What You Need for a Bad Day

Several years ago one of my most accomplished colleagues, Endre Granat, said something I’ve remembered ever since. We were at Todd A-O studio recording music for “Apollo 13”, sometime in the mid-90s, I think. Unfortunately, that wonderful sound stage has now been bulldozed for office space.

Anyway, this is what he said. ‘Just about anybody can sound well on a GOOD day, it’s what happens on an off day that separates the great ones from the ‘also-rans.’’

The difference, he went on to say, boiled down to technique.

Now, I might take slight exception to his conclusion; after all, I’ve seen some players with less than picture perfect technique rise to a pressure situation.

Yet to disregard his point would be folly for any violinist with serious intentions. Let me give you an example of how it works.

Just one year ago, after several demanding days spent recording music for ‘Ratatouille’, the composer wanted to return to a cue we had done the first day. It had the most exposed, tricky violin solo of the entire score on it.

My hands we tired, and I had expended a great deal of emotional energy over the previous several days. To say I was running on fumes would not be hyperbole.

Yet I had one very important thing going for me. I work on my technique fastidiously. I do not let things slide in practice, not at all.

And that is what made the difference. No, I will not say I FELT my best, in those retakes. Yet after it was over – we did numerous takes, perhaps ten, and for reasons of orchestration – many players came up wondering how I could be so consistent after such a difficult week.

Naturally I did not say ‘technique’ to them. I left it at, ‘just try to do my best each time.’

Doing your best at a performance or a recording session must be just the tip of the iceberg, though, if you want stand out over and over, through thick and thin.

Fortunately, there is a course that will certainly make that path a lot more direct and rewarding.

All the best,

Clayton Haslop

P.S. The real essentials of violin are as simple as they are misunderstood, by many players. Come get yourself free of the extraneous, the meaningless, the misguided moves holding you back today. AND put some highly effective focus techniques in your playing arsenal at the same time.

How to Dispel Why-Not-Tos

Funny thing, human nature. How often we’ll stamp out dreams before we’ve even shown them the light of day. For many, the why-not-tos’ are like a constant and strong headwind.

And due to them, any growth is dearly paid for.

Yesterday morning I heard from a busy mom with two kids. She thanked me for the first month’s installment of the ‘Beginner’s Circle’, which she’d just received. Then she revealed the subscription to be her first action in fulfilling a life-long dream.

Little does she know what a good move was made. And not for anything particular having to do with violin playing, me thinks.

You see, the first DVD in my beginner’s course starts with breathing. And there’s nothing like a good belly-breath to dispel a whole room full of why-not-tos.

When the diaphragm ‘lets go’, the body lets go. When the BODY lets go, the MIND lets go. And that’s when you can say a sweet good bye to the headwinds of self-limitation.

So you see, the mind can’t do all the lifting; especially when it comes to self-motivation. It’s rather like expecting a high-performance car to run its best on regular unleaded from a discount gas station. It just ain’t gonna happen.

So, if you want a spring in your step, a light in your eyes, and a song bursting out of your violin, get that diaphragm doing the job it was made to do. If you need reminding, get some notes up around the house, your workstation, or wherever else you spend time.

Especially your ‘dream time.’

All the best,

Clayton Haslop

P.S. In case you didn’t know, I’ve taken the DVD of month one of Violin Mastery Beginners Circle and made a separate little course out of it. I’d hurry, though, if you want it soon. I’ve only a couple in stock, and my supplier for this one loves to fish, in the summer.

What You Can Do For Your Trill

Several people wrote in, the past couple days, thanking me for the newsletter about ‘The Royal Court’ of Kreutzer etudes. My volume 1 ‘Royal Court’, that is.

I was also asked to pick favorites from the other volumes. And would I mind explaining why I feel they are so worth revisiting, time and time again.

All right, no problem.

I’ve only to open my ‘volume 2’ score and look only as far as #13 for my first pick. I mean, what a joy this Caprice is; like the opening movement of Bach’s first Cello suite. This etude is just wonderful for forming and strengthening the left hand, so useful in playing multiple stops.

It’s also an endurance test of your right arm. Those elevator muscles in your shoulder get a first-rate workout on this one. Did I say raise the shoulder? Absolutely not.

Ok, now turn the page – and make like a snake and a spider.

Whilst your left hand crawls over the fingerboard like a spider on a web, your bow must snake seamlessly over and between the four strings. Great for finger independence and legato bow control while crossing strings.

And, as with all Kreutzer’s etudes, listen to the harmonies!

Now skip two and land on #17; and don’t forget to change keys.

Can you imagine a more enjoyable way to jump-start your trill reflex than by playing this? Sure there’s the Wieniawski Caprice modeled after it. But you need another violin player to get the full picture.

Wieniawski’s is a duo.

In any case, #17 again doesn’t just focus on the left hand. Leave out the measured trill ornament altogether and you still have a great study in martele, complete with complex string crossings.

And for my final pick of the volume you’ve only to flip the page. Oh, he puts it together in this one. Unmeasured trills are complicated by various preparations and terminations. And you’ve still got to mind the staccato stroking and long legato melismas thrown in for good measure. Takes a fine player with a conscience to nail this one down.

Wish I could whittle it down further, but what can you do. Kreutzer used this grand opus to deliver the full enchilada. The challenges are numerous, the payoff rich.

Of course what I’ve given you here is just a tease, really. The real goods on mastering these gems are truly to be found in my best selling and aptly named Kreutzer for Violin Mastery.

All the best,

Clayton Haslop

P.S. Now some folks like to move through the book methodically, one after the next. And that’s certainly fine. Yet there are those whole like the ala-carte approach; a trill study here, a double-stop study there, etc., etc.. For those I recommend investing in the whole shebang; all four volumes.

How I View Pain, Part 2

If you’ve been reading my little missives lately you will remember that a few days ago I wrote that a certain amount of aches and pains are part of the violin bargain; especially so if you want to improve.

Well, after that newsletter went out I got a response taking me to task for such a position. The writer offered that all pain experienced from playing is generated through the inefficient use of the body; that dynamic tension – 2 muscles working at odds to one another – is the culprit.

Well, I didn’t buy it as the ONLY source of playing discomfort.

I’ll certainly agree that many violinists DO suffer pain because they haven’t successfully dealt with hidden tensions, and are producing tremendous strain by having their way on the instrument through force.

Yet there is no way I can see this as the whole picture.

In my response I pointed out the discomfort MOST will inevitably feel when merely holding an arm out straight for as little time as a minute or two. I say most because there are those so endowed – shorter arms, barrel chests, efficient lactic acid metabolizing ability – as can do such a thing indefinitely without registering the slightest discomfort.

They are the exception.

And when muscles are used dynamically – as in moving around a violin – variations in musculature and muscle elasticity will affect the sensations each player experiences.

This is all part of natural aptitude; ‘talent’, if you will.

Now, does this mean that one should interpret the first signs of discomfort as an indication of genetic deficiency, at least where violin playing is concerned?

Absolutely not.

If you love the instrument you’ll find a way to make peace with whatever discomfort comes your way; to listen to it, understand it, and ultimately extend a path through it.

My guiding principles are these; A) if a pain arises from muscle fatigue or rigidity, I will extend myself until I can no longer hold form, and B) If the pain fails to diminish, and in fact grows, over a period of several days, I will back off and re-evaluate.

You see, in some situations involving nerves and/or muscles, things have a way of getting worse before they get better. And that’s ok, in my book.

One time, for instance, I developed a pinched nerve in my neck. The way it came about had nothing to do with violin playing, yet it certainly had an impact on it. Eventually I was hauling pillows to recording sessions to prop up my left arm.

After a couple months of this I finally sought out a recommended chiropractor/physical-therapist – funny how long types like myself will defer self-maintenance.

First thing he said to me was, ‘What I’m going to have you do will probably make your pain worse for a few days before it gets better.’

He was absolutely right.

The exercises and stretches made my life almost intolerable for a couple days. And then things turned around dramatically.

Within a week I was pain free for the first time in 10 months.

But getting back to violin practice, and the reason for my going into this – i.e. extending to the FULL limits of one’s ability – it’s essential that have a certain amount of now-how.

The now-how I’m talking about is what comprises good form.

If you understand this, and stay within the ultimate limits it places on you, chances are you will make steady and sure progress to the goals you set for yourself.

So, if you are at the beginning of a violin journey and want your best foot out front, join dozens of others getting it all right from the get-go at with Violin Mastery’s Beginners Circle.

Been playing for a couple years, but sill searching for the real goods on violin playing? No problem, I think you’ll find it in spades with Violin Mastery’s Allegro Players.

All the best,

Clayton Haslop

P.S. I didn’t mention, in my little pinched nerve anecdote, that the good doctor stressed the importance of form whilst doing the prescribed exercises. Form and content, you really can’t have one without the other. And now speaking of content, there’s much more at Violin Mastery than the two programs mentioned above.

The "Royal Court" of Kreutzer Etudes, part 1

Many people have asked, over the 2 years since volume 1 of ‘Kreutzer for Violin Mastery’ was released, if there are certain etudes that I are particularly key to making rapid progress.

Now, when I’ve answered the question I’ve always prefaced it with, ‘They are all ‘keys’ to making progress. Each has a valuable lesson to teach.’

And this is very true.

Yet when it comes right down to it, I find myself returning again and again to what I will now go on record as being my ‘Royal Court’ of volume 1. Yes, I’ll divulge the royal courts of the other volumes in future newsletters. Matter of fact, I’ll even have my ‘Supreme Royal Court’ that narrows the field of each volume down even more.

But let’s content ourselves with the first volume for today.

The 5 etudes I’m going to name right now are so important that I committed them to memory many years ago, and continue to use them to this day – worked through them this morning, in fact.

They are; #2, #9, #11, and #12. Here’s why.

Number 2 is deceptively easy. To play it with ease, fluidly and flawless intonation requires a beautifully formed and flexible left hand, and a pure understanding of the workings of the bow arm.
These skills are as essential to violin playing as swinging a bat correctly is to baseball.

Number 9 is about the inner workings of the left hand. It’s about the subtle control of one’s articulation, and finger independence. It also strengthens the hand and increases ones left hand endurance.

Number 11 develops the ability to sing while moving from position to position. It requires fine movements of the left forearm and great control over the flow of the bow. Many a student passes over this etude without even scratching the surface in terms of benefits to cleaned from it.

And finally, number 12. A wonderful study for intonation, shifting, stretching the left hand, and, if done properly, string crossing. I have 2 ways of playing this etude, very slow and very fast. In the former I develop tone production over the range of the instrument. In the latter, velocity.

All the best,

Clayton Haslop

P.S. As I mentioned, in coming emails I will divulge my picks for the other volumes as well. Might be a good idea to pick up all four volumes AND take advantage of the nice discount for doing so. It’s an investment that’ll pay dividends in time saved – no wasted practice time – and improvements made for a good 2 years.

A Gardener's Story

A few years ago I read a tribute someone had submitted to a literary magazine about her grandfather. It was a beautiful bit of writing, and it delivered a very special and potent message.

The gist of the piece had to do with the grandparent’s success in dealing with what, at first glance, might be considered the limiting effects of aging.

The writer really only knew her grandfather from the time of his retirement from business to his passing, a span of some 30 years. During this time he spent the majority of his energies pursuing his real passion in life, gardening. She recalled how, as a small girl, his garden covered a tremendously large space.

As he advanced in age he began drawing in the outer boundaries of the garden. And she became aware that he moved through the cultivated area more slowly and deliberately with the passing of each year.

She also noticed that he took no less joy and pleasure from gardening than he had when she was a small child. In fact the abundance of his pleasure seemed to grow in inverse proportion to the size of his garden.

Just prior to his death, at 96, his pride and joy rested with a border of roses that ran from his front door out 20 steps or so to the street.

Yesterday this story came to mind as I practiced. Until a week ago I had not practiced for some 6 weeks. Aside from the pain and stiffness in my shoulder I have lost my calluses and the muscle tone in my hands.

Yet when I considered the message of the story I just related, I let go of my frustrated expectations. I just focused on doing what I could do in each moment; completely.

And completely is the operative word. It is tempting to let things slide. To let the little details of form fall by the wayside.

After playing three octave scales for 45 minutes or so, I turned my attention to the Mendelssohn Concerto. Can’t think of a better more satisfying piece of repertoire to rehabilitate a hand.

I played slowly, paying attention to the articulation of each finger – my 3rd finger is particularly weak and lazy at the moment. I want to make sure that the articulation is even through my hand. That each finger rises to the same point and contacts the string with the same clarity.

In the scales I noticed how tempted I was to grip the instrument with my chin to make shifting easier on my arm. It was painful, in fact, to support the violin with my left hand while shifting, and without distorting the hand in the process.

Some might have thought my efforts misguided. The results of my ‘painfully slow’ work, however, spoke for themselves. I managed some remarkably fluid, in tune, and rapid scales as I worked through the initial discomfort and weakness.

During the session I was frequently surprised by the new feelings accompanying my hand movements. I didn’t shy away from the unfamiliar. I did evaluate them in terms of my overall goal of extending the balance and efficiency my hand enjoys in 1st position up to the highest positions on the instrument.

In other words insured that my left arm be the foundation for the hand, allowing the fingers absolute mobility. A foundation that is strong, subtle and resourceful. And because I provide the violin and hand this ultimate security and dependability, my neck and shoulders enjoy an uncompromised level of relaxation and freedom.

No clenching.

By the end of the session I might have fooled even one or two of you into thinking I was fully recovered and back to my former self.

The real moral of the story, if you take one here, is to consume the available potential of each moment without judgment as to how much is awarded you.

One that does this have discovered the secret of abundance.

All the best,

Clayton Haslop

P.S. Speaking of abundance. You will find much practical guidance for your exploration of the violin in each of my courses. For a complete list why not hop over to my list of products and take a gander.

Your True Practice Companions

At the moment I’m seated in my office/studio. With the exception of the slight whirring noise of a fan above me, all is quite still.

Earlier I took some exercise under the unique blue sky of the high desert. On my sides were stunning red rock monoliths and surprisingly lush green vegetation. it’s the monsoon season here.

The two ladies of the house, my wife Tania and daughter Claire are still sleeping; Tania having worked late into the night to meet a deadline.

In the quiet of the house now my thoughts have been running over the events of the last two months, and my responses to them. Much of the time I’ve felt like a pebble being swept down stream in a flash flood. And, as you know, some of the bumps and bruises I received are quite real.

Yet in this moment of reflection I’m reconnecting with two life-giving feelings; love, and gratitude.

What blessings they are.

And as I do I’m being reminded of how they figure into the practice of the violin. In a real sense they are our most essential practice companions.

Sometimes players are tempted to derive motivation from negative sources; guilt being the most common, I suppose.

Though the hands may get exercised, the soul is left unstirred. In this state the desire to extend, which is the natural result of love, remains dormant. Real music making is thus impossible.

Gratitude is the great facilitator of love. As I sit here experiencing gratitude for the pleasure and joy derived from something as simple as drawing a bow down an open string, love springs into being.

Interestingly, gratitude is made possible through our ability to visualize. Through it the mind ‘recreates’ what it is grateful for. For me, then, visualization has much more than a purely utilitarian value. The positive exercise of it is essential to our very humanity.

When you work with one of my courses you will find that there I focus on the nuts and bolts of violin playing; where to put the fingers, what to think about, how to practice, etc..

In these newsletters I find it important to share what is in my heart.

All the best,

Clayton Haslop

P.S. I can still welcome a few more attendees to my Sedona Masterclass/Seminar October 10-12. I know those attending will come away inspired, energized, and full of practical violin playing know-how.

How to Get the Most from Practice

In case you’ve been thinking your email provider has been holding out on you, rest easy. My newsletters have been a bit sporatic of late and my be for some time as we settle into our new ‘digs’.

I hope and trust, however, that you’ve made good use of the couple minutes each day you would have otherwise spent reading my thoughts. Of course by good use I’m talkin’ a few more minutes of quality practice.

Practice that nourishes your soul; that gently, yet purposefully stretches your hands and mind. Practice that leaves you refreshed and activated for the next activity in your day.

In short, if your practice hasn’t been the most blessed part of your day then you need some new practice habits.

Number one on my list of importance is breathing. Proper breathing fuels your focus and relaxes your body.

Once you’re feeling relaxed, drawing some beautiful tones and feeling awake, begin ramping up your focus.

You begin counting and visualizing.

With all three of these powerful tools up and running you’re truly open for business.

When you’re rested and fresh it may only take a couple of minutes. For me, evening sessions can require 10 or 15 minutes before I’m fully functional.

And yes, there is the odd session now and then when all the cylinders just won’t fire. On those days I will usually just content myself with a warm up and stretch using scales and double stop etudes.

Those of you with concerts, auditions, etc. coming up need to create plenty of space around your practice. By that I mean limiting other activities and distractions and getting plenty of rest. Your mind and body need that space to deeply absorb the music you’re preparing. Walks are excellent for this purpose.

Remember that practicing too much is just and counterproductive as not practicing enough. What you must watch for is the quality of your focus. Once you have lost the ability to visualize what you are playing its time to stop.

Rarely is it healthy to do more than three hours in one session. With breaks it should take more like three and a half hours to do this much. It’s also better to do two sessions of an hour and a half each to get the most out of those three hours.

Heifetz once said that he rarely practiced more than three hours in a day. He went on to remark that if you need more than that to play well you should consider taking up something else.

He also said, ‘If I don’t practice one day, I know it. If I don’t practice for two days, my housekeeper knows it. If I don’t practice for three days, my public knows it.’

From these remarks one should understand that steady, intelligent, and consistent practice is the ticket to mastering the violin. So, find yourself some good, quality time, and enjoy!

All the best,

Clayton Haslop

P.S. Over the years I’ve not found anything more nourishing for the left hand than double-stop playing. And the greatest series of exercises for double-stops, both for utility and pleasure, are the last 10 Caprices in Kreutzer’s magnificent opus for the violin. In volume 4 of Kreutzer for Violin Mastery I reveal all my secrets for cultivating vibrant, singing, double-stops.

How to Manage the Weight Shift

Yesterday was a long day. Not only did the recording session I was on for ‘The Curious Case of Benjamin Button’ go 2 hours overtime, the music itself was tremendously transparent and exposed.

We walked on eggshells for 8 hours.

The result, however, will be breathtaking in the theatre. Alexander Desplat is a wonderful, accomplished musician. If I came off sounding a little harsh on him in yesterday’s newsletter I didn’t mean to. Yet it is true he is a stickler for detail, to the max.

The fact that I’m spending 3 days playing pianissimo is appropriate to a question raised a couple days ago. I was asked about the weight transfer as one travels up the bow to the frog, and visa-versa.

Specifically, when does the ‘pinky’ become engaged, when is the index finger coming into play, does one ever supply more than just arm weight to the bow, etc.

Naturally all these factors are determined by variables; the dynamic, the bow speed, even the string you’re on. One exercise I suggest to develop a ‘feel’ for the balance shift in the bow is to play some pianissimo strokes on the G string.

On the G string the bow is naturally traveling most parallel to the floor. It is the string on which the transfer of weight to the pinky on the up bow happens earliest.

After doing a few strokes pianissimo increase the dynamic and notice how the transfer point moves toward the frog.

Do the same thing on the E string. Because the bow travels more perpendicular to the string here the need to take up weight in the pinky, even in pianissimo, becomes negligible.

Now let’s look at the other side of the dynamic spectrum, playing fortissimo. In my comments about sound production I refer to ‘arm weight’ as the primary source of tone. Yet when the requirements for volume climb beyond Forte the weight of one’s arm may not be sufficient. As I said yesterday, the violin is a physical process, and muscle is required.

If you want to experience this directly go back and play some forte whole notes on the G and E strings. Start with arm weight, and then increase the pressure by ‘drawing down’ on the string with the large muscles in your back and under your arm.

Breathe and feel the Horizontal flow of the bow as you experiment with this. The idea is to get the maximum of tone with the minimum of tension.

And again, you will probably notice the relative position of your bow to the floor – G more parallel, E more perpendicular – will affect the amount of muscle you actually use to produce the same dynamic.

You’ll also notice that the bow will track loser to the bridge as you add energy to the string.

One last thing, I do allow my pinky and index fingers to lift off the bow now and again when they are not being used. This is fine Providing your wrist, elbow, and shoulder joints are fluid, and your overall hand position relative to the bow remains consistent.

This should be pretty evident when you watch me demonstrate, I think.

Now it’s time to go make a movie.

All the best,

Clayton Haslop

P.S. If you found these comments useful, and you’d really like to ‘take it from the top’ and revisit ALL the fundamentals, Violin Mastery Beginners Circlemay be just the ticket you need. Those investing in the full year subscription may request that I send all the months currently available right off the bat to accelerate the process.

Why There’s Pain

Back in LA sitting at my favorite Westside coffee house, ‘the Conservatory’ – how appropriate. Just downed the most potent triple espresso on the planet.

Today I’ll be sitting in the hot seat for a film called ‘The Curious Case of Benjamin Button’, composer Alexander Deplat. Don’t know a thing about the film, yet, but I do know that French born Desplat is an exacting musician with an incredible ear for detail.

For the orchestra this means a day of many, many interrupted takes. If he has a short coming it is that he sometimes loses the forest for the trees, if you know what I mean.

Though the results often sound very clean and tidy, the problem with such a work method is that the players aren’t able to ‘stay warm.’

Imagine driving a car one or two blocks, turning it off for a couple minutes, restarting it, driving another block, shutting it down, etc., etc,.

Such treatment is as hard on a car as it is on a player. On days such as this I will use our 10-minute breaks to stretch and clear out the inevitable lactic acid buildup. The most sure sign of such accumulation is a burning sensation in a specific area.

Speaking of lactic acid, a couple days ago one of my ‘Beginner’s Circle’ members wrote it about just such pain he behind his bowing shoulder. He wants to know whether it’s normal and what he can do about it.

There are a few things that come to mind.

First, though, he should know that even with the best playing habits in the world, an ache here or there, now and again, is to be expected. After all, the violin IS a physical process and will produce a certain amount of stress on the body.

Yet sometimes just acknowledging the discomfort, taking a moment to relax and shake out the affected area is enough. End of story.

If the pain persists, grows stronger, or begins to ‘refer’ – radiate – it’s time to pay closer attention.

Violin playing is very asymmetrical. It’s important, to stretch and use neglected muscle groups to keep the body in balance.

If, as in the case of my friend, the pain comes up predictably and has the hallmark ‘burning’ characteristic of lactic acid buildup, I would suggest beginning the practice session with some gentle shoulder rotations to warm-up and stretch the shoulder muscles.

Nothing hard or vigorous, mind you, easy does it, in this case.

And even after beginning to play I suggest continuing to take frequent, short breaks to ‘free up’ the shoulder. It just may be all that’s needed.

Now, when pain becomes chronic, it’s time to get help. A good physical therapist or chiropractor can often work miracles, in my experience. Often they know simple, effective little exercises for specific muscles, our their opposites, than can turn things around very quickly.

The important thing is to pay attention when pains creep up and take action as early as possible to address them.

Of course sound fundamentals are important to have. Proper breathing is also essential to helping the body process inevitable lactic acid buildup in the muscles.

And if you have any question as to what proper breathing is, you can get that question answered in spades with Dynamic Breath Control for Violinists. That handy little DVD is available for little more than a song.

All the best,

Clayton Haslop

P.S. Now, players who’ve ‘been around the block’ a few times, may want to jump in with both feet. Paganini for Violin Virtuosity, Vol. 1 is an invaluable practice tool for those wanting real ‘chops’. Go have a look.

She Did What She Could Do

She Did What She Could Do

Hi <$firstname$>,
It has only been for a few days now, but I’m back on the violin in earnest. And let me tell you, I’m breathing like a dragon in heat while I give all the bruised soft-tissue a wake-up call like they’ve never had.

Sometimes it feels like someone is trying to screw my shoulder off my body while I’m moving around.

For those newcomers who don’t know what I’m talking about – it’s the aftermath of a dislocated shoulder.

In some ways it’s like I’m beginning to learn the violin all over again; getting it into position, forming my left hand, drawing a tone, moving the fingers independently, stretching out the hand, etc.

As I go through this I’m reminded of something one of my teachers said years ago. I was in high school at the time, and playing quite a few competitions. After one of them, in which I suffered a defeat to a very excellent cellist, he said of her, ‘She cannot do everything you can do, but what she does she does extremely well.’

Now that’s interesting. And I’ve never forgotten it.

You see, I am naturally coordinated and athletic. All well and good. Yet those attributes were only able to taking me so far.

Here was a gal with less natural gift who more than made up the stagger through mental calculation. She was further along in the mental game than I. And good things came to her as a result.

So, back to my rehab practice sessions. As I play I’m focused on two things; holding a crystal clear image of what I’m after musically and sonically, and keeping my form absolutely perfect.

In my condition it is even clearer than usual how important it is to frame what you want to do in your mind before attempting to do it on the instrument.

After all, it’s so easy to begin sawing away on some piece of music that’s in front of you without any real guiding thought behind one’s actions.

Watch out for this. Stop. Play it in your head, sing it out loud, see yourself playing it. In short do whatever it takes to get a strong, detailed mental image going.

Next, as you put the violin up and play, take score. Is your left hand well formed, your fingers contacting the strings independently, your right hand moving freely through space, your wrist, elbow, and shoulder relaxed allowing the hand this freedom, the violin resting in the ‘V’ formed by the thumb and base of the hand.

Yea, it’s a lot to think about. No need to rush yourself, take your time, and stay focused in the moment.

After you call these things to mind a few times the process begins to happen very quickly.

Reminds me of learning to ride a motorcycle last summer. At first the number of things to remember, that are different from a car – brake locations, clutch, shifting pattern, seemed overwhelming. I had to put forth some real mental effort the first day and a half.

By the end of day two, however, the same mental gymnastics were bringing me pleasure, not pain. The same is true on the violin

With the dislocation, by the way, I stretched the heck out of the nerves going through the shoulder and down the arm. As a result of this the signal strength to the tips of my fingers is presently quite reduced.

That’s another reason I’m breathing like a dragon; to push signals from my brain through the weakness down to my fingers.

Now go and figure out what you need to do to get the results you want. If you need new ideas you know where to find them.

All the best,

Clayton Haslop

P.S. For some reason I’m thinking there is someone reading this who’s been thinking about investing in the Kreutzer series. Well, there won’t be a better time than right now to begin putting it to work for you.

A Day for Freedom

Well, it’s been 2 weeks since my last newsletter. And what a two weeks it has been. Suffice it to say, my little family and I are safely in the beautiful red rock country of Sedona Arizona, after a move of major proportions.

And I’m itching to get back to life more or less as usual. Which means practicing, creating courses and writing to you.

Now today, as most of you know, is the day we celebrate our declaration of independence from England, here in the U.S. of A.

As such it’s a good time to contemplate what it means to be free. Not just in civic matters, in artistic pursuits as well.

Freedom is first about vision and imagination.

If we do not see multiple possibilities, the concept of freedom is a non-starter. It’s like the old joke about choice in the former Soviet Union – ‘sure there is choice, you can buy a black car today, or a black car tomorrow.’

May not have that exactly right, but you get my drift.

As I practice one of the things I’m asking myself is; am I doing this or that because I really mean to do it, or because habit or lack of awareness dictate that I do it.

Way back when, when I spending time with Milstein, he used to say, ‘Why do you run away?’ He was referring to my tendency to allow the ‘slope’ of complicated passages to pull me forward. To Rush.

I wasn’t even aware I was doing it much of the time. And admittedly my guiding thought was often only a desperate one of getting through the passage, while hoping for the best.

Certainly nothing ‘free’ about that.

So over the years I’ve become more conscious as I play. I’ve challenged myself to look into the darkened corners of my violin playing and to shed light on them with a curious, non-judgmental mind.

When weaknesses do come to light, as they most certainly will, I step back, breathe, and acknowledge the need to move in a new way.

Yes, there are techniques I use to facilitate this process. And a certain fundamental understanding of violin mechanics is essential making headway.

The most important step, however, is the first one; the opening of the mind. Once you’ve managed that you’re truly ‘open for business’. Progress and growth are certain to follow.

So, here’s to a mind opening, freedom pursuing 4th of July.

All the best,

Clayton Haslop

P.S. Speaking of ‘open for business’, you’ll not find a better place to get down to the ‘business’ of improving your violin playing than in Sedona this October. One of the few remaining seats to the Sedona Masterclass/Seminar can have your name on it if you get right over to http://www.violinmastery.com/masterclass.htm