#bachviolin

[deborahdeshoftim5779]

Last night’s bedtime music: Yehudi Menuhin playing Bach’s Violin Sonatas and Partitas. Classic record. 

Good timing too, since I will be reading some of Wolff’s Bach essays today. 

[deborahdeshoftim5779]

Bach’s Violin Partita No. 1 didn’t interest me as much as the others when I first heard it. I much preferred Partita No. 2 and Violin Sonata No. 1. On subsequent listens, I my mind completely changed. Bach’s writing in the key of B Minor has a special significance, and it sounds magnificent on the violin. BWV 1002 is played here by Shunske Sato for the Netherlands Bach Society.  

[deborahdeshoftim5779]

Beautiful playing from 13 year old Zohra Jongerius, who performed Bach’s Allemanda from the Partita No. 2 in D Minor, for the Netherlands Bach Society. 

[deborahdeshoftim5779]

Best ingredients: Johann Sebastian Bach-- and TwoSetViolin. Also, I want that Bach t-shirt that Brett always wears. 

[willhurdstrings]

Same note, different finger or position #playintune #violinpractice This exposed high range #arpeggio in measure 14 of #violinconcerto in #aminor (2nd movement) by #jsbach is challenging to play in tune. Notes with the same name need to sound the same when they are repeated. Finger extensions, shifts, and string crossings can change the pitch of repeated notes. To overcome this challenge I practice playing one note, then two notes at a time as follows: Three videos: 1) Performance version (intonation is pure after following the steps in the next videos) ~swipe left~ 2) Play only Gs, then only Ds then only Bs. Finger all notes silently but don’t move the bow to sound the notes. ~swipe left~ 3) Play only Gs and Ds (omitting Bs), then only Gs and Bs (omitting Ds), then only Bs and Ds (omitting Gs). Finger all notes but do not sound the omitted notes with the bow. Practicing in this manner unifies the intonation of notes as they reoccur in the passage. #violinteacher #practiceviolin #violinpedagogy #violintechnique #violinmasterclass #violinlesson #violinclass #johannsebastianbach #bachviolin #suzukiviolinteacher #stringpedagogy #violinplayer #classicalviolinist #woodshedding #100daysofpracticechallenge #40hoursofpractice #violinpractice🎻 #violintips #practicejournal (at Washington D.C.) https://www.instagram.com/p/CWvqY0oAxsm/?utm_medium=tumblr

[willhurdstrings]

#bachdouble #violinconcerto is wonderful for exploring subdivided #rhythms My #youngviolinists practice the entire part in subdivisions and switch back and forth playing the printed bowings/subdivisions with me in #violinlessons as well as with other #violinstudents in our #suzukigroup #violinclasses Feeling the subdivisions in pieces like #concertofortwoviolins by #jsbach is critical in order to #playmusictogether and bring out the #counterpoint #violinpractice #violinlesson #violinteacher #suzukiviolinlessons #concertoindminor #johannsebastianbach #violinsolo #bachviolin #suzukibook4 #bachdouble #bachdoubleviolinconcerto #violintechnique #violinpedagogy #practiceroom (at Washington D.C.) https://www.instagram.com/p/CWLh-BiAe_3/?utm_medium=tumblr

[willhurdstrings]

Accent #patternpractice is one of the most effective #practicestrategies to build ease, clarity, and memory strength in #fastplaying pieces. Here are just a few ways I practice #preludio from #partita no 3 in #emajor #bwv1006 by #jsbach (mm 29-42) 6 videos: 1) Beginner - accent each main beat ~swipe left~ 2) Advanced - accent once per beat but not the main beat. For this example I accent the last note of each beat. ~swipe left~ 3) Expert - Accent every third note - this effectively changes the meter from 3/4 to 12/8. Accent patterns which change the meter take some getting used to. ~swipe left~ 4) Insane! - 5 note accent groups! The accent converges in the natural meter every 5 measures! ~swipe left~ 5) Ultimate - Accent every 7th note! The accent pattern converges with the meter every measures! ~swipe left~ 6) Performance version #sonatasandpartitas #bachpartita #bachviolin #solobach #johannsebastianbach #violinmusic #violinsolo #violinteacher #violinlesson #violinpractice #practiceroom #creativepractice #violinistsofinstagram #practicepracticepractice #365daysofpractice #lingling40hrs (at Washington D.C.) https://www.instagram.com/p/CRWbBq6guPn/?utm_medium=tumblr

[willhurdstrings]

Twinkle Bow-rrée! #practicingviolin #jsbach #partita3 #bourrée in #emajor #bwv1006 with #twinklebow Practicing this piece with a twinkle bow helps me with several #violintechnique items: 1) comfort in the lower half where string crossings are easiest and prevents me from accidentally playing the whole piece in the middle and upper half. 2) #intonation - I find it’s actually easier to play in tune in the lower half. I’m not sure why this is but I often practice tricky intonation passages in the lower half even if they will not be performed there. 3) Tone - if I can get a beautiful tone with the tiny twinkle bow, it’s easy to get #beautifultone with my performance bow! Slurs become even and clear! Two videos: 1) Twinkle bow practice. ~swipe left~ 2) Performance version. #sonatasandpartitas #bachpartita #violinpartita #johannsebastianbach #solobach #bachviolin #bourree #bach #practiceroom #violintips #violinpractice🎻 #violinteacher #violinlesson #beautifulmusic #baroquestyle #baroquemusiclovers #suzukiviolinteacher (at Washington D.C.) https://www.instagram.com/p/CQ0ifBOACFA/?utm_medium=tumblr

[willhurdstrings]

#jsbach #violinconcerto #bwv1041 #secondmovement #andante One of the challenges in this movement is the bow distribution in the passages with the full measure whole notes tied to the first sixteenth note of the next measure. I practice these passages as follows (4 videos): 1) Practice the last sixteenth note worth of the long note. Start practice on this note allocating about 1/3 of the bow for this note alone. Repeat this note and gradually fill out the measure that follows. Get a feel for how fast the initial up bow feels. 2) Start at the tip and pulse each sixteenth note counting each of the 8 triplet groups (“pineapples”). Count out loud, then silently. When you get to the last sixteenth note pulse of the long note, you should be able to play with about 1/4 of the bow as you did in step 1. 3) Performance version of mm. 17-18 4) Performance version of mm. 30-36. This passage contains two whole notes tied to the first sixteenth note of the next measure. Practice by isolating these places as shown in videos 1 & 2. #bachviolin #bachviolinconcerto #violinsoloist #suzukiviolinteacher #suzukimethodviolin #violinpractice #practiceviolin #violinlove #ilovebach #bachlovers #baroquemusiclovers #beautifulmusic #practiceroom #40hoursofpractice #violintechnique #violinmasterclass #violinpedagogy #violintips #masterviolin #violinstagram (at Washington D.C.) https://www.instagram.com/p/CONwb8oAlgQ/?igshid=1eqvhfo1u46le

[willhurdstrings]

Use this method to help memorize tricky passages. The ancient Greeks developed this mnemonic memory device whereby one would remember items in locations throughout a large house or palace. One would memorize the contents of the house in detail as well as the journey between items in the house. Items would be pieces of whatever needed to be memorized such as faces, digits/numbers, lists of words, topics in a verbal presentation. Incidentally the English word “topic” comes from the Greek “topos”, which means “location”. This method is often called the “memory palace” or “method of loci” I use a simplified memorization technique inspired by the memory palace. 1) In Bach’s Preludio from Partita no 3, BWV 2006, measures 29-36 are repeated in measures 79-86 with some notes that are different. I find these places tricky to memorize because I get confused as to which of the “different” parts to play and often play the wrong one in the wrong key! To help, I practice these passages back-to-back and step outside the room for the notes that are not common between the passages. ~~swipe left~~ 2) The memory palace method can be learned by beginners as shown. Children often confuse the endings in Long Long ago and pieces with similar form (Allegretto, Andantino, Happy Farmer). I ask them to first learn the notes that are the same (no endings). Then I assign some version of the memory palace. Variations include the following activities for the different notes: Singing Accenting the first different note Elongating the first different note Walking across the room Saying the name of the first different note out loud #violin #violintechnique #violinteacher #memorypalace #methodofloci #memoryjourney #mindpalace #mindpalacetechnique #jsbach #bachviolin #preludio #practiceroom #practicejournal #musicpractice #solobach #violinpractice #violinteacher #suzukiteacher #suzukiviolinmethod #violinpedagogy #practicewithpurpose #mindfulmusician #mindfulmusic #100daysofpractice #longlongago (at Washington D.C.) https://www.instagram.com/p/CH7z87kAvli/?igshid=kp0q8j9jgj8e

[willhurdstrings]

I enjoy practicing by #transposition to #keepitfresh and interesting during #violinpractice🎻 Transposing gives a free perspective on the intervals and helps with tricky intonation passages. Here’s an example of how this works in a passage from #prelúdio from the #emajor #partita by #jsbach 2 videos: 1) passage practiced slowly and down a half step in E flat major 2) closer to performance tempo in the original key of E major #johannsebastianbach #bachviolin #sonatasandpartitas #practiceviolin #violinteacher #violinmasterclass #violinlesson #suzukiviolinteacher #violintechnique #practiceroom #violinpedagogy #masterviolin #playviolin #violinlove #beautifulmusic #violinista #violintips #stringplayer (at Washington D.C.) https://www.instagram.com/p/CQLbqAxAmca/?utm_medium=tumblr

[deborahdeshoftim5779]

Johann Sebastian Bach’s classic Violin Concertos, BWV1041-1043, and BWV1064, played by the Collegium Musicum. 

[deborahdeshoftim5779]

Bach’s Violin Sonata in F Minor, with the Harpsichord. The great Baroque violinist Rachel Podger plays here on gut strings, with Trevor Pinnock playing harpsichord. BWV 1018. I love the adagio in particular. 

[deborahdeshoftim5779]

Baroque violinist Shunske Sato plays Bach’s celebrated Partita No. 2 in D Minor for solo violin. Bach takes the listener on a rich architectural and profoundly emotional journey, culminating in his Chaconne. Composers and musicians from Brahms to Menuhin have all hailed this as a staggering piece of music, with the former saying he might have gone mad had the melody been inside his head. 

[deborahdeshoftim5779]

Bach all day. 

On a visit to London last year, I heard Bach’s Preludio from the E Major Violin Partita. I bought a tea to go, but then deliberately took a while to add sugar just so that I could hear the whole thing. This entire Partita has an unusually cheerful character, one of only 2 in a major key. The energetic beginning requires incredible dexterity and is a pleasure to hear in the hands of a capable violinist like Gidon Kremer. 

[deborahdeshoftim5779]

I have to say, Janine Jansen is a superb violinist! Here she is playing Bach’s timeless violin repertoire.