Thanks you for the book suggestions!!!

December 18, 2009 at 4:15 AM

Hi, in all the posts here have often been mentioned the book "Basics" by Simon Fisher and also, sometimes, Technical Fundamentals of the Soviet Masters. I bought myself the two for Christmas as I said I would find a way to have them before Christmas since I wouldn't survive to wait longer ; )

and they arrived today!!! You were all right, really REALLY good books, they are addictive... and everyone should have them (especially those who don't have a teacher or have a not that good teacher if this saddly happens sometimes) But even with a good teacher, they will be so useful!

Thanks for your advice!

Anne-Marie

From Erick Busato
Posted on December 18, 2009 at 10:59 AM

Anne-Marie,

I also bought the Basics book, along with the Practice one, from the same author. They are really good books indeed. But, I have been using them sparingly, only when i need to overcome spotted technical dificulties. Basics have many many great tips and exercises, but i think i lack the ability to work my way into them consistently. They cover so many technical aspects of violin playing (maybe all of them) that i don't know how to begin using it every day. I want to use it more... How do you plan on working on Basics book?

Another books i bought were the 'Art of Violin Playing' from Carl Flesch Vol 1, I think Buri mentioned it some times too, Vol2 and the Scale System. Volume 1 is very good. Flesch 'talks' about technical and artistic development, explaining the technics and giving examples on how to exercise them. I don't know if all of his ideals of violin playing are still up to date though (maybe they will never be outdated)... Volume 2 is a bit over my head right now, i lack some 5 - 10 years (who knows...) of violin playing to understand it. My teacher assigns me scales from the Flesch's Scale System.

Happy reading!!

Erick

From Anne-Marie Proulx
Posted on December 18, 2009 at 2:06 PM

Eric. I agree about the complexity. I think I'll read for fun 5 min each day or so and do the exercises when I feel I am doing the wrong thing or just question myself about thing x. With a good teacher that has a classic and well establish teaching principles, you can possibly use them as "complements to help". But, for someone without a teacher or a teacher that has to learn how to teach, or someone who is aiming for a professionnal symphony orchestra lol, it surely would help to be "maniac" with these books. (well I think...)

For busy (with non musical studies : ( amateurs like me, I will be slower to read and apply the content of these books since I still want to put the maximum of my time practicing things for my lessons as usual. There is no sense beeing a technical beast if this avoids you to have time to listen to many recordings, do some ear training and "artistic" search. A blend between the two is "ideal".

So I guess it depends on many things! Thanks for talking about this Carl Flesh book!!! Maybe my next Christmas present for next year??? ; )

Good luck!

Anne-Marie

It's like in school, when they say: search on x thing everywhere to do a lecture. You have infos from the teacher, endless net ressources, books at the library and why not call experts... One has to choose what one needs in all these infos. Not always obvious. I agree! And you always think the others were able to read all this when they are just as normal as you ; )

From Stephen Brivati
Posted on December 21, 2009 at 5:42 AM

Greetings,

Erick , glad you bought Simon`s books. I notice from your biog that you have been studying with XClayton Haslop`s course, plus you have your own teacher which is a good idea. i just have a feleing you might be getting some kind fo sensory overload by havign all these reocurces which will not always arrive at the same goal by the same path (although the deep similarities are always there). You cannot go wrong with Mr Haslop but his approach to learning the violin is somewhat individualistic and other teachers may well not agree (I have yet tofind anythign of his that didn`t seem perfectly logical and cogent-its just I don`t exactly do things his way either). Some of this may be reflected in your conlusions about the Flesch wich, incidentally, is not at all out of date- you have correclty surmised that much of what he says is timeless. The only thing that will refelct changing trends in violin playing is the fingering (in my opinion).

Anyway, on top of all this yuou want to add a book as deep as `Basics`?!!!!!! You can of course juts pick out useful stuff here and there to supplement what you are doing, but I perosnally feel Basics is a book to live both with andby. Simon has suggested, if I reclal correctly, just running through it in alinear fashion and seeing what really works for you and keeping notes so that you return to those sections. Also note that some of the exercises (especially the early bowing ones) are `awareness` exercise sand thus do not need to be practicied ona regualr basis. In contrast there are other sections which are designed specifically for that purpose.

Sorry, you have inspired me. I`m going to write a blog on the subject. Hope it will be of some use . Bepatient.

Cheers,

Buri

From Anne-Marie Proulx
Posted on December 21, 2009 at 2:28 PM

It's pretty easy to have a sensory overload with violin!!! It would take me 24 hours a day just to be what I call "acceptable" for a student ; ) I can't understand the: if it takes you more than 3 hours a day, pack it all and do something else of your life (Auer said this I think...) Well, then, I should pack it all but don't want!!!

Have a nice day,

Anne-Marie

BTW not just books are helpful.. I discovered yesterday how a metronome can help with much technical aspect of the violin such as learning bow and finger control in time (I knew it but was never convinced...until yesterday when I TOTALLY messed something at my lesson that I struggled for months with just because my sense of tempo was wrong while I didn't realize it... after the acc. and ral. I never returned to the same normal tempo thus my body did anything and didn't learned to move in time). When the pieces were easier, a metronome wasn't necessary as much since there were less hard things to take off my focus from the tempo. But it's incredible that to play musically with a metronome, you HAVE to analyse your bow amount, pressure, division and area much more than usual and learn so much from this. I solve a problem I had for months in one evening thanks to my metronome lol Shame on me who didn't play often ennough with the metronome if this wonderful tool can learn you not only strong tempo feel but so many tachnical aspects and better control over your body motion (which is essential for those with a weak innate coordination like me!!!)

From Erick Busato
Posted on December 22, 2009 at 12:17 AM

Anne-Marie, Buri,

I agree, it is very easy to get sensory overloaded on violin. There are so many different tools, methods, info sources, and so forth, that i am struggling to focus...

Looking forward to read your blog post, Buri.

All the best,

Erick

From Anne-Marie Proulx
Posted on December 22, 2009 at 3:34 AM

Looking forward for Buri's blog too!

Anne-Marie

From Stephen Brivati
Posted on December 23, 2009 at 7:17 AM

Greetings,

well, the wretched hting is witten but it got stuck on a computer at a school I don`t go to again until Friday so it will be a weekend blog,

Gird your loins, It`s a long un....

Cheers,

Buri

From Anne-Marie Proulx
Posted on December 23, 2009 at 2:58 PM

Oh this is find... blogs are not compolsory for anyone. So this is what you do while you're at school haha! But I'm on this blog when I am supose to continu my physics exercises so I'm no better... ; )

Anne-Marie

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Thanks you for the book suggestions!!!

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