Here are a few things that have been coming up in lessons, so you may want to add a comment to discuss how they are working for you.
1. Schedule when you are going to practice. I don't think anyone has been thoroughly prepared this week, and clearly many of you are feeling a bit or more overwhelmed. When you have lots of things to do, assignments due the next day, etc., it's easy to feel overwhelmed and then let practicing slip until you have time.
You will never "have time" to practice. Or exercise. Or sleep. You have to make time.
We almost always have more time than we realize. More time in our days, even more time to make that shift! And the key is to make a written schedule. Schedule when you are going to practice, when you are going to study, when you are going to exercise, and when you're going to have fun. With your practicing, schedule when you are going to practice what. You can make it all work.
There's a great metaphor for getting our priorities straight, which extends into managing time. It has to do with putting stuff into jars, and it gets told in different versions. Here's the best short video I could find on it:
Your cello playing is a very big golf ball! And if you wait until you've taken care of all the many pebbles life (and DePauw) is throwing at you, you won't get it fit in. You need to make sure that practicing (and studying, and exercising, and sleeping, and meditating/praying, etc.) is one of the golf balls that you put in before the pebbles of assignments due tomorrow, or the sand of Facebook, etc.
The way to do that is by writing down a schedule!
2. Release the tension in your non-playing fingers. There are a lot of tense fingers sticking out all over the place. Notice when that's happening! As I wrote in a comment on another post, awareness is the first step to mastery.
3. Make sure you know what notes you are playing. This is so obvious, but perhaps for some of you it's a golf ball that didn't make it in before the pebbles and sand--especially when it comes to tenor clef. It all works much better when you know the name of the note you are about to play. It works even better when you imagine the pitch of that note as well! That's why you need to be able to say the names of the notes of your piece in rhythm.
Now it's your turn. Add a comment, and in it describe at least one thing we worked on in your lesson.
I think it is crucial to be able to relax our other fingers while we play. Not only do we have to be cognizant of how relaxed the finger we are playing with is, we have to think about our other fingers as well, which is a lot to remember in one note. I know I have a hard time relaxing when I play, so during my lesson, Dr. Edberg worked a lot with my relaxation when I have a big shift coming up or a passage with fast notes. Also, we worked on relaxing my bow hand when there were sections that required light playing versus the sections with heavy notes.
ReplyDeleteI would describe my lesson today as a real kick in the ass. As Dr. Edberg said, cello practice is the golf ball, and I have found that I have been trying to take care of the sand beforehand.
ReplyDeleteOne thing we worked on is the tenseness with which I play (something I've struggled with for many years). He recommended doing yoga, swimming, or other activities that would train my body to perform more flexible activities. I should stop trying to force my way around the cello and focus on relaxing as a I play.
Finally, as I have found with Dr. Edberg, questions can say more than answers.
My lesson taught me that tension can be released from fingers that are not actually playing. I was having problems with a sore fingering arm when playing thumb position, because I constantly was pushing down onto the fingerboard with my thumb - if I release the pressure of my thumb when not playing, It makes it a whole lot easier. I also learned that I can reach farther with my thumb position extensions if I release my first finger - this will also help my sore hand and arm problems.
ReplyDeleteThose are both really important points, Graeme (and welcome to the blog!).
DeleteHow sore is your hand/arm? If it's still bothering you, try ice packs and ibuprofen (an anti-inflammatory), and if it's still bothering you Monday go see Dr. Ripple in the Health Center in Hogate.
Meanwhile, I'll underscore how valuable it is to release pressure/weight on, and tension in, non-playing fingers. And that it can be almost transformative to shift from thinking about "extended position" to extend-and-release as a way of moving from one spot to another.
In preparation for my lesson TOMORROW, I have taken many aspects of my previous lesson to heart. After reading a portion of the first movement of Schumann concerto I was given many new and exciting fingerings and bowings to play around with. One difficulty I faced previous to and during my lesson were the fast and sometimes awkward runs which plague the concerto. Through experimenting with these new fingerings and bowings I have become more comfortable thus allowing me to increase my speed and flow. This effect trick of experimentation is so simple I often forget to even try it but especially in a piece like the Schumann is greatly advised. Excited for my next venture to Dr. Edberg's lair! WOOOOO!
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