music.’

It gets more interesting. Dr. Daniel Levitin, author of the recent book, ‘This Is Your Brain on Music’, describes differences in the way we respond to recorded music versus what we see and hear live.

If you are present at a performance and the player plays a fast, difficult passage while making it appear easy, the visual clues mitigate much of the aural tension. Listeners to a recorded performance, not having the visual ‘relaxing clues’, experience a heightened sense of tension from the same passage.

It all just goes to show that appearances DO matter, at least where it comes to live concerts. If you give the impression that the music is challenging to play, you may fatigue the audience quickly. No one likes watching another person struggle, at least not for very long.

So lets talk recital programming.

It seems to me that you want to first put the audience at ease. Start with music that isn’t too complex, music that flows out of your fiddle quite effortlessly.

Then, once you have gotten your listener’s trust, you play something dramatic – a romantic sonata, for instance. After intermission it’s time for some music with inherent risks – the flashy stuff. Most of the time you want it to look easy. Once in a while you can make it appear difficult.

One thing you want to be clear about, however. For you, the player, it must all feel easy. In this regard you are an actor on stage. Internally you are cool as a cucumber. Externally you can play the audience ‘like a violin.’

One last thing, if this sounds like ‘conventional’ programming, you’re paying attention. There’s no need to reinvent the wheel.

All the best,

Clayton Haslop

P.S. Just began recording Volumes 3 and 4 of the Kreutzer etudes. If you haven’t started working through volumes 1 and 2 yet, its time to get moving. The secrets to ’cool as a cucumber’ playing are waiting.

The 3 Pillars of Violin Playing

Many people talk about a ‘God given talent’ when it comes to playing the violin. I think, rather, that a good mind, the ability to tie your shoes, and a few guiding insights may suffice to fool an awful lot of people.

You see, I the process of playing the violin is much like a stool. It must have 3 legs to stand.

The first leg is insight into the mechanics of the body as they pertain to playing the violin. One must have, whether gotten intuitively through ‘God given talent’ or through insightful instruction, a detailed picture of how to move the parts of the body necessary for playing in the most efficient manner possible.

The second leg is an effective method of practice. Your practice is not just for conditioning your body to a set of automatic movements through shear repetition. It is, rather, to inform the mind so it can be ‘pro-active’ in the process of playing. This is where people without ‘God given talent’ can often make up a lot of ground – I consider myself to be in this group.

The third leg is musical understanding. Of the three this is the most difficult to counterfeit. In fact, if you don’t love playing – you wouldn’t be reading this if you didn’t – it’s a hopeless cause. But if you do love playing, and the elements of musicality – timing, phrasing, ect. – are not intuitively ‘known’ to you, there is much that can be supplied through close contact with a master.

There is one last thing. Having the ability to tie your shoes merely affirms that the manual dexterity is in place to begin or continue the process.

The Kreutzer course is the best way I know for someone without access to a really excellent teacher to craft at least two legs of the stool. If you’re ready for leg number three, ‘Bach and Kreisler’ is your ticket to get started.

Following these you must consider joining me at the next masterclass/seminar.

All the best,

Clayton Haslop