[MUSIC] [APPLAUSE] >> The first thing that is important for us to do in this piece is this bow stroke [MUSIC] Which we call the Detache stroke. We name this stroke after him because he invented it ,and the principle of this stroke is that we're going to work on the little note and get the big note from nothing. So I'll help you do this and when we do these things, let's keep the hand over the high dot. Can you just wave to your nose? That a girl, good, so we're going to play down. [MUSIC] Now I'm going to work here and when I work I'm going to [NOISE] can you like brushing your teeth? Can you do that? [NOISE] [MUSIC] That's good and then we're going to go down, down up. [MUSIC] And then up down. [MUSIC] Up, down, good. Down, up [MUSIC] Down, down up [MUSIC] Good, and when we do all of these things we're going to keep this fingers as loose as possible, can you tap your first finger and the two middle? Good, and the little? Very good, so we'll do that once more. [MUSIC] Down, work here, [MUSIC] Down up, and we work here, up down, down up, up down. Good, that's good. One other thing we're going to do, we're going to practice a finger pattern. [MUSIC] So we're going to find the balance of our hand for that B-flat there. So we'll play every note two times. A, A. B, B. C, C. [MUSIC] And E, E. [MUSIC] Good. [SOUND] So what we want to do, we're always going to be aware [SOUND] that we balance the hand, the fingers back from the third and the fourth fingers. [MUSIC] So let's play the third finger first. Let's play three, with really, and then the fourth, great. Good, and then after we play the note, we're going to relax the finger, so we play the fourth, and then take it off and then see how loose it has to be here? And then we play the C [MUSIC] And the two. [MUSIC] And the one, low one. [MUSIC] Good. A [MUSIC] Good, let's set that up once more. So let's play the three. Three [MUSIC] And the four. [MUSIC] Five. [MUSIC] Good. Now, in order for us to be able to play this right in tune here. [MUSIC] See how loose my fourth finger is? Can you feel it? See this tendon here? Does it feel like a marshmallow? Do you like marshmallows? Yeah. So, let's just check out this tendon if it feels just like a squishy marshmallow. Good, three and squishy marshmallow three. Good, now let it go. Good. And two, good. And a one. Good. A. Good. And then we're going to play A, one. [MUSIC] A, A, one, good, two, and leave the fingers down. Four, three, and relax the finger after it plays. [SOUND] Good. And that's the way we're going to figure out how to play really in tune, is by always finding the balance. So, what we're doing from each piece is, we're finding the things that are difficult and then we're finding things to do to figure out how to accomplish all the things that were difficult but then of course are not difficult anymore. Does that make sense? Okay. Do you have any questions? You are fantastic. So let's give you a big hand. [APPLAUSE] [MUSIC] [APPLAUSE] >> I want to just take a look at one thing that is very subtle but let's see if it's going to help. Can you just do this, can you play just D, E, F. Can you just play D majors? Yeah, and if you can turn your feet towards me? Or I’ll move a little bit like that, that’s good. [MUSIC] Okay, now we’re going to just talk a little bit about your left hand and how we're going to find maybe a slightly different balance for your fingers that will help you and actually let you sound even better, which is hard to believe because you sound so good already. We want to take a look at the first finger and sometimes I find your first finger angle is a little bit at this angle. The angle of this first finger here, I'm exaggerating it a little bit. Now, what we're going to do, we're going to put the first finger so it's going to the contact in this string at this angle. So a little more on the left side of the finger. That's right. So instead of this [SOUND] this right here. We're going to put the finger like this. [SOUND] And that's going to help us, so can we play every note two times? [MUSIC] Good. When we find that balance, we're going to let the fingers stay down. [MUSIC] So after you play, we're going to leave the finger down just very lightly. Watch your feet, put your feet straight in front. That is really good. And we want the fingers to go down with the least amount of pressure. So, a really good way to find that is for us to do a very gentle handshake. Can we do? That's right. You can't be a macho boy when you do this. Good. Okay good. And we're going to do. That's right! Good so D, and now keep the one down, three and four and then relax the finger after it plays, good, good. The angle is great. Now, one other thing I want you to just be thinking about, [MUSIC] this is very good. Now, when you take the finger off. Do you see how relaxed it is? I'm going to relax the three and now relaxing the two. So by doing that, by relaxing the finger after it plays, the hand is going to find its own most natural shape. So that's right, good. So D and E, E, three, good, now that's great. Now, we're going to just hear, just before you go on. How loose can that fourth finger be? That's good. Do you feel a difference? Good and play the three, the F and the two. [MUSIC] and the 1 [MUSIC]. Good and let these guys be so loose. [MUSIC] That's right. >> [MUSIC] And next we're going to go very slowly. And see how loose those fingers are, and we’ll check out the angle of your fingers, so just really slowly. So, one, two, bop, bop. Good. [MUSIC] Ba and bop, bop, bop, bop. Good, very good, really good. [MUSIC] [APPLAUSE] That was great, really good. You should at least smile at the end. That's good. Okay these pieces are so wonderful because they're pieces that you play at your level. That have the same elements of pieces that you play when you play the Wieniawski Polonaise or Paganini. Or all this other virtuosic music that's coming up for you. Good and all your elements that you're doing are great, I'm going to move you around like this, that's right. Because they'd rather see you than me. Now let's just talk about one or two physical things. That when we play that can be really helpful. And the first thing I want you to think about is the relationship between your head, your neck, and your back. That our backbone is the centerpiece of our body, and the structure of our bone structure. And coming out of our backbone is our neck and then on top of our neck is hopefully our head, which can roll around. If this is the backbone here and this is our neck they have to move together. So sometimes as violinists what we find is that the neck likes to move from the backbone which can be rather painful as you get older. So what we want to do, we just want to be aware that the neck is going to stay on top of our backbone. And that our head, is the thing that can roll around. Okay, can you just put your violin down for a second. So we're going to do a little exercise that can help you to find that center. And you're a growing boy, so probably every day you wake up and you're a different size, so these exercises can also help you with that. Now, we're going to first put our feet together so we're well balanced, make a V and take a little to the side. That's right, so that we feel that our body is balanced. Now, if I look at you, I feel a little, already you are changing. But this is what I feel, you’re a little like this, okay? And you’re a teenager so you have the teenage schlump, we call it. So, what we’re going to do, we’re going to try to give you another way to think about these things. First of all, we’re going to bend your knees, that's right. So that means that you're going to have to feel the core of your body here. And then we're going to feel that you're, keep your knees bent, we're going to lengthen your body. I'm going to just. And we're going to put our shoulders back and we're going to mostly put our head back. That's right because now instead of having your neck be separated from your backbone. The neck needs to feel that its coming up from the backbone, that's right, good. And then we're going to keep our knees like this, that's good. So your going to have good thighs after this. We're going to put our shoulders forward and roll them up and roll them back and then let them drop. But keeping your chin, can you push your chin with your hand? Chin back. Okay. Now, were going to add one more element to this. Were going to just raise the right arm or left arm. And we're going to push it to the ceiling, that really takes a lot of work and keep the hand so it's open like the other way, that's right. Can you really push it up? It's like you're holding the world, like Atlas and then the other arm, is going to go up. Good and we're going to put against our ears if you can. Keep your, good, keep your chin back. Good. And can you count to ten? One, two, three, four, five, six, seven, eight, nine, ten. Okay now, come up and then just drop the arm and drop the other arm, but keeping that length here. That's right, and the head and the chin back. That's right, let loose. That's right, good, and the hands loose, okay. Now, can you keep that? Put your hands in this position here, good and just open up. Good, and just bend your knees once more, just so you find your balance. Okay, now you can come up, but stay more or less like that, I'm going to give you your violin, don't move. That's it, but I want you to keep, that's right. Mostly it's the neck has to stay on top. No, and I'm bringing the violin to you, not your head to the violin. That's right, were just going to stay here and just keep your hand here for now. Good and then you can drop your arm because everything has to stay loose but we want to keep your head, that's right. Back and your jaw goes into the chin rest, which should really be named the jaw rest because the chin really never goes into the chin rest. That's right. Good, just really loose. I'm going to give you the bow. Now, the question that we always have to ask as teachers is does it feel slightly different? This position? >> Yeah. >> Okay. Can you identify what feels different? Usually, I hold the violin a little higher. It feels more secure that way. >> Okay, but now you want to put your head back. That's right, and you want to just let your jaw rest on the chin rest. That's right. You don't even need your head for now. That's right, and you want to keep your length here that you want to grow from here. That was very good. Now you're taller. See how easy it is to grow? Good and you want to keep the fingers on the bow really loose. Now we're just going to play an open string, open A. [SOUND] Good. Just A, and up. Good. Keeping the head back. Good. And just block to open A's and up, good. Not pressing the head, that's it. [MUSIC] So we want to be able to establish a pulse and we'll find the wiggle room within that pulse, but you want to organize. Your movement around that pulse unless the composer asks otherwise which, in this first movement, he doesn't. He doesn't give you any other tempo marking indications, okay? So if the orchestra plays the opening, that's going to be your pulse. [MUSIC] [SOUND] Can we just sing that? [NOISE] [NOISE] Right? And then he gives you a here but then all of this [MUSIC] is in the same tempo. Good, okay so let's just where you come in. [MUSIC] Four, one, two, three. [MUSIC] I don't see a ritardando, right? So let's isolate. [MUSIC] Can we just do that without the slur? [MUSIC] Good, okay. Now add the slur. [MUSIC] So this is up bow. [MUSIC] That could be really rhythmic >> [MUSIC] [NOISE] That was really good now be rhythmical but sing it. >> [MUSIC] Okay, very good. [MUSIC] So let's get this, our Spanish flare. Well, let me ask you one other question, which is always, gives you an image of this of Spanish music. Have you ever seen any Flamenco dancing? >> No, I don't think so. >> Okay. So what you have to do, you have to go onto YouTube and look up Flamenco dancings. So you see what it looks like and how incredibly dignified these dancers are when they dance flamenco, which is usually accompanied by guitar, and the women has many time castanets that they're using. And throughout this music, I always hear this. [MUSIC] Those are the Castanets, you know what Castanets are? Those wooden things. >> Yeah. >> [SOUND] Those clappers that that image is evoked here also. But what you want to know about people from Spain, they're gorgeous. Their extremely dignified and extremely noble and so we want to always balance those qualities in this music also. So just without the piano just from here just we get this rhythm. >> [MUSIC] Good. That's good. So, we want to find the character, not that's its [SOUND] that its so academic, but [MUSIC] Good, okay. Now, how are we going to do that. [MUSIC] So let's move the bow a little bit, so instead of being in the same place with the bow. [MUSIC] That's kind of boring, we're going to [SOUND] a little bit. So up. So you can start here. The up bow goes to here. And the down bow here. [MUSIC] Good. That's better. So let's just do the triplets [SOUND] Down, up, down. So down, up, down. Up, that’s good. Down, up. That. So, when we Z the bow it gives it us a little bit more wiggle room, and a little bit more imagination, in how you want to portray those notes OK? OK, so that was better, and we see we have [SOUND] we see this figure all throughout here. [MUSIC] So we're going to always find how you can make that triplet. Okay. [MUSIC] When you write for ballet, at least in classical ballet, is the music heavier or lighter? >> Lighter. >> Probably lighter, okay so given that [MUSIC] We're going to be, let's let the bow move very even speed. [MUSIC] Okay, good. So this would be half a bow, half a bow, half a bow, half a bow. [MUSIC] And triple it. [MUSIC] Too ran. [MUSIC] Triplet, triplet. Okay, okay, that's better. It's hard to do isn't it? Yeah, it's like ugh. Okay, so now, I want you to do it again like that. And we're going to add the ingredient of the awareness of how you shift here. Because of how you get to your different notes is going to be more of your expressive tools than the portmanteau. So, for example. [MUSIC] I'm going to shift on the up bow. [MUSIC] So, I'm going to let the shifts be expressive, still not going to have you vibrate. And I don't know if we, maybe, too many ingredients. Usually, we just like to add one at a time, but because Stacia's going to give us the [NOISE] let's add, let's see if we can find the center to the pitch on all these notes. [MUSIC] Okay so the G sharp. [MUSIC] It's not the leading tone for the A to the G. [MUSIC] This is a third of a cord right? As is the A sharp. [MUSIC] Good, so you have the piano so just match the pitch to the piano. [MUSIC] Now shift. Okay, okay, that was good. That was good. So this is good. [MUSIC] And see how slow the shift is here. [MUSIC] That's slow. Okay, good so just, so, see how I am going to shift. Can you just do this? [MUSIC] Again, again we do bunch of times. Now when you make this wonderful shift feel that the finger is gliding on top of the string. [MUSIC] Great, and you want it to be so slow that you know every possible millimeter of its journey. [MUSIC] That's it again. [MUSIC] Good. And go on. That a way! Go on. A sharp. Good. I heard a portamentau. And good. Good. Now even this shift. [MUSIC] This is a [MUSIC] If you use that fingering you want to use that shift to express yourself there. [MUSIC] Five, two and. [MUSIC] The bow. Good, good and then here. [MUSIC] Here. [MUSIC] An eighth note. Hm mm. Hm mm. Yes. Good. [MUSIC] Okay, that's the idea. Okay, so we are thinking about three different things here, the evenness and the beauty of the bow, the purity of the intonation, and the connections in your shifts, and everything we do musically is a connection between what? >> How many notes? >> Like, two notes. >> Two notes. Everything we do is a connection, how we get from one note to the next note, and that's why shifting is such an important part of that equation. [MUSIC]
