#cellopracticetime

[willhurdstrings]

Modifying #shinichisuzuki #perpetualmotion as an #étude or study piece for #octave leaps before practicing the #continuo part to #violinconcerto in #aminor op 3 no6 by #antoniovivaldi I find modifying simple pieces to create etudes for myself and my students is an efficient way to access the technique practice immediately. Learning published etudes such as Kreutzer and Rode certainly have value, but do require a lot of investment up front before the technique becomes easy. In this practice I a focusing on clean string crossings. This is difficult to accomplish on a 5 string instrument where the bridge curve is flatter than on a 4 stringed instrument. Also the baroque bow hair flexes as weight is applied so it’s easier to accidentally crash into adjacent strings! Note: the shape of a modern bow causes the hair to tighten as weight is applied, creating a flat ribbon. 2 videos: 1) Perpetual motion octave practice ~swipe left~ 2) Excerpt from the #bassline of #concertoinaminor by #vivaldi #violoncellodaspalla #violinteacher #cellofun #hellocello #minicello #practiceroom #cellopractice #cellopracticetime #violintechnique #violinpedagogy #celloist #celloworld #violoncellist #violoncellista (at Washington D.C.) https://www.instagram.com/p/CTcRLq_gjSQ/?utm_medium=tumblr

[willhurdstrings]

View this post on Instagram

A post shared by William Hurd (@willhurdstrings)

I find the first two measures of Prelude from Bach’s cello suite 6 to be among the more challenging passages in the piece. The string crossings and arpeggiation pose challenges to tone production and intonation. These challenges are compounded by being in the middle register - middle 3 strings, so it’s easy to crash into adjacent strings to produce unwanted sounds. Here’s how I break it down: 1) play only the moving note on the performance bow strokes — in this case the last note of each triplet is played up bow. I focus on placing the hair accurately and driving the bow with awareness of the direction of the tip of the bow. On the G string I drive the bow behind me. On the A, I drive the bow towards the ceiling. 2) Play the moving notes with the preceding notes, in this case open D string. Absorb the feeling of each string crossing. For crossings to the lower string, I visualize the bow tip dropping towards my shoulder. For crossings to the higher string, I visualize my forearm hugging in towards my abdomen. 3) Play all notes slowly being hyper aware of all the motions - bow directions and string crossings. 4) At tempo. Notes: I repeat each stage more than once. I compressed the process for brevity in presentation in Instagram. Bow tip and arm movement direction will be different depending on what instrument you’re playing (violin, viola, cello, etc). The point is it’s useful to external points of reference. #violoncellodaspalla #practiceroom #practiceroomrevelations #practicemakesprogress #cello #cellopractice #cellopracticetime #cellolesson #cellotechnique #violintechnique #violinpractice🎻 #jsbach #bachcello #bachcellosuites #cellosuites #stringplayers #stringsattached #violinteacher #музыкабаха #бах #виолончелист #celloist #baroquecello #hellocello #celloworld #cellopower (at Washington D.C.) https://www.instagram.com/p/CIS7vfTAt3h/?igshid=1gp6zrbyi5uci

[willhurdstrings]

Intonation, contact point, bow weigh & bow speed. We usually think of intonation as being in the realm of the left hand fingers; however, an excess of bow weight or pressure can bend the strings out of tune even if the left hand fingers are accurately placed. Consider the following: 1) Strings get softer further from the bridge and therefore cannot accept as much weight before the pitch bends. 2) Thinner (higher) strings can accept less weight at the same distance from the bridge as thicker (lower strings) 3) Shorter strings (higher positions) can accept less weight than longer strings (lower positions) at the same distance from the bridge. Double stops are notorious for being out of tune. I always check my bow placement so I can tell if the issue is in the left hand or the right. 3 videos from last night’s practice of #gigue from #cellosuite no 6 by #jsbach 1) Slow slurred staccato (separate notes while preserving bow direction). I carefully monitor my bow placement so it is as close to the bridge as possible taking advantage of the string’s stiffness and strength. ~~swipe left~~ 2) Slow practice with performance bowings taking care not to let the bow slip into the softer, weaker part of the strings. Notice how the distance from the bride increases slightly on the lower strings. 3) At tempo - faster bow strokes will be slightly further from the bridge, but still as close as possible to avoid bending the pitch. #violoncellodaspalla #cello #cellosolo #cellolesson #cellopractice #cellopracticetime #practiceroom #practicediaries #cellistsofinstagram #celloworld #babycello #cellotechnique #violintechnique #violintips #cellotime #stringplayer #stringsattached #baroquemusiclovers #celloist #ilovecello #violinfun #beautifulmusic #violinteacher (at Washington D.C.) https://www.instagram.com/p/CH-c5XDAchq/?igshid=12na6yas2szlq

[willhurdstrings]

Smooth chords practice method. Enter chords gracefully and play them with singing tone with this strategy. Step 1 - Play the bottom two notes early and at the end of the previous bow stroke. Play the top two notes on the “performance” bow stroke. This trains the following: A. Advanced preparation of the left hand B. Slow bow speed (albeit in the opposite direction) of the bass notes. (More on this in a future video) C. Fast bow speed with free arm feeling on the melody note(s) for pure, singing tone. ~~swipe left~~ Step 2 - left hand prepares in advance, top notes receive ample bow for a sweet, singing tone. Stay tuned for additional chord practice videos addressing optimal bow distribution, speed and contact point considerations. Repertoire for this video is #sarabande from #suite6 by #jsbach #violoncellodaspalla #cellopractice #cellopracticetime #violintechnique #practiceroom #practiceroomrevelations #celloworld #violinteacher #cellista #instacello #bachcellosuites #baroquemusiclovers #barockmusik #klassischemusik #classicalmusiciansofinstagram #beautifulmusic #instacello #instaclassicalmusic #stringplayer #bachlovers #cellolovers #ilovecello #ilovebach (at Washington D.C.) https://www.instagram.com/p/CG4w11MAkh9/?igshid=fbx1u8a1ipmv

[willhurdstrings]

Custom #sordino #sourdine test on #violoncellodaspalla Enjoying my custom #cellomute designed in by my lovely and talented cousin in Ukraine @khrystyna_shvadchak Please check out her profile for lots of high quality leather goods: @bagin.goods @bagin.eco @dubkova.by_bagin I love the way this mute dampens the overtones evenly over the full range of the instrument without removing the richness of tone. There don’t seem to be any notes that stand out more than others. Additionally, the leather hugs the bridge snugly, which is important given the instrument is held sideways so gravity won’t hold the mute in place as it would on a #violin, #viola, or #cello Videos: 4 octave C major scale performed without and with mute Close up pictures of the mute Picture of Kriss at her workshop in #drohobych_city #ukraine #celloplayer #cellolove #leatherhandmade #leatherhandcraft #celloist #celloworld #musicianslife #stringsattached #stringplayer #cellopractice #scalepractice #4octave #4octaverange #practiceroom #cellopracticetime #celloist (at Washington D.C.) https://www.instagram.com/p/CPOD1aGABjK/?utm_medium=tumblr