Category Archives: cello practice

cello practice

Ascetic

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I just can’t believe what an extraordinary art form teaching is. It is so different than playing. Although it is like performing in one way: you use the inspiration of the moment to communicate your deepest, wisest notions.

Sometimes I am shocked at what comes out of my mouth in lessons. Maybe often. One thing that shocks me is how different it is than my own thoughts and technical hurdlings. It is like new pathways are being forged in my mind, in response to the needs of the student.

But basically I feel it is a unique art form. It is a special pursuit. I never really thought that in the past. Of course it is an extension of the performing art, but with such differing parameters and directions taken. You have to connect things differently. Your body and breath and speech and eyes and ears. Just the speaking part begins to redirect the experience beyond performing. And then when you interact with the student so closely, attempting to meld your thought processes a bit, new channels open up. It feels never-ending in its potential, in a beautifully variant way from playing.

originally published on 1/11/10

cello practice, hypotheses and philosophies

Melange

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The precipice. Maybe you don’t know of it. Odd that I do. Is that a human trait? Not just nurture but nature?

Why can I feel so dirty on the inside? I shower more often, but there does seem to be a difference between external and internal. Must there really be so much muck? Is that also something inherent to the species?

The precipice and muck are well expressed in music, it seems. But it is suggested that it goes the other way as well. If you are frequently expressing certain ideas and emotions in music, they will cycle back into your heart and life. I always thought they just went out into the ether. Into the ears and hearts of the audience, and the universe.

Sometimes I can comprehend the connections between internal and external. They do link up. Maybe the problem is using my sleep and dreams to determine these things. You have limited access to your physical self. You are all spiritual/emotional. It’s a good barometer though. It’s a pure version of the depths. Unadulterated.

I really need an internal shower. How does one accomplish that? Maybe some laughter. Maybe some enriching repartee. Maybe some whimsical music-making. Maybe a good team sport. See? These bridge the gap as I go along.

originally published on 4/23/10

cello practice, hypotheses and philosophies

Canonize

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Maybe I’m more of a philosopher than I realize. I was just reading “This Book Does Not Exist”, a book on paradoxes, and I noticed parallels to my thoughts on cello and bow experimentation. It describes philosophies which question reality – like whether 2 seemingly contrary things can exist simultaneously, and likewise whether 2 identical things can coexist – just the sorts of problems I grapple with when I am comparing or trying bows. How can I feel so differently from one minute to the next when the equipment remains the same? Perhaps I should be questioning reality itself. I tend to anyway, but this book makes me feel that I am not crazy in doing so.

The conundrum seems to be that at one moment I feel so sure about how a bow or cello is responding, then in the next I have an utterly alternate sensation. How do you reconcile them? Which one has more validity? Has something changed which I cannot perceive? Or, as I am now thinking, is my actual definition of reality askew? Maybe that gets into religious considerations as well. Sometimes it seems to me that religions are in the business of stretching the limits of what one considers reality. This can be frustrating and lightening at the same time. There seems to be a fine line between philosophy and religion. Maybe one is the practical application of the other. Of course some religions are more practically oriented than others.

originally published on 6/23/10

cello practice, hypotheses and philosophies

#1 Rat

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I have recently been breaking down my LH technique into a few main components. It started when I got fed up with how uncooperative my first finger is. So the first thing I realized is that I have to keep each finger in mind individually. I cannot let one finger’s propensities bias all the others. They are really coming at the string from different places, at different angles, from different parts of the hand, from different lengths, etc.

On the other hand, the fingers are indeed unified in a lot of ways. I cannot forget that. The trick of course is to have that unified sensation combined with the above-mentioned autonomy. But that seems to be the trick with a lot of things. Permitting contrasting and even contradictory guidelines to all come into play seems to be a helpful approach. In other words, even if there is a unified theory of everything, I better not approach my craft as if there is. That is something which just happens. On a good day. When things align. Not when I perform some sort of fancy computations.

The other two facets of the left side which have been useful are the arm – neck connection and the variability of the arm height. Keeping in mind that neck tension has a direct affect on the upper arm on down to the hand has a great effect on my posture and symmetry. And utilizing a bouncing and releasing elbow helps to bypass a lot of irrelevant convolutions I go through in my vibrato and hand position.

originally published on 10/4/10

cello practice, hypotheses and philosophies

Nantucket

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I definitely need to experiment with some higher power options. I remember when my atheistic propensities were put on the back burner and I was consulting with Him/It for some solace and support and direction in the recent past. It truly did help for awhile. I think I need to be open to some possibilities, and not let my concern for semantics be a total block for acceptance of wisdom of a certain nature.
God I had weird dreams. So vivid when you’ve overeaten and you’re not sleeping very soundly. I would write it down if I could get a good handle on the details in my conscious mind. John W, weird sheet music issues, winding staircases, musical colleagues.

My latest thinking concept for playing knottedness is my brain stem. It seems to be medical, internal and compellingly scary in enough of a way to get me going in a better direction physically and otherwise. I just remember that I am a product of the fact of human biology, which includes things such as a brain stem inside my head and neck. This is an immutable situation, regardless of whatever I may feel or however I may want to contort myself. As long as I am breathing/alive, I have an active brain stem. Which I find a bit gross to contemplate. But this may be helpful in keeping my attention.

The point is, with this in mind I can acquire a balance within myself. I have a focus that is basically not harmful. Sadly, that is often not the case. Maybe it’s a little like a higher power option to which I refer above. Human biology.

originally published on 11/27/06

cello practice, hypotheses and philosophies

Uno

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Another connection I should not make is that between good technique and good intonation. Those things are oddly separate. And even if they’re not, you can’t make any assumptions. You can just go about your business aligning things nicely on both sides, while keeping an ear out for the end product. If they happen to go together, maybe it’s just a coincidence.

originally published on 10/4/10