Learning the Violoncello
Posted in practice on Mar 14th, 2010
Or at least more understanding of it than before.
I utilized my practice time over the last three days to focus on rhythm, specifically on using the metronome. I played quarter note scales to varying tempi, I played eighth note scales to the same tempi. I intermingled quarter and eighth notes in the same scale, again [...]
Posted in practice on Mar 10th, 2010
I devoted almost all of my practice tonight to rhythm work. Since I find it almost impossible to hear my metronome over the sound of the cello I turned it’s volume down and just watched the needle tic-toc its way back and forth.
Playing Rigadoon at 80 I was able, after about an hour, to more [...]
Posted in practice on Mar 10th, 2010
Last night’s practice session was very frustrating. I’ve played Rigadoon with the incorrect tempo enough times now that playing it with the correct tempo is difficult. I don’t have an innate sense of pulse, I can’t play a piece and then say, “I got the tempo right.” I have to ask to find out it [...]
Posted in practice on Mar 9th, 2010
In watching some of the Cello Talk videos on David Finckel’s site, I coined a new phrase from something he said: intonation triangulation.
Intonation is a musician’s realization of pitch accuracy, or the pitch accuracy of a musical instrument.
Triangulation is a way of determining something’s location using the locations of other things.
Intonation triangulation therefore is realizing [...]
Posted in practice on Mar 7th, 2010
Rigadoon
This piece is finally starting to come together, although I have to focus on the rhythm and tempo to make sure I play each note long enough. The middle section, measures 9 – 24 are where I spend the most time practicing. At this point the one note that gives me trouble is the G [...]
Posted in practice on Mar 6th, 2010
When I was a Boy Scout our troop used to take new members (usually on their first camp out) snipe hunting. Snipes, we were told, we afraid to fly in the dark so when spooked they’d run along the ground and look for a hole to hide in. The technique then to catch a snipe [...]
Posted in practice on Mar 4th, 2010
One of the recurring issues I have with my playing, and one that my teacher assures me happens to all beginning students, is giving each note its due. Following a series of eight notes I tend to truncate a quarter note. Dotted quarter notes, equivalent to three eight notes, get really short changed.
So I have [...]
Posted in practice on Mar 1st, 2010
As I am learning to play violoncello via the Suzuki method, my playing thus far as been through listening and memorization. The music in the method book is notated with finger numbers so I haven’t had to learn to read music.
However, some of the pieces toward the end of book 1 only show the finger [...]
Posted in practice on Feb 24th, 2010
In the martial arts, at least the Japanese based ones, there is the concept of mushin, or mind of no mind. Basically it means something that you do without thought. The example I like to use is tying your shoes. When you first learned as a child it required effort and thought. You had to [...]
Posted in practice on Feb 23rd, 2010
The past month has been difficult. A death in the family has upset our lives and we are both slowly, tentatively dipping our toes into the apparently calm water following a rough set of rapids.
One of the consequences of the travel involved was that I haven’t been able to practice. In the past four weeks [...]