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George Garnett
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« Reply #15 on: 19:15:11, 06-05-2007 » |
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Thanks Tommo, particularly for taking the trouble to set things out in Msg 11. Very interesting stuff. Because it happens to relate to something I'm interested in in another context I was particularly intrigued by the examples you give of how you can 'trick' your own brain into doing things by throwing it a story, or a metaphor, or an image to work on. You mentioned another one on another thread about an image of cogs that I pounced on as very telling too. I have a feeling that this sort of thing is actually a bit more central to how the brain operates 'normally' than we might think but it's not that easy to find examples set out so clearly. And as for when a violinist waves the instrument about with one arm while controlling the relative!!!!!!  motion of the bow with the other with that degree of subtlety....and you think of the computing capacity that would take if our brains were computers, it's just head-exploding stuff. OK, so you may not be a separate species to be able to do it, but I insist on being awestruck by instrumentalists even if it's embarrassing for everyone. How you performers restrain yourselves from plunging into the audience to strangle coughers when you are doing all that for us is yet another mystery....  |
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« Last Edit: 19:19:53, 06-05-2007 by George Garnett »
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thompson1780
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« Reply #16 on: 00:27:48, 07-05-2007 » |
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Tommo is such a good teacher (inspiring) that I thought may be it is possible to learn how to play viola externally. I have a viola here. The problem is I have very little (no) time to play it. A friend said: Why do you want to be a bad viola player when you could be a pianist.
I love string instruments and they are much better for your social life. There are places where they don't have pianos here (remember I am in a wilderness).
I have string players visiting that could correct me (I already had a viola and violinist players giving me beginning lessons), but there is no way to get around practicing. I know that it has to be done regularly (every day at least 3 hours). I don't have that much time. But would half an hour do? Will I make any progress?
It is a shame to waist the viola that found its way into the house. I don't want to let it go.
Thank you t-p, 30 minutes isn't a lot, but when you start it's plenty. Have you been playing the viola long? You could try taking tips from me over the forum, and that has the added bonus of getting a second, third and fourth opinion (if A na dsome other violinists / violists turn up!) But none of us woudl be able to hear or see you, so it could be a bit hard. Maybe best to just read this thread, the piano thread, and use them as inspiration / things to try out...... Tommo |
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Made by Thompson & son, at the Violin & c. the West end of St. Paul's Churchyard, LONDON
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thompson1780
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« Reply #17 on: 00:44:57, 07-05-2007 » |
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Rei, great to have a violist on board! Being a bit of a violist myself, in a shambling and unserious sort of way..... Is there any other way....? I love it when violists provide the bottom to the string sound (no raspberry jokes) and the cellos go soaring away up high. But I'm not sure I'd go as far as saying the viola is a small cello rather than a big violin. Bach Cello Suites sound as bad on the viola as they do on the bass clarinet (obvious bait?), and I cannot bring myself to imagine the Elgar done the Tertis way (although I can imagine on a TM viola it would be a darn sight better than on a 15 incher...) I don't say you'd bow passages entirely differently on the viola, but there are certainly differences... I think violists play more on the upper half of the bow than violinists, overall? You can't "whack" the a-string on a viola, because it will just squeak or grind.
I can't see any technical reason for staying in the upper half. Although I wonder if there is something to do with the equipment - a viola bow is somewhat heavier than a violin one, and the strings are slacker. Can't see how that works though - maybe it's just viola players being a bit odd. They do sometimes venture towards the frog - Smetana Quartet No.1, Bartok Quartets, and for pizzicato (  ) Tommo |
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Made by Thompson & son, at the Violin & c. the West end of St. Paul's Churchyard, LONDON
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thompson1780
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« Reply #18 on: 01:02:22, 07-05-2007 » |
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I've often wondered - is it possible to 'relax' at a stringed instrument, the way some do at the piano?
Not being a pianist, I don't know what it is like to relax at the piano. Or does the strain of the position one holds it in, in the case of the violin or viola, possibly preclude that?
I wouldn't say things are relaxed in the sense of laid back, but I wouldn't say things are under strain either. Certainly not in the left hand, or that would make fingering and position changes very tricky, and vibrato very lopsided. Strain is a bit in the right hand when you do a special sort of tremolo - the arm sort of locks and you do tiny judders around the lock position. Not strain, and not really relaxed. Personally, I find my mind is often doing so much overtime whilst playing (mainly from a muscial point of view) that I can't call myself relaxed. Tommo |
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Made by Thompson & son, at the Violin & c. the West end of St. Paul's Churchyard, LONDON
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thompson1780
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« Reply #19 on: 01:06:12, 07-05-2007 » |
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Thanks Tommo, particularly for taking the trouble to set things out in Msg 11. Very interesting stuff. Because it happens to relate to something I'm interested in in another context I was particularly intrigued by the examples you give of how you can 'trick' your own brain into doing things by throwing it a story, or a metaphor, or an image to work on. It's a pleasure, George, and please do tell of the other context if you can........ Tommo |
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Made by Thompson & son, at the Violin & c. the West end of St. Paul's Churchyard, LONDON
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richard barrett
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« Reply #20 on: 01:11:09, 07-05-2007 » |
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I don't know what it is like to relax at the piano.
This is how one well-known keypusher does it.  |
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Biroc
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« Reply #21 on: 01:12:12, 07-05-2007 » |
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I don't know what it is like to relax at the piano.
This is how one well-known keypusher does it. WOW! Ashkenazy looks AMAZING in that pic!! |
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"Believe nothing they say, they're not Biroc's kind."
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thompson1780
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« Reply #22 on: 10:12:29, 07-05-2007 » |
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Lucky Wolves........
Tommo
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Made by Thompson & son, at the Violin & c. the West end of St. Paul's Churchyard, LONDON
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George Garnett
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« Reply #23 on: 10:52:33, 09-05-2007 » |
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She can push my keys any......(No, stop it at once, George. It'll be the unfortunate Hilary Hahn business all over again and you know how that ended.)
Bother! I was trying to find that notorious picture of The Lady Runcie spreadeagled across the top of a grand piano but Mr Google has failed me.
How do you feel about the Schubert Arpeggione Sonata in the viola version, Tommo? Do you play it? I know someone here, but I'm afraid I've forgotten who, loathes the piece anyway but I'm a complete sucker for it on the cello. Never quite got on with the viola version though.
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« Last Edit: 10:58:00, 09-05-2007 by George Garnett »
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richard barrett
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« Reply #24 on: 11:22:51, 09-05-2007 » |
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I'm a complete sucker for it on the cello. Never quite got on with the viola version though.
It sounds best on the arpeggione though. As far as I know the only person who recorded it as such was Klaus Storck, probably thirty years ago, and that's never reappeared on CD. Anner Bylsma's recording using a violoncello piccolo is the closest you can find now, I think. |
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thompson1780
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« Reply #26 on: 16:58:43, 09-05-2007 » |
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Ah, the person rsponsible for the (former) worst CD in my collection........
But thanks for this link Richard - shocking.
Tommo
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Made by Thompson & son, at the Violin & c. the West end of St. Paul's Churchyard, LONDON
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SimonSagt!
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« Reply #27 on: 17:34:22, 09-05-2007 » |
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Returning to the violin, I just received this link from the violinist/composer Jon Rose:
Is this a joke? Have you actually HEARD some of the grotesque stuff that this pseudo-musician has "written"? "Music" aside, the link he provided is, if it's true, an unpleasant state of affairs. However, it's as well to be cautious in deciding what to believe in these cases. Experiences in other places of staged photographs and anti-Western stories are commonplace - but unlikely, naturally, to bother the rabid anti-Americans of this world. Like the BBC, I would want some confirmation of the facts before I believed this. I wonder how bothered this violinist was when Hussein was gassing marsh arabs by the thousand or wiping out Kurdish villages. People there didn't have violins to play in the first place. They rarely had enough to eat. |
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The Emperor suspected they were right. But he dared not stop and so on he walked, more proudly than ever. And his courtiers behind him held high the train... that wasn't there at all.
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richard barrett
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« Reply #28 on: 17:36:30, 09-05-2007 » |
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Have you actually HEARD some of the grotesque stuff that this pseudo-musician has "written"? Yes I have. He's a friend of mine. I'm sure he'll be amused to read your comments. |
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SimonSagt!
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« Reply #29 on: 17:51:22, 09-05-2007 » |
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Have you actually HEARD some of the grotesque stuff that this pseudo-musician has "written"? Yes I have. He's a friend of mine. I'm sure he'll be amused to read your comments. If he's amused, that's a start - and I shall be happy. I always like to amuse people. If he then decides to write some sublimely beautiful music I shall be absolutely delighted. I'll even buy a CD of it. Nay, several CDs. However, on the basis of his Fencepost thingy, or whatever it's called, I shan't be holding my breath. bws S-S! |
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The Emperor suspected they were right. But he dared not stop and so on he walked, more proudly than ever. And his courtiers behind him held high the train... that wasn't there at all.
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